In the land of Wind, where most are skilled in Wind Release techniques, Earth Release Ninjutsu is not very prevalent due to the vast expanses of yellow sand and minimal obstructions.
The reason is simple: although the desert is also a form of "earth," there are not many Earth Release techniques suited to it. The yellow sand has poor malleability, and many Ninjutsu that require shaping are not effective in the land of Wind.
For example, techniques like Earth-Style Wall and Earth Dragon are not suitable, and the loose yellow sand makes it difficult for Earth Release techniques that rely on the terrain, such as Earth Flow Wave, Earth Flow Divide, and Rupturing Earth Palm, to be effective.
The scarcity of water resources also limits the effectiveness of Earth Release techniques to some extent. Techniques that require a higher moisture content in the earth to function are particularly hard to use in the land of Wind, such as Earth Dragon Bullet and Swamp of the Underworld.
Additionally, the land of Wind is extremely rich in wind resources, and just researching Wind Release Ninjutsu is enough to occupy a Wind Ninja's entire life, so naturally, few people focus on studying Earth Release Jutsu suited to the desert environment.
However, there are a few exceptions among Earth Release Ninjutsu that actually see significant enhancement in the desert of the land of Wind. Tatsuma happens to know some of these techniques. As the enemy approached, he no longer deliberately hid his presence, instead charging outside. Looking at the small black dots in the sea of yellow sand, he smirked.
He even wasn't bothered to wear his mask, considering how hot it was in the land of Wind. Tatsuma formed hand seals with both hands and then slapped one hand directly onto the yellow sand beneath him.
"Earth Release · Earth and Stone Dragon!"
Tatsuma's execution of this technique is not standard. If the Ninjutsu Professor were to see it, he would surely reprimand Tatsuma for his lack of skill.
The key to Earth and Stone Dragon is to crush the land beneath and then use Earth Release Chakra to manipulate the shattered earth. However, Tatsuma's lightly floating hand did not have the effect of crushing the land.
But in the land of Wind, there is no need to crush the land; the Earth Release Chakra quickly spreads to the surroundings and underground, differing from how an average person would use this technique, which involves setting a specific direction.
Because there are too many enemies coming from all directions, Tatsuma simply poured a large amount of Chakra into the ground.
"Whoosh~ Crack~"
The yellow sand lifted in a circular wave, then shot outward in waves of sand, and under the cover of the rising sand, Tatsuma boldly took out a bundle of scrolls.
"Boom~"
Upon unsealing them, explosive tags surged out from the scrolls, and were then enveloped by the sand, merging into the waves.
Tatsuma expanded his sensing range, detecting the fleeing ninjas and those who had to surface from underground due to the encroaching yellow sand waves, which would envelop and erode anyone who came into contact with them.
As wave after wave of yellow sand was evaded, the pursuing rogue ninjas seemed to adapt to the attack's rhythm, relaxing their mindset and becoming less vigilant.
Tatsuma raised his right hand and performed the Seal of Confrontation.
"Talisman detonation!"
"Boom boom boom boom~"
The yellow sand waves suddenly exploded. The once orderly rings of waves were instantly thrown into chaos, and the rogue ninjas were also thrown into disarray. Some avoided the explosions with their alertness and sharpness, while others were injured by the blasts.
Some even lost their footing due to the explosions, falling into the yellow sand waves, where the sand enveloped and eroded them.
A golden cubic fortress also appeared in the desert. As the explosions subsided, the golden fortress dissolved, and countless gold sand particles were absorbed back into the ground.
"Brother Rasa, this Sakamoto Tatsuma is too…"
Yashamaru's words trembled involuntarily. Although it was only Tatsuma alone casting techniques in battle, the scene resembled the ninja battle scenarios described by the Ninja Academy instructors.
Rasa's face was also extremely serious. He had previously thought that he had already overestimated Tatsuma's abilities enough. After all, no matter how much of a genius he was, he was still just a kid not even fifteen years old!
But now, looking at the figure standing in the center of the yellow sand—far from towering—he finally understood why, no matter how much he improved, his sensei was never satisfied or reassured.
Because compared to his own progress and growth, this Konoha genius, targeted and valued by all the villages, made his own achievements seem dull and insignificant.
Perhaps due to the intense focus of his gaze, Tatsuma also noticed Rasa's eyes. He turned his head to look, and although they were far apart, he clearly saw this young Sand Ninja with dark circles under his eyes.
Although the rest of his face was covered by a mask, just from those panda-like eyes, Tatsuma recognized him—Rasa!
At this moment, after Tatsuma had launched his first wave of attacks, Minato, who had just walked out from the building, perhaps sensing Tatsuma's thoughts, said:
"Leader, leave the others to me for now."
"Okay!"
Tatsuma didn't hesitate to accept. After taking a glance at the calm Caterpillar and the eager Tenko, he charged towards Rasa.
"Brother Rasa!"
Yashamaru shouted nervously. Rasa nodded and, seeing his opponent drawing nearer and even too lazy to wear a mask, suddenly removed his own mask.
Hanging the mask at his waist, Rasa clasped his hands together. His special Chakra spread out in circles, and under the influence of the invisible magnetic field, countless gold sand particles emerged.
The yellow sand around him instantly turned golden. This gold sand not only covered a thin layer but completely replaced the flowing sand beneath him with gold sand.
Rasa was stunned by Tatsuma's performance, so he had to create a "home field" for himself, unable to lay out the gold sand as he would against other opponents, needing to call upon it when necessary.
"Magnet Release! Gold Sand Arrow!"
As Tatsuma approached, Rasa's expression grew serious. He clapped his hands again, and some of the gold sand beneath him rose up, condensing into a continuously spinning Gold Sand Arrow on the sand-gold surface in front of him.
Rasa swung his hand, and the Gold Sand Arrow shot towards Tatsuma. The golden arrow, like a beam of sunlight, flew straight for Tatsuma's chest.
"Enhanced Strength! Vacuum Palm!"
With a strike combining Enhanced Strength and Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, the dense Chakra sphere collided with the arrow. The sphere dissipated, but the Gold Sand Arrow also disintegrated.
Seeing this, Rasa squinted slightly. He hadn't expected Tatsuma to use such a brute force method to neutralize his attack. However, if one arrow could be dealt with, what about ten or a hundred?
"Magnet Release! Gold Sand Arrows Rain!"
Rasa clapped his hands again, and dozens of Gold Sand Arrows emerged from the golden sand surface, angled at Tatsuma. With another wave of his hand, the arrows were launched all at once.
Tatsuma observed the arrows. Although their speed seemed unchanged from before, they were less refined in shape compared to the previous one, and the Chakra attached to them was also significantly reduced.
Thinking of this, Tatsuma came up with a countermeasure. He rapidly formed hand seals, and with the final Tiger Seal, he took a deep breath and released it forcefully.
"Fire Release! Great Flame Jutsu!"
The intense flames surged toward the Gold Sand Arrows. As soon as they made contact, Rasa frowned because Tatsuma's attack not only included flames but also scattered Chakra.
This Chakra counteracted the Chakra on the Gold Sand Arrows, allowing the scorching flames to burn the arrows without restraint.
Drops of melted gold fell, and Tatsuma's Fire Release continued unabated, heading straight for Rasa. Yashamaru, about to retaliate, found that Rasa had already launched his Ninjutsu.
"Magnet Release! Gold Sand Wind Wall!"
An arched gold sand wall rose up, separating the flames. The majority of the heat did not directly hit the wall but slid away.
The few sand particles that did come into contact with the flames remained unchanged, protected by Chakra.
Seeing this, Tatsuma's expression became more serious. It was clear that Rasa was not just a theoretical Ninja; he had his own countermeasures for different techniques.
Tatsuma had underestimated Rasa earlier, thinking that his lack of fame was due to being a sheltered child. But now, it seemed that perhaps Rasa's actions were too covert, or his mission success rate was too high, leading to no leaks about his information.
"Magnet Release! Gold Sand Spear!"
At the moment the flames dissipated, Rasa slapped his hands against the inner wall of the gold sand barrier. The wall instantly transformed into a long spear with a double-helix drill shape, thrusting towards Tatsuma.
This attack was launched with extreme stealth, and the gold sand, under Rasa's control, was very flexible, allowing the spear to form almost instantaneously.
Tatsuma dug his heels into the ground, slightly leaning back to rapidly reduce his speed. At the same time, he formed hand seals, and with his right thumb sliding across his teeth, a Summoning Jutsu was instantly deployed.
"First Gate Rashomon!"
A giant, gate-like structure appeared, resembling a gate to hell. The Gold Sand Kincho Spear struck it forcefully.
"Boom~~"
The deep, resonant sound echoed, drawing the attention of the rogue ninjas fighting Minato and others.
Rasa shook his hands; the sudden force made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, but he quickly reacted, applying more strength and channeling Chakra again.
The spear, which had been halted by the impact on the giant gate, began to spin once more.
"Screech~"
An ear-piercing, sharp sound emerged, and the massive gate began to tremble. The area where it was struck showed signs of cracking.
"Boom~"
The next moment, the giant gate exploded. Before the fragments even hit the ground, the Summoning Jutsu ended, and the gate vanished, while the Gold Sand Spear continued to thrust in its previous direction.
But there was no one there anymore.
"Such a remarkable Kekkei Genkai."
A slightly hoarse voice, with a hint of voice change, spoke in Rasa's ear. Before he could shake his head, he heard Yashamaru inhaling, about to speak. But before Yashamaru could say anything, Rasa felt a sudden pressure on his back.
A Blue Chakra ball, with a hint of reddish tint, was pressed against Rasa's back by Tatsuma. The rapidly spinning Rasengan instantly ripped through the fabric on Rasa's back.
But Tatsuma frowned, as the exposed skin on Rasa's back showed no signs of erosion.
"Wind Release! Blade of Wind!"
At that moment, Yashamaru and other ANBU around Rasa launched their attacks. Tatsuma pressed his lips together, and the next moment, he vanished, leaving behind a highly unstable Chakra ball.
The wind blades disrupted the last bit of stability in the Chakra ball, causing it to explode instantly.
"Boom!"
Amidst the deafening sound, Tatsuma seemed to hear a few cries of pain. He had already returned to Minato's rear and quickly dealt with a rogue ninja attempting to ambush Minato.
Minato looked at the gathering rogue ninjas and said, "That should be about it, right?"
"Yeah, that should be enough."
----
Check out my Patreon for more advanced chapters up to 50 at patreon.com/HellGolt