Yagura glared at Kaito, saying, "Do you think your mere hundred men can stand against me and my army of three thousand?"
Kaito smiled, shaking his head. "It's not about the numbers. A hundred of us... is more than enough."
Yagura's eyes narrowed, fury twisting his features. He snarled, his hands a blur as he formed seals with lightning speed. "Let's see you survive this!"
Without missing a beat, Kaito formed his seals, calmly matching Yagura's intensity. "Bang!" Smoke erupted as four shadow clones appeared, flanking Kaito.
Yagura, momentarily surprised, scoffed. "Shadow clones? You think you can overwhelm me with such a basic trick?"
Kaito's gaze didn't waver. "The clones are not for you. They're for the three thousand mist ninjas behind you."
Yagura's expression darkened. "You think those clones and your few men stand a chance against my forces?"
Kaito's voice was steady, and confident. "More than enough."
Frustrated by Kaito's dismissive tone, Yagura barked an order to the nearby commander, "Fuguki take care of the Uchiha group! I'll handle this one myself!"
Yagura's hand seals were finally completed. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
A massive water dragon surged toward Kaito, but he didn't flinch. His hands blurred as he formed six rapid seals. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A comparatively small fireball shot forward, but Kaito's confidence never faltered. Yagura smirked at the seemingly weaker technique, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is that all?"
The two techniques collided, but the water dragon was immediately overpowered, dissipating as the fireball ploughed through it with ease. The fiery mass hurtled toward Yakura, forcing him to leap back in a panic.
Before Yagura could react, the shark-like figure of Fuguki rushed forward, his sword wrapped in bandages, absorbing the last of the fireball's flames. The blade, Samehada, unravelled, revealing its grotesque, toothy form as it devoured the attack.
Kaito watched calmly from a distance, unfazed by the failed fireball. "That was just a warm-up. If this is all the Mist Village has to offer, it'll be disappointing."
Yagura frowned, realizing that Kaito's power was no mere exaggeration. He turned to Fuguki: "Lead the army. Crush the Uchiha forces."
Fuguki Suikazan grinned wickedly, his sharp teeth gleaming. "Consider it done."
As his men charged forward, Kaito's clones moved into action. Within moments, the battle erupted into chaos. But what Yagura had not expected was how effortlessly the Uchiha forces pushed back his soldiers. Each of Kaito's clones fought with the strength of several men, slashing through Mist ninjas with alarming ease.
Fuguki Suikazan, thinking he could overpower one of Kaito's clones, charged in head-on. But in a split second, he was slashed deeply across his chest, the clone's blade leaving a jagged wound. Staggering back, he grimaced, realizing the overwhelming strength of these clones. "Take them down!" he shouted in panic.
Yet the Mist ninjas, overwhelmed by the precision and power of the Uchiha fighters, began to falter. The tide of the battle shifted in favour of Kaito's forces, as his hundred men held back the three thousand-strong army.
"How is this possible..." Yagura muttered under his breath, watching in disbelief. He turned back toward Kaito, who stood unbothered, even mocking him with a sarcastic grin.
"You seem troubled, Yagura," Kaito taunted. "Is this all your army is capable of?"
Seething with rage, Yakura rushed at Kaito, his staff swinging in a deadly arc. Kaito didn't move. The strike came down with incredible force, but Kaito raised his arm, catching the blow effortlessly. Yakura's eyes widened in shock.
"You're finished!" Yagura sneered, suddenly unleashing the three-tailed chakra within him. A surge of crimson energy enveloped his hand, and with a swift movement, he slammed it into Kaito's chest, sending him flying back.
Kaito slid to a halt several meters away, dust rising in his wake. Yet, despite the power of the tailed beast, he remained unscathed. Yakura's eyes narrowed. "How...?"
Before Yagura could process what had happened, red coral began spreading from where his chakra had made contact with Kaito, encasing Kaito in a thick layer of rock-hard coral, leaving only his head exposed. Yagura grinned victoriously. "This is the power of the Coral Palm! No one escapes its grip!"
"Is that so?" Kaito's voice remained calm, almost amused.
Yagura's face twisted in confusion as Kaito's body began to emit an eerie red glow. The coral shattered instantly, and Kaito stood free, unharmed.
"You think a simple trick like that can stop me?" Kaito said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Your time is up, Yagura."
Yagura took a step back, realizing for the first time the true power that Kaito wielded. And with a determined roar, Kaito began forming seals faster than Yagura could track.
Yagura knew then—that he had gravely underestimated his opponent.