A surge of sand and iron erupted behind the Third Kazekage, formed into a pair of metallic wings and a razor-sharp fan. With a cruel smirk, the Kazekage launched himself from Chishui City, soaring above the battlefield like a vengeful angel of iron.
"Magnet Release: Sand Iron!"
He cast a cold gaze upon the Konohagakure forces below. Countless specks of sand and iron rained down from the sky, each one a deadly projectile. Konohagakure shinobi crumpled in droves, their screams echoing through the chaos. This single attack claimed hundreds of lives, a stark reminder of the immense power wielded by a Kage.
"Fall back! That's the Third Kazekage of Sand!"
Realizing the dire situation, Konohagakure's Jonin commanders barked orders, urging their nearby forces to retreat.
"Retreat? Do you think you have a choice?" The Third Kazekage scoffed, a chilling aura emanating from his form. His power intensified as he unleashed another technique.
"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Strike!"
Under his control, the scattered sand and iron across the battlefield surged skyward, swirling together in a mesmerizing dance. It coalesced into a colossal triangular pyramid, its base spinning at an alarming rate, transforming it into a deadly spinning top.
With a roar, the Third Kazekage slammed his hand down. The colossal black pyramid, despite its immense size, accelerated with terrifying speed, transforming into a monstrous crusher. It roared through the battlefield, pulverizing any Konohagakure shinobi unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. Screams and the sickening spray of blood painted a horrific scene of carnage.
"Such arrogance, Third Kazekage!"
Unable to stomach the Kazekage's brutality any longer, Zashi surged forward, his body crackling with a potent aura of purple lightning. Their years of conflict had laid bare each other's skills, so formalities were dispensed with.
Without hesitation, Zashi unleashed his most potent technique:
"Lightning Release: Raging Thunder Claw!"
A storm brewed above the battlefield as ominous dark clouds gathered, accompanied by the explosive crackle of thunder. A palpable aura of death descended upon the combatants, momentarily halting the chaos below as both sides gazed nervously at the ominous sky.
Even the Third Kazekage, the target of this fearsome attack, displayed a flicker of concern. He reacted swiftly, invoking his own jutsu:
"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Entanglement!"
Responding to his command, the sand and iron scattered across the battlefield swirled upwards, formed into a colossal orb of black iron encasing the Kazekage within its protective shell. The iron barrier continued to thicken, offering a desperate defense against the impending lightning strike.
Below, Zashi glared up at the colossal iron sphere, a chilling glint in his eyes. "Hmph, think a turtle shell will save you, Third Kazekage?"
He then unleashed a surge of chakra, his hands forming a specific seal in front of his chest.
The sky crackled with an unsettling energy. Lightning writhed like boiling oil, its fury intensifying by the second. Then, out of the churning storm, materialized colossal figures: purple thunder tigers, their forms as vivid as real beasts. With earth-shattering roars, they launched themselves at the iron sphere, a torrent of raw power.
Each thunder tiger packed a punch comparable to a high-grade A-rank jutsu! And there were dozens of them, a devastating display of raw power that even among high rank jutsus stood out as exceptional.
Witnessing the spectacle from afar, Aizen's brow furrowed. "That purple lightning... could it be?" he pondered, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.
Typically, a higher-level elemental change requires combining two chakra natures, like the ice release (wind and water) or the lava style (fire and earth). It's a phenomenon known as Kekkei Genkai, a bloodline limit.
However, there exists a rarer phenomenon: the single-elemental change. By rigorously refining a single chakra nature, one can achieve an even more potent transformation without needing to combine elements. Black lightning, used by Darui, the Fourth Raikage's right-hand man, exemplifies this principle.
This ability is akin to a Kekkei Genkai in its power and rarity. Only a handful of the most formidable ninjas in the world possess it.
A series of sharp cracks echoed from the iron sphere as the relentless assault of the thunder tigers took its toll. The booming thunder was a chilling reminder of the Third Kazekage's predicament.
Below, a triumphant smirk spread across Zashi's face. This meticulously developed technique, honed specifically to counter the Third Kazekage, was finally seeing its battlefield debut. From its aerial deployment to the attack patterns and conductivity of the thunder tigers, everything was meticulously designed to neutralize the Kazekage's mastery of air combat and his iron sand defense.
Despite the toll this technique took – Zashi himself would require time to recover his chakra reserves – it had undeniably paid off. The shattered iron sphere revealed a battered Third Kazekage. His entire body was a canvas of fresh wounds, his clothes in tatters. Blood trickled from a gash on his face, a testament to the ferocity of the attack.
"You fight dirty, Zashi," the Third Kazekage rasped, his sand-iron wings now a crumpled mess. He hovered precariously on a small platform of sand, his ability to fly significantly hampered.
His anger was evident, his dark eyes burning with hatred. The truth was, the disparity in power wasn't vast. What had tipped the scales was his reliance on aerial dominance and the impenetrable defense of his Magnet Release sand iron. For years, Konohagakure's forces had proven ineffective against him, allowing him to develop a sense of overconfidence.
Zashi's technique, clearly the product of extensive development, had been a well-kept secret. All those times the Third Kazekage had ravaged the Konohagakure army unchecked, Zashi had been playing a long game, feigning weakness.
Now, at this critical juncture in the battle, Zashi had unleashed his trump card, a display of ruthless pragmatism that did not go unnoticed.
Even if he can't use Chakra very well for the time being, it doesn't mean that others can't! A chilling smile played on Zashi's lips as he met the Third Kazekage's gaze.
A sudden, unsettling premonition gripped the Third Kazekage, a prickling sensation of impending danger.