"Everyone in Konoha, listen to my order: Annihilate the Rock Ninja troops. No one should be left alive!"
As Jiraiya finished speaking, he sprang into action. He dodged behind a Rock Ninja Chunin and snapped his neck before the latter even had a chance to react. Though his fight with Hanzo had exhausted him, the Chunin was like a lamb ready for slaughter before him.
"Kill!"
As soon as Jiraiya moved, all the Konoha ninjas erupted with killing intent. The sound of battle filled the air, and the rain suddenly intensified, falling like a deluge over every ninja.
The Konoha and Rock Ninja troops clashed violently.
Tsuchiguki's expression was grim. He knew that retreat was now impossible. Even if he wanted to run, his chances were slim. His gaze locked onto a nearby Konoha ninja.
Chi Chi!
At that moment, lightning flashed in his eyes again, and a chakra blade appeared—Hatake Sakumo stood in front of him.
"The battle between you and me isn't over yet!" Sakumo said coldly, slashing down with his sword.
Tsuchiguki, having lost an arm, was no longer able to form hand seals for ninjutsu. He had to rely on taijutsu to dodge, but compared to Sakumo, he was clearly outmatched.
A deep gash appeared on his chest, and blood gushed out.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru did not interfere in Sakumo's battle, as their conditions were also poor.
Meanwhile, Minato, who had killed three enemy Jonin in a row, now chose Rock Ninja opponents below the Jonin level. Despite his smaller stature, he moved with deadly precision, holding a special kunai.
Whenever his opponents' eyes caught a flash of yellow light, the life slowly drained from their pupils.
Unstoppable!
Uchiha Yoruki and Nawaki, nearby, were shocked to realize that even at his young age, Minato surpassed them in battle.
"Damn it!"
Uchiha Yoruki gritted his teeth, clashing with his own opponent. His eyes narrowed, then suddenly snapped open, revealing his Sharingan. His once-dark pupils now glowed crimson.
"Die!"
With his Sharingan active, Yoruki instantly saw the flaws in his opponent's movements. He ducked low and, with a backhanded strike, slashed the enemy's right wrist.
"Ah!"
The ninja screamed in pain, but before he could shout again, Yoruki's katana severed his throat.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
At the same time, Nawaki, attacked from both sides, formed hand seals. Two earth walls rose within a meter of him, blocking his enemies.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Nawaki formed another seal, and the ground beneath him cracked open as a dragon's head emerged, spitting multiple rock bullets.
Boom!
The first bullet struck the earth wall, shattering it instantly. The debris fell, breaking the focus of the Rock Ninja behind it.
Several more earth dragon bullets hit their marks, smashing the bones and internal organs of the enemy ninjas.
However, behind the second earth wall, another Rock Ninja had completed his hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth…"
Swish!
Before the ninjutsu could be cast, a yellow flash zipped past his eyes. His consciousness began to fade, and the last thing he saw was a thin figure with his back turned to him.
The rain soaked Minato's hair, sticking it to his forehead protector, his azure eyes glinting in the dim light.
"That boy…"
Tsunade, always concerned for Nawaki's safety, glanced over. When she saw how effortlessly Minato dispatched the Rock Ninja, her eyes narrowed in surprise.
Though Minato's actions weren't impressive by her standards, for a child, his skills carried an unexpected weight of oppression.
"Thank you, Minato," Nawaki said, gratitude in his voice.
However, Minato didn't stop to reply. He rushed forward again, joining the fray with the other Konoha ninjas.
Ten seconds later, another Rock Ninja fell, screaming, before collapsing to the ground.
The thin figure of Minato continued darting across the battlefield.
Swish!
Sakumo's blade descended, severing Tsuchiguki's remaining arm. The agonizing pain forced him to his knees before Sakumo, his life force rapidly fading.
Without hesitation, Sakumo decapitated him, ending his suffering.
The sight of their commander's lifeless body struck fear into the Rock Ninjas.
"Chief Tsuchiguki is dead!"
Someone shouted, and the Rock Ninjas, seeing Tsuchiguki's mutilated corpse, trembled with dread.
"Heh…"
Jiraiya, who was closest to Sakumo, smiled weakly but then suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and pain.
His injuries were worse than Orochimaru's and Tsunade's, and he had been poisoned multiple times. Even with Tsunade's medicine slowing the poison, he was struggling.
At that moment, a Rock Ninja Jonin, who had been fighting Jiraiya and was on the verge of defeat, noticed his weakness. A wicked grin spread across the Jonin's face as he swung his kunai toward Jiraiya.
Boom!
A fist collided with the kunai, shattering it as if it were a fragile bubble. At the same time, the Rock Ninja's hand erupted in pain. Tsunade's heavy punch followed through, smashing into his chest and shattering his heart.
After dealing with the Rock Ninja, Tsunade rushed to support Jiraiya.
She knew how severe his poisoning was and could estimate how much time they had left.
Tsunade surveyed the battlefield. With the involvement of the three Sannins, the battle had tipped heavily in Konoha's favor.
After Sakumo's victory over Tsuchiguki, he too rejoined the battle.
"Orochimaru, that's enough! Come here quickly. I'll detoxify you two," Tsunade shouted. Despite their victories, the three still carried the lingering threat of poison. They hadn't detoxified earlier due to the instability of the situation, but now that Sakumo was available, there was no need to delay.
Orochimaru, having just killed another enemy with his hidden snake hand, hurried to Tsunade's side. Together, they supported Jiraiya and retreated from the battlefield.
"Jiraiya-sensei," Minato murmured as he watched the three withdraw. But he trusted that with Tsunade's abilities, his teacher would be fine.
With Sakumo back in the fight, Konoha was now unstoppable.
Blazing!
The battle between Uchiha Kai and a Kamizuru Clan ninja raged on, flames engulfing one figure. Uchiha Kai smirked, confident in his victory, but his Sharingan soon caught sight of a giant bee emerging from the fire—a substitution jutsu.
"Substitution?" he muttered, shocked that his Sharingan hadn't seen through the trick.
Several dozen meters away, the Kamizuru ninja burst out of the ground, fleeing desperately.
"As expected of a member of the First Tsuchikage's clan, to deceive even my Sharingan," Uchiha Kai said, deep in thought. He decided not to give chase; the Kamizuru's insect-based techniques were unpredictable, and pursuing him would be difficult.
Turning back, he rejoined the battlefield.
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