IMPORTANT: For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!
15 Power stones left!!!
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Heads up, earlier chapters said the war Ye Zi participated in was the 3rd shinobi war, this was an error has has been changed to the 2nd war if you read this before the update, we are currently now in the 3rd.
In the early morning, a thin mist covered the forest, like a veil gently embracing everything.
Konoha's fully prepared ninja forces marched in grand formation toward the frontlines, splitting into several groups and heading in four directions. The largest contingents were sent toward Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi should have gone to the frontlines as well. However, Konoha had enough capable individuals to lead the battles, so he didn't need to be present. Instead, he remained at the rear, awaiting news of victory.
Whether the other major villages had detected Konoha's military movement was unknown, but Iwagakure had already established a long battlefront at the border. They launched a fierce assault against Konoha's border defense force, and within half a day, Konoha's undermanned border guards were overwhelmed and forced to retreat within their own territory. This swift and overwhelming attack demonstrated the momentum of Iwagakure's army.
The attacking side always has the advantage of speed. From gathering intelligence to implementing response strategies, Konoha simply couldn't match the swift, thunderous actions of Iwagakure.
By the afternoon, when Minato led Konoha's reinforcements to the battlefield, Iwagakure had already invaded Konoha's borders and was chasing down the retreating Konoha forces.
When Konoha's reinforcements arrived, they gathered the remnants of their army and launched a direct counterattack against Iwagakure.
There was no intricate strategy; the main forces of both sides met head-on, igniting an explosive battle in an instant.
Countless kunai and projectiles filled the sky, like a swarm of locusts weaving back and forth between the two sides. Every moment, a ninja fell, pierced by a projectile, unless they could block or evade the deadly barrage. Once hit, one projectile would be followed by many more, quickly turning the victim into a pin-cushion of blades.
Ninjutsu of different elements wreaked havoc with terrifying destructive power, ravaging the trees and mountains. Every second, more ninja—whether from Iwagakure or Konoha—were struck down.
The combination of fire and water jutsu created massive clouds of steam, covering large areas. Earth and lightning techniques clashed head-on, sending rocks and debris flying everywhere, breaking trees and crushing many bodies beneath.
Ninjutsu of all kinds intertwined wildly on the battlefield, the sounds of combat and the screams of the dying forming a brutal symphony.
The battle took place within the borders of the Land of Fire, near the edge, where trees grew densely, surrounded by rocks and mountains. A river meandered through the terrain. Although there weren't many trees, they were thick and lush.
But now, as Iwagakure and Konoha's forces collided, trees were toppled and burned, the river was buried under stones and earth, and mountains were leveled. Huge boulders lay scattered, crushing many bodies beneath them.
The environment was changing at a speed visible to the naked eye. What had been a verdant forest was now a barren wasteland.
On a distant mountain, White Zetsu and Ye Zi coldly observed the battle between Iwagakure and Konoha. Armed with White Zetsu's up-to-date intelligence, they had arrived to watch just before the battle began.
"They're fighting pretty fiercely. Such a nice place has turned into a wasteland just like that," White Zetsu remarked with a hint of regret in his tone.
Ye Zi silently watched the battlefield, where men who looked like mere ants from a distance fell every moment. Though they seemed small, he could still recognize many familiar faces. On Konoha's side, he saw Minato, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, and other Konoha ninja he had seen before. He also spotted the familiar red figure that had once pursued him. Iwagakure had committed heavily to this battle; apart from Ōnoki, nearly all of their core forces were present.
"What do you think, Ye Zi? Which side has the advantage?" White Zetsu asked.
Ye Zi shook his head coldly. "In terms of manpower, Iwagakure has the upper hand. But even though Konoha has fewer people, they're all elites, so holding off Iwagakure's attack shouldn't be difficult."
White Zetsu chuckled, "Konoha sure has it rough, dealing with attacks from four villages at once."
Ye Zi remained silent, his expression emotionless as he watched the battlefield. This was the first battle of the war, and since both sides were facing each other directly, without any secret plots, he couldn't intervene. All he could do was watch and wait for the battle to end.
Most of the Iwagakure ninja were using Earth Release jutsu freely. The ground turned to mud, boulders fell from the sky, and corpses were buried under the earth. A massive earthen wall rose from the ground, blocking a wave of projectiles before crashing down on a group of Konoha ninja, crushing them into paste.
In response to Iwagakure's coordinated Earth Release attacks, most Konoha ninja used Lightning Release and Fire Release jutsu. Raging flames swept across the fallen trees, consuming screaming figures in the fire.
Iwagakure's Water Release users stood at the front, uniformly casting Water Dragon Bullet jutsu to extinguish the flames. The clash of water and fire created intense heat, resulting in clouds of steam and leaving charred bodies behind.
The battle raged back and forth, and at that moment, a red figure leaped into the dense steam. After a moment, the swirling steam, which had been thick and unmoving, began to rotate and be absorbed into a single point, as if drawn into a black hole.
Many Konoha ninja saw this and immediately grew more cautious.
At the center of the spinning steam, a tall red figure slowly emerged. After absorbing a large amount of steam, Han's body became enveloped in a faint red chakra. He lifted his head slightly, and a savage smile appeared on his face, his eyes glowing with violent intent.
Nara Shikaku and Minato both recognized the figure instantly, their expressions changing. Armed with some intelligence, they quickly realized that the red figure was Iwagakure's jinchūriki—Han!
Knowing that his abilities were related to steam, and seeing this scene unfold, a bad feeling welled up in their hearts.
"Shikaku, Inoichi, Chōza, control him," Minato said, his eyes narrowing. He hadn't expected Iwagakure to deploy their jinchūriki in the first wave of combat. Though he knew Han was a significant threat, Minato didn't want to waste time dealing with him.
Because... the power of the Flying Thunder God technique lay in its ability to swiftly weaken the enemy's forces.
Minato knew what he had to do, so he entrusted the task of containing the Five-Tails jinchūriki to the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
His gaze moved beyond Han, who was already donning his Tailed Beast cloak. Minato threw over a dozen marked kunai into the ranks of the Iwagakure forces.
Seeing the strange kunai flying toward them, the Iwagakure ninja's expressions changed as they instinctively tried to distance themselves from the kunai. But before they could move, a flash of yellow appeared. In the blink of an eye, they felt a cold sensation on their necks.
It was the figure of a death god. A golden-yellow flash streaked across the battlefield, killing over ten Iwagakure ninja in an instant.
This artistic display of killing was the first time the battlefield had been illuminated by Minato's golden light.
Jiraiya had once said that Minato's name would echo across the ninja world, and this moment was the first step in making that prophecy come true.
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Currently on Chapter 227 - Times Flies