With one hand resting on his chin, Takuya chuckled mischievously, "I'm just wondering—you keep teleporting everywhere, won't you end up dying of exhaustion before you even get a wife?"
"Shut up!" Minato snapped back.
Sure enough, this guy wasn't thinking anything good!
Even worse, the idiot just had to say it out loud.
Takuya caught the water cup that Minato had angrily thrown at him and laughed heartily, "Is there a problem at the camp? Orochimaru wouldn't send you here unless something major was going on."
After all, Minato was a precious asset—perfect for delivering messages and moving personnel quickly. Orochimaru had been treating Minato like a treasure, making sure not to exhaust him.
"Takuya," Minato put away his smile, a serious look on his face. "A major battle is about to break out. Kirigakure, which had paused its movements for several days, has started mobilizing again. Countless battleships are advancing on the coastline, with a massive number of enemy forces gathering. Orochimaru suspects they are preparing for an all-out assault. I've already brought my teacher to the coastal camp."
When did Yagura gain such boldness? It doesn't fit his personality.
Oh well, it's not my job to worry about that—this is Orochimaru's problem.
Takuya shook his head, discarding the stray thoughts.
On the main command ship of Kirigakure's fleet, the Third Mizukage didn't make an appearance. Yagura was still the one leading the charge. All the ships formed a line, gradually approaching the coastline.
"Everyone, use the Hidden Mist Technique!"
Yagura wasn't reckless enough to charge directly at the coast. An all-out battle like this could easily lead to being targeted by Konoha's combined jutsu attacks. Unlike small skirmishes, large-scale warfare depended on the coordination of the whole.
Even shinobi of average power, when gathered together and using combined jutsu under unified command, could produce astonishing power.
Following Yagura's order, all the Kirigakure shinobi participating in the battle started forming hand seals, releasing a large amount of mist from their mouths. The mist quickly enveloped Kirigakure's ships, and the entire coastline was soon covered in a thick white fog.
"Damn it, this again? Can't Kirigakure come up with something new?" Jiraiya cursed, staring at the fog-covered sea as visibility continued to decline.
Orochimaru gave Jiraiya a sideways glance. "The Hidden Mist Technique alone won't decide the outcome. The enemy will eventually charge onto the shore and engage us in combat. In fact, I'd prefer they stick to this rather than using other combined jutsu."
"Why's that?"
Jiraiya still couldn't grasp it, his irritation growing from the enemy's tricks. Fighting under such weather conditions put Konoha at a disadvantage. The mist was so thick that even trying to blow it away with combined wind jutsu was difficult. The effort to disperse the fog might be slower than the rate it was produced. So Orochimaru chose to conserve his forces' chakra and stamina.
Are you dumb or what? Why are you even asking?
Orochimaru's lips twitched in irritation. He turned his head away, not even wanting to answer—in fact, he wanted to pretend he didn't know this idiot.
Unable to bear it, Shikaku Nara sighed and explained wearily, "Jiraiya-sama, this is the coastline. Even though our camp is some distance from the coast, if the enemy wants a direct confrontation, they must come ashore. That works to our advantage. Whether they use the Hidden Mist Technique or not, the outcome remains the same."
"In fact, the more chakra and stamina they waste, the better for us, especially with the sea right there."
At the mention of the sea, Jiraiya's face changed.
Oh right, the sea.
Almost all Kirigakure shinobi were adept in Water Release techniques. If they coordinated a large-scale Water Release jutsu, the result...
The thought of towering waves made the back of Jiraiya's neck tingle.
"Hey, Orochimaru, have you gathered all the Earth Release users in the camp?"
Orochimaru had no interest in replying.
Shikaku Nara smiled wryly, continuing as the middleman, "Rest assured, Jiraiya-sama, Orochimaru-sama has already prepared everything. No matter what Kirigakure has planned, we are ready."
Fine, have it your way—you're the genius, not me. I'll stop asking.
Jiraiya decided to stay silent, tired of Orochimaru's disdainful looks.
Although Jiraiya's reaction had been a bit slow, it wasn't entirely his fault. He had just arrived from the Whirlpool camp and knew nothing about the preparations at the coastline camp. Add to that his personality, and it wasn't surprising he'd ask some naive questions. Orochimaru's contempt was understandable.
Besides, Orochimaru was probably the only one who could get away with openly looking down on Jiraiya—no one else would dare.
The mist continued to spread across the ocean, gradually swallowing the coastline. Under the cover of the fog, Kirigakure's ships quickly approached.
Orochimaru, in this battle, I'll make you understand the true power of Kirigakure, Yagura thought, waving his command flag.
"Combined units, get ready!"
With the command flag waved, Yagura's orders were relayed layer by layer. Inside one of the ships, the Third Mizukage sat happily in his chair, awaiting the start of the spectacle.
He'd been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Several specially selected shinobi stood on one of the ships, all forming hand seals simultaneously and using Water Release jutsu.
Jiraiya's worst fears were coming true.
Kirigakure wasn't foolish enough to charge directly at the shore. Instead, they aimed to flood the coastline with massive waves. Though Water Release jutsu wasn't inherently very destructive—not everyone could be as powerful as Tobirama Senju—if enough shinobi used it together, the combined effect could be terrifying.
Moreover, using Water Release in the ocean allowed them to integrate the seawater into their attack.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
Stronger shinobi with more chakra used the Great Waterfall Technique, while those with average abilities and less chakra used Water Colliding Wave. The goal was the same—to generate more water to flood the coast.
"Rumble!!!"
Massive waves roared, surging towards the shoreline with enormous force.
Kirigakure had thousands of shinobi participating in the battle. Even if only two thousand of them used combined jutsu, the resulting effect was nothing short of a natural disaster.
The deafening roar of the waves echoed across the battlefield as the water surged towards the shoreline.
The ground trembled, and the Konoha shinobi all paled.