The actions of the Iwa-Suna Alliance ignited fury within the Konoha shinobi. With anger burning in their eyes, they glared at their opponents, itching to charge forward and unleash their rage.
On the other side, the Alliance ninja stood silent, seemingly uncertain or guilty. Their gazes turned to their leaders, Shamon and Mu, waiting for guidance.
Mu glanced at his bleeding arm, his expression heavy.
He knew that in aerial combat, he had the upper hand—flying and using his Dust Release was his specialty.
Yet, even in his domain, Hui had only been mildly suppressed. Once Hui shifted tactics, Mu had been overpowered and injured.
"That guy is unbelievably strong," Mu admitted grimly, his eyes fixed on Hui, who stood calmly across from him.
"I can see that," Shamon responded.
The brief skirmish had been enough to show him Hui's terrifying capabilities: explosive speed, immense strength, untraceable jutsu with no hand signs, sharp instincts, and a vast wealth of battle experience.
And Hui was only sixteen. It was almost inhuman.
"Should we even fight this battle?" Mu hesitated. He and Shamon had initially planned only to delay Tobirama, not to confront someone even stronger. Their confidence was shaken.
"If only our Jinchūriki had fully mastered the power of their Tailed Beasts…" Shamon muttered regretfully.
For years, Suna had researched creating the perfect Jinchūriki, believing that Tailed Beast power was the ultimate tool for war.
Unfortunately, their plans, including the Uzushiogakure operation, had failed.
Even Ōnoki approached his teacher with uncertainty. "Master, what should we do?"
Mu and Shamon remained silent, unable to answer.
Breaking the tense silence, Tobirama stepped forward, his gaze as cold as the steel in his voice. "Mu, Shamon, earlier you said everything was already decided. Now, I return those words to you. For you… it's too late."
He raised his hand and gave a single command: "Attack!"
The Konoha shinobi roared and surged forward, charging toward their enemies. The Alliance leaders had no time to deliberate. Their hand was forced.
"Attack!!!" Mu and Shamon shouted back, rallying their troops.
As the battle erupted, Mu and Ōnoki soared into the sky.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World!"
Twin beams of white light shot from the sky, sweeping through the Konoha ranks.
Wherever the beams touched, shinobi were disintegrated, reduced to dust. Dozens of lives were lost in an instant.
Meanwhile, Shamon pressed his hands to the ground, and the earth beneath Konoha's shinobi churned violently. A vast sea of sand spread outward, swallowing many in its tide.
This battle was different from earlier skirmishes. Before, Mu and Shamon had focused on containing Tobirama, relying on their numerical superiority to grind down Konoha's forces.
But now, with Hui's presence tipping the balance, they opted for all-out war, using their most devastating jutsu to even the odds.
….
On Konoha's side, Hui wasted no time. His main body leaped into the sky toward Mu and Ōnoki, while two shadow avatars split off to target the battlefield below.
One Avatar, clasped its hands in rapid signs: "Sage Art: Tidal Wave Jutsu!"
The air seemed to still for a moment before an immense wall of water, towering over 30 meters high, appeared.
Empowered by natural energy, it wasn't just a jutsu—it was a natural disaster. The wave loomed over the battlefield, crashing toward the Alliance forces like the apocalypse.
Shamon's face paled at the sight of the monstrous wave. The Alliance forces froze, their charge halted as their gazes turned upward in terror.
Shamon reacted quickly, summoning a colossal wall of sand to meet the wave. "Earth Release: Sand Wall!" The wall rose high, reinforced by the Third Kazekage, who infused it with iron sand for additional durability.
BOOM!!!
The wave collided with the sand wall, shaking the earth. The sand quaked under the pressure, but the combined effort managed to hold.
However, Hui's second Avatar, was already preparing its next move. Drawing its sword, the Avatar unleashed three arcs of silvery-white energy.
The blade beams struck the sand wall, slicing it into three sections.
With its structural integrity compromised, the wave surged through the gaps, turning into a roaring flood that swallowed the Alliance troops below.
The battlefield transformed into a vast swamp of water and mud. Hundreds of shinobi were swept away, their bodies helpless against the powerful current.
Though most managed to survive—shinobi were, after all, hardy individuals—many were left gasping for air and struggling to find footing.
The Third Kazekage's face twisted in horror. He had seen this tactic before. Memories of Hui's earlier battle strategy flooded back.
"Not again!" the Kazekage shouted, his wings of iron sand carrying him into the sky. He spotted Shadow Avatar One preparing a lightning-based follow-up attack in an all-too-familiar move.
But before the Kazekage could stop the Avatar, a massive wall of earth rose between them, blocking his path.
Konoha's elite shinobi weren't idle; they intercepted his counterattacks with fireballs and defensive jutsu, keeping him at bay.
"Sage Art: Lightning Surge!"
The first Avatar plunged its hands into the water, sending waves of electricity coursing through the flood.
Alliance shinobi still trapped in the water screamed as their bodies seized up, paralyzed by the lightning.
Meanwhile, the second Avatar ascended into the air.
"Sage Art: Fire Style—Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
An ocean of fire erupted from its mouth, combining with the water below to create scalding steam that engulfed the battlefield.
The devastation was total.
The Iwa-Suna Alliance forces were thrown into chaos. Trapped between the flood, lightning, and fire, they struggled to regroup.
Many fell, their bodies scorched or paralyzed. Those who could still stand looked to their leaders, their eyes filled with fear and desperation.
On Konoha's side, the shinobi let out triumphant roars. "For Konoha! Push forward!"
Their morale surged as they watched Hui's Avatars wreak havoc. The tide of battle had turned decisively in their favor.
Above it all, Hui's main body faced off against Mu and Ōnoki, his sword gleaming with anticipation.
"This ends here," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
(1/2)