Chapter 29: Lava Release, Son Gokū
The war in the Wind Country had not gone as expected.
Although Konoha's shinobi were stronger than Sunagakure's, the desert environment favored Suna's ninja.
One young shinobi in particular, Rasa, wielded his Magnet Release to dominate small Konoha squads, even when outnumbered.
Rasa possessed the unique ability to control Shukaku's rampages in the desert, making him a strategic-level asset.
Orochimaru had underestimated his potential, causing the battle to fall into a stalemate.
The desert battlefield was littered with bloodstains, shattered puppets, and broken weapons.
---
"Orochimaru, someone like you is far from enough to kill me," Chiyo sneered coldly.
Manipulating her Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu, she effortlessly severed a massive brown snake in two.
The severed snake's remains revealed Orochimaru, his face darkened with frustration.
According to his original strategy, he would hold off Chiyo while Konoha's forces swiftly pushed into the Wind Country, forcing Sunagakure into chaos.
But…
His gaze turned toward Rasa, whose golden sand tsunami dominated the battlefield.
This kind of strategic Magnet Release was devastating in large-scale combat—especially in his home terrain.
---
"Another Magnet Release user…" Orochimaru muttered coldly.
Chiyo scoffed. "Little snake, since you dared to invade the Wind Country, I assume you've learned the truth."
"Or perhaps... it was your Konoha that killed the Third Kazekage!"
The Third Kazekage had been missing for over three months.
Even for a kage, a month without contact would usually result in them being presumed dead.
Chiyo had long since abandoned the search for the Third Kazekage. Instead, she focused on using the war to select Sunagakure's Fourth Kazekage.
Orochimaru licked his lips, his serpentine tongue flickering as he sneered.
"Old woman, according to our intel, it was your grandson who killed the Third Kazekage."
Sasori.
Chiyo's pupils contracted sharply, her chakra threads faltering for a brief moment.
For a puppeteer of her caliber, such a mistake was unthinkable.
---
Whoosh!
Orochimaru didn't waste the opportunity, shooting a white blade from his mouth to sever Chiyo's arm.
Boom!
Several puppets fell to the ground, rendered useless without her control.
"Chiyo-sama!"
"Protect Chiyo-sama!"
"Retreat! Protect her at all costs!"
Upon seeing Chiyo injured, countless Sunagakure shinobi threw themselves at Orochimaru with reckless abandon.
For the elderly Chiyo to even be present on the battlefield was a testament to Suna's desperation. If she died here, the village's morale would collapse entirely.
The relentless Sunagakure forces forced Orochimaru to retreat, even drawing Rasa away from his battlefield to reinforce Chiyo.
Exhausted from his prolonged fight with Chiyo, Orochimaru knew staying any longer was dangerous.
Ultimately, the battle ended with Sunagakure retreating, though Konoha's forces lacked the strength to pursue.
---
Many Konoha shinobi were suffering from Suna's poisons, and Orochimaru scowled.
"Tsunade…"
Without Tsunade's expertise, many of his strategies were constrained. With her here, Chiyo's poisons wouldn't have been such an issue.
But on this blood-soaked battlefield, Tsunade's phobia of blood would've likely hindered more than helped.
Orochimaru scanned the carnage and felt a rare sense of frustration.
He had underestimated Sunagakure. Even a "sinking ship" retained sharp nails—let alone one of the Five Great Villages.
Rasa's presence had significantly impeded Konoha's progress. Orochimaru had not achieved the decisive victory he wanted.
He understood the implications of this setback for Konoha. A swift victory in the Wind Country was crucial to prepare for other threats.
Determined, Orochimaru decided to infiltrate Sunagakure personally, gathering more intelligence on Chiyo and Rasa while spreading rumors that Sasori had assassinated the Third Kazekage.
If the opportunity arose, he would not hesitate to eliminate Rasa.
---
Meanwhile, at Konoha's western front—Kannabi Bridge.
The bridge was strewn with severed limbs and shattered kunai.
Fugaku used his advanced genjutsu to interrogate two surviving Iwagakure shinobi for information.
Nearby, Kagami methodically cleaned the blood from Sode no Shirayuki, his short sword.
The swordsmanship of the Uchiha flowed seamlessly with their Sharingan, capitalizing on its unparalleled precision.
By exploiting even the smallest flaws in his opponents' movements, Kagami had repeatedly demonstrated why short blades were more lethal than long swords in close combat.
It also synergized perfectly with his cutting techniques.
---
Minato had noticed Kagami's desire to refine his skills and had allowed him to handle most of the subsequent Iwa encounters.
The Uchiha were known to thrive in real combat, where their instincts and battle acumen grew sharper.
Kagami's ability to read the flow of battle and his timing had noticeably improved in just a few days.
---
"It seems Iwagakure has confirmed the intelligence regarding our weakened border defenses," Fugaku reported grimly.
"According to their information… Ōnoki has already dispatched the jinchūriki. Their target is Kannabi Bridge."
---
Jinchūriki.
The mere mention of the word carried a weight that stifled the atmosphere.
Minato smiled gently. "This was inevitable. Holding this position was always about delaying them."
All eyes turned to Kagami.
Fugaku had already learned of Orochimaru's strategy from the pre-battle briefing.
Minato would hold off one jinchūriki, while Kagami would be responsible for the second if both arrived.
Despite Kagami's remarkable performance thus far, no one believed he could contend with a jinchūriki.
The destructive Black Flash he unleashed earlier was undoubtedly powerful, but it had left him incapacitated afterward.
---
Meeting their silent gazes, Kagami sheathed his blade.
"Hopefully, it's the Four-Tails. I'm rather interested in it."
Of all the tailed beasts, Kagami felt the Four-Tails was most compatible with him.
With his affinity for Fire and Earth Style, he already possessed the foundational elements for Lava Release.
Though his current focus was on refining his Yin Release techniques, Lava Release was an extremely versatile and powerful ability.
The Four-Tails would serve as a shortcut.
---
As Kagami thought about the possibilities, a searing heatwave washed over the area.
It was as if a volcano had erupted nearby.
---
"YOU BASTARDS FROM KONOHA!"
A thunderous roar echoed as a crimson figure approached, flames erupting with every step.
"What have you done to my comrades!?"
---
"Prepare yourselves," Minato said calmly. "It's the Four-Tails, Kagami—just as you wanted."
Unlike his earlier encounters, Minato showed no panic. He had faced the Four-Tails and Five-Tails together before.
Compared to the Nine-Tails, these two paled in comparison.
---
Kagami activated his Sharingan, gathering his chakra and weaving hand signs.
He wasn't one to wait for opponents to arrive for idle conversation.
Time spent talking was time wasted.
---
Zzt—Zzt—Zzt—
A piercing sound of cutting filled the air, drawing everyone's attention.
Fugaku, in particular, stiffened as unpleasant memories resurfaced.
Blades of pure blue energy whirled around Kagami, spinning faster and faster until they formed a tempest.
---
"Move away from me," Kagami said coolly.
The storm of blades grew larger, shredding the earth and even the corpses of the Iwagakure shinobi, staining the azure glow with streaks of blood.
---
The Four-Tails' jinchūriki, cloaked in molten lava, wasted no time.
Lava Release: Flowing Lava Stream!
Massive spheres of molten rock, each the size of a millstone, hurtled toward Kagami, radiating intense heat.
Kagami extended two fingers, his Sharingan gleaming.
"Cutting Release—Thousand Blade Flow: Scenic Severance!"
The battlefield descended into chaos.
---
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