Southeastern Konoha.
Over a hundred shinobi from the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, under the command of Nara Rokaku, were using their own bodies as shields to fight the Wood Clone Susano'o.
Akimichi Yamashiro and Akimichi Rodō, transformed into giants dozens of meters tall, stood like guardian deities, becoming the main force against the Susano'o.
Akimichi Yamashiro had only one arm left, but his strength showed no sign of weakening. He single-handedly wielded a thick iron rod, smashing it against the Susano'o's shoulder.
Akimichi Rodō was a master within the Akimichi clan. He also held an iron rod, striking at the Susano'o's calf, attempting to knock it to the ground.
The blue Susano'o, holding serpentine twin swords, blocked Akimichi Rodō's iron rod.
The collision of their massive weapons created a violent hurricane.
Nara Rokaku looked wearily at the Uchiha Madara inside the Susano'o. Was this really just a Wood Clone?
He turned to look towards other parts of the village. The Susano'o in the east had been dealt with early by Fox, who had then gone to support the battle against Uchiha Madara's main body.
Many White Zetsu were pouring in through the breach in the eastern wall. Reinforcing shinobi were fighting the White Zetsu there.
In the other directions, Orochimaru had summoned snakes from Ryūchi Cave and was entangled with one Susano'o.
Advisor Danzo had summoned the giant summoning creature Baku and was also holding back a Susano'o.
Only the Ino–Shika–Chō were using the Akimichi clan as giant summoning beasts.
Nara Umeka watched with anticipation, wondering when Fox would be free to help them.
Nara Rokaku shouted: "Inson! Keep attacking the Wood Clone with your secret techniques! The Wood Clone is the key!"
Yamanaka Inson's face was pale. Why was the spiritual power of a single Wood Clone so strong?
He had organized Yamanaka shinobi to penetrate the Susano'o and attack the Wood Clone, but they were utterly defeated in the mental world.
Uchiha Madara, with his white hair, looked incredibly old, yet just a single Wood Clone of his had defeated the combined efforts of ten skilled Yamanaka clansmen.
Nara Rokaku grew anxious. They had to resolve this battle quickly. As the Jonin Commander and the Third Hokage's strategist, he needed to take central command and direct the entire village.
Twenty Nara clansmen behind him continued using their shadow secret techniques, trying to bind the Susano'o.
Dense, black shadow lines crawled up the Susano'o's legs.
Once again, the Susano'o proved that a lion does not fear hyenas.
The Susano'o withstood the iron rod smashed against its shoulder by Akimichi Yamashiro, and with one sword stroke, severed Akimichi Rodō's iron rod.
It slightly lifted its foot, tearing the shadow techniques from its leg.
The Susano'o raised its hand, and rapidly spinning Yasaka Magatama appeared in its palm!
A single long-range attack like that would cause heavy casualties among the Nara and Yamanaka clans!
Nara Rokaku quickly ordered everyone to evade.
But the Yasaka Magatama was faster than he anticipated!
This is bad!
Nara Rokaku watched in horror as the Yasaka Magatama shot towards him almost instantly!
Just then, a hundred-meter-long iron rod came smashing down.
The rod struck the ground, and using some unknown technique, the earth flipped over. A long, intact slab of stone stood up, blocking the path in front of the Nara and Yamanaka shinobi.
After the terrifying explosion, Nara Rokaku was relieved to find most of his forces still alive.
He turned to look to the side.
"Uncle Torifu!"
Uncle Torifu had originally thought to live out his retirement in peace until a natural death.
But tonight, with Uchiha Madara's return to Konoha and the Ino–Shika–Chō clans in danger, Akimichi Torifu could no longer remain seated comfortably in his recliner.
Akimichi Torifu's size was almost double that of Akimichi Yamashiro and Akimichi Rodō, even taller than the Susano'o.
Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone spoke for the first time tonight: "Akimichi boy, I didn't expect you to still be alive.
Back when the Akimichi clan wanted to join Konoha, I was against it.
You eat a lot, fine, but you're also weak. What use are you?"
Akimichi Torifu held his iron rod, watching Uchiha Madara cautiously.
"I never thought I'd get to face even Lord Madara's clone... it's somewhat an honor..."
While speaking words of respect, Akimichi Torifu raised his iron rod and brought it down squarely on the Susano'o.
The iron rod was nearly a hundred meters long and three meters thick. The fierce wind it stirred up swept to both sides, blowing down the houses on either flank.
Akimichi Yamashiro was astonished. He thought he knew his uncle's strength, but seeing it firsthand made him realize how far he still was from matching him.
As the iron rod descended, the Susano'o hurriedly blocked with its arm.
Crack! Crack!
The bones in the Susano'o's arm fractured.
Akimichi Torifu's heart tightened. I've been idle for too long. My strength isn't what it was at my peak; I can't even break the Susano'o's arm.
This Susano'o doesn't even have armor; Uchiha Madara hasn't invested much chakra in it.
He quickly judged that he must pay some price to help the Ino–Shika–Chō clans survive this crisis...
Akimichi Torifu's eyes filled with determination. He retracted the iron rod and gathered strength again.
Blow after blow, each faster than the last!
The iron rod hammered down on the Susano'o's body.
For a moment, the earth shook and the mountains trembled.
More and more cracks appeared on the Susano'o's body until, at a certain moment, its left arm was shattered by the iron rod.
The Susano'o's left hip was also smashed by the rod!
With the final blow, Akimichi Torifu finally shattered the Susano'o's chest, exposing Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone!
Yet, the Wood Clone of Uchiha Madara showed no trace of anxiety. Instead, it nodded repeatedly.
"Akimichi Torifu, you barely have half your father's strength. However, didn't your father teach you to hold back three-tenths of your power when striking?"
Akimichi Torifu's last blow, which shattered the Susano'o's ribcage, had used all his strength.
The Susano'o's recently shattered arm instantly reformed. The serpentine longsword thrust forward violently, piercing through Akimichi Torifu's chest.
Akimichi Torifu vomited a massive mouthful of blood.
To those on the ground, this mouthful of blood fell like a waterfall, crashing down.
However, Akimichi Torifu didn't retreat an inch. He threw a final straight punch, smashing Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone out of the Susano'o!
Seeing this, Nara Rokaku quickly seized the opportunity and launched an attack.
The iron rods of Akimichi Yamashiro and Akimichi Rodō smashed down on the airborne Uchiha Madara Wood Clone.
The Wood Clone was sent crashing to the ground like a cannonball.
Nara Rokaku's shadow techniques swiftly followed, restraining the Wood Clone.
The Yamanaka clan hurried in for the finishing blow.
Akimichi Torifu, over a hundred meters tall, bled from the wound in his chest and abdomen, the spray resembling Mist-nin Kirigakure's Water Release techniques.
Yamanaka Inson led his men, dodging the waterfall of blood, and maneuvered into an attack position from where they could directly see Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone.
Just then, Tobi appeared abruptly.
He faced right, releasing a Yono Shima towards the Nara shinobi on that side, while his arm swung left, throwing several wooden spears.
Nara Rokaku's heart turned to ice.
After Uncle Torifu paid such a price, bleeding like a flood, is the opportunity he created going to be wasted?
Yono Shima... Wood Spikes... Nara Rokaku recognized these top-level jutsu of the rogue-nin from the intelligence reports.
He could resist neither.
The Yono Black Island touched the Nara clansmen maintaining the secret technique. In an instant, five people vanished, collapsing into pulp on the ground.
Nara Umeki watched helplessly as the Yono Black Island expanded.
She couldn't move. Her shadow technique was restraining Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone.
If she dodged to save her life, everything the Ino–Shika–Chō clans had sacrificed would be in vain!
A single Nara shinobi could never restrain Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone alone.
Nara Umeki thought, Fox dealt with the Susano'o early and withdrew from the village wall. If only Fox were here...
Nara Umeki's gaze relaxed, calmly accepting her death.
Before death, she must maintain the Shadow Imitation Technique!
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Nara Umeki suddenly heard a familiar voice.
She had discussed techniques with Fox so many times. She had never seen his face, but she was very familiar with his voice.
Red maple trees abruptly bloomed!
Nara Umeki was lifted and thrown clear by a maple tree.
The maple tree replaced her, collapsing into a thin sheet under the Yono Black Island.
Simultaneously, Nara Umeki's Shadow Imitation Technique failed.
However, she wasn't worried in the slightest.
If Fox was here, then a single Wood Clone shouldn't be a problem, right?
Tumbling through the air, she indeed saw Fox appear behind the Wood Clone.
Several Iron Vines shot out, piercing through Uchiha Madara's Wood Clone.
Its chakra was rapidly drained, and the Wood Clone quickly deactivated, turning into a wooden doll shaped like Uchiha Madara.
The Wood Spikes technique Tobi had shot were also blocked by the Red Maple Wood Release.
The terrifying dōjutsu, Yono Shima, only managed to kill five or six Nara shinobi during its initial, surprise appearance.
Once Fox entered the fray, the situation instantly improved.
This was the control of a Kage-level shinobi.
Yōkō looked up, surprised, at Akimichi Torifu. Akimichi Torifu actually possessed this level of strength, holding back the Susano'o. Worthy of being chosen by the Second Hokage.
After scanning the area, Tobi had long since fled. Yōkō nodded to Nara Rokaku and Body Flickered away.
High above, Akimichi Torifu, seeing the Anbu Vice Minister cleanly handle the Wood Clone, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
The body, sustained by adrenaline, completely gave out.
His size rapidly shrank, and he finally fell towards the ground.
Nara Rokaku quickly leaped up and caught Akimichi Torifu.
When an Akimichi releases the Multi-Size Technique, they normally gather chakra in their feet to remain standing.
Falling down like Uncle Torifu meant he completely lacked the ability to maintain the Multi-Size Technique.
Nara Rokaku looked in horror at the wound on Uncle Torifu's abdomen – a terrifying hole through which one could see the other side.
Internal organs, a section of spine – all were gone.
After landing, Nara Rokaku hated himself. His cushioning wasn't good enough; Uncle Torifu's internal organs were shaken loose through the horrific wound.
Carefully laying Uncle Torifu on the ground, Nara Rokaku's mind went blank for a moment.
Within the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, it was said the Nara were the brains. Yet, Uncle Torifu had always given Nara Rokaku a feeling of great wisdom appearing as folly.
At any time, Uncle Torifu's decisions were the most far-sighted and correct choices.
Akimichi Torifu turned his head, avoiding the secret medicine Akimichi Yamashiro offered him.
Akimichi Yamashiro's face was full of grief. Was Uncle unwilling to even make a final attempt?
"Yamashiro... it's no use..." Akimichi Torifu said:
"I'm going to keep Homura company now, haha... I thought I could be lazy, live leisurely in the clan compound until I died... I never expected...
Train Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi, and the other children well."
Akimichi Torifu's pupils slowly dilated, his final expression unexpectedly serene, without a trace of pain.
Nara Umeki stood among the crowd, watching this elder pass away.
The most important pillar of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, the student of the Second Hokage, Akimichi Torifu, had fallen in the Susano'o Calamity.
Nara Rokaku closed his eyes. Two or three seconds later, when he opened them again, no sadness could be seen.
"Let's go. The Ino–Shika–Chō's part in this battle is over. The village's fight still needs us.
Yamashiro, lead the Akimichi clan to the Hokage Rock and guard the shelters.
Inson, head to the Barrier Corps, take command, and prepare to issue orders using secret techniques.
Umeki, come with me to the Hokage Building to establish a command system."
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(End of Chapter)