"Swish! Swish! Swish!" The sounds of wind being cut by the rapidly moving Ninja rang out. As the first blue Ninja sandal stepped onto the land, this Ninja unit of over two hundred strong finally arrived at the Land of Whirlpools.
This was a truly elite unit.
They were strictly disciplined and agile, quickly advancing along the planned route toward Uzushiogakure. Even the faint sounds of them stepping over shallows and reefs were drowned out by the howling night wind.
Moments later, as the figure at the very front of the squad slightly raised a hand, the entire unit simultaneously halted, the two hundred-plus Ninja instantly freezing as if a pause button had been pressed.
The moonlight pierced the heavy clouds at this moment, illuminating the appearance of the arrivals through the hazy fog: it was none other than the Third Hokage, Senju Mori, and the top experts from the various Ninja Clans of Konoha behind him.
The small group at the very front consisted of members of the direct Anbu and Shadow Guard Squad, formed by the Jonin of the Senju Clan and the smaller allied Ninja Clans: Senju Hane, Senju Yoru, Hatake Shuuichi—
Many familiar faces were among them, closely gathered around Senju Mori himself.
Further back, more than ten pairs of crimson Sharingan glowed in the darkness. The Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan members were also activated, observing everything around them, while the swarms of insects from the Aburame Clan emitted a low buzzing—
A journey that usually took a day and a half was rapidly completed in less than six hours by this unit, composed of Jonin and Special Jonin.
Senju Mori and the others paused on a high rock face, observing the entire Uzushiogakure battlefield from their vantage point amidst the sparse woods and oddly shaped reefs.
At this moment, under the blazing light of fire and Ninjutsu, the pitch-black night was illuminated as brightly as day, yet appeared bizarre and distorted due to the covering of thick smoke and dust.
The once peaceful and beautiful island had now been reduced to a chaotic and noisy battlefield.
Under the sustained assault of nearly four thousand Ninja, the giant barrier that had once shimmered with soft light around Uzushiogakure had shattered, completely exposing the entire Village within the barrier.
Having lost this most solid shield, the streets and houses of the entire Village were exposed, widely destroyed by the effects of Ninjutsu, and massive fires had erupted in many places.
As far as the eye could see, countless Ninja, packed together like ants, had converged into a destructive torrent, frantically assaulting the Uzumaki Clan's final defense.
That area was the shrine located within the clan grounds, shrouded by a double core barrier.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
Roaring water dragons, rampant lightning balls, and gushing, blazing flames—various Ninjutsu bombarded the barrier membrane relentlessly like a storm. Each strike produced a deafening boom and burst open circles of violently agitated ripples. The barrier membrane twisted and trembled continuously, like a bubble being repeatedly hammered, ready to shatter completely at any moment.
Inside the barrier, the scene was equally moving.
Countless red-haired Uzumaki Clan members, regardless of gender, age, or youth, held fast to their positions as long as they could refine Chakra.
Every single one of them gritted their teeth and struggled to maintain the defense, their faces pale as paper from the excessive depletion of Chakra, and their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
But they were still frantically pushing every ounce of their physical potential, continuously pouring every newly refined bit of Chakra into the barrier ahead.
Although the situation was dire, their eyes were filled with determination, driven by the hope of survival and the belief in protecting their clansmen.
The total number of Ninja in Uzushiogakure was less than a thousand; they simply did not have the ability to fight head-on against an enemy nearly four times their size.
If the barrier were breached, they would undoubtedly face a one-sided rout, possibly even a ruthless campaign of hunting, looting, and slaughter.
That would be the attackers' frenzy.
The barrier surrounding the shrine was their final line of defense.
Every wave of attack caused the barrier to tremble violently, as if it would completely shatter the next moment.
The sounds of shouting, explosions, and the overburdened humming of the barrier interwove into a cruel symphony of war.
Senju Mori's gaze was cold, his face devoid of expression, as he ordered in a deep voice: "Execute the action according to plan!"
Behind him, the two hundred Konoha elites merged silently into the shadows like a pack of wolves receiving a signal.
Black figures, using highly skilled tactical movements and the cover of the terrain and surrounding dim light, infiltrated and flanked the relatively lax rear side of the Hidden Mist forces.
"Enemy attack! From the rear!"
A sharp, mournful alarm pierced the night sky, but it was too late.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The signature Fire Release Ninjutsu of the Uchiha Clan appeared first on the battlefield, as blazing fireballs slammed into the crowd.
The Hidden Mist Ninja below seemed to be paralyzed, standing motionless until they burst into violently burning human torches, only then snapping out of the Genjutsu due to the intense pain.
"Aaaah!" Piercing screams echoed across the sky, and the stench of burnt flesh permeated the air, making one nauseous.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Great River!"
Several Jonin of the Senju Clan combined to unleash a large-scale Earth Release Ninjutsu. The hard ground instantly turned into a rushing torrent of mud, scattering the Hidden Mist formation.
More than ten agile figures seized the opportunity to sweep through, and the cold mud was instantly littered with countless headless corpses.
The Gentle Fist of the Hyuga Clan did not hold an advantage on the chaotic battlefield, but they joined different squads to provide excellent battlefield vision and intelligence for the entire raid.
Jonin of the Inuzuka Clan and their Ninja dogs coordinated, rolling and tearing apart living bodies, as blood splattered everywhere.
Meanwhile, the swarms of insects from the Aburame Clan transformed into an overwhelming black mist, excitedly sweeping outwards, surrounding the Hidden Mist Ninja one by one and frantically devouring their Chakra—
Unstoppable chaos spread rapidly like a plague through the rear lines of the Hidden Mist forces. Facing the coordinated Jonin, the ambushed Hidden Mist Ninja were completely defenseless.
Just then, Senju Mori slowly closed his eyes on the high cliff.
In that instant, the surroundings seemed to fall silent: the howling wind, the sounds of Ninjutsu, the screams and roars below—all noise faded from his perception.
His mind sank into a state of absolute tranquility; the only sounds left were his own heartbeat and the flow of blood. Yet, simultaneously, the presence of natural energy in the surrounding world became increasingly clear.
In a flash, invisible natural energy converged wildly into his body, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.
When he opened his eyes again, the mysterious and complex Sage face markings instantly appeared, deep red lines rapidly spreading from below his eyelids all the way up to his forehead.
A terrifying aura, solemn as a mountain, erupted explosively with him at the center.
Sage Mode!
Activate!