Excitement, astonishment, admiration, awe, fanaticism, even fear and trembling… all sorts of complex emotions continuously surfaced in the eyes of the Kirigakure's Ninjas.
They looked up at the sky, trying to find that god-like figure, but could discover nothing. They could only watch as the snowflakes fell upon them.
"The snow… it's so beautiful…"
A Kirigakure's Kunoichi couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"The snow is beautiful, yes, but for the Konoha's Ninjas, it was the tolling of funeral bells, a man-eating nightmare…"
Another Kirigakure's Jonin couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. Because these snowflakes falling on them also meant their own lives and deaths were in Sora's hands.
If he so wished, he could as easily take the lives of the Kirigakure's Ninjas present as he had slaughtered the Konoha's forces.
At this moment, countless Kirigakure's Ninjas showed expressions of having narrowly escaped disaster, grateful that they were in the same camp as the god-like Sora.
Yagura's face was also full of stunned horror. His throat moved as he swallowed hard before he could mutter, "These magnificent crosses… they are simply art. Powerful enough to transcend the category of Ninjutsu… is it a Forbidden Jutsu?"
"No…"
"More than that!"
"The Ice Release Kekkei Genkai that Sora possesses has undoubtedly surpassed the power of so-called Kekkei Tota. I think even that old fox Onoki's Dust Release doesn't have such terrifying power!??"
Yagura looked towards the ice thorn crosses standing erected on the battlefield, a hint of madness welling up in his eyes.
"The war…"
"Is it over just like that?"
Mei was still in a state of bewilderment and shock. Her beautiful eyes looked up at the increasingly clear figure in the sky, involuntarily gleaming with a strange light.
Who would have thought that Kirigakure, on the verge of collapse, would win so inexplicably?
But perhaps this wasn't accidental after all.
Mei suddenly had an epiphany, 'Probably from the moment Sora's figure appeared on this battlefield, Konoha's defeat had long been destined!!!'
"Sora-sama…"
"Divine Might!"
"Sora-sama…"
"Divine Might!"
"Divine Might!"
"Divine Might!"
When Sora, clad in a white haori, slowly landed on the ground, the Kirigakure's Ninjas present all spontaneously knelt on one knee, looking at his figure with fanatical expressions as they shouted.
On the battlefield, fanatical shouts rose and fell one after another. That atmosphere spread like madness, causing the Kirigakure's Ninjas to tear up with excitement, unable to resist pounding their chests with their right fists.
They won!
Another unprecedented great victory!!!
A miraculous great victory!!!!
Kirigakure, within the Land of Fire, had completely crushed Konoha's main forces with unbelievable sharpness!!!
Of course, every Kirigakure's Ninja also understood who it was that brought victory to Kirigakure, and who it was that saved them from the abyss of death!
…
Minato, Kushina, and Jiraiya were successively severely wounded. The main Konoha's forces collapsed more exaggeratedly than imagined.
The death toll skyrocketed. The actual losses suffered by Konoha far exceeded everyone's expectations.
The fact that the battle occurred deep within the Land of Fire's heartland made the Kirigakure's forces fear cornering a desperate enemy, not daring to pursue further.
Otherwise, Konoha's casualty scale would have become even more horrifying.
However,
Even so, Konoha's losses were enormous enough.
Eleven full-strength hundred-Ninja participating in the battle were completely wiped out, eliminated as organized units.
The remaining divisions also suffered heavy casualties. Konoha's entire combat force against Kirigakure was completely crippled in this single battle.
Genin, Chunin, Jonin died in droves.
The Konoha's Ninjas who later tallied the death count felt their scalps go numb, inexplicably sensing the ferocity of this battle.
And this large-scale battle was, without a doubt, ultimately won by Kirigakure.
Although the number of casualties among Kirigakure's Ninja also exceeded two hundred, compared to Konoha's massive losses, it seemed almost insignificant.
In short,
After this battle, Kirigakure's expeditionary force could be considered to have firmly established its footing within the Land of Fire.
It also turned the first page of a new chapter in Kirigakure's history, the most important page, titled:
Territorial Expansion!
This was the ambition of successive Mizukages, an almost unattainable dream.
And at this very moment, the rolling wheels of history, under Sora's influence, finally began to turn in a new direction, advancing towards a more unpredictable and incredible future.
No one knew what the future held.
Yet, at this great moment destined for the history books, even the most cautious and pessimistic strategists in Kirigakure couldn't help but rejoice and immerse themselves in an ocean of celebration.
…
Kirigakure.
Yuki Clan's Compound.
After enduring countless mental torments, Rin had bowed her head and accepted her fate. She had shed her former stubborn refusal to admit defeat, changed into a Yuki Clan's kimono, and stood in the shadows of the street, staring blankly at the warm sun in the sky.
Escape?
She no longer planned to escape.
Because Rin knew that if she suddenly disappeared, then Kakashi would definitely be killed by that demon-like man.
He might even be killed in an extremely cruel manner.
Therefore, to allow her close friend Kakashi to live, Rin abandoned her self-respect and became what that man wanted her to be.
'The village…'
'With Sensei there, they will definitely be able to defeat that demon, right!'
'If it's Sensei, there's definitely no problem!'
'The Flying Thunder God Technique!'
'In a flash, the demon will die. That's the power of a Konoha's Ninja!'
The warm sunlight shone on her, bringing a touch of warmth to Rin's somewhat pale face. Her suppressed mood also lightened.
However,
Just then,
Rin suddenly overheard passersby on the street excitedly discussing something.
"It's simply unbelievable!"
"Yes, Sora-sama is far too powerful!"
"Sora-sama's Divine Might! I heard from my old man that Sora-sama single-handedly crushed Konoha, killing over two thousand Konoha's Ninjas! It's ridiculously extreme!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, too invincible! I heard even Konoha's Yellow Flash and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki were almost killed by Sora-sama!"
"Victory! A great victory!"
The voices of the discussing passersby drilled into Rin's ears, instantly sinking her recently lightened mood to the bottom of the valley.
"You all…"
"What exactly are you all talking about?"
Rin Nohara asked in a somewhat dazed voice.
A passing Kirigakure's Genin, seeing the Yuki Clan's mark on Rin's clothes, immediately straightened his expression and said respectfully, "Esteemed member of the Yuki Clan, haven't you heard? Sora-sama of your noble clan led the village's expeditionary force to an incredible great victory, single-handedly crushing the Konoha's Ninja Forces!"
"Sora-sama... you, who is this Sora-sama you speak of?"
Rin's legs suddenly felt weak, because in her heart, she had already thought of a certain demon-like figure.