Chapter 85

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Rasa succeeded as the Fourth Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village. During his inauguration ceremony, he delivered a passionate speech, blaming Konoha for the disappearance of the Third Kazekage.

As anticipated, old grudges mixed with new ones, uniting the entire Hidden Sand Village against Konoha.

Internal conflicts were successfully diverted!

Fueled by boiling public opinion, just three days into Rasa's reign as the Fourth Kazekage, he, along with the feudal lords of the Land of Wind, brazenly launched a war against the Land of Fire.

The vanguard force consisted of around ten thousand soldiers, including over ninety elite jonin, nearly one hundred fifty special jonin, over two thousand chunin, and the remaining serving as cannon fodder or also called the 'genin corps', totaling over seven thousand people.

Under such a display of power, bordering the Land of Wind, the Land of Rivers, which served as a strategic buffer zone between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire, collapsed entirely. The feudal lord of the Land of Rivers fled with his followers to the Land of Fire.

Meanwhile, the vanguard force of the Hidden Sand Village, having invaded the Land of Rivers, swiftly took control and plundered its resources to serve as provisions for the war.

At the same time, the feudal lord of the Land of Rivers, now in exile within the Land of Fire, sought the support of the feudal lord of the Land of Fire, pleading for assistance to reclaim his country.

The feudal lord of the Land of Fire naturally agreed. With the endorsement of the exiled feudal lord of the Land of Rivers, the Konoha ninja forces could legitimately enter the Land of Rivers and engage in combat with the Hidden Sand Village forces.

The fires of war would not blaze within the Land of Fire—at least not in the early stages of the war.

As for the Land of Rivers caught in the middle, whether it would be devastated and whether its civilians would be displaced was of little concern to the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire.

The sorrow of small nations is often overlooked.

At the same moment, the bells rang within the Hidden Leaf Village, signaling the onset of war and the assembly of ninja forces.

Kyomu, cleaning Yoei, suddenly looked up, immediately ceased his actions, grabbed the two prepared ninja pouches hanging from his waist, and dashed out at the fastest speed.

"Assemble!"

In the streets and alleys, ninja sprinted everywhere, with cries echoing continuously.

In less than half an hour, a ninja army of around four thousand soldiers had assembled, with Kyomu among them.

Clearly, Kyomu's main battlefield was the battlefield of the Hidden Sand Village.

As for the remaining Konoha ninja forces yet to assemble, they were reserves, prepared to support or open new battlefields at any moment.

"Depart!"

Orochimaru stood on the platform, and with a sweeping motion of his hand, everyone in the muster field turned around in unison and, under the command of their respective captains, rushed out of Konoha.

"Orochimaru is taking command on the battlefield of the Hidden Sand Village?" Kyomu murmured to himself, "That's not surprising."

Immediately ceasing to worry about the choice of commander, Kyomu turned around and looked back, his gaze falling on Duy, who was closely following him.

"Uncle Duy, why are you carrying such a big bag?"

"Just carrying a lot of stuff," Duy grinned foolishly, "We're the vanguard, and with the sudden departure, it's hard to keep up with the supplies. I may not be of much help elsewhere, but my body is still strong. It doesn't hurt to bring along a few extra things."

Who said Duy didn't have a brain?

Kyomu gave him a thumbs-up, and Duy grinned shyly, becoming even more spirited as they hurried along the road.

To have survived from the era of the Second Great Ninja War until now, Duy's war experience was quite substantial.

Kyomu made up his mind to seek Duy's opinion more often on the battlefield.

A seasoned veteran like him was a walking pool of experience and has to be kept close.

Looking around again, Kyomu noticed that not only Duy but also several others in the teams were carrying relatively large bags, filled to the brim with war supplies.

Moreover, Kyomu also observed that the deputy captain, who had not been seen in his team for a long time, was also a member of the Hyuga clan.

Judging from the position of his forehead protector, he belonged to the main branch of the Hyuga clan without a doubt.

"Two members of the Hyuga clan in one ninja squad..." Kyomu realized something, "It seems that the mission of my squad is quite significant. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the branch member of the Hyuga clan is responsible for protecting this Hyuga."

With speculation in his mind, Kyomu led his squad without stopping, tirelessly rushing for several days until they finally reached the western border of the Land of Fire.

"Camp and rest for a day!"

Orochimaru immediately ordered the rest, but Kyomu's ninja squad was not yet time for rest.

"Let the captain of the Hyuga squad come to see me," Orochimaru turned his head to issue the second order.

Soon, the Hyuga squad captain arrived at Orochimaru's tent.

"Captain of the Hyuga squad, while the team is resting, the responsibility for scouting and defense is now yours," Orochimaru went straight to the point, without any courtesy.

The Hyuga squad captain accepted the order and quickly distributed tasks to the four team leaders under him, arranging specific defense duties.

"Kyomu, you follow me. The rest of you, follow my previous arrangements for vigilance," Hizashi commanded.

With that, the three team leaders left with their respective teams, leaving Kyomu's squad under the direct command of Hizashi .

"Kyomu, although your strength on paper is formidable, the tasks of war are different from those in peacetime missions, and I believe you understand that," said Hizashi.

Seeing Kyomu nod, the Hyuga squad captain continued, "You are still young, and your experience in war is limited. I suggest you learn under my guidance first. After experiencing one or two battles, I will let you lead a team on your own."

With Kyomu's squad, Hizashi penetrated into the territory of the Land of Rivers, five kilometers away from where the main forces were stationed.

Choosing a spot, the Hizashi stopped and activated his Byakugan, surveying the surroundings.

"We haven't spotted the Hidden Sand Village ninja squads,"Hizashi sighed in relief, "It's a good thing they didn't attack us while we were vulnerable."

This was good news, but it probably wouldn't last long.

The Hidden Sand ninjas were not amateurs.

As expected, in the early hours of the morning, Kyomu, who had barely slept for less than three hours, was awakened by Hizashi.

"Three Hidden Sand ninja squads are approaching," Hizashi said wearily. He hadn't closed his eyes for several days.

But he had to persevere. He was the eyes of this ninja squad. If he gave up, there might be loopholes in the defense line, and the main forces resting in the rear would inevitably be ambushed.

"Three squads?" Kyomu's heart sank. "They really think highly of us."

After experiencing the First and Second Great Ninja Wars, not only the Hidden Sand Village, but also the remaining three major hidden villages, had adopted the same ninja team configuration as Konoha.

With three ninja squads, the total number of personnel would be around two hundred and ten, among whom there would definitely be three or more jonin, and at least a dozen special jonin.

With such personnel configuration, they could easily conquer a small country.

"Kyomu, can you hold them off?" Hizashi looked at Kyomu very seriously. "You don't need to hold them off for long, just ten minutes will do."

"You really think highly of me!" Aragami Kyomu's heart suddenly sank. How could a seventeen-member ninja squad compete head-on with two hundred and ten Hidden Sand ninjas?

"I can't hold them off," Aragami Kyomu decisively shook his head, not caring about losing face.

The Hyuga squad captain fell silent for a moment. "Engage them while retreating. Just hold them off for ten minutes. Otherwise, with their marching speed, our comrades resting in the camp could easily be caught off guard."

"Actually, I could go back and report the situation-"

Before Kyomu could finish, the Hyuga squad captain made the decision for him. "I'll go back and inform Lord Orochimaru. You must lead your team to hold them off for ten minutes, and the longer, the better."

Activating his Byakugan, the Hyuga squad captain observed for a while longer. "They're only six kilometers away from us now. You and your squad have three minutes to set up traps."

Drawing a simple enemy movement route on the ground, the Hyuga squad captain turned and walked away, his speed leaving only an afterimage.

...

"First squad, go here. Second squad, go there. Third squad, stay put as reserve." Standing up, Kyomu instructed, "We're at a significant numerical disadvantage, so prioritize delaying tactics. Avoid direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary."

Seeing them nod, Kyomu glanced back at the four members of Duy's team, then waved them over. "Fourth squad, follow me."

Setting off, Kyomu led the four individuals forward, just a minute's distance away from the three Hidden Sand ninja squads.

"Uncle Duy, you have plenty of experience. Take the three of them and set up traps here," Kyomu ordered without looking back. "Don't save any explosive tags. Use them all!"

Before Duy could respond, Kyomu had already disappeared from the spot.

Opening his mouth, Duy wanted to follow, but ultimately chose to carry out the task assigned by Kyomu.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Duy urged anxiously. "Don't waste the time Captain gave us."

Guy, Genma, and Ebisu nodded, exerting all their strength and speed to help Duy set up various traps.

One kilometer ahead.

"Commander, directly ahead of us, there's a fully equipped squad of Konoha ninja. They're quite scattered, probably having detected our presence and intending to intercept us."

The Hidden Sand ninja teams also had sensory ninjas, though not as exceptional as the Hyuga clan's Byakugan. Nevertheless, they could perceive obvious targets within a range of three to five kilometers.

"Hmph, overestimating themselves!"

The elite jonin leading the three Hidden Sand ninja squads sneered, "Leave two squads to deal with them. The rest continue to rush towards Konoha's camp. We must seize this opportunity and show the Konoha ninja who's in charge!"

Quickly issuing a rational command, the three Hidden Sand squads continued their advance.

"Commander, there's a single individual ahead of us, and we're only 500 meters away from them. Their exact strength is unknown."

"One person? Crush him!" The commander waved his hand, and a group of Hidden Sand ninjas charged towards Kyomu.

As they approached, the sight was overwhelming.

Even with the cover of darkness, Kyomu could see clearly.

Suddenly stopping in his tracks, Kyomu clenched the scabbard in his left hand and gripped the hilt of his blade with his right hand, holding the Yoei horizontally in front of his chest.

Taking a step back, he took a deep breath.

Thump, thump, thump~

The sound of his heart pounding was like a drum, pumping blood rapidly throughout Kyomu's body, generating immense power in every fiber of his being.

His eyes narrowed, the enemy was getting closer!

Exhaling sharply, Kyomu's right arm exerted force suddenly, and the Yoei was drawn from its sheath in an instant.

In just a moment, Kyomu unleashed 501 slashes, his current limit and the culmination of his longest-accumulated power!

A gust of wind rose, and the surrounding trees seemed to be pressed forward by invisible hands. Not only were their directions aligned, but even some fragile tree trunks showed signs of breaking.

Clang!~

The sharp, piercing sound rang out. It was the sound of countless layers of blade energy rubbing against the air, their speed surpassing even the speed of sound.

Finally, the wide and elongated blade energy, spanning 130 meters, appeared, carrying a red glow and intense heat, rapidly advancing forward. The previous noise was left far behind.

From a distance, it looked like the skyline at sunrise or sunset.

The sky not far away suddenly lit up!

The silent and invisible blade energy was exposed in an instant by the shining red glow.

"What is that!"

The Hidden Sand commander was astonished, unable to discern it, and immediately slammed his hands on the ground.

At the same time, the three squad captains and a dozen or so squad leaders behind him reacted instantly.

In unison, they formed hand seals and slammed them on the ground.

Composite Ninjutsu: Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!

With the combined effort of more than ten people, the Earth Style defensive ninjutsu was deployed, its power shaking the land itself.

Compared to the advancing red blade energy, there was no distinction between superiority and inferiority.

As the ten-meter-high, four- to five-meter-thick, and one-hundred-meter-long wall rose, and when the chakra blade carrying a red glow and scorching heat arrived caused a booming sound.

Boom!~

The thunderous roar resounded, and amidst the billowing smoke, a sun suddenly rose, its crimson brilliance magnificent yet endlessly dangerous and scorching hot.

Boom!~

Waves of scorching heat burst open, forcibly uprooting the towering trees that had been unable to lift their heads due to the pressure of the wind.

Crash!~

Kyomu squinted as the heat wave blew his clothes, making them rustle.

And the thick wall, four to five hundred meters away from him, had already begun to collapse.

"No enemy can escape my blade, the Crimson Blade: Skyline!"

Click~

Sheathing his blade, Kyomu's toes touched the ground, and with the force of his explosion, he swiftly retreated.

The battle had only just begun.

(End of Chapter)

(T/N: Messy chapter, the author tried to make it longer, which he did but sadly he messed up quite a bit, it's still enjoyable but hardly the same quality as before.)