The Leader... is Gone!!

Whitebeard leaped dozens of meters into the air. As his massive body descended, he swung his Murakumogiri downward. Black lightning arcs flashed through the air like a falling meteor, surging with overwhelming momentum.

"Quick! Protect me! Protect me!!!"

The intense sense of danger and foreboding death caused the Kusagakure leader to cry out in terror, his hands quickly forming seals. The few Anbu members beside him also hurriedly acted.

Immediately!

The Kusagakure leader and several Anbu simultaneously used their jutsu.

"Earth Style: Multiple Earth Enclosure Technique!!!"

Thick, semi-circular earth walls rose from the ground on both sides, rapidly closing together. With a muffled "boom," a miniature mountain covered the Kusagakure leader and the Anbu members, providing iron-like defense.

However.

It was useless!

Murakumogiri, infused with Conqueror's Haki, symbolized Whitebeard's disdain for such people. The blade didn't even touch the earthen barrier; the Conqueror's Haki alone caused a deafening explosion, shattering the barrier into dust. The overwhelming power inside left the Kusagakure leader and his Anbu members in utter despair.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Their bodies burst like overripe watermelons, the Anbu members exploding in all directions. The Kusagakure leader's body twisted grotesquely, his limbs and bones shattered inch by inch.

"Ahhhh! Spare..." he screamed, but before he could finish, his head exploded into a shower of blood.

But it wasn't over!

Whitebeard's Haki-infused blade continued its path, striking the ground. The earth shattered, causing Kusagakure to quake violently. Invisible shockwaves expanded outward, tearing through everything like an S-rank Wind Release jutsu.

Buildings couldn't withstand the onslaught for more than a few seconds. Foundations were ripped from the ground, and those who had barely managed to stand were blasted away again. Trees were uprooted, thick soil layers were peeled away, turning the scene into a hellish landscape.

"Not good!" Kakashi's eyes widened as he quickly formed seals outside the village: "Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!!!"

Chakra rapidly consumed, and a massive wall with dog carvings rose to protect Kakashi, Naruto, and Uzumaki Sealing Clan members. At the same time, the gale struck the earth wall, causing it to crack and break. Kakashi hastily raised another earth wall, depleting more of his chakra.

Only barely did it hold.

The apocalyptic scene in Kusagakure made one wonder if the village would vanish from the ninja world's map under Whitebeard's attack.

A minute later.

The wind finally subsided.

Cautiously, Kakashi peered from behind the earth wall. He first checked his two earth walls. The first was utterly destroyed, the second barely intact, with the dog carvings shattered.

Seeing this, Kakashi's eyelid twitched.

"If that wind hit us directly, it would feel like being crushed by a mountain," Kakashi thought, relieved that he and Minato's child were safe.

Turning his gaze to Kusagakure, Kakashi was stunned.

"Uncle Kakashi, what happened?" Naruto timidly peeked out, frightened by the earlier commotion, not daring to leave the earth wall's protection until now. Together with Kakashi, he looked towards Kusagakure.

Naruto's blue eyes widened to their limits.

"This... is this dad's power?" Naruto murmured, his voice filled with indescribable awe.

"Naruto, your dad... it seems he almost destroyed a village with just one simple swing," Kakashi said in a shocked tone.

They gazed upon devastation, most of Kusagakure reduced to ruins. Two-thirds of the village was leveled, with a massive crater hundreds of meters in diameter in the center, depth unmeasurable.

Cracks from Whitebeard's attack spread across the entire village, resembling a grid. The widest crack was river-like, the narrowest as wide as a finger, their depths unknown. Falling into one could result in serious injury or death.

"If I'm not mistaken..." Kakashi said, "the Kusagakure leader must be... in the afterlife by now."

In an instant, a village leader was killed. 

The Kusagakure Anbu were nearly wiped out with their leader's death. The "nearly" was because one Anbu was sent to gather children as hostages. Although this extreme action might have worked against a mortal enemy, it was useless here.

The last Kusagakure Anbu, trying to gather hostages, was blown away by the wind. Struggling to get up, he found himself in a shadow.

Swallowing hard, he turned to see himself lifted by someone.

Whitebeard's voice echoed behind him: "Ninja brat, what do you intend to do?" The question, like the voice of the Lord of Hell, made the Anbu shiver, fear causing him to wet himself.

Drip! Drip!

"I-I-I..." the last Anbu stammered, his mask falling off as he forced a smile, trying to appear less vile. "I-I wanted to take you to save the village children, especially the red-haired girl. She's the most special child in our village."

Seeing the devastation behind them, the Anbu almost fainted from fear, realizing their leader... was gone! Kusagakure... was gone too!