Chapter 116

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How strong is Obito after removing his wind-protective goggles? The Sand ninja they've encountered along their journey would be best qualified to say.

Even though Obito hasn't awakened the Sharingan yet, the foundation he's accumulated, coupled with the support of his two-tomoe Sharingan, is being rapidly converted into strength.

So far, the three waves of Sand ninja they've met haven't even required Kyomu to take action.

Obito leads the charge, swiftly dealing with those he can. On the rare occasion that some slip through, Kakashi is there to help Obito address these oversights.

Overall, Kyomu and his team have been unstoppable, effortlessly breaking through the Sand ninja with equal numbers on each side.

But it's not without problems.

"The water here is undrinkable," Kyomu mentions, after examining the water brought to them. "Let's drink the water we prepared in advance. The poison here has changed, and I suspect even the antidote pills from Tsunade-sama might not work."

While it might be possible to test this, all the Sand ninja in the vicinity are already dead, and experimenting on their own people is too great a risk, something Kyomu doesn't want to chance.

At this time, Kakashi comes over, his brow furrowed deeply, "Kyomu, have you noticed? Along our path, some water sources are poisoned, but others are not."

"That's true," Obito agrees, "It seems the Sand ninja want to force us onto a fixed route, making it easier for them to set up ambushes and encircle us."

"Exactly," Kyomu nods in agreement, "If things go as expected, what we've encountered so far were just Sand ninja scouting ahead. But ahead...

There's definitely going to be layers of encirclement, and likely a trap waiting. Once we enter, the Sand ninja will surround us."

This is the disadvantage of fighting in foreign territory.

Being outnumbered is secondary; the lack of reliable supplies is the real problem. Especially within the harsh environment of the Land of Wind, unlike the abundant Land of Fire where hunting game and drinking spring water can suffice.

Human beings need food to live, and the Sand ninja have seized on this, forcing Kyomu and his team to follow a path laden with ambushes they've set up in advance.

They have no choice but to proceed. The water around them has been poisoned, and even though Kyomu could kill those guarding it, without finding an antidote, they can't secure drinking water.

Asking Tsunade for help with detoxification is an option, but it takes time. The delay would give the Sand ninja enough time to send even more forces for an encirclement.

"Does Chiyo think she can lead us by the nose using water?" Kyomu scoffs disdainfully, "She's calculated well, but she's overlooked one thing.

If we've shown ourselves, it's because we have something to rely on. Does she really think we're out of options?"

"So, we continue?" Obito picks up.

Kakashi looks ahead, "Knowing that stronger and more numerous enemies lie ahead, but since Kyomu has decided, we press on."

Neither says a word about trust, but everything they say is filled with faith in Kyomu. Not just them, but the rest of the team trusts Kyomu unconditionally.

This trust is related to his character, but more so to his record in battle. Though not extensive, in every fight, Kyomu has created miracles in seemingly impossible situations.

When miracles become common, trust naturally follows.

"Let's go!"

Kyomu and his team set off again, encountering increasingly numerous and powerful Sand ninja.

Obito's two-tomoe Sharingan is starting to show its limits, Kakashi begins to feel the pressure, and despite some of the team being protected by Dragon Skin armor, a few still get injured.

"Captain, it's my fault, I've become a burden to the team..." says Anzai Asaichi, a Genin in title but having fought alongside Kyomu since the war's outset, his strength has skyrocketed, nearly at the level of a Chūnin.

His name suggests he comes from a civilian ninja background, so even after being nourished by the Dragon Veins chakra tide, his strength is still at the bottom among the 70-ninja team.

A Chūnin, a prestigious title for many civilian ninja striving in the academy, becomes just another soldier in the war between the Five Great Shinobi Countries, hardly standing out.

Like now.

"It's not a big problem," Kyomu reassures him, patting his shoulder, "Just a minor injury. Rest a bit, and you'll be as good as new."

With Kyomu's reassurance, Anzai feels less guilty, quickly recovering under the care of the team's medical ninja.

However, the emergence of injuries within the team signifies the increasing intensity of battle. When Anzai and the others have recovered, and Kyomu leads the team forward again, the pressure suddenly mounts.

"Captain, Kakashi, there are at least five squads of Sand ninja rushing towards us," Ren reports urgently, "And on our flanks, another seven squads are quickly encircling us."

Kyomu's eyes harden, and Kakashi unconsciously grips his sword, Yukihime, tighter. They've walked right into the Sand ninja's prepared ambush.

Now, it's all out in the open. The only difference is that Kyomu knows how the Sand ninja will play their hand, but they are clueless about his trump card.

"Don't panic. What use is it having so many people surround us?" Kyomu says calmly, "Everyone, stay calm. With me here, there won't be any accidents."

Yes, they have Kyomu, the captain best at creating miracles!

The team's panic is calmed by Kyomu's words. They trust him, perhaps even more than the ninja blades in their hands.

"Everyone, stick together. Kakashi, focus on coordinating with the team to use Earth Release for defense. Leave the rest to me."

Kyomu, hand on the hilt of Yoei, steps forward boldly, "Leave the Sand ninja ahead to me. After I deal with them, we'll handle the ones coming from the sides together."

Kyomu isn't planning to 'hold back' any longer. It's been six days, nearly 144 hours, since he acquired his new passive skill.

Even without precise calculation, Kyomu's first attack is expected to deal more than twenty times his usual damage.

To put it simply, with the attack strength multiplied by twenty, Kyomu's strike could rival the peak power of a fully-realized Susanoo.

This might not mean much in the future, but in this era, there's no one capable of standing against it.

"Kyomu, you're planning to..." Kakashi starts, raising his hand as if to say something but then stops.

"Don't worry, this one strike will be enough to give the Sand ninja a taste of their own medicine," Kyomu reassures with a confident smile, "Why do you think I've been holding back? I was waiting for the right moment when they were all gathered."

Seeing Kakashi still seems to want to ask more, Kyomu waves his hand, "I'll explain the details after the battle. It's hard to understand right now."

Kakashi nods, gathering the team closer, not waiting for Kyomu's move to already have them prepared with an Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, ready for defense.

Kyomu feels completely at ease now, staring down the approaching Sand ninja with a grin, showing his right-side fangs.

The Sand ninja charging at them, from a distance, see Kyomu's expression, their hatred and anger merging, instantly flaring up.

"You destroyed our field hospital, so many of our injured comrades died miserably by your hand.

Leading us around in circles, treating our encirclement as if it were nothing, easily bypassing it at will. This humiliation must be repaid with your blood!

And now, even though you're surrounded, why do you still smile? What gives you the right?

Do you really think you alone can annihilate our front line of five ninja squads, totaling 350 men?

Who do you think you are!"

"Kill Aragami Kyomu, let him know the price of provoking us!"

"Crush him!"

"And his teammates, not a single one should be left!"

"We must let Konoha know that in the Land of Wind..."

Kyomu ignores the noise ahead, focusing seriously as he takes a step forward, his right hand slowly gripping the hilt of Yoei.

The Sand ninja draw closer.

Kyomu looks up, the expressions on the faces of the Sand ninja running at the forefront clear to him. Hate, anger, and the thrill of anticipated vengeance, among others.

"A pity that last month's passive skill is gone," Kyomu can't help but regret internally, "If I could have them both, you might have died a worthy death.

But dying by my hand now isn't too bad either, at least you'll be part of building my reputation. When people mention me, they'll recall this strike, and you, as fallen souls, might be remembered in."

With a swift motion, Kyomu draws his blade.

The surrounding cacophony ceases, leaving only the whooshing of the wind and a layer of yellow sand being sliced away from the ground.

Like a yellow dragon turning over, the earth trembles violently, and a cloud of sand rises into the air.

Roars, screeches, accompanied by an incomparable force, form a purple arc of light, moving at a speed beyond human perception, stretching out hundreds of meters in an instant.

Growing, expanding, then enlarging further!

With a whoosh, the purple arc of light travels, solidifying the sand grains it passes over into irregularly shaped glass fragments, covering a vast expanse of the desert.

Like a solar storm passing, the leading Sand ninja don't even have time to react before they're silently vaporized, their curses and shouts still lingering in the air, not yet dissipated.

Living beings, vanished without a trace before the purple blade light even reaches them, unable to utter even a single word of defiance.

How many died in that instant?

Kyomu isn't sure, but he knows this is just the appetizer.

The blade light, moving from near to far, is like the sunrise at dawn, suddenly illuminating everything.

The brightness is blinding, and everything in sight turns to shades of black and white, as if the apocalypse has come, or as if someone has placed the sun right above your head.

What could possibly withstand it?

Nothing can, at least not the bodies of the ninja, who don't even get the chance to touch the purple blade light.

And this strike from Kyomu isn't just a limited point-to-point attack; it's an extremely powerful, wide-reaching ripple of destruction.

Traveling hundreds more meters, the length of the purple blade light matches the horizon. Though it's an illusion, the only thing that stands out between heaven and earth is the middle streak of purple.

Time seems to freeze.

The Sand ninja, who were charging just moments before, are vaporized, their silhouettes imprinted onto the desert floor. As the blade light passes and the sand turns to glass, the dark, blurred shapes of people remain.

But this pause in time lasts only a second. The purple blade light has already traveled kilometers away.

The color shifts from purple to sky blue, its force significantly weakened. But even not at its peak, it's not something the Sand ninja can afford to confront.

And as it reaches its limit, the blade light showcases its final glory.

Boom! The earth trembles more violently, sounding like thunder.

The next second, a wave of heat surges, a semi-circular wave of energy shoots towards the sky, an orange fireball forming and spreading outwards in all directions in an instant.

Waves of impact ripple out, like throwing a pebble into calm water, one ring stronger than the next.

In the blink of an eye, the aftermath of the blade light's explosion has reached Kyomu.

His black hair lifts in the wind, his clothes fluttering loudly, his not-so-tall figure casting a long, long shadow in the light of the second sun in front of him.

Inhaling the air filled with the unique scent of iron after high temperatures, Kyomu finds it exceptionally sweet.

What he has created is different from what others have given.

With a click, he sheathes his blade, Kyomu calmly turns around, looking towards the remaining Sand ninja approaching from the sides and rear.

Compared to the speed of the purple blade light, their approach is like a crawl. In less than three seconds, they've covered such a short distance.

But the speed at which they receive information is clearly faster than their movement. Instinctively, the Sand ninja at the forefront come to an abrupt stop.

They can't articulate what they're thinking at that moment, but it's the most primal instinct of living beings when faced with danger.

With one hand on the hilt of his blade, Kyomu takes a step forward.

The remaining Sand ninja, as if rehearsed, halt their advance and begin to retreat in unison, displaying a remarkable understanding of the situation.

Clearly, they're terrified.

In fact, ninja are not so frail, but witnessing over three hundred comrades vaporized in an instant would make anyone's legs tremble.

Flee! The Sand ninja at the front, who had been the most aggressive in the charge and the loudest in their taunts, turn and run, even pushing and shoving each other in their haste.

In the face of survival, everyone is equal. Whoever dares to block the way, whether they're a squad leader or a division commander, or even the head of a large team, they're pushed aside without hesitation.

"Ha, I thought numbers meant strength," Kyomu says as he retracts his stance, ready to draw his sword again.

The effects of the passive skill have ended, and Kyomu knows his second strike won't have the same devastating impact as the first.

"Kakashi, Obito!" Kyomu yells, "Come out and collect the spoils. Otherwise, we'll have to scour the entire area later."

As the thick Earth-Style Wall dissipates, revealing Kakashi and the others, they stand still, not moving an inch, instead staring at the scorched earth in the distance, silent and wordless.

"Stop standing around, go after them!" Kyomu urges them again, snapping them out of their trance. As they turn to pursue, they still glance back frequently.

Bad news, Captain Kyomu is a monster.

Good news, Captain Kyomu is one of our own.

The ones who should be worried are the Sand ninja.

"Charge!" The morale of the team skyrockets to its peak.

(End of Chapter)