Chp-80: I'm Not Targeting You, I'm Saying Everyone Here is Trash... And so...

It was as if Death had descended.

Randomly selecting its unlucky audience.

Fear spread through the Sand Ninja forces as they finally realized that many of their comrades had inexplicably died around them.

Gradually, even the manner of their deaths became bizarre, as if the Reaper choosing his victims had grown impatient.

"What the hell is happening..."

"Oh my god..."

"Is this really human power?"

...

The remaining Sand ninjas swallowed hard, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.

Originally, their numbers far exceeded those of the Konoha ninjas, but as the battle dragged on, they found themselves dwindling, surrounded by the corpses of their fallen comrades.

In contrast, the Konoha ninjas seemed nearly unscathed and full of fighting spirit.

The high-ranking officers of the Sand Ninja had already been picked off one by one in the past few days, planting a seed of fear in the hearts of these Sand Ninjas. Now, under this silent oppression, their resolve was beginning to break.

...

On the other side of the battlefield.

Orochimaru was locked in a fierce battle with Rasa.

Both were the highest commanders of their respective forces. Defeating the other would almost certainly secure victory in this war.

The same thought was simultaneously running through both of their minds.

Rasa smirked inwardly. Despite the heavy losses among the high-ranking officers in recent days, the Sand ninja force still greatly outnumbered the Konoha forces.

This disparity in strength wasn't something that could be bridged in a short time.

Even if he couldn't quickly defeat Orochimaru, the overflow of his ninjas could still form a siege, gaining an advantage on the battlefield.

Although Orochimaru, who was fighting against him, didn't seem anxious, Rasa sneered inwardly, guessing that his opponent was already in a panic, eager to defeat him and support his forces.

Hmph!

The more anxious you are, the less likely I'll let you succeed!

Orochimaru, of course, didn't know what Rasa was thinking. He occasionally glanced towards another part of the battlefield.

That should be where Satoru is, right?

Why hasn't there been any significant movement from that direction for so long?

With Satoru's abilities, the commotion should be quite substantial.

However, Orochimaru wasn't worried. Even if the Sand ninjas outnumbered the Konoha ninjas significantly, with Satoru present, they would at least be able to neutralize some of that advantage.

For now, there was no need to worry.

On the flank, that should be the main battlefield for Minato and Pakura.

With Minato's Flying Raijin, he should have no problem countering Pakura's Scorch Release.

However, Chiyo was still at large.

In the past, Chiyo's old rival was Tsunade. They had clashed many times during the Second Ninja War, with Chiyo using poison and Tsunade countering with antidotes.

Tsunade had ultimately emerged victorious, earning her the title of the Medical Saint and angering Chiyo, who had sought close combat with her.

And was subsequently beaten badly.

Now, Chiyo was in her prime, her experience and skills perfectly balanced. If Tsunade were in her right mind, she wouldn't be a problem.

But Orochimaru knew that Tsunade's hemophobia made her unable to face Chiyo.

And since Tsunade was staying with the support troops and not participating in the front lines...

The Sand Ninjas still had the upper hand in terms of top-tier combat power.

Orochimaru squinted at Rasa.

He needed to defeat him quickly and then deal with Chiyo.

Rasa noticed Orochimaru's intent and responded in kind.

It was as if, by fate's twist, neither knew they were destined for another confrontation years later.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Tsunami!"

Rasa, riding on a wave of gold dust, took a deep breath and raised his palm.

With a rumbling sound, a massive wave of gold dust surged, reflecting a faint golden light, and rushed towards Orochimaru.

Orochimaru showed no fear.

Biting his thumb, he slapped the ground.

"Summoning: Triple Rashomon!"

With a loud clanging sound, three massive gates adorned with demonic faces rose from the ground, blocking the path of the gold dust wave!

Boom!

The gold dust wave crashed into the gates with a thunderous roar, drawing the attention of the surrounding ninjas.

"Oh my god, such terrifying power..."

"So this is what it's like to bear the title of a Kage..."

...

The massive gold dust wave and the three colossal gates were not something ordinary ninjas could even dream of facing.

Rasa's eyes narrowed, and he increased his chakra output.

With a dull metallic sound, the gold dust wave surged over the Rashomon gates, heading towards Orochimaru.

However, the gates had significantly slowed the wave, reducing its momentum.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted.

The Rashomon gates could block a Tailed Beast Bomb, but against a fluid-like technique like the gold dust wave, their effectiveness was limited.

But he was prepared.

Flattening himself on the ground like a lizard, his mouth opened wide.

"Ninja Art: Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!"

With his raspy voice, countless venomous snakes surged from his mouth, their red tongues flicking as they twisted and writhed towards the gold dust wave.

The scene was enough to terrify anyone with a fear of snakes.

The battle between the snake wave and the gold dust wave began...

...

Meanwhile.

Satoru Hyuga was still in the process of picking off stragglers.

But he was surprised to find fewer and fewer Sand ninjas around, leaving him with fewer targets.

The area around him had become a vacuum, with no Sand ninjas within a few hundred meters.

"Seriously, are they that afraid of dying?"

Satoru sighed.

The significant loss of Sand ninjas had spread panic through their ranks.

Chiyo, who had been searching for Tsunade, was shocked by the carnage and demanded answers from the remaining Sand ninjas.

"What happened here? Why are there so many casualties?"

Looking around, Chiyo gasped.

Less than half an hour after the battle began, this part of the battlefield was nearly devoid of Sand ninjas, littered with bodies full of Kunai and Shuriken.

Some were even skewered like hedgehogs, with their backs covered in kunai and shuriken.

Others were even more horrifying, their shuriken forming shapes resembling letters or symbols.

"I don't know... suddenly... everyone just started dying..."

A terrified Sand ninja sobbed.

"It's too terrifying; he controls all the shuriken, and we have no way to counter him..."

"We can't do anything..."

Chiyo took a deep breath, her gaze turning to Satoru, who stood in the centre, surrounded by a clear space.

"So it's you. I've heard about you, Konoha's new genius, using Magnet Release..."

"I didn't expect your control over Shuriken to be so advanced..."

Unlike ordinary Sand ninjas, Chiyo, a figure from the Second Kazekage's era and one who had lived through three regimes, had a deep understanding of Magnet Release. Her assessment was swift and accurate.

"Regular Sand ninjas, fall back. This is not a battle you can participate in."

"Puppet masters, prepare for battle!"

The puppet masters, with Chiyo, immediately surrounded Satoru with their puppets.

"Maintain your distance! Be wary of his shuriken control," Chiyo ordered calmly.

She kept a close watch on Satoru.

Judging by the state of the battlefield, Satoru's control over Shuriken and Kunai was terrifying, and even she had to be cautious.

However...

Chiyo's eyes flashed coldly.

Puppet masters were the perfect counter to this ability!

Firstly, puppet masters fought from a distance, naturally keeping far from Satoru.

Secondly, an excellent puppet master could control multiple puppets, leaving one nearby to defend against Satoru's magnetic attacks.

The outcome seemed certain.

Nearby, Konoha ninjas grew anxious.

"Should we help Satoru?"

"That's Chiyo! And so many puppet masters."

Uchiha Rin stopped them. Knowing Satoru's capabilities, she felt the puppet masters were in for a hard time.

"No, you'll only hinder him."

"Alright..."

The Konoha ninjas exchanged glances, unsure but complying.

Surrounded by puppets, Satoru showed no fear, instead smiling.

"Do you think these trash can stop me? How laughable."

His words instantly enraged the puppet masters, who wanted to tear him apart.

Chiyo gritted her teeth.

As the Sand Village's strongest puppet master with decades of experience, she couldn't tolerate such an insult.

Satoru quickly added with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Chiyo's expression softened slightly as she said, "Hmph, that's better."

"I mean, everyone here... is trash."