True to their reputation as the most defensively skilled force in the shinobi world, the Iwa-nin army held firm against Konoha's relentless barrage of combination jutsu.
Their formation stood unshaken—a fortress of earth and willpower.
Then, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally made his move.
Four shadow clones materialized in a fan-shaped formation around him.
"Five Elements: Grand Devastation!"
The original Hiruzen exhaled first—a searing white fireball over ten meters wide, instantly glassifying the rock surfaces it touched. The Wind Release clone followed, unleashing a tornado that twisted the flames into a spiraling inferno.
The towering Earth-Style Walls and Earth Pillars of Iwa's defenses cracked under the assault. Then, the Lightning Release clone channeled a storm of electricity into the heart of the firestorm.
Blue-white arcs spiraled down the flaming vortex, liquefying hundreds of meters of bedrock upon contact. The Earth Release clone then reshaped the molten rock into a boiling sea of magma, just as the Water Release clone summoned a tsunami-scale deluge.
The moment cold water met molten stone—
BOOM.
The Iwa defensive line shattered.
Acidic steam blotted out the sky. Countless superheated shrapnel erupted like volcanic buckshot, shredding through the enemy ranks.
The chain reaction of five elemental forces didn't just break the formation—it annihilated the entire battlefield.
The residual chakra turbulence twisted into something even more terrifying—a force that disintegrated matter at its core.
Even Haize, observing from hundreds of meters away, felt his skin prickle with phantom burns.
"Kekkei Tōta…? No—could this be… Kekkei Mōra?!"
His soul trembled.
This wasn't just a combination jutsu. The erasure at its epicenter defied conventional fusion. His sonar radar perception could barely skim the edges of the energy—a blinding, white oblivion.
The Iwa defenses were legendary—but not unbreakable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his prime, had just soloed hundreds of elite shinobi with a single technique.
"The Sandaime… is this monstrous at his peak?!"
Haize's mind raced.
This was just Hiruzen's ninjutsu prowess. As one of the few all-rounder legends of the shinobi world, his taijutsu, genjutsu, and mastery of forbidden arts were equally unmatched.
"The Professor" wasn't just a title—it was a warning.
(His political maneuvers might be questionable, but his power? Undeniable.)
"Fire Platoons—ADVANCE!"
Hiruzen dispelled his clones and signaled the assault.
Konoha's fire specialists rained hell upon the breached Iwa lines. The enemy crumbled.
"Left flank—PIERCE THROUGH!"
Haize's unit became a blade, stabbing into the Iwa's left wing. Meanwhile, Dan Katō, seated in a sealing array at the rear, activated his Soul Possession Jutsu, supporting the push with spectral strikes.
On the right flank, the Sannin led hundreds of elites, backed by three colossal summons. Their progress dwarfed Haize's.
Then—the Five-Tails emerged.
BOOM!
A single horn strike sent Gamabunta flying. Manda coiled around the beast, only to recoil as scalding steam seared his scales.
(Orochimaru's Kusanagi blade saved the snake—extending mid-strike to stab the Five-Tails' face.)
Just as the beast gathered a Tailed Beast Bomb—
"YAAH—!"
Tsunade's fist smashed into its ribs.
The impact canceled the Bijūdama—and sent the Five-Tails skidding back.
(Like an ant toppling a titan.)
But Haize's left flank faced their own nightmare: Bakuton users.
Led by Hō the Explosion Release master, the Iwa Demolition Corps counter-charged—human-shaped bombs buying time for their retreat.
"HALT! Switch to explosive kunai barrage!"
Haize's order came fast.
Close-quarters combat? Against the best demolition unit in the world?
Suicide.
Even infrasonic pulses couldn't fully suppress their point-blank detonation jutsu.
"Wind Style: Infinite Great Breakthrough!"
Hurricane-force winds slammed into the charging Iwa-nin, buying distance.
Then—thousands of explosive-tagged kunai rained down.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!
Hō's eyes widened.
"Since when does Konoha have THIS many explosive tags?!"
He punched the air, creating a 10-meter blast shield to block the onslaught.
But the barrage never stopped.
("Are they burning their entire treasury on this?!")
Casualties mounted. Some Iwa-nin dropped dead mid-sprint—souls ripped out by Dan's ghostly strikes.
Hō gritted his teeth.
"FALL BACK—!"
His men were exhausted, their chakra drained from constant blast shielding.
("If this drags on… we'll be wiped out.")
Then—betrayal.
A single Iwa-nin drove a kunai toward Hō's throat.
The veteran twisted, taking the blade in his shoulder instead.
"You—?!"
His palm slammed into the traitor's chest—
BOOM.
The man vaporized into red mist.