Chapter 336: The Sound of the Horn Rises
"Good work, Tonbo."
Asuma gave Tonbo Tobitake a quick word of praise before smiling and moving off to deal with other enemies.
What exactly is the principle behind this?
Tonbo had conducted extensive research into Soul-based jutsu. However, he still couldn't quite grasp the mechanism of the Reanimation Jutsu—specifically, how a reanimated soul with no lingering regrets could spontaneously break the contract and dispel the jutsu once certain conditions were met.
"Well, it doesn't matter. As long as the goal is achieved, I can study the rest when I have time."
Whoosh, whoosh!
Having dealt with Shinnosuke Sarutobi, he arrived at another sector: the battlefield where Choza Akimichi's team was facing Dan Kato.
The fighting here was also intense. However, Dan Kato was on the back foot, relying entirely on his immortal reanimated body to withstand the assaults from Choza and the others. Interestingly, Dan Kato was not using his Spirit Transformation Jutsu. It was clear that without the constraints of a living body, Dan's soul might slip out of control—a risk Kabuto had likely foreseen.
Still, Dan Kato proved why he was a Konoha elite. Even with basic combat skills and a reanimated body, he held out against Choza's team for a long time without being sealed.
Inside the Cavern.
Kabuto removed a game piece from the board.
"Impressive. Using ordinary Genjutsu... has he found a weakness in the Reanimation? However, you can only look after one section at a time. You cannot be everywhere at once. The ultimate victor of this war will be me. I will collect all the substances and intelligence in the world to deduce who I truly am."
Kabuto smiled as he refocused his energy on controlling those who were reluctant to fight. His goal in joining this war was to collect materials and data that were unavailable during times of peace. By incorporating this intelligence into himself, he hoped to finally find his sense of belonging.
"As long as I can do that, I will find the truth of my existence. Now, onto the next battlefield."
The Mist-shrouded Forest.
Within the thick fog, the sound of clashing blades rang out.
"Captain Kakashi, what should we do? The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are a nightmare, and we have troublesome characters like Pakura of the Scorch Release and Gari of the Explosion Release to deal with!" Nara Ensui shouted.
They were currently trapped within Zabuza Momochi's Hidden Mist Jutsu. Since the enemies were reanimated, they didn't care about visibility—their margin for error was infinite.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed in the distance. Kakashi observed with his Sharingan, his mind racing to formulate a counter-strategy.
"Santa, you're in charge of sensing the enemy. Ensui, you... Maki, prepare the sealing..."
Kakashi quickly devised a plan to neutralize the primary threat, Zabuza Momochi.
Wooo—!
Rumble—!
Suddenly, a loud, resonant sound echoed from the sky.
"A horn? What's going on?"
The Alliance members who heard the horn felt a sudden shift in their chakra. Simultaneously, a voice reached their ears.
"Do not resist. This is Tonbo Tobitake of the Sensor Division's Special Support Unit. This is Genjutsu: Team Battle Assembly, it will guide you to face the enemies you cannot see."
As the voice faded, the resounding blast of the horn echoed again.
"It's Captain Tonbo! I didn't know Genjutsu could be used on allies like this. Incredible!"
"Move out! Follow the chakra flow!"
"This... this is amazing! The Genjutsu is like a musical conductor. Instructions on what to do are flowing clearly into my mind!"
"Yeah! It's like the sensory changes of a sensor ninja are being projected directly into our brains. The enemies are as clear as lights in the dark!"
The controlled ninjas were shocked. It felt as if a map had appeared in their minds—a high-level sensory map. Under Tonbo's guidance, they began their coordinated assault.
Originally, the ninjas from different villages wouldn't have been able to cooperate so seamlessly, despite Gaara's speech. Now, under the direction of the horn, they initiated a flawlessly synchronized offensive to surround and annihilate the enemy.
"Tonbo's Genjutsu goes deeper than I thought. I didn't know he had this up his sleeve," Kakashi mused. A map he shouldn't have been able to see appeared in his mind, pinpointing Zabuza's location. It was better than any plan he could have come up with on the fly. This jutsu was the ultimate tool for group combat, making unfamiliar ninjas move together with fluid precision.
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
Might Guy flew forward, kicking an enemy away and allowing the sealing team behind him to move in. "Tonbo's ability is just too strong! To give us such a surprise in a team battle... how youthful!"
Achoo!
Swoosh!
Realizing the Hidden Mist was useless against the Alliance and was only hindering the reanimated ninjas, the fog gradually dissipated.
"Kakashi, well done," Zabuza said as his body was shredded by Kakashi's Raikiri. Monga quickly moved in from behind to seal him.
"Well, it's mostly thanks to Tonbo," Kakashi smiled. He looked around the battlefield, and though the horn in his ears was a bit loud, it was exceptionally reassuring.
In the sky, Tonbo Tobitake's lips curled into a smile. The horn blew even louder. This was the art of command.
Genjutsu: Team Battle Assembly.
This was a specialized variant of his signature Mind Reading and Memory Insertion techniques. By reversing the concept of injecting memories, he used the horn's sound to broadcast his own will and sensory data directly into the minds of the Alliance. It allowed them to "sense" what he sensed. From his vantage point high above, he acted as the "eye in the sky."
Since he didn't know every ninja's specific jutsu list, his commands were simple tactical directives, which the elite ninjas then executed using their own skills.
"Controlling the board from above... this feels great," he thought. The Alliance below were his chess pieces; with every breath into the horn, he dictated the flow of battle.
Rumble!
With superior numbers and artistic command, the Reanimated army began to crumble.
Swoosh—!
Suddenly, ice crystals manifested around Tonbo. A vacant, soulless figure appeared within the mirrors, launching a barrage of senbon needles at him.
"Because Zabuza was sealed, Kabuto erased your will? In that case, I'll send you to reunite with him," Tonbo said with a smile, standing atop his giant eagle.
The horn didn't stop blowing, yet Tonbo's foot had already landed on one of the ice crystals.
Crack!
The ice shattered, and Haku's figure appeared out of thin air. Tonbo followed up with a crushing downward kick, smashing Haku's reanimated body into the ground. Before Haku could regenerate, a sealing scroll unfurled, dragging him inside.
"The Crystal Ice Mirrors are said to have the speed of light, but they still require a human to act. In front of a sensor like me, you're just too slow."
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