Thinking of this, Shinichi cast his gaze toward the battlefield that was still filled with slaughter.
Both sides had paused briefly because of the shocking outcome of that battle just now, but soon, the sounds of killing and clashing weapons rang out once more, even more tragic than before, while the stench of blood lingered heavily in the air.
Naturally, Konoha held an absolute advantage in the situation.
Not only did they have superior numbers, but they had also been well rested and prepared in advance, laying down layer upon layer of traps and ambush formations.
In contrast, the Kaguya Clan, who had charged onto the beach bare-chested, had already fallen into a passive position after their initial frenzy was met head-on with devastating resistance.
And after the death of Clan Head Memaro, although the Kaguya Clansmen appeared even more insane on the surface, roaring about avenging their head, their offensive seeming fiercer and more suicidal, Shinichi keenly noticed that most of them were actually retreating while fighting, with the focus of the battle quietly shifting from attack to escape.
Clearly, the people of the Kaguya Clan were not as fearlessly insane as they usually appeared.
"Only the most cowardly are the cruelest."
Such a sentence from his previous life flashed through Shinichi's mind.
A person's extreme cruelty toward others often stems from the extreme cowardice within them.
The more they feared facing true danger and genuine power, the more they would bully and harm weaker existences to disguise their own strength and fill the emptiness in their hearts.
And this fabricated bravery was often utterly fragile in the face of real life-and-death crises.
The current Kaguya Clan was exactly like that.
If they were truly mad and brutal to the point of disregarding everything, then in the original timeline, they would not have imprisoned Kimimaro out of fear of his stronger Kekkei Genkai, nor would they have waited until years of suppression and exploitation under the Fourth Mizukage Yagura before desperately launching a doomed coup in despair.
"Shinichi, are you alright?"
At this moment, Shinku Yuhi arrived at Shinichi's side and spoke.
He and Shinichi could be considered old comrades, having carried out many missions together. Yet, he had never seen Shinichi display such a flamboyant, unrestrained, and even somewhat wickedly crazed posture during battle.
Those endless, bloody, violent claw strikes from earlier were completely different from Shinichi's usual calm and steady style.
"I'm fine, senior Shinku."
Shinichi shook his head, his breathing already stabilized.
"It's just that I accidentally got a bit too fired up earlier and failed to hold back."
Then, after sweeping his gaze across the battlefield once more and quickly evaluating the situation, he said to Shinku Yuhi: "The situation here is already decided. Senior Shinku, I'll leave the cleanup to you. I'm going to captain Fugaku's side to see if they need any support."
Of course, he knew that once a powerhouse like him left this place, some of the Kaguya Clansmen would inevitably seize the opportunity amid the chaos to escape.
But what did that matter?
If no survivors escaped, then the only ones who knew of his astonishing Wind Style mastery would be Konoha itself.
Only by allowing some Kaguya Clansmen to escape could the Village Hidden in the Mist command headquarters learn immediately that Shinichi Higashino had created Wind Style Nintaijutsu and had fiercely fought the head of the Kaguya Clan head-on before killing him.
This way, not only Village Hidden in the Mist, but also the Village Hidden in the Sand, which had secretly allied with Village Hidden in the Mist, followed by Village Hidden in the Cloud, the Village Hidden in the Stones, and even every force in the Shinobi World paying attention to the war situation, would quickly receive this information.
As a result, it would greatly accelerate the gathering and solidification of the outside world's new understanding that he possessed profound Wind Style mastery, rapidly improving the upgrade efficiency of the related talents.
Shinichi practically wanted to spread information about his strength openly for the world to see.
After all, the wider and deeper the recognition spread, the faster the upgrade efficiency of his related talents would become.
Naturally, this was within the script he had carefully designed.
"I understand."
Shinku Yuhi nodded.
"I'll handle things here properly."
"You should also be careful over there. Once this place is cleaned up, I'll immediately bring people over to rendezvous with you."
"Mm."
Shinichi said no more. In the next moment, chakra erupted explosively beneath his feet, producing the violent and blazing propulsion unique to Fire Style!
Flame Step!
Crimson chakra flames exploded from the soles of his feet. Shinichi himself became like a burning arrow, transforming into a crimson streak that tore through the air at a terrifying speed far surpassing his earlier Wind Style movement. He vanished instantly from where he stood, leaving behind only a gradually fading scorching trail and a faint burnt smell.
When it came to the field Shinichi was most skilled in and had immersed himself in the longest, it was naturally Fire Style Nintaijutsu.
Not only was this the system he had trained in the longest and possessed the richest experience with, but it was also the field where his talent levels were highest and the enhancement effects most significant.
Although Wind Style Nintaijutsu allowed flight through the sky, appearing graceful and immortal-like, in terms of pure speed, it was actually far inferior to him planting his feet on the ground and using that leverage to accelerate.
The maneuverability, sudden acceleration, and rapid directional changes during combat were also far more flexible and varied than floating unsupported in the air.
Unless one day in the future, he could perfectly integrate Fire Style's high temperature and explosive properties into Wind Style's flight system, allowing wind and fire to form a compound effect similar to turbine propulsion, like a rocket engine providing immense and stable thrust.
At that time, his flight would truly possess strategic-rank mobility and deterrence. However, that step was still extremely far away from the current him.
...
While Shinichi activated Flame Step and rushed over at full speed, at another key landing point under Fugaku Uchiha's command, unlike the open crescent-shaped beach of White Sand Bay, the terrain here was much more rugged, filled with reefs.
At this moment, it was completely enveloped in thick milky-white fog so dense it could not be dispersed, compressing visibility to less than ten meters. Beyond that distance, everything was merely a blurry gray-white haze.
Within the dense fog, the crisp sounds of metal collisions, the muffled booms of exploding Ninjutsu, as well as brief screams and roars, constantly echoed, the sounds drifting nearer and farther unpredictably, making it impossible to determine the exact positions or battle conditions.
Unlike Memaro Kaguya, that reckless brute who charged forward without caring for anything else, the current head of the Hozuki Clan, Hangetsu Hozuki, was a cunning individual with meticulous thoughts and sharp instincts.
The moment he led his forces ashore, before they had even fully stepped onto the beach, he had already keenly sensed the aura of danger.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately ordered his subordinates to cast the Hidden Mist Jutsu while decisively preparing to retreat, with absolutely no intention of advancing deeper.
Seeing this, Fugaku Uchiha, who had been lying in ambush, was forced to launch the attack ahead of schedule.
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