Book Artist: "Wow, the fight is so intense!" Looking at the photos sent by Konan, Eriri sighed in genuine awe.
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Yes. It seems neither Konoha, the Sand, nor the Cloud are holding back." Li Mochou could clearly see through the images that Konoha was shrouded in plumes of smoke.
Curly-Haired Boy: "Isn't that natural? To Konoha, both the Sand and the Cloud are invaders. If they don't drive them out, their homes will be razed and their loved ones harmed. And for the Sand and the Cloud, this is the perfect opportunity to dismantle a rival!"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Uh, isn't the Cloud just here for revenge? Oh, and to recapture their Tailed Beasts?"
Shark Face: "That is indeed their stated goal. But it doesn't conflict with the destruction of Konoha. If one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations perishes, the spoils shared among the remaining four would be unimaginable."
Curly-Haired Boy: "Precisely. No one in power can resist such a temptation. It's the inherent greed of human nature!"
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Human nature is so terrifying."
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "It's not human nature that's scary; it's Aizen. Haven't you noticed? He factored in and exploited that very greed!"
Curly-Haired Boy: "The man is a monster. I wonder if Konoha can actually weather the storm this time."
Book Artist: "They should be able to, right?"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "I'm not optimistic. Don't forget, these aren't the only forces moving against them."
Angel of the Hidden Rain Village: "Indeed. Iwagakure and the Akatsuki have yet to make their move. Even now, Konoha's situation is dire."
It was indeed grim.
The western front was holding for now. Sarutobi Hiruzen faced off against the Fourth Raikage, and the gap in their combat prowess was marginal. Although Hiruzen was aging and his stamina was fading, his vast reservoir of battle experience compensated for his physical decline.
However, on the other side of the village, Might Guy and his comrades were struggling against the combined might of the Fourth Kazekage and Lady Chiyo.
To use an e-sports analogy: even if Guy, with six gates open, could draw the "aggro" of both Rasa and Chiyo, the others—Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi, and Yamashiro Aoba—simply couldn't deal any meaningful damage. This was the inevitable reality of the battlefield. While the younger generation of Konoha had been forged in the fires of the Third Ninja World War, the gulf between them and Kage-level masters was a chasm too wide to leap—except for Might Guy.
And even Guy was currently unable to push into the higher gates consecutively.
Conversely, the Sand's duo were masters of battlefield control. Whether it was Chiyo's Chikamatsu Collection or Rasa's Magnet Release, their techniques were perfectly suited for area-of-effect suppression. Fighting a crowd was no issue for them, especially with their seamless cooperation.
Thud.
A heavy, muffled impact rang out. Aoba Yamashiro's body was swatted away by a puppet like a stray fly. He coughed up a spray of blood in mid-air before crashing violently into a stone wall.
"Aoba!" Guy shouted, his heart hammering as he prepared to turn and assist.
"Heh." Rasa's lips curled into a cold, predatory sneer. "In a moment like this, you have the luxury to worry about others? Magnet Release: Placer Gold Imperial Burial!"
Whir.
Under his command, the golden dust on the ground surged, condensing into a massive gilded palm that clamped around Guy's right leg.
Damn! Guy's pupils shrank as he instinctively strained to break free. But the golden sand clung to him like a parasite, rapidly crawling up his leg toward his torso.
"Kai!"
"Bastard!"
Kurenai and Anko, fueled by desperation, hurled their kunai at Rasa. However, before the blades could even graze him, they were swallowed whole by the swirling gold dust at his feet.
It's over.
At that moment, despair clouded the faces of the Konoha shinobi. Against Rasa's Magnet Release, their ranged tools were useless and close-quarters combat was a death sentence. They could only watch, paralyzed.
Hum.
Suddenly, a flash of cold light sliced through the gloom. A sharp blade whistled from the southwest, instantly severing the golden palm and continuing its trajectory toward Rasa himself without losing an ounce of momentum.
What? Startled, Rasa slammed his palms against the earth. "Magnet Release: Placer Gold Shield!"
Crash!
The dust beneath him geysered upward, forming a massive, dense shield.
Clang!
The sword intent bit into the gold, cleaving it in two from the left side like a hot knife through butter. The shield disintegrated back into gravel, scattering in all directions.
"Tsk!"
Rasa reappeared a short distance away, taking a sharp breath, his expression darkening. Just below his left collarbone, a distinct laceration bled through his vest. It wasn't deep, but it was a close call. Had his shield not absorbed the brunt of the kinetic force, he might have been decapitated.
Looking at the red-eyed youth who had entered his line of sight, Rasa said coldly, "Uchiha Shisui... you are far more dangerous than the reports suggested."
Shisui didn't offer a retort. He merely glanced at Guy. "Are you alright?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Guy flashed a thumbs-up, his signature grin returning. "Much appreciated, Shisui!"
"Good." Shisui exhaled, his gaze shifting to the restless Chiyo. "I'll leave the lady to you. Can you handle it?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Guy exhaled a hot breath, clenching his fists. "The true explosion of youth is just beginning!" He lunged toward Chiyo like a prowling cheetah.
"Brat, who do you think you're looking down on?" Enraged by their casual banter, Rasa slammed his hands down again. "Die, both of you! Magnet Release: Placer Gold Tsunami!"
Rumble!
A deluge of gold dust erupted, rushing toward Shisui and Guy like a tidal wave.
Shisui didn't flinch. His pupils bled into a ghostly, hypnotic crimson. Slowly, he raised his tantō, channeling his chakra until the blade shimmered. He slashed downward.
Schwing!
The sword energy manifested as a dark red flame in mid-air, bisecting the golden tide with ease.
"What? Impossible!" Rasa gasped, his face pale with disbelief.
He could understand a hasty shield being broken, but this tsunami was infused with a quarter of his total chakra. Its density surpassed that of tempered steel! Yet, it had been cut down by a mere boy. The sight defied everything he knew of ninjutsu.
Swish.
Shisui didn't waste a second. Using his signature Body Flicker, he blurred to the right. He swung his blade again, sending a literal arc of fire screaming toward the Kazekage.
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the earth, and the battlefield was swallowed by a cloud of scorched dust.