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"Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!!"
"Boom!!!"
As the Iwagakure ninja began their assault, the earth trembled. High walls of rock rose from the ground, enclosing Itachi within.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!!"
As the high earthen walls sealed Itachi inside, the second wave of Iwagakure ninja unleashed their combined Earth Release jutsu.
Most Iwagakure ninja were adept at Earth Release, and they could combine their abilities to attack the same target.
One or two Earth Release jutsus might not cause much trouble, but when many of them combined, the power was terrifying.
"Boom!!"
"Boom!!!"
Sharp, bamboo shoot-like rocks thrust up from the ground, stabbing toward Itachi.
Itachi didn't stay put. He dodged swiftly.
No matter how many Earth Dragon Spears emerged from the ground, they couldn't hit Itachi, who moved like an agile monkey.
Observing from atop a stone wall, the Iwagakure Jonin commanding the assault frowned and shouted.
"Maintain the attack! Don't give this kid a chance to breathe!"
"Earth Release: Splitting Earth Palm!"
A third group of Iwagakure ninja stepped forward, placing their hands on the ground.
Hiding in the shadows, Kazuki watched the Iwagakure ninja's relentless, wave-after-wave assault and couldn't help but marvel.
No wonder Iwagakure's combined Earth Release jutsu made countless enemies tear their hair out on the battlefield. With enough numbers, the power was terrifying.
The combined jutsus came so thick and fast that most people would be overwhelmed. For an ordinary ninja facing such an Iwagakure force, escape was nearly impossible.
Of course, such combined tactics weren't invincible. There were ways to counter them.
Powerful Lightning Release could counter them, as could extremely fast ninja.
The Raikage, Hatake Sakumo, Minato – any of them could have easily broken out of this situation.
No matter how powerful combined jutsus were, they had to hit their target. Without a hit, all was useless.
speed, overwhelming individual strength Besides could also easily crush such combined forces.
"Boom!!!"
Countless tones of rock collapsed, crashing down on the encircled Itachi. He dodged rapidly.
A single moment of carelessness, and he would be crushed, buried underground.
Did we get him?
Is Uchiha Itachi, really this weak?
Seeing no movement from within the battlefield, the Iwagakure ninja paused, gazing curiously toward the center, where dust still drifted.
They desperately wanted to know if Itachi had been crushed to death.
"....."
A bewildering barrage of combined jutsus, and they hadn't even touched a single hair on their enemy.
For these Iwagakure ninja, this outcome must have been devastating.
Sitting on a tree branch, observing the battlefield from afar, Kazuki slowly shook his head.
The real show hasn't even started.
"CAW!!!"
Just as the Iwagakure ninja were wondering if Itachi was dead, a piercing cry rained down.
Black crows flapped their wings, scattering in all directions, black feathers falling everywhere.
"Everyone be careful! This must be Uchiha Itachi..."
Before the lead Jonin could finish, screams came from beside him.
Ignoring the enemy whose heart he had just pierced, Itachi, like an emotionless reaper, slowly withdrew his weapon, looked up, and revealed the sight that made countless enemies tremble: his three-tomoe Sharingan.
"How is this possible?"
Itachi's sudden appearance among them caught the surrounding Iwagakure ninja off guard.
Unfortunately, Itachi wasn't one to talk during a fight. He certainly wasn't going to explain how he'd ended up unharmed among them.
His Sharingan spun. Several Iwagakure ninja nearby froze. Anyone could see they'd been caught in a genjutsu.
At such close range, staring directly at Itachi, falling into a genjutsu was inevitable. For enemies caught in genjutsu, death was the best gift.
Itachi didn't hesitate. He cut them down quickly.
Hearts were pierced. Throats were slit. The more terrifying death was a ninjatō driven through the eye socket into the brain, not even allowing a scream.
The nervous system failed. The bodies went limp, twitching twice on the ground, staining it with spurting scarlet blood.
These Iwagakure ninja are finished.
They can't stop Itachi.
He might struggle a bit, but Itachi can handle it.
Kazuki averted his gaze. There was nothing more to see. At least not until Iwagakure's reinforcements arrived.
Their formation was broken. They couldn't effectively regroup. For Itachi, these enemies were just lambs. They might cause a little trouble, but they couldn't restrain him.
Anyone facing this situation would feel despair.
Their favored combined jutsus were useless. Even when he voluntarily walked into their trap, they couldn't touch him. He broke their formation and slaughtered them.
"Pft!"
The Iwagakure lead Jonin was on the verge of vomiting blood. But there was nothing he could do.
All he could do was lead his men in trying to kill Itachi with their own blades.
Unfortunately, that hope was a luxury.
As enemy screams continued, as enemy after enemy fell, Kazuki wondered: had he overestimated Iwagakure's people, or had Itachi grown too monstrous?
Powerful ninja on the battlefield could change the course of a battle. That saying was true.
The most classic examples were Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. Either one could steamroll everything, suppressing other villages so they didn't dare move.
"Sir, should I continue?"
Drenched in the smell of death, Itachi smoothly found Kazuki watching.
"How can you continue?"
Looking at Itachi kneeling on one knee, Kazuki said exasperatedly.
"Iwagakure's reinforcements will take time. Maybe Ōnoki didn't expect you to wipe out all the enemies so quickly, and without using your Mangekyō. Looks like I need to step up Orochimaru's efforts."
The Iwagakure forces stationed here were too weak.
If they were the main forces fighting Kumogakure on the Land of Waterfalls battlefield, Itachi would have struggled to kill them all, and they might have lasted until reinforcements arrived.
Besides, Ōnoki was being a bit petty.