Boom! Boom! Boom!
Loud explosions kept going off. Ninjutsu and Cero attacks intertwined, and thick smoke filled the air.
Doujin Artist: So this is war. It looks flashy, but it's also brutal.
Eriri could clearly see several ninjas getting hit by the Cero. Their bodies were blasted apart. The sight was too intense for her—it left her shocked and horrified.
Curly-haired Guy: That's just how war is. You'll get used to it.
Wig Guy: We went through the same thing back then. We watched our comrades get blown to pieces by those Heavenly Army ships.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Those death god–like ninjas don't seem to be a match for the Arrancar at all. They're only holding out for now because they have the numbers.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Kage-level ninjas should still be able to fight, right?
Splat.
Right after Li Mochou sent that message, the screen suddenly showed a shocking image—Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, had just been stabbed in the chest. The weapon was a hand, pale and smooth like jade, piercing right into his heart.
"You never expected this to happen after six years, did you?" Pakura pulled her hand back, not even caring about the blood on it. She smiled gently.
Rasa couldn't speak anymore. He clutched his chest and fell to his knees.
"Pakura!" a furious voice shouted, and two figures rushed toward her from both sides. It was Chiyo and Ebizō, the two advisors of the Sand Village.
But before they could get close, Pakura vanished without warning.
What?
Chiyo froze, her face suddenly pale.
Bang.
A sharp pain hit her in the stomach, and Chiyo was knocked flying. While she was in the air, she caught a glimpse of her younger brother being slammed headfirst into the ground by Pakura.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Oh, crap.
Doujin Artist: Even Kage-level ninjas are just sitting ducks against the Espada.
Machete Girl: Makes sense. Even Ringo Yuuri, ranked 80th among the Espada, was able to crush Tobirama Senju and the Third Raikage. I don't think Pakura ranks lower than her.
Curly-haired Guy: Kinda feels like she's bullying elementary school kids. (facepalm emoji)
Boom.
As they spoke, a pillar of spiritual pressure suddenly shot into the sky. A terrifying wave of power surged outward, covering everything within dozens of meters.
A moment later, the smoke cleared.
Everyone saw a man with wild, curly hair and a jagged steel blade in his hand. He had entered his Resurrección state. His arms had swollen and ripped through his sleeves, and the number "10" appeared on his right shoulder.
"This pressure… it's even heavier than before!" The Fourth Raikage's face was full of shock.
"That's because his spiritual power increased again after he entered Resurrección." Nearby, Jiraiya's eyes were serious as he said, "Man… are all these Arrancar that Aizen created monsters?"
"It's terrifying," Tsunade said, taking a breath. "If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. I can't believe he's this strong!"
"What are you all whispering about?" the man grinned. "If you're trying to come up with a plan, I'll tell you now—it won't help at all..."
Before he even finished talking, he appeared right in front of the Fourth Raikage like he had teleported. "Because I'm an Espada!"
He raised his arm and brought his blade down.
BOOM.
A deep slash, dozens of meters long, carved into the ground.
"Tch, ran off, huh?" Holding his blade over his shoulder, his long hair hanging loosely, he sneered. "Didn't think the new Raikage would be such a useless coward."
Bang.
Suddenly, thin silver-white threads burst out from the ground. They started at his ankles and quickly wrapped around his legs, waist, and arms.
Huh?
The man raised his eyebrows and tried to break free. That's when he realized—these threads might look thin, but they were way tougher than he expected.
"Don't waste your energy, Kinkaku." Tsunade had appeared in front of him without him noticing. She spoke coldly, smiling. "These threads are made from spiritual energy. Even for an Espada like you, breaking them in a few seconds won't be easy. So next..."
Bzz bzz bzz.
A silver glow lit up as Tsunade's fist became coated in something like armor. At the same time, behind Kinkaku, the Fourth Raikage raised his fist too—crackling with lightning.
Boom.
Two fists smashed into Ginkaku's chest and back one after the other, sending a deep thud echoing through the air. Shockwaves rippled out from the impact point, spreading wildly in every direction.
Crack, crack.
The ground groaned in pain as Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage's punches left spiderweb-like cracks all over it.
But Ginkaku, the one who had taken the hit, just tilted his head and smiled. "Hmm? Is that all?" His body shook slightly, and suddenly a huge burst of spiritual pressure exploded from within him.
"What?" Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage were both shocked and quickly jumped back.
Thump, thump, thump.
The white threads snapped one by one right before their eyes. Ginkaku raised his leg and stomped hard on the ground.
Boom!
The deafening sound rang out as the earth crumbled like blocks of tofu, collapsing outward in every direction.
Boom.
Jiraiya, who had been hiding underground, was suddenly blasted into the air and crashed hard onto the ground.
"Not a bad team strategy," Ginkaku sneered, his face twisted. "But if this is just a warm-up act, you're still way too weak." He raised his hand and swung a blade through the air.
Boom.
The Fourth Raikage was hit instantly, his body flying backward like a broken kite. He hit the ground with a loud crash and passed out cold.
"Now then, it's your turn." Resting his steel blade on his shoulder, Ginkaku began slowly walking toward Tsunade.