Tianyuan led his ninja squad directly through the Land of Fire, choosing the straightest path to maximize their speed. Before long, he came to a sudden halt. His ears caught the unmistakable sounds of a shinobi brawl, and his senses picked up the erratic, surging Chakra of countless warriors locked in combat.
This was, of course, the result of Tianyuan utilizing his Qi. Although his mastery of Qi had not yet reached its full potential, he was already capable of employing its most fundamental sensory techniques.
"Stay sharp. The situation ahead is volatile. It looks like Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village are already fully engaged," Tianyuan warned the ninja behind him.
"Understood," the Konoha ninja replied, nodding solemnly. Their trust in Tianyuan was absolute.
"Move in slowly." As they approached, they saw the Konoha forces buckling under the relentless assault of the Cloud ninja. Tianyuan knew all too well that this was likely just one corner of a massive, fragmented battlefield. Shinobi warfare was inherently chaotic; large groups rarely clustered together unless they were launching a general offensive or coordinating a massive, combined Ninjutsu strike.
"Kushina, get ready to provide backup," Tianyuan directed.
"I'm on it, Tianyuan," Kushina Uzumaki replied with a firm nod.
As the fresh squad of Konoha ninja plunged into the fray, the momentum of the battle shifted instantly in their favor. The beleaguered Leaf shinobi breathed a collective sigh of relief. Reinforcements? Even though Tianyuan had only brought about a hundred Jonin, their entry was enough to completely alter the tactical landscape of this sector.
Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn back toward Konoha.
"Kushina, I'm going to scout the other battlefields. I'll leave this area to you," Tianyuan said.
"Understood," Kushina replied.
Moments later, Tianyuan crouched atop a massive tree, surveying the distant skirmishes with a faint smile. "Well, if it isn't some familiar faces."
At the border of the Land of Hot Water, the air was thick with the sounds of slaughter and the flash of elemental Ninjutsu. Earth Style, Fire Style, Water Style, and Lightning Style techniques collided with violent frequency. Across the various sectors of this front, Konoha was clearly on the defensive, while the Cloud ninja held the upper hand.
In one particular corner of the battlefield...
"Leaf Hurricane!" A youth clad in green delivered a blindingly fast kick that sent a Cloud ninja flying.
"Uchiha Style: Halo Dance!" Another youth, wearing standard Konoha gear and wielding a katana, struck with a blade cloaked in roaring flames. The fiery arc slammed into a Cloud ninja, incinerating him instantly.
"Shisui, you're incredible!" the green-clad youth cheered with a grin.
"You're not doing too bad yourself, Guy," Shisui Uchiha replied.
"Don't sell me short; your skills are already at the Jonin level," Might Guy noted with a wry smile.
"As are yours," Shisui countered. "But right now, the priority is leading our fellow ninja out of here. The Cloud forces are growing in number by the second. Staying here any longer is suicide."
"Right," Guy agreed, nodding.
Their Chakra wasn't infinite. If they lingered too long and exhausted their reserves, they would be defenseless. Moreover, the Konoha squads around them were currently being overwhelmed.
Just then, a familiar voice reached their ears. "It looks like you two could use some assistance."
A figure materialized beside them.
"Tianyuan!" Guy and Shisui exclaimed in unison, both stunned to see him. They had known Tianyuan for a long time.
"What are you doing here? Weren't you deployed to the Stone Ninja front?" Shisui asked, bewildered. It was clear that the news of Tianyuan coming to aid this front had not yet trickled down to the rank-and-file.
"I'm here on the Hokage's orders to assist you," Tianyuan said with a smile.
"Assist us?" Guy blinked. He knew Tianyuan was strong, but the scale of this war was daunting.
"Let's clean this place up first." Tianyuan wove a set of hand signs, and a multitude of clones appeared beside him before vanishing in a blur. Immediately, the screams of Cloud ninja began to echo from the surrounding forest.
Multi Wood Clone Jutsu.
Even using only a fraction of Tianyuan's total power, the clones were more than enough to handle the Cloud ninja in this sector. Tianyuan's true strength had reached a terrifying peak.
"So powerful..." Guy whispered, dazed. He watched as Cloud Jonin were neutralized in seconds by Tianyuan's clones. Seeing this, he could only imagine how horrific the power of Tianyuan's true body actually was.
"As expected of someone who wields the power of the Mangekyo," Shisui murmured, equally shocked.
"Shisui, Guy, do you know which direction Fugaku went?" Tianyuan asked.
"We aren't sure of their exact location," Shisui replied, shaking his head.
"I see." Tianyuan's gaze shifted toward a distant horizon.
"What is it, Tianyuan? Did you find something?" Shisui asked curiously.
"We'll catch up later. For now, find your squad and regroup with the rest of the Konoha forces," Tianyuan commanded.
"Understood. You stay safe," Guy and Shisui replied. They knew that in a crisis like this, there was no time for idle chatter.
Tianyuan bid them farewell and sped off in a specific direction. He had picked up a distinct signalif he wasn't mistaken, that was where the conflict was at its most intense. As he drew closer to the source, he could feel a massive amount of Chakra saturating the air. One signature in particular felt incredibly familiar.
"Eight-Tails Killer B's Chakra," Tianyuan smiled. "That's the place."
He moved like a streak of lightning through the woods. Any Cloud ninja unfortunate enough to be in his path saw nothing but a flash of light before their bodies were cleaved in two. Tianyuan's speed was simply too high for them to react. He was essentially ending the fight in his wake while heading toward the main objective.
"The Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist is certainly decent, but it isn't enough to stop my Taijutsu," the Third Raikage said, staring down Hiashi Hyuga.
"Hmph. Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" Hiashi settling into a low stance, a circular Eight Trigrams projection manifesting around him. He thrust his palm forward with immense force. A blast of high-density Chakra energy erupted, shooting toward the Raikage with explosive power.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).