If there was a gap in "technical sophistication" between different chakra natures, then Fire Release would definitely fall on the side of "low technical demand."
Fire Release often comes off as nothing special—it gains strength mainly based on the user's chakra reserves. Basically, it's a technique that simply piles damage on top of chakra output.
Yet no matter how powerful a Fire Release is—even reaching the level of Amaterasu, which goes beyond ordinary fire techniques—it still gives people the impression of being ineffective at instantly killing enemies. The reason is because Fire Release deals "continuous damage," not "instantaneous damage."
Fire Release is essentially the commoner among elemental techniques.
However, even so, few ninjas could ever use Fire Release to the extent Haseo did. To be precise, what he used wasn't actually regular Fire Release, but rather "Sage Art: Fire Release."
To block Iwagakure's advance, Haseo effectively transplanted that massive-area Fire Release he had previously unleashed outside Konoha and recreated it here. All things considered, this guy already got certified—yes, an "International Class-A General-Purpose Arson License."
Behind him stretched an ocean of flames, and right before this sea of fire stood Haseo, completely calm. His posture looked like righteous defiance at first glance—but in truth, it was just barefaced provocation.
There was no doubt that Iwagakure's progress was stalled. And since Haseo was standing there so openly, naturally it fell upon the Third Tsuchikage to step forward personally and handle this issue.
Onoki couldn't possibly hide within the ranks out of fear from Haseo's pressure—otherwise, why start this offensive in the first place?
As expected by Haseo, the Third Tsuchikage appeared shortly after. The Tsuchikage wasn't scared in the least—he marched forward alone and got dangerously close, entering a range where a single Ambush from Haseo would guarantee a hit.
This fearless attitude was just like the previous Third Raikage's.
"Do you think I can pull off the same *operation* against the Third Tsuchikage? After all, he's been nice enough to offer such a perfect opportunity..."
After approaching, Haseo didn't speak to the Tsuchikage immediately. Instead, he turned his head slightly and whispered something secretly to Kohei Sarutobi behind him.
But under the quiet night sky, amidst the roaring flames, his voice clearly reached the Tsuchikage's ears without any interference.
The Tsuchikage wasn't old enough to have hearing trouble, and Haseo's "whispered secret conversation" was neither truly whispered nor private in the slightest.
"…"
Kohei blinked, wondering how he should even respond.
"Well… true, whether you call it caution or cowardice—who knows? It might just be a Shadow Clone of the Third Tsuchikage. Likewise, we ourselves could also be clones. So let's play nice first, strike later, and try to convince them peacefully if possible."
Luckily for him, Haseo didn't require an answer from Kohei. He decided for himself right away.
Still... could this really be called *playing nice before striking*?
As the Third Tsuchikage heard Haseo's words, his expression—well, he felt somewhat offended. It seemed like the person facing him barely regarded him as a human being at all.
"Tsuchikage-sama, I understand your reasoning for launching an attack on Konoha's Northern Front at this moment. It was merely to prevent the advantage in war from shifting back toward Konoha again. However... I must say your timing is somewhat late. To be honest, though, you're a bit late. Iwagakure already missed its chance.
"The death of the Third Hokage was truly your perfect chance, but at that time, you chose instead to keep watching and waiting. 'Striking while the iron is hot' was abandoned just for the sake of letting the clam and sandpiper fight."
"Iwagakure, Kumo, and Konoha have always been mutually hostile; they could never form alliances or support each other as allies. The death of the Third Hokage indeed presented an opportunity, but..."
Before the Third Tsuchikage could continue speaking, he suddenly became alert.
Was he getting senile? Why was he even explaining Iwagakure's decisions to a Konoha ninja?
Well, it wasn't exactly that the Third Tsuchikage had gone mentally wrong. The reason he spoke this way was simply because the Tsuchikage had already come to regard Haseo as an equal—a ninja capable of engaging him as an equal.
"So then," Haseo asked further, "even though Iwagakure's actions may have their own reasoning behind them, does Tsuchikage-sama really not feel regret for having missed the chance to crush Konoha?"
The Tsuchikage couldn't help feeling regret. Previously, there had been a golden opportunity to eliminate Konoha at minimal cost, yet the Third Tsuchikage believed he could afford to wait a little longer.
"Hmm, wouldn't it be better to let those idiots in Kumo clash with Konoha's brainless fools to deplete each other?"
That indeed sounded good, but what the Third Tsuchikage hadn't foreseen at all was Konoha's Northern Front staging a surprise comeback—something the Third Tsuchikage absolutely hadn't predicted. So now, who's the real idiot? Turns out it's Iwagakure.
"Alright then, perhaps Tsuchikage-sama isn't regretful. However..."
Still, Haseo offered Onoki a compliment to help him save face. "Another opportunity identical to that one has once again appeared before Iwagakure. I'm sure you've already received related intelligence... The situation with Kumo's front line after losing the Third Raikage bears great resemblance to Konoha's Northern Front previously.
"When leadership is lost and chaos ensues internally, Iwagakure need only step in and give the slightest push, and Kumo will immediately crumble and disintegrate. What do you think? This seems far more rewarding than fighting against Konoha, doesn't it?"
Though the Third Tsuchikage had firmly decided beforehand to ignore anything Haseo said and treat it all as nonsense, in this very moment, he seemed genuinely persuaded by these words.
This plan actually sounds pretty tempting.
Haseo was spot-on. Konoha's Northern Front rising from the ashes had left the Third Tsuchikage kicking himself. Now it seemed as though another chance had appeared—one that might ease this regret.
Yet immediately afterward, the old man nearly swayed by temptation snapped himself back into clarity...
Whether Iwagakure went up against Kumo or Konoha in battle was essentially no different.
Iwagakure's involvement would inevitably benefit one side—Konoha or Kumo—while bringing disaster upon the other.
So for Iwagakure, whether turning left or right was of no importance whatsoever. There was only one point: Iwa's strategic decisions could never be influenced by an outsider.
The Third Tsuchikage was a man of firm character and would not fall for such a simple trick.
"Is that all you have to say? Your words aren't even as convincing as your Fire Release technique. But... do you really think a mere Fire Release is enough to block our path?
This tiny flicker of flame is nothing more than something we can easily extinguish with a flick of my hand."
As he spoke, the Third Tsuchikage raised his hand. After a slight hesitation—"clunk"—a thick "pillar of light" shot straight into the center of the blazing firestorm. In the next moment, a straight yet narrow passage had been carved out.
The Third Tsuchikage truly lived up to his reputation. As the ninja with the highest attack output, his Dust Release was nearly invincible—except that it took a bit longer to activate.
The Third Tsuchikage had made his decision. Haseo could only shrug his shoulders. "Well then, looks like the negotiation has ended... I feel just a little regret about this."
What troubled Haseo more than the failed negotiation was that, after all these years, his verbal skills hadn't improved at all—unlike his ninja techniques.
The plot didn't unfold as expected. Wasn't the Third Tsuchikage supposed to be dazzled by Haseo's eloquence, then follow Konoha hand-in-hand to strike against Kumo?
The Tsuchikage's refusal didn't make sense.
In the next instant, Haseo and Kohei Sarutobi vanished with a 'poof' sound—they were indeed merely two Shadow Clones.
Thus, with the dispelling of the Shadow Clones, the situation was immediately known to Haseo himself who was hiding behind the firestorm.
"Compared to Dust Release, my Fire Release—even my Sage Art: Fire Release—is indeed nothing much; the former can easily erase the latter.
But...
Lord Tsuchikage, surely you don't really believe that my earlier use of Fire Release to stand before Iwagakure was solely for passive obstruction? Shouldn't an elder know better than to be so naive?
Dust Release can erase my flames, which brings up two questions: First, exactly how many people are there in all of Iwagakure capable of using Dust Release?
Second, how does one individual protect ten thousand others?"
To be honest, if the Third Tsuchikage were acting alone at this moment, Haseo's "tricks" definitely wouldn't impose any meaningful restrictions on him... The large Iwagakure force currently trailing behind the Tsuchikage had instead become somewhat of a burden.
Next, in the eyes of the gathered Iwa ninja, two actions occurred consecutively.
First, Konoha's Haseo suddenly disappeared.
Second, the firestorm directly ahead abruptly flared higher. Immediately afterward, its outer flames surged skyward rapidly, as though something far greater behind the firestorm were continuously fueling it.
The firestorm began rolling forward. With every inch it advanced, the flames soaring upward surged ten feet higher. Thus, waves upon waves of roaring infernal flames crashed toward the Iwagakure army.
It was as if an indistinctly shaped giant of fire had suddenly thrust down a massive palm—
A colossal hand of flame so huge it could blot out the sky.
[Sage Art: Fire Release] may not be as powerful as Kekkei Tōta's Dust Release, but is there any Iwa ninja besides Onoki himself whose chakra quality can rival that of Sage Art?
Everyone else ranked below him. Therefore...
They were also beneath [Sage Art: Fire Release].
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