Chapter 13: Heavenly Blade Ranman
"What a powerful Ninja Will!"
As expected of a Sand Village jōnin, the will he unleashed was so strong it could affect his comrades. That roar was almost equivalent to a low-level genjutsu. Unlike Konoha's Will of Fire, which emphasizes sacrifice and inheritance, the Sand's Will of the Wind is about listening to the roar. Its core concept is based on the law of survival in the desert, a desperate potential that bursts forth in hopeless situations, becoming a sandstorm to protect the oasis and the tribe.
While both are protective wills, they are fundamentally different. Konoha's is an internal defense. The Sand's is an external, violent, explosive offense. It's why Sand ninja can often display such incredible combat power when cornered.
However, the explosive effect of their will was considerably reduced by the protease poison still coursing through their veins. His three-pronged assault had already left them in tatters. Of the original six-man pursuit team, one chūnin had been cut in half by a Fūma shuriken. Another puppeteer chūnin had his legs severed and was then turned into a porcupine. That left only four.
The most critical blow, however, had been to the strongest jōnin, who had lost the fingers on his left hand and could no longer form seals. The only remaining major threat was the special jōnin puppet master, but he had lost his primary puppet, crippling his combat effectiveness.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
As expected, the special jōnin puppet master formed hand seals at a speed of nearly four per second and unleashed a C-rank Wind Style jutsu, blowing away the smoke and dust from the battlefield. Frightened by the repeated sneak attacks, the first thing the surviving Sand ninja did was clear their field of vision and regroup into a defensive formation.
I must not have checked the almanac today, Sasuke thought, this is just my luck. He hadn't expected the puppet master to also be a proficient Wind Style user. Even though the Sand ninja were now just a remnant of their former strength, they were still a formidable force.
On his side, he had three chūnin (including the now-poisoned and fainting Konoha intel operative) and three genin. Even with a numerical advantage, he knew they would be at a disadvantage in a head-on fight against these determined elites. His only real advantage was that the enemy still didn't know the full extent of his abilities. They thought he was just a tool specialist.
He made a self-deprecating gesture, rubbing the ration pills in his pouch. Some Konoha jōnin, he mused. Just high-level cannon fodder. If not for the ambush, Tekudō's Money Escape, and his Byakugan-like sonar, he would have been long gone. But he just needed to wait a little longer. Support from the mobile patrol was on its way.
"Charge!"
"We have to retrieve that intelligence, no matter the cost!"
The Sand ninja, their fighting will reignited, maintained their tactical formation and advanced.
"Still thinking about the mission at a time like this," Sasuke shook his head, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Since you're not willing to retreat, I'll give you something more to chew on."
He ripped the largest sealing scroll from Tekudō's waist. "Tekudō," he called out, his voice filled with a captivating excitement, "it's time for your revenge!"
Tekudō looked at the shattered remains of his beloved blade-"wives" scattered across the battlefield, and his eyes went red. "Ah! My big Fūma-wife, my little paper-wife, my..." With every name he uttered, his rage soared, his chakra flaring. He blamed the Sand ninja for all of it, completely forgetting that he was the one who had thrown them.
"You damn Sand ninja, go to hell!" he roared, and together with Sasuke, he ripped open the scroll.
"Tool Manipulation: Heavenly Blade Ranman!"
BOOM!
Tens of thousands of ninja tools erupted from the scroll, condensing in the air to form a metallic frenzy that blotted out the sun. Poisoned senbon buzzed through the air like a swarm of locusts. A massive amount of shuriken, caltrops, kunai, and chain scythes rained down like meteors, covering the entire battlefield.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
The bald-headed Sand chūnin, who had been on guard against just such an attack, quickly performed a B-rank defensive jutsu, protecting himself and the two puppet masters. The lead jōnin, however, strode forward, dancing through the rain of steel, his longsword deflecting the poisoned senbon one by one.
As expected of a Sand jōnin, he was powerful and experienced. Instead of hiding behind the earth wall, he stayed out in the open, confident in his ability to defend himself while also getting a clear view of the battlefield to direct his comrades.