Uchiha Ryun crossed his arms as he observed the movements of the Iwa-nin below, his expression filled with disdain. However, deep down, he felt a trace of panic. Although his Sage Chakra recovered quickly, his young age remained a disadvantage.
Using the 'Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands' had drained all his Sage Chakra. Even as it replenished, the technique was nearing its end, and he had only recovered half of his reserves.
He couldn't unleash such an attack a second time. If he resorted to Susano's, the sheer number of enemies would exhaust his eyesight completely!
The 'True Several Thousand Hands' finally ended, and the Iwa-nin's Earth-Style Walls shattered, leaving only a dozen or so still standing.
Ōnoki suddenly felt a wave of relief. He glared at Ryun with hatred in his eyes. "Everyone, before Konoha's reinforcements arrive, we must kill Uchiha Ryun—no matter the cost!"
A seasoned veteran, he could tell Ryun wouldn't be able to use the 'True Several Thousand Hands' again. If they didn't eliminate him now, they might never get another chance. A ninja like him, if allowed to grow, would become unstoppable in the future.
The Iwa-nin stared at Ryun with a mix of fear and cruelty. For the sake of their families, friends, and village, Ōnoki's words made sense.
The Iwa forces began to stir, and Orochimaru, sensing the danger, immediately ordered the Konoha troops to advance. "You've all seen it. Uchiha Ryun can wield the First Hokage's signature technique. Do you know what this means? It means Konoha can have a second 'God of Shinobi'!"
"Think of your families. If you don't want them to suffer through endless war, then protect Uchiha Ryun with your lives!" Orochimaru knew how to rally them—war was every shinobi's nightmare.
Ryun's strength was immense, limited only by his youth. But he would keep growing.
"For Konoha, fight to the death!" The three thousand Konoha shinobi looked at Ryun with hope in their eyes.
If Ryun survived this battle, Konoha would enter an era of unprecedented prosperity. Perhaps, as long as he lived, the shinobi world would never descend into chaos again.
"Full assault!" Ōnoki commanded fiercely.
"Full assault!" Orochimaru waved his hand.
Ryun stood atop the giant Buddha statue, watching the frenzied Iwa-nin scaling it. He sighed, then clasped his hands together. "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Channeling Sage Chakra, golden flames erupted from the Buddha's head, spreading downward. Ryun leaped into the air, flipping mid-motion before landing safely on the ground.
The colossal Buddha toppled forward, crushing and burning roughly a thousand Iwa-nin in an instant.
As Ryun descended, the remaining Iwa-nin charged at him. Without hesitation, he activated his Susano'o—the second stage. The crimson-gold construct blocked all physical and ninjutsu attacks. A massive hammer materialized in its hand and slammed down from the sky.
Boom! Around two hundred Iwa-nin were flattened into paste. The sheer brutality of the attack sent waves of terror through their ranks.
But Ryun wasn't unscathed. Maintaining the Susano'o drained his ocular power and chakra. His eyes burned, and he touched the corners—blood trickled down, staining his fingers.
"Damn it, did I push myself too hard?" He gritted his teeth and looked up. Ōnoki was frantically consuming soldier pills, which, aside from suppressing hunger, also slightly restored chakra.
Blood still stained Ōnoki's lips as he stared at Ryun with a mix of fanaticism and cruelty. "Once I recover enough chakra, I'll erase you from this world—leaving not even a trace behind."
The outcome of the battle no longer mattered. If Ryun lived, his youth meant Ōnoki would never have another chance to lead Iwagakure to dominance.
Ryun activated his right eye's ability—'War God's Will.' For every enemy killed, his ninjutsu recovery rate increased by 0.5%, his vitality by 0.5%, and his attack power by 0.1%, with no upper limit. The cooldown was one month.
Blood dripped from his right eye as a golden light enveloped him. His Susano'o roared, swinging its sword in a wide arc. A thousand Iwa-nin fell, unable to react in time.
Ōnoki was still gathering chakra. "Faster, faster! Over two thousand Iwa-nin are already dead. Chakra, come faster!"
He was overextracting chakra—a practice that shortened his lifespan. But he didn't care. Losing a year or two was worth it if it meant killing Ryun.
As Ryun continued his slaughter, a beam of white light shot toward him.
"Lord Ryun, look out!" A Uchiha shinobi instantly used the Body Flicker Technique to shield him.
Ryun froze. The shinobi's sacrifice slowed the 'Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu' just enough for Ryun to evade. His Susano'o was pierced, but he dodged the fatal blow.
He turned to the fallen Uchiha shinobi, who was completely disintegrated by the technique.
Ryun's mind buzzed. Clenching his teeth, he resumed his slaughter, locking eyes with Ōnoki. The air between them crackled with killing intent.
Then, a new figure appeared—a shinobi in a red cloak, wearing a bamboo hat, his face concealed.
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki.
The second Jinchūriki of Iwagakure, wielder of Boil Release, a deadly and elusive fighter.
Why hadn't he arrived sooner? Han had tried to join earlier, but the Five-Tails, Kokuō, had violently resisted, seizing control of his body and leaving him immobilized.
Kokuō had been terrified—especially upon seeing the 'True Several Thousand Hands.'
"That man… he appeared out of nowhere, summoned a giant Buddha, and crushed me in its palm. I couldn't even fight back!"
Only after the Buddha vanished did Kokuō relinquish control, allowing Han to move again.
"Han, kill him! No matter the cost!" Ōnoki pointed at Ryun, his voice hoarse.
"Understood, Tsuchikage-sama!" Han's eyes gleamed. "Boil Release: Unrivalled Strength!"
He raised his chakra to boiling point, condensing it into his fist before launching a steam-powered punch.
The shockwave destabilized Ryun's Susano'o. He coughed up blood, staggering.
Despite his ocular power and Sage Mode enhancing his defenses, prolonged battle had exhausted him. The punch caught him off guard.
Han blinked, staring at his fist. "Damn, I'm this strong?"
Ōnoki facepalmed. "Stop gawking and attack! He's already recovering!"