The barrage had not yet struck.
But its sheer number was like a swarm of locusts sweeping across the border.
Yuichi gently released the three captives.
Raising his hand—
"Water Style: Water Barrier!"
As Yuichi moved against the Sand Shinobi, Sakura stood frozen, stunned by his overwhelming combat power.
It wasn't until Naruto shook her shoulder that she snapped back to reality.
Turning toward him, her face pale, she whispered, "The Sand Village… they've launched a raid on Konoha…"
"Raid?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "Why would they suddenly attack us?!"
"What's happening down there?" he pressed.
Sakura struggled for words, unsure how to explain—
BOOM!
A violent gust of wind roared, scattering the heavy smoke that shrouded the battlefield.
When the haze cleared, a lone figure emerged.
Yuichi.
One hand on his hip, his left foot pressing down on a bloody corpse.
The ground beneath him had sunk three or four meters deep, leaving a crater where he stood.
His eyes narrowed, sweeping over the Sand Shinobi encircling him.
The wind carried the scent of iron.
Blood stained his face.
A crimson line across his pale skin gave him an aura of cold, merciless killing intent.
The Sand Shinobi involuntarily swallowed hard.
"T-This kid… that attack just now… how could it be so powerful?"
They glanced at the mangled remains beneath his foot—flesh and blood crushed beyond recognition.
All from a single kick.
A simple, casual strike… yet carrying monstrous power.
Their faces paled.
Even the Konoha Twelve, who had regained consciousness, turned in disbelief.
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "That's… Yuichi? Why's he surrounded like that?"
Chōji frowned. "What's happening? Why are the Sand shinobi fighting us?"
Kiba growled, "What the hell's going on?!"
Ino's gaze lingered on Yuichi, who stood over the corpse with an indifferent expression. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"…That stance… it's kind of cool. I never realized we had such a good-looking guy in our year."
Crack. Crack.
Yuichi tilted his head, twisting his neck slightly.
The bones popped, echoing sharply.
He still hadn't spoken a word.
His face remained expressionless, but the air around him chilled—oppressive, suffocating.
The Sand Shinobi felt it too.
An invisible pressure that weighed down on them, as though something terrifying had its eyes locked upon them.
But this was absurd.
He was just a Genin of Konoha.
Why did he exude such killing intent?
"Go!"
Unable to withstand the crushing silence, one Sand Shinobi shouted and charged, kunai flashing.
The others followed instantly, attacking from every side.
Yuichi's eyes narrowed.
He met them calmly, without panic.
Swish!
From behind, a Sand Shinobi lunged, thrusting his kunai toward Yuichi's neck.
If it connected, a bloody hole would tear through his throat.
"Yuichi—!" Sakura cried out, trying to warn him.
But before she could finish, Yuichi tilted his head ever so slightly.
His face didn't change.
In one swift motion, his left hand snapped backward, seizing the attacker's wrist.
Crack!
The bones shattered with a sickening sound.
The shinobi's eyes widened, bloodshot, as agony flooded his nerves.
BOOM!!
Yuichi's elbow drove mercilessly into his chest.
The man's eyes bulged, blood spurting from his lips.
His body shot backward like a cannonball.
Crash!!
He slammed into a wall, leaving a deep, human-shaped crater in the stone.
Yuichi exhaled softly.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"So these are Sunagakure's shinobi? Pathetically weak."
Swish!
The words had barely left his mouth when Yuichi's figure vanished, blurring into motion as he dashed straight into the midst of the Sand Shinobi horde…