Kitsuchi's fist, accompanied by a whooshing sound, slammed into the ground, and Shun's last Shadow Clone dissipated into white smoke under the impact.
Through these two exchanges, it was confirmed that Kitsuchi possessed Kage-level strength.
'His Chakra reserves are indeed astonishing, and the power of his Earth Release Ninjutsu is incredibly strong, but he lacks one-hit kill Ninjutsu like Dust Release or Explosion Release.'
'Intelligence gathering complete, time to retreat.'
"Coo coo coo... Coo coo coo..."
A peculiar bird call echoed over the battlefield, and Konoha's Jonin moved in response. They retreated into the stronghold in what appeared to be a chaotic but actually orderly fashion.
The Iwagakure ninjas cheered in victory, pouring into the Konoha stronghold in hot pursuit.
Kitsuchi stood at the front of the line, suddenly feeling a sense of unease. Everything was too smooth, as if it was intentional.
Boom... Boom... Boom...
Instantly, the entire stronghold was engulfed by continuous explosions. The ground trembled, flames shot skyward, and the screams of Iwagakure ninjas rose and fell.
"Damn it. It's a trap. We were careless!"
Kitsuchi's eyes were bloodshot as he watched his subordinates turn into fragments in the explosions. He quickly formed hand seals, and Chakra poured out like a flood.
The ground shook violently, and a small hill rose from the earth, providing temporary shelter for the surviving Iwagakure Ninja.
Kitsuchi panted, cold sweat appearing on his forehead. This technique had consumed nearly half of his Chakra.
"Protect the wounded! Reorganize the formation!"
Kitsuchi shouted loudly, but then heard the terrified screams of his subordinates.
He looked up, his pupils contracting sharply. A green giant over seventy meters tall stood before him, holding a scythe, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
Kitsuchi's throat tightened. He had fought Fugaku several times before, but he hadn't expected him to be so deeply hidden.
Fugaku manipulated the third stage of Susanoo and commanded, "All units, attack!"
With that command, over 4,000 Konoha ninjas, who had been ambushed for a long time, surged out like a tide.
Shouts of "Kill! Kill! Kill!" continuously rang out.
Fugaku stood on Susanoo's head. The sixty-meter-long scythe in Susanoo's hand swept forward lightly. Several Iwagakure ninjas who couldn't dodge in time were cut in half, dying gruesome deaths.
Facing such a terrifying attack, the Iwagakure ninjas were somewhat caught off guard. But they immediately organized a counterattack, and various Earth Release Ninjutsu rained down on Susanoo. However, these Ninjutsu were like throwing an egg against a rock in front of Susanoo's indestructible defense, unable to cause the slightest damage.
Seeing that their attacks were ineffective, a sense of despair welled up in the hearts of the Iwagakure ninjas but they did not retreat. Instead, they attacked even more frantically, trying to find a weakness in Susanoo.
Iwagakure's Chief Commander, Kitsuchi, forcefully gathered his Chakra and slammed his hands on the ground.
Earth Release: Golem Jutsu!
A giant puppet made of hardened earth stood up, about forty-eight meters tall, holding a conical hammer. The giant puppet charged towards Susanoo, and Kitsuchi followed suit.
Earth Release: Earth and Stone Bamboo Shoot.
Behind Susanoo, he summoned a giant earth and stone spike, seemingly intending to coordinate with the giant puppet for a pincer attack.
"Clan head, watch out for the Ninjutsu attack from behind!"
Fugaku's Mangekyo Sharingan spun, and blood flowed from the corners of his eyes, making his expression much more ferocious.
"An interesting little toy, just a bit slow."
Susanoo turned around, and the scythe cut from the giant puppet's waist to its shoulder, instantly splitting the giant golem in half. But that wasn't all, the scythe, like cutting grass, sliced through the base of the earth and stone spike, which was also cut in two and slid diagonally to the ground.
Seeing that even his Ninjutsu had lost its effect, Kitsuchi was slightly stunned.
"How can it be so powerful?!"
A few minutes ago, they had just encountered a large number of traps and lost over a thousand men. Now they were being pursued by a seventy-meter-tall Susanoo, and even Kitsuchi was no match.
In an instant, the morale of the Iwagakure ninjas began to collapse, and they all started to flee for their lives.
Dozens of elite Uchiha ninjas had now arrived behind them, simultaneously forming complex hand seals, and finally slamming their palms onto the ground.
Ninja Art: Uchiha Flame Formation!
The earth trembled, and two crimson walls of fire rose from both sides of the canyon, converging towards the center at an astonishing speed. The scorching flames formed an impenetrable barrier, engulfing the entire stronghold.
Several Iwagakure ninjas who tried to break through the fire wall instantly turned into charcoal amidst their screams. A sense of despair spread through the Iwagakure forces.
Kitsuchi looked at the tragic scene around him, his heart aching. In less than a few minutes, over 1,000 people had died, and now they were surrounded by Konoha ninjas.
He looked up at Fugaku in Susanoo, the other party's eyes were terrifyingly calm.
"Iwagakure ninjas!"
Fugaku's voice, amplified by Susanoo, each word like a heavy hammer, struck the hearts of these Iwagakure ninjas.
"Tomorrow, Kumogakure will officially declare war on Iwagakure. If all of you die here today, Iwagakure will be powerless to resist Kumogakure's attack. What awaits you will be the destruction of your village, and the Land of Earth will be carved up by neighboring countries."
The Iwagakure ninjas exchanged glances, fear spreading in their eyes.
Kitsuchi clenched his fists, but was powerless to refute.
Fugaku's voice softened slightly. "However, if you surrender now, we can guarantee your safety. I vouch with the reputation of the Uchiha clan that as long as Iwagakure declares defeat and pays thirty billion ryo in compensation, you will be able to leave alive."
There was a dead silence within the fiery cage, only the crackling of the burning fire wall. All eyes were focused on Kitsuchi.
Kitsuchi closed his eyes, and his father Ōnoki's stern face flashed through his mind.
As a commander, over a thousand people had died in just over an hour. He could not let over 5,000 more of his compatriots die in vain.
Kitsuchi's voice was hoarse and heavy. "I accept your terms. We... surrender."
Fugaku nodded imperceptibly. Susanoo slowly dissipated, and the Uchiha Flame Formation was also dispelled.
Konoha ninjas quickly moved forward, confiscating the weapons of the Iwagakure ninjas.
"Let a few people go back to report the news, especially to let Ōnoki know that his son is in our hands."
...
Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's office.
Bang!
Ōnoki slammed his hand on the desk, shattering it, wood splinters flying. His aged face was twisted with anger, and his short stature trembled uncontrollably.
"Over 6,000 people fighting over 4,000, and it turned out like this. I actually gave birth to such a good-for-nothing. Ah... It's infuriating!"
Ōnoki roared in his office within the Tsuchikage Building, the surrounding Anbu were silent with fear.
"Tsuchikage-sama, we don't have much time. You must make a decision quickly." An Anbu reported cautiously.
Ōnoki took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He walked to the window, looking at the night view.
So many years of hard work, was it all to be destroyed in an instant?
***
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