"Is this the Ghost Legion?"
Near the border of the Land of Marsh, Hyūga Neji and the others finally spotted the advancing army.
They stood on a rocky cliff overlooking the scene below, and their expressions grew serious.
The ghost army stretched as far as the eye could see.
"Thousands" wasn't enough to describe it.
The numbers were overwhelming.
---
"This terrain is empty wilderness. No civilians, no wildlife. We intercept them here."
Neji activated his Byakugan, scanning the area thoroughly. After confirming the surroundings, he made his decision immediately.
"Follow me."
He leapt down first, heading straight toward the front line of the ghost army.
The others followed without hesitation.
Soon, they reached the vanguard.
"There's a valley ahead. We'll block them there. Lee, go first and test the strength of those stone soldiers."
"Yes! My blood's already boiling!"
Rock Lee shot forward like a cannonball.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In seconds, more than a dozen massive stone soldiers were shattered into rubble.
Lee alone halted the advance.
---
"They don't seem that strong," Chōji muttered, visibly relaxing.
Neji immediately shook his head.
"No. Lee is going all out. You all know how heavy his punches are. The fact that he needs full strength to break them shows how durable their bodies are."
Everyone inhaled sharply.
Tenten threw a kunai.
Clang!
Sparks flew. The stone soldier didn't even slow down.
Now they understood.
This wouldn't be easy.
---
Lee kept fighting.
The valley entrance quickly filled with shattered stone fragments.
But then—
"Look! The stones are reassembling!"
The broken pieces began sliding back together.
"They're regenerating?! Is this what they mean by immortality?"
"How do we fight this? If they just stand back up, aren't we wasting our effort?"
Neji raised his voice.
"Remember what Lord Hokage said. There's no such thing as immortality. They're chakra constructs. Once their chakra runs out, they'll collapse."
He narrowed his eyes.
There were only eight of them.
And the ghost army seemed endless.
This mission's difficulty bordered on despair.
---
"Prepare for rotation combat," Neji ordered.
"Lee first. Then Chōji. Then Kiba and Tenten. Ino and Sakura handle support and logistics.I'll rotate in as needed."
They would take turns fighting, resting, conserving chakra.
It was the only way to grind down the legion.
---
High above, Naruto sat cross-legged on a drifting white cloud, watching with a lazy smile.
"Neji picked a good choke point. The valley narrows the front line. They only face a few at a time."
Even Tenten, Ino, and Sakura could destroy individual soldiers with effort.
The real threat wasn't strength.
It was sheer numbers.
---
"Hmm… looks like the fight's started over there too."
Naruto glanced in another direction.
"So the sprite can sense the shrine maiden's location."
He smirked.
"With Sasuke there, those little rats won't cause much trouble."
---
At the border of the Land of Marsh—
Sasuke and his group stopped.
"How troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed.
Four figures blocked their path.
"They're Huang Quan's four subordinates," Shiho whispered. "They massacred many in the shrine palace."
Sasuke's expression remained cold.
"Hinata, you take that one. Shino, yours is that one. Shikamaru, deal with the masked guy. I'll handle the last."
He assigned targets instantly.
Shiho frowned.
"Shouldn't we avoid them and head straight to the shrine? The seal is the priority!"
"Run?" Sasuke glanced at her like she'd said something absurd.
"They're the ones who should be running. Just a few petty thieves. We'll eliminate them."
Shiho swallowed.
To the Land of Demons, these men were disasters.
To Konoha shinobi?
Minor nuisances.
---
"Looks like they're not scared of us."
"Kill them. I want to hear them scream."
"Don't underestimate them."
The four enemies sneered.
Hinata, Shino, and Shikamaru charged forward.
Shion blinked.
"You're not fighting?"
"I already am," Sasuke replied calmly.
Shion stiffened.
She hadn't even seen him move.
"Just a clone," Sasuke added.
His real body wouldn't leave Shion's side.
A clone was enough.
---
Hinata vs Shizuku
"Water Style: Water Cutter!"
A jet of water shot from the ground.
Hinata twisted aside effortlessly.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Whip!"
Dozens of water whips lashed toward her.
"Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!"
Blue chakra enveloped her hands.
Her palms blurred like a thousand-armed deity.
Every water whip shattered into droplets.
In an instant, she closed the distance and struck.
Boom!
Shizuku's body exploded—
—into water.
"Water Clone…"
He reformed at a distance, sweating.
Why is this girl so terrifying?
---
Shino vs Kusuna
Kusuna released venomous snakes.
Shino released a tide of insects.
Snakes versus bugs.
But Kusuna felt his scalp crawl.
His snakes weren't nearly as unsettling as Shino's swarming insects.
---
Shikamaru vs Setsuna
Wind blades chased Shikamaru relentlessly.
No matter where he dodged, the blades followed like guided missiles.
"What a pain…"
He sprinted between trees, eyes calculating.
His expression looked lazy.
But his mind was racing.
---
High above—
Naruto watched both battlefields calmly.
The ghost legion grinding war.
The four "petty thieves" getting overwhelmed.
Everything unfolding exactly as planned.
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