A/N: A Threesome Chapter...
Pa... pa... pa...
Puffs of sand and dust kicked up from the ground.
Near the border of the Land of Wind, the terrain had already begun to turn bleak and barren.
There were no trees, no grass—nothing that could hide an ambush. At a glance, the surrounding area was completely exposed.
"It looks like Sunagakure is preparing to make a last stand."
Yagami, who was running at the front, slowly opened his eyes.
Through Kagura's Mind's Eye, he had already seen everything—right down to Chiyo rallying the Sand shinobi's morale from afar.
Even without being there in person, he could clearly sense the huge change in the enemy army's spirit.
"Oh?"
"What are Sunagakure's higher-ups doing now?"
Hearing Yagami's words, Orochimaru turned his head slightly and asked in puzzlement.
A few steps behind them, the Konoha jōnin commanders also perked up and listened closely.
There was still quite a distance between them and Sunagakure's position.
At this range, ordinary sensory ninja still could not detect the Sand shinobi at all.
Only Yagami and Kushina could casually extend their perception over more than ten kilometers.
"That old woman Chiyo used the excuse of 'protecting the homeland' to reignite the Sand shinobi's fighting spirit."
"After her speech, every one of them is ready to die."
Yagami answered slowly, a faint trace of emotion in his voice.
Even he had not expected Sunagakure to change this drastically after being pushed back again and again.
At this moment, their morale was even more unified than it had been during the assault on Kikyo Castle.
"Do they seriously still have the nerve to say that?"
"They were the ones who invaded first, and now they're talking about protecting their homeland?"
"Exactly. They started this war. What right do they have to hide behind words like that?"
"How shameless."
After hearing Yagami's explanation, the Konoha jōnin commanders behind them immediately began cursing in outrage.
No one could hide their disgust at Sunagakure's behavior.
"So that's how it is..."
"This battle won't be easy."
Orochimaru thought for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.
What Sunagakure was doing was shameless.
But shameless or not, if they had truly resolved themselves to die here, then this battle would be far harder than the last one.
At the very least, Konoha's casualties would never stay as low as before.
Hearing Orochimaru say that, even the jōnin who had just been cursing the Sand shinobi fell silent.
The Sunagakure force before them now was like a starving wolf driven into a corner.
Its fangs were sharper than ever.
Patta... patta... patta...
As time passed, the barren land gradually gave way to soft desert sand.
Before long, the two armies finally came into each other's view.
In the endless desert, there was nothing to block the line of sight.
"Prepare for battle!"
Yuhi Shinku shouted loudly.
The jōnin following Yagami and Orochimaru immediately began to slow down, peeling away to take command of their own squads.
Soon, after the jōnin had moved into position, only the acting commander-in-chief Yuhi Shinku and Kushina remained nearby.
Patta... patta...
Yagami deliberately slowed his pace.
He moved away from Orochimaru's side and dropped back toward Kushina.
At the moment, Kushina was not running. She was still flying with the Take-copter.
"Hey, Kushina. Are you feeling better now?"
Lowering his voice, Yagami asked quietly, making sure only the two of them could hear.
"N-No, I'm fine."
Kushina shrank her shoulders slightly, her face turning a little red.
Of course she knew exactly what he meant.
"If you can't keep going, then don't force yourself."
"If you get tired, retreat to the rear and stay there. Got it?"
Yagami muttered with a serious expression.
This battle was different from the last one.
The Sand shinobi now carried the mindset of people ready to throw their lives away.
That kind of enemy was often the most dangerous.
"Mhm, got it."
Hearing Yagami's instructions, Kushina felt a sweetness rise in her chest and nodded obediently.
Right now, whatever Yagami said, she felt like listening to.
Seeing her response, Yagami nodded once, then accelerated again, returning to the front of the formation beside Orochimaru.
The distance between the two armies closed rapidly.
Soon, only two hundred meters remained between them.
"Kill!!"
"Kill them all!!"
A thunderous roar erupted from Sunagakure's side.
Then the Sand shinobi charged as one.
Even Rasa, whose injuries had not yet fully healed, floated above the center of the formation.
Whoosh!
Yagami and Orochimaru accelerated almost at the same time.
The main force behind them was once again left further to the rear.
Their role was the same as it had been in the last battle—
break straight into Sunagakure's formation from the front.
They did not need to concern themselves with anything else.
"UOOOOHHH!!"
Konoha's forces also roared as they charged.
The battle cries of both sides crashed against each other across the desert.
For a moment, even the small creatures hiding beneath the sand were frightened into scrambling out and fleeing in all directions.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Running beside Yagami, Orochimaru bit his finger and slammed his hand down onto the sand.
A huge cloud of smoke exploded outward.
Then Manda appeared on the battlefield once more.
Because Yagami and Orochimaru were running side by side, the moment Manda appeared, both of them were lifted onto the giant snake's head.
"Orochimaru, you called me again—"
"Hm? So Lord Yagami is here too."
Manda had been about to complain.
But the moment he sensed Yagami's presence, his tone immediately changed.
"Crash into them, Manda."
Pointing toward the front, where the Sand shinobi were rushing forward with deafening cries, Yagami lowered his gaze and spoke calmly.
"Yes, Lord Yagami."
Manda's snake eyes narrowed slightly, and he gave a prompt nod before lunging forward.
Orochimaru's face twitched.
Seeing Manda act so obedient and polite toward Yagami, he suddenly felt a little irritated.
Manda, you bastard... who exactly is your summoner here?
"Boom—rumble!"
Manda charged forward the moment Yagami gave the order, rushing straight toward the Sand shinobi.
His speed was so fast that waves of yellow sand were pushed aside and sent spraying outward.
It looked almost like water splashing away from a speeding vehicle.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Yagami drew both arms together in front of his chest.
A dazzling light quickly began to gather between his hands.
During the previous battle, Orochimaru had not had the chance to observe Yagami closely.
So now, seeing him preparing something, Orochimaru turned his head to watch.
But at such close range, the brilliance of the light was blinding.
He couldn't see anything at all.
Left with no choice, Orochimaru turned his head away again.
"Now!"
Manda was incredibly fast.
The moment he rushed into range of the Sand shinobi, Yagami's attack finished charging.
His legs pushed hard against Manda's head.
Yagami's body shot upward into the sky.
At the same time, Manda suddenly halted, bringing Orochimaru to an abrupt stop.
"Wind Release: Scythe Weasel Technique!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Ever since Yagami began gathering chakra, the Sand shinobi had already noticed him.
And now, suspended in the sky—
he looked like a blazing sun rising above the battlefield.
The Sand shinobi immediately responded.
Some attacked, some defended, others attempted to evade.
A storm of ninjutsu surged upward toward Yagami.
And at that moment—
Yagami suddenly spread both arms wide.
The dazzling light burst downward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
RUMBLE—!!
The attacks of both sides collided violently in midair.
Countless colors filled the sky in an instant.
Among them, the golden light stood out the most.
"Wind Release: Palm Wind!"
"Wind Release: Gale Net!"
"Wind Release: Wind Severing Array!"
Ninjutsu and golden light projectiles clashed continuously in the air.
Below, the Sand shinobi worked desperately, sweating as they relayed their defenses one after another.
For a time—
most of Yagami's light projectiles were intercepted midair.
Only a small portion slipped through the gaps and exploded on the ground below.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! RUMBLE!!!
But an attack covering such a vast area could never be defended perfectly.
The Sand shinobi tried to rely on coordinated ninjutsu relays to block the barrage.
Yet perfect coordination could not last forever.
After several rapid exchanges, their rhythm began to break.
At that exact moment—
Yagami suddenly increased the number of light projectiles.
The Sand shinobi's defensive relay collapsed instantly.
"Spread out!!"
Rasa floated behind the formation and shouted.
But Yagami's light projectiles were far too fast.
The moment the Sand shinobi's defense broke—
the barrage struck the ground.
RUMBLE—!!
RUMBLE—!!
Blinding light erupted among the Sand shinobi.
Each photon burst into a golden blaze.
In an instant, the entire area was engulfed.
Countless Sand shinobi were swallowed by the golden light.
Under the relentless bombardment, yellow sand blasted into the air everywhere.
It was mixed with blood, broken limbs, and shattered bodies.
With just one attack, dozens of Sand shinobi were buried beneath Yagami's assault.
On the sand scorched by the light barrage, not a single person remained standing.
And this was only because Sunagakure had already dispersed their formation widely.
Otherwise, the casualties would have easily doubled.
"Go to hell!!!"
Sand shinobi positioned elsewhere glanced briefly at the devastated area.
Their expressions remained dull and resolute.
Then they continued charging straight toward Konoha's forces.
Those approaching from the rear of the bombardment zone even bypassed Yagami entirely, rushing past him from both sides.
It was as if every Sand shinobi had made the same decision—
ignore him completely.
A large, empty space instantly formed around Yagami.
"What's going on here?"
Yagami had already landed on the ground.
Watching the Sand shinobi deliberately avoid him, he looked slightly stunned.
Were they seriously ignoring him?
"Yagami-kun…"
"It seems the Sand shinobi may have resolved themselves to die…"
"But they still don't want to throw their lives away pointlessly at your hands."
Orochimaru caught up beside him.
Seeing the Sand shinobi's actions, even he looked surprised.
He had witnessed countless battles during the Second Shinobi World War—
but he had never seen anything quite like this.
"…Damn."
Yagami clicked his tongue, looking a little speechless.
He had been planning to slaughter enemies freely.
Once he earned one hundred thousand prestige points, he could try another high-level lottery.
But now the Sand shinobi were avoiding him like he was the plague.
That meant killing enemies would become far slower.
"Yagami-kun, this is actually quite an honor."
Seeing Yagami's frustration, Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely.
Truthfully, he felt a little envious of the deterrence Yagami now possessed.
"…Fine."
"I'll just be a ruthless laser turret."
After giving a helpless smile, Yagami leapt upward again and landed atop Manda's head.
Since the Sand shinobi refused to approach him, there was no need to chase them.
Standing above Manda and firing light attacks would kill enemies far more efficiently anyway.
"Move out, Manda!"
Yagami lightly tapped the giant snake's head with his foot.
"Yes, Lord Yagami."
Manda immediately responded.
Then he lowered his body and surged forward once more toward the Sand shinobi.
…Manda, you've changed.
Since when did you become so obedient to someone else?
Standing atop the giant snake, Orochimaru's long hair whipping wildly in the wind, couldn't help but feel a little annoyed again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The two armies finally collided.
Another wave of ninjutsu surged across the battlefield.
To prevent Yagami from wiping out their forces in large numbers, Sunagakure's commanders had deliberately spread the battlefield over a much wider area.
Meanwhile, Konoha's forces, under the command of their respective jōnin leaders, also widened their formation as they clashed with the Sand shinobi.
Author Note:
Here we go again… starting a new project: Jujutsu Kaisen: Gilgamesh The King of Heroes.
If you like global curses not limited to Japan, strong MCs, and heavy 'Quality' moments, give it a try.
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