The massive fireball summoned by Scorch Style: Great Sunny Day hung in mid-air like a second sun.
As heat waves rolled across the battlefield, the rain-soaked environment began to wither, the earth cracking under the sudden drought.
Compared to Pakura's Scorch Style, Shiraishi's version carried a far more oppressive aura. Heat currents converged upon the Sage's Blade, releasing a torrential flood of high temperatures.
The searing intensity left many Rain ninjas drenched in sweat, unable to endure the radiating heat; conversely, the Sand ninjas—accustomed to the harsh desert—felt no discomfort.
The moment Shiraishi illuminated the battlefield, he raised both hands. Purgatory Flames erupted from all directions, tracing violent patterns across the ground and triggering a massive upheaval.
Facing the momentum of Shiraishi's "miniature sun," Hanzo swung his sickle, transforming his body into a rushing stream of water via Body Flicker to lunge at Shiraishi. Shiraishi parried the impact with a swift rotation of his silver blade.
In a blur of motion, Shiraishi sprang back and began circling his opponent at extreme speeds. Combined with his swordsmanship, this high-speed movement created a dizzying array of afterimages.
Double Team / High-Speed Movement!
Every afterimage appeared to be holding a long blade, hacking forward with ferocious, deep strikes. These slashes transformed into a scorching torrent of heat that converged on Hanzo.
While the afterimages themselves weren't physical, the offensive mirrored his previous "Sand Rain" technique—a blend of reality and illusion that resulted in a relentless barrage of searing blade-beams.
Feeling besieged from all sides and sensing danger in every shadow, Hanzo found no opening to dodge. Out of necessity, he condensed a massive Water Encampment Wall to shield his perimeter.
Hanzo's Water Encampment Wall was vastly superior to the standard version used by ordinary ninjas. The water spread wide, forming a seamless, airtight defense with no blind spots.
"There it is—Lord Hanzo's Water Encampment Wall! His water control is far more precise than any average ninja, and the buffering force generated by the whirlpool is immense. Conventional attacks can't break through it!"
The Rain ninjas watched in awe as Hanzo performed such a magnificent feat in a waterless zone. This was the pinnacle of their village—the "Demi-god" recognized by the entire shinobi world!
However, the next moment left an indelible mark on their memories. The high-temperature blade-beams tore directly through the water's buffer. Under the impact of extreme heat, the water wall turned into massive clouds of steam and disintegrated, evaporating instantly.
Wait—it's toxic!
In a flash, Shiraishi's Purgatory Flames formed a vortex of airflow, blocking the poison mist Hanzo had hidden within the water wall.
The old man is quite insidious...
Unlike the panicked Rain ninjas, Hanzo remained calm. Seizing the brief distraction, he wove hand seals to trigger a chain reaction of powerful explosions.
As the water wall shattered, he gathered his full strength, his sickle dancing frantically while the surrounding poison mist grew increasingly dense.
At this moment, Shiraishi used his Magnet Release to levitate. The sun above seemed to resonate with him, expanding into a gargantuan, burning orb of fire.
This fire orb, while simulating a sun, possessed similar explosive energy. Shiraishi pointed his blade downward, locking onto every Rain ninja—including Hanzo—and unleashed a scorching, downward-plunging blast.
The sight of the descending sun-like attack struck terror into the hearts of the Rain ninjas. The visual impact alone was enough to make them freeze in fear.
With a thunderous boom, Hanzo realized he couldn't dodge. He stood his ground, manifesting a colossal fortress of water to clash head-on with Shiraishi's high-temperature sun.
Konoha Village
"Sarutobi, what is your counter-strategy for the Sand invasion?"
Danzo looked at the intelligence reports, his expression grim. Currently, the Leaf's strongest asset, Minato Namikaze, was tied down trying to break the Stone's line at Kannabi Bridge.
However, emboldened by the news of the Sand's invasion, the Stone's resistance—which had been weakening—suddenly turned fierce, dragging the front into a stalemate once again.
This delay put the Leaf under extreme pressure. If Shiraishi forced the Rain Village to yield, he would surely concentrate his full strength on the southeast.
"The Uchiha clan can no longer be trusted," Hiruzen Sarutobi stated. "They cherish their own skin too much. While they won't collude with the Sand, they won't put in the effort either." The Third Hokage began issuing orders.
"Swap the Uchiha clan's defensive positions with the Hyuga clan. Simultaneously, order Jiraiya to head to Kikyo Pass and wait for me. Konoha will launch a direct strike against the Hidden Sand Village itself."
By swapping the Uchiha and Hyuga, the Leaf was essentially abandoning the strategic gains made against the Mist, easing the pressure on the Land of Water to consolidate power for a direct invasion of the Sand's homeland.
Historically, the Leaf rarely invaded the desert-bound Land of Wind, but today was different. Hiruzen had decided to use overwhelming force to eliminate this unstable variable.
As Hiruzen's longtime comrade, Danzo quickly followed his logic. "We push into the Sand's heartland and the Wind Daimyo's seat of power. We force them to declare Shiraishi's war declaration a forgery and brand him a rogue ninja. That will cut off our greatest threat at the root."
Danzo's "Root" would handle the specifics; the Third Hokage never micromanaged.
Shiraishi's actions had violated the Leaf's core interests. Danzo didn't oppose the plan, but he had one lingering doubt: "What about the Mist...?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "The Mist is exhausted. They have no strength left to stay on the continent. They will withdraw sooner or later."
"There is a difference between them withdrawing voluntarily and them surrendering!"
"Danzo! The Sand is the greatest threat right now!"
The Third Hokage saw the board more clearly than Danzo. The Cloud and Stone were locked in a death struggle, and the Mist was crippled.
At the end of Year 47, the Sand was the Leaf's primary rival. Regarding the Land of Rivers, the Leaf would not yield an inch.
Shiraishi had assumed that, given Hiruzen's conservative reputation, establishing a fait accompli in the Rivers and Rain would force the Leaf to accept the Sand's gains.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a veteran of three world wars. These actions touched the Leaf's core bottom line; he would not retreat, but rather counterattack with ferocity.
Shiraishi, Ebizo, and the Council of Elders had underestimated the Third Hokage. A "God of Shinobi" is never truly a senile old man. When he chooses to act, he is at his most decisive and ruthless.
In this moment, the resolve shown by the Third Hokage was something even Danzo could not match.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.