However, the worries of the Kirigakure's Shinobi were unfounded.
Although the Mechanical City caught up with them in an instant, it didn't launch an attack.
This was because, on the island of the Land of Whirlpools, not far from the coastline was dense forest.
Although the Mechanical City caught up instantly, the Kirigakure's Shinobi had all entered the thick forest. Sunagakure could only confirm their approximate positions through Kana's Hawk Eyes and Kuro's sensing abilities, unable to observe their actual situation through the lush, leafy canopy.
With the situation unclear, launching a rash attack would invite defeat.
Although the knight puppets could self-repair through the Dragon Vein, this wasn't a law above all else, merely a regeneration technology following the Shinobi World's rules, applied to material components.
If one grasped the principle and countered it, the regeneration could be nullified.
No, even without understanding the principle and countering, regeneration could still be nullified.
If puppets were destroyed too thoroughly, they couldn't regenerate either.
Those puppets crushed into dust by Yagura's Coral Palm didn't recover.
Therefore, caution was necessary.
Moreover, Ryuji's purpose for this trip was the Uzumaki Clan.
When the Mechanical City descended and engaged Kirigakure, the Uzumaki Clan's members took advantage of the chaos to escape back onto the island.
If they killed indiscriminately without understanding anything, a clan that still had scattered bloodlines across the Shinobi World in the original work might be completely eradicated.
However, their actions made Kirigakure even more anxious.
An enemy that attacked without distinction from the moment they appeared, now having caught up, followed from the sky without taking action... This unexpected move wasn't seen as a gesture of goodwill by any Kirigakure's Shinobi; they only thought the other side was plotting something.
"What are those guys doing?"
Swiftly leaping from branch to branch, Jinpachi glanced up at the black, oppressive inverted peak in the sky and asked the two beside him.
"Don't know."
Both Yagura and Fuguki looked grim.
'The enemy held such a massive advantage but didn't attack, instead following them all the way... Could it be they want to follow us to find the Mizukage's main force and wipe them all out in one go?'
'What kind of joke is that?'
'The Third Mizukage still had five thousand five hundred elites, a number no less than the enemy's puppet forces.'
'A force of that scale would be easily discovered; there was no need to tail them to find it!'
'Even if the enemy was confident they could wipe out all Kirigakure forces in one go, they could still devour this small unit first, then fight the Mizukage's main force, making victory easier, no?'
"In any case, regardless of the enemy's objective, first regroup with the Mizukage-sama's forces, then concentrate all power to kill the enemy!"
"Understood!"
As Yagura's order was given, the Kirigakure's Shinobi's spirits lifted, and they accelerated their escape into the island's interior.
…
One side fled; the other followed.
As the sun gradually sank behind the western mountains, darkening the sky, the forest's edge finally came into view.
Ryuji and the others stood at the continent's edge, gazing into the distance. Beyond the endless forest, columns of smoke billowed with rising flames… that was Uzushiogakure's location.
"It seems Uzushiogakure has already been destroyed by Kirigakure."
Everyone couldn't help but feel regretful.
Even now, they still believed the first force to breach Uzushiogakure would have a chance to obtain the Uzumaki Clan's sealing technique inherited from the Sage of Six Paths.
"Only the one who ultimately obtains the spoils is the winner!" Ryuji looked at the distant burning battlefield, calmly stating. "Whether it's us, Kirigakure, or other forces, everyone came for the sealing technique. The first to obtain it will become the target of everyone else's siege."
Then, as if thinking of something, he continued asking, "Weren't we told many surrounding countries' Shinobi Villages also joined the operation to destroy the Land of Whirlpools? Why have we only seen Kirigakure's people?"
"Perhaps after seeing us fight Kirigakure, they hid in the shadows, planning to profit as the third party in the end." Ebizo analyzed.
Near the Land of Whirlpools, aside from Kirigakure of the Land of Water, only the Yugakure of the Land of Hot Springs had strength worth considering.
The rest, like Hoshigakure of the Land of Bears or Takumi Village of the Land of Craftsmen, were insignificant small villages, each with only a few dozen members, not even as strong as Uzushiogakure, utterly insignificant compared to behemoths like Sunagakure and Kirigakure, no different from ants.
If they rashly inserted themselves into the war between the two, they'd only be mercilessly crushed to death by the war's aftermath.
Ryuji nodded slightly, instructing, "Be extra careful when searching for Uzumaki survivors later. Even if they can't oppose us, they can still play tricks in the shadows."
Even ants can bite fiercely, causing pain.
Facing a lineup like Kirigakure's, Uzushiogakure had no chance to resist, and it was unlikely anyone could escape unharmed.
But in the original work, many survivors were scattered abroad.
Excluding Shinobi who happened to be on missions outside, there were also many ordinary people.
Thinking about it now, it was probably due to these small countries' villages playing tricks in the shadows.
They couldn't oppose behemoths like the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
But ambushing Kirigakure's teams during pursuit, overwhelming them with numbers, and picking off isolated teams was possible.
"Yes!"
Everyone responded in unison.
Ryuji nodded slightly, about to give the next instruction.
Suddenly, a shrill whistling sound approached.
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw two orange beams shooting from the forest ahead like meteors.
Boom boom!!
Accompanied by deafening roars, the Floating Continent trembled violently, then returned to calm.
Bijudama… they were indeed moves with immense power akin to nuclear bombs.
But only in terms of explosive power.
A nuclear bomb's explosive power and the secondary damage range from the high-temperature radiation, etc., produced after detonation are vastly different.
Depending on yield, it ranges from hundreds of meters to several kilometers in diameter.
But that's it.
The Floating Continent's area was about five thousand kilometers in diameter, about a kilometer thick.
Moreover, after thickening and solidification through the Ugo Ring, it had bearing capacity equivalent to the Shinobi World's continent.
Not to mention ordinary Bijudama with explosion shockwaves several kilometers in diameter; even the Ten-Tails' Bijudama, which could level Kumogakure with one shot, would find it difficult to destroy the Floating Continent.
However.
The Floating Continent being fine didn't mean the Mechanical City was fine.
This city, rebuilt from the original Roran towers, only had two-thirds of its towers reinforced with steel plates, screws, and gears, not yet connected to form a stable whole.
Under such impacts, the yet-to-be-reconstructed towers cracked after trembling.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!!
Orange beams shot continuously, bombarding the Floating Continent like anti-aircraft artillery, causing incessant tremors. Countless towers swayed and collapsed.