"They even brought out the Jinchuriki!?"
The Sunagakure group was stunned.
Jinchuriki possessed the Chakra quantity and recovery speed of Tailed Beasts, allowing them to use Ninjutsu almost without limit. Their signature Ninjutsu, the Bijudama, had destructive power akin to a nuclear bomb, its lethality ten or even a hundred times that of ordinary Kage-level Shinobi.
After all, not every Kage-level Shinobi had massive Chakra or specialized in large-scale destructive Ninjutsu.
However,
Although Jinchuriki had destruction and lethality far surpassing Kage-level, their overall strength was only at a regular Kage-level standard.
Thus, each village also protected their Jinchuriki very rigorously.
Unless necessary, Jinchuriki were generally not deployed.
For Kirigakure to send all Seven Ninja Swordsmen and six thousand elites to seize the sealing technique inherited from the Sage of Six Paths and deal with the small Land of Whirlpools and Uzushiogakure was already outrageous. Never did they expect they'd even send two Jinchuriki.
This was truly absurd.
"Destroying Uzushiogakure and seizing the sealing technique is just a cover. Kirigakure likely has another objective this time." Ebizo analyzed. "Currently, the only target worth Kirigakure deploying such a lineup, aside from Konoha, I can't think of a second reason."
Ebizo possessed unique insight and clear thinking, having experienced the First and Second Shinobi World Wars, with rich war experience.
Previously, he served as Sunagakure's strategist, so he saw through Kirigakure's intentions for this operation at a glance.
"Regardless of Kirigakure's objective, if we let them keep bombing, the structures above will collapse sooner or later!" Aka spoke up.
The complete Mechanical City was composed of countless steel structures, with many bridges, gears, screws, axles, and other mechanical parts interconnecting to form a whole, giving it stability to remain standing even if the ground split apart.
Then, deploying protective barriers outside would make it impregnable.
But the current Mechanical City... Even the flight system area, strictly built according to the design drawings, without other structures to interconnect and stabilize it, was only somewhat more stable than the reconstructed towers of the original Roran.
If Bijudama kept bombing, causing constant ground tremors, it would eventually collapse too.
Regarding Aka's reminder, Ryuji deeply agreed.
He nodded. "Absolutely right. Then let's advance the army, bring the Mechanical City over their heads, and see if they dare keep using Bijudamas to bomb!
…
The army advanced; the colossal city pressed down from above.
The endless Floating Continent broke through the clouds, fully revealing its form in the sky. Its massive size left the Kirigakure's Shinobi on the ground dumbfounded and horrified.
…
On the ruins of Uzushiogakure.
The Third Mizukage stood in a clearing amidst the crowd, looking up at the Mechanical City, silent.
He had noticed the Mechanical City when it appeared by the coast.
But back then, a large part of the Mechanical City was still hidden in the clouds, and due to perspective, it didn't seem very big.
But now, with the Mechanical City looming overhead, one could truly experience the might of this behemoth.
Its mere existence made a seasoned, widely-experienced Kage-level powerhouse like him feel small, powerless, discouraged, and other negative emotions, let alone the other Kirigakure's Shinobi.
Everyone's first thought upon seeing this huge thing was: How could we possibly win against such a behemoth?
The Third Mizukage didn't know either.
But he knew they couldn't flee.
The enemy could fly, while they were on the ground; they could never outrun the other.
Only by fighting to the death was there a chance to survive.
Fortunately, such a colossal behemoth didn't have world-destroying weapons on it.
Otherwise, they'd all be in despair.
The Floating Continent stopped about two hundred meters above the Kirigakure's Shinobi's heads.
The Three-Tails and Six-Tails Jinchuriki also stopped their bombardment.
Although the Bijudama's destruction range was insignificant compared to the Floating Continent's overall area,
Compared to humans, it was quite massive.
Each time a Bijudama hit the Floating Continent's underside, it blasted away rocks like a landslide.
With continuous bombardment, massive rocks rolled down like a boulder rainstorm from the sky. The Kirigakure's Shinobi on the ground were sitting ducks.
As for the Floating Continent, the target of the bombardment... although each hit blasted a large crater, it quickly healed at a visible rate.
If they kept bombing, without the enemy doing anything, the Kirigakure's Shinobi would all die at their own hands.
Everyone hid under large trees, quietly awaiting the enemy's next move.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Whistling sounds came from the sky as dense knight puppets wielding various weapons attacked.
"All forces, prepare!"
As the supervising officer, Yagura shouted. Every Shinobi's grip on their weapons tightened; even usually carefree individuals had sweat on their foreheads.
But the puppet army didn't descend to attack.
They hovered about five or six meters above the treetops, silently watching below.
"Damn. Why did they stop!?"
Among the Kirigakure's Shinobi, someone couldn't help but curse.
Facing a behemoth like the Mechanical City, everyone felt immense psychological pressure, unsure about winning this war. Thus, even before the war began, they were prepared to die fighting.
But even if they died, they wanted to achieve victory... such resolve wasn't so easily born even among Shinobi who grew up constantly fighting, emerging from the Bloody Mist.
That was the courage to never give up hope even in dire straits, the resolve born from brutal training, remaining unfazed even in the face of death… the professionalism required.
Whoosh!
The quiet sky sounded with whistling again, very sharp, fast, far surpassing the knight puppets.
A mechanical bird flew out from the puppet army, stopping above the ruined remains of Uzushiogakure.
The mechanical bird carried two people… Ryuji and Aka.
Ryuji stood on the mechanical bird, observing the Third Mizukage and others protected in the clearing amidst the crowd, couldn't help but frown.
This Third Mizukage had a handsome face, a slender build, waist-length black hair, wearing a fitted robe over a high-neck sweater, a gray-white fur scarf around his neck, narrow crescent-shaped eyes giving a spring breeze-like warmth.
It must be said, the Third Mizukage was a handsome man.
Of course, Ryuji frowned not because he was handsome, but because he was too young.
Judging by appearance and demeanor, this Third Mizukage seemed like a youth around twenty.
But,
In the original work, the Third Mizukage participated in the first Five Kage Summit as the First Mizukage's guard. Back then, he already looked like this youthful man.
Now, over thirty years later, he should be an elder even older than Hiruzen and others.
Although Kirigakure had figures like Yagura, who already had grandchildren yet still had a boyish face,
But looking young doesn't mean the body is young.
'This Third Mizukage had a problem!'
…
(A/N: The Third Mizukage had the least information among all Kage.
He and the Third Kazekage were the only Kage whose names weren't given.
But at least the Third Kazekage had his abilities, cause of death, and approximate time mentioned. Aside from attending the Five Kage Summit as the First Mizukage's guard, this one had no other information, so I had to be original.
Also, there will be two more chapters later.)