Just when Ōnoki thought his sneak attack had succeeded.
"Old man, you're even sneakier than that honest-looking guy."
"What?!"
Ōnoki had never imagined that Inuzuka Ryoha could still move.
"Sage Art: Adamant Claw."
A claw strengthened by Sage Art gleamed with metallic luster as it slashed toward Ōnoki.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu."
A pair of hands suddenly emerged beneath Ōnoki, grabbing onto his only remaining right leg and dragging him underground.
As a result, Inuzuka Ryoha's claw strike missed.
Boom!
A massive crack split the ground.
Without hesitation, Inuzuka Ryoha rushed toward the place where Ōnoki and Kitsuchi had hidden.
Sniff, sniff.
His nose twitched slightly.
They're to the front right.
"Sage Art: Fang Passing Fang!"
A white whirlwind drilled into the earth, then burst back out— but now two figures had been forced out with it.
They were Ōnoki and Kitsuchi.
At that moment, Kitsuchi was desperately trying to block Inuzuka Ryoha's assault.
Blood poured from his abdomen, but he ignored it completely.
After the exchange ended, the two sides faced off once more in the air.
"What incredible defense. You actually didn't get torn apart. Who are you from the Hidden Stone Village? State your name."
"Kitsuchi of the Hidden Stone Village."
"You're still alive?"
What kind of question was that? Did you think I should already be dead?
Inuzuka Ryoha was equally puzzled.
Hideki and Kamito were one thing, but how had Shiken not killed this guy?
Wasn't someone this famous in the original story supposed to be a priority target?
And why were there still so many Stone ninjas here?
More than ten thousand of them.
What exactly had those three been doing?
Senju Hideki: Look at that mountain over there. Doesn't it remind you of a certain old acquaintance? Buried underneath are more than five thousand Stone ninjas, along with the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Seven-Tails.
Uchiha Kamito: If I hadn't crippled Ōnoki so badly, you'd have had to experience being endlessly worn down from the air, okay? Besides, can't you see those huge sword marks? Out of the five of us, who even uses a sword?
Aburame Shiken: According to the original plan, I would've finished everything even without you coming. But someone refused to follow the plan, didn't they? I had to fight the final boss twice and even got ambushed—who am I supposed to complain to?
Inuzuka Ryoha: And yet none of you killed anyone with an actual name.
"That gray layer... does the Hidden Stone Village have its own body-hardening technique too?"
Inuzuka Ryoha stared at the gray substance covering Kitsuchi's body.
The moment he struck it, it didn't feel like hitting flesh at all.
Ōnoki's heart sank.
"Kitsuchi, you..."
"For the sake of the Hidden Stone Village, this sacrifice is necessary, isn't it?"
Kitsuchi forced a bitter smile.
Hidden Stone Forbidden Technique: Stone Man Transformation.
It transformed the user's flesh into incomparably hard stone, but the cost was irreversible.
Anyone who used it would slowly turn into a stone statue, and the more chakra they used, the faster the petrification would progress.
Ōnoki couldn't bear to look.
From the perspective of the Hidden Stone Village, this choice was understandable.
"Inuzuka Ryoha, let us settle this in a battle to the death."
Kitsuchi tore off the Hidden Stone uniform that was getting in the way.
His abdomen had already transformed into solid stone.
The red blood that had flowed out had turned into a thick dark-gray liquid—stone marrow?
"Idiot, why would I fight you head-on? Picking on the weak with overwhelming strength is my ninja way."
Fight a guy who's obviously ready to die in a frontal clash? I'd have to be insane.
Inuzuka Ryoha blew a whistle.
In an instant, over a hundred ninja dogs charged into the Hidden Stone formation.
Some were as large as mountains, others were only the size of calves.
Large and small, all kinds of sizes—it was obvious that Inuzuka Ryoha had brought out everything he had.
"Inuzuka Style: Hundred Dogs Rampage Through the Hidden Stone."
Hidden Stone ninjas: You're sure that's really the name of the technique?
Inuzuka Rinko, exhausted from summoning so many beasts, hurried to recover her chakra.
Because she would still need to cooperate with Ryoha's ultimate move later.
Tsunade was also rallying the troops.
"This time, we absolutely cannot let Hidden Leaf's hero fight alone again! Pick up your gear and charge with me!"
"Charge!"
The Hidden Leaf ninjas shouted in unison.
Seeing this,
Inuzuka Rinko hurriedly stopped them.
How could she let Tsunade steal Ryoha's spotlight?
No—
if they rushed up now, it would simply be too dangerous.
"Tsunade-sensei, no! You can't go."
Inuzuka Rinko quickly stopped them.
If anyone else had said that, the Hidden Leaf ninjas might've killed them on the spot.
They had finally gotten a chance to join the battle, only to be stopped again.
But coming from Inuzuka Rinko, that was different.
Her boyfriend was still up there fighting desperately.
Ignoring what she said would've been way too inappropriate.
"Rinko, why? Why can't we go? Don't worry, Hidden Leaf ninjas are never afraid of death."
"That's right!"
As soon as Tsunade said it,
everyone below echoed her words.
"Well... Ryoha is about to use a big move. I'm afraid you might get caught in the blast."
Inuzuka Rinko said softly.
She really was too kind.
She didn't say outright that they were too weak.
But the Hidden Leaf ninjas weren't stupid.
They immediately understood what she meant.
So we're already so weak that we can't even qualify as cannon fodder?
"Don't lose heart. Compared to them, we..."
Tsunade wanted to boost morale, but then she thought of the giant Buddha statue and the mountain before them, the massive pitch-black armored giant, the endless sea of insects from earlier, the lightning raining nonstop from the sky.
Then she looked at herself, who had accomplished nothing.
Tsunade helplessly squatted on the ground and began drawing circles.
"So the useless one was me all along."
"I don't even qualify to step onto the battlefield."
"I'm too weak."
"I've let the Hidden Leaf down. I've let my ancestors down."
Watching everyone fall into despair, Inuzuka Rinko wondered:
Did I actually help at all?
"Inuzuka Ryoha, stop running!"
"Come catch me, then."
As he spoke, Inuzuka Ryoha continued harvesting the lives of the Stone ninjas around him.
Battle record +1 +1 +1 +1...
"Damn it!"
Kitsuchi was furious.
I've already thrown my life away, and now you won't even fight me?
Thankfully his brain hadn't turned to stone yet.
If I can't catch you, then I'll catch someone else.
What, you think I can't even catch a dog?
Kitsuchi struck, instantly grabbing Inuzuka Ryoha's beloved dog—Eimaru.
"I already found you annoying. Die beneath the wrath of the earth!"
But Eimaru was no pushover.
Out of a hundred dogs, you just had to pick the strongest one.
At least you have good taste.
Eimaru twisted his body, broke free from the restraint, and then spun toward Kitsuchi at 200 revolutions per second.
Eimaru was still accelerating—
300 rotations!
400 rotations!
500 rotations!!!
Boom!
It succeeded!!!
It successfully struck Kitsuchi!!!