[Boom! Boom! Boom!
A succession of attacks crashed once more into the Chariot-class Honkai Beasts.
Most of the strikes landed on their thick forelimbs and misshapen heads; save for a few stray shots, very few attacks landed on the chest, where the Armor was thickest.
They had long since received the synchronized intelligence from the Alliance Headquarters stating that nearly all Honkai Beast Cores were located in the chest area.
However, they currently lacked the stamina and focus to break through that massive plating to destroy the Cores.
They didn't actually need to kill these three Chariot-class Honkai Beasts right now—they only needed to disable their heads and limbs.
As long as that was achieved, these massive beasts wouldn't pose a threat for at least the next few hours.
In the meantime, they could take the opportunity to deal with the rest of the monsters!
But just as the plan was proceeding smoothly, several fireballs, each meters in diameter, plummeted from the sky. They streaked over the ninjas' heads and slammed into Sunagakure.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted within the village.
Instantly, a terrifying inferno flared up, followed by the wretched wails of civilians.
Even though they had tried their best to move people toward the center of the village and the shelters, Sunagakure was simply too crowded right now. The shelters couldn't accommodate everyone, so many were taking refuge inside surface buildings that looked sturdy.
But the explosive power of these fireballs was far beyond imagination.
Their range was even longer than the ballistae, which were the longest-range weapons the ninja possessed!
Unsurprisingly, these fireballs landed near the center of Sunagakure, causing significant devastation.
Temari turned her stiff neck. When she saw the flames rising from the village and could vaguely make out the villagers screaming in the fire, an unspeakable rage instantly flooded her brain!
"You monsters!"
Temari glared past the Chariot-class Honkai Beasts toward the Ballista-class Honkai Beasts, which stood only a few meters tall and were easily overlooked in the herd.
Right now, these peculiar Honkai Beasts had already fired the shells from their abdomens. They were currently digging into the sand at their feet, gathering it into their hollow bellies, where it transformed into highly unstable projectiles under the influence of their unique power.
"Damn it!"
"Squads One through Three, with me! We have to take out those long-range attackers! Everyone else, keep up the assault!"
With that, Temari led her team and leapt off the wall.
Behind her, over a dozen Sand Ninja followed suit.
"The First Hokage once fought these Honkai Beasts. Although their defense is too high for an Ordinary Ninja to break, the bombs in their bellies are their weakest point. We just have to wait for them to finish prepping the shell; if we hit the projectile before it fires, it'll detonate early and cripple the beast!"]
Deidara: "Whoa, I didn't know there was a Honkai Beast with abilities so similar to mine. The power of those explosions doesn't look half bad either; I'd really like to exchange notes on bomb-making with them."
Scorpion: "Give it up. Those Honkai Beasts have no intelligence. Instead of that, you'd be better off asking the Second Hokage if he can help you acquire that beast's ability to bolster your Clay."
Deidara: "That's right! As expected of Master, your head is much sharper. @Second Hokage, is that possible?"
Senju Tobirama: "...It is currently impossible."
[Just as Temari and her team had jumped and were only halfway down the wall, several Honkai Beasts—a head taller than the Ballista-class ones and wielding a spear in one hand and a shield in the other—flew out.
"Not good!"
Temari's expression shifted at the sight of them.
She knew the intel on these creatures. The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, had emphasized that an Ordinary Ninja simply couldn't handle them. The only thing they could do was run as fast as humanly possible!
However, their homes were directly behind them. How could they run away at a time like this?
But the number of Templar-class Honkai Beasts was beginning to exceed the limit of what they could handle!
There was a reason these beasts were known as a "rookie's nightmare."
Temari immediately whipped her Giant Folding Fan, causing her descent to slow abruptly. She adjusted her posture and slammed her feet against the wall, using Chakra to stand vertically on the stone surface.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale erupted from her mouth, forcing the approaching Templar-class Honkai Beasts to slow down.
The other ninja reacted quickly as well.
Some used wall-climbing techniques to stand on the wall, while others used Kunai or blades to anchor themselves. They immediately launched Ninjutsu at the Templar-class Honkai Beasts.
One Fuuton followed another.
However, to everyone's shock, the attacks that could blast huge craters into Chariot-class Honkai Beasts didn't even leave a scratch on the massive shields of these beasts!
At most, the shields turned a faint shade of red.
But that heat dissipated almost instantly, leaving the shields looking as if they had never been touched.
"Forget it! Don't get bogged down with these things! Taking out the long-range units is our top priority!"
"First Squad stays to distract them, the rest follow me!"
Left with no choice, Temari had to split her forces again.
Watching the ninja divide into two groups on the wall, the Templar-class Honkai Beasts instinctively split as well, pursuing both sides.
However, under the barrage of the First Squad's Ninjutsu, the attention of all the Templar-class Honkai Beasts was quickly drawn, leading them away to other areas.
Temari finally reached the ground with the Second and Third Squads.
But as soon as they hit the sand, they weren't facing the Ballista-class Honkai Beasts, but the Knight-class Honkai Beasts that had been prepping a charge since spotting them from behind the wall!
Originally, these beasts weren't aiming for this spot, but since Temari's group had jumped down and entered their line of sight, they had naturally drawn the aggression.
"Ignore them! Our mission hasn't changed!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
After creating a wind sphere to slightly restrict the charging Knight-class Honkai Beasts, Temari led her people out of the line of fire.
The Knight-class Honkai Beasts then slammed straight into the village wall!]