Chapter 174: Shinra Tensei Appears
The Yamanaka Clan Head had already finished analyzing the latest stream of battlefield intelligence.
"The black-robed man's suction and repulsion ninjutsu has a strict five-second cooldown window. If we can coordinate our strikes during those exact five seconds..."
Around the perimeter, the remaining shinobi furiously processed the tactical data, desperately trying to formulate a plan to support the Fourth Hokage. However, high above the distant horizon, the massive floating fortress completed its cooling cycle. A dense, suffocating hum of chakra vibrated through the air as a new shell condensed into physical form.
A massive, deep blue orb of concentrated light erupted from the main cannon's muzzle. It tore through the clouds, dragging a tail of vast, destructive energy behind it as it smashed down toward the village once more.
Watching from the shadows, Black Zetsu observed Ida Mutzuki in the distance, currently locked in a fierce struggle with Mie. A rare, smug laugh slipped from his throat.
He had finally deduced her fatal flaw. As the Hokage, Ida Mutzuki did not have a single individual she cared enough about to serve as use. Her weakness was Konoha itself.
Discovering such a massive vulnerability today felt like a monumental victory. It meant he was one step closer to burying her for good. He wanted to see exactly how she planned to rescue the village from that distance. The moment she broke away to intercept the attack, she would expose her back, handing Mie the perfect opportunity to strike.
Right on cue, seeing the colossal shell plummeting down while Konoha's exhausted defensive lines stood helpless, Stelle abandoned her current offensive. She narrowly dodged a thrust from the black-robed man's chakra receiver, her feet blurring as she executed the Body Flicker technique to intercept the falling projectile's trajectory.
However, the instant she left the immediate combat zone, the black-robed man's gravitational powers refreshed. He thrust his hand forward, locking onto her retreating figure with Universal Pull.
Caught off guard mid-leap, Stelle felt an overwhelming, invisible force latch onto her body, yanking her backward through the air. Because his repulsive force had not yet recovered, the black-robed man relied on close quarters. His right hand gripped a jagged black chakra receiver, and as she flew toward him, he drove the spike fiercely into her side.
Stelle did not flinch. Her hand shot out, gripping the embedded black rod. With a sharp twist of her wrist, she snapped the dense material with a loud crack. Simultaneously, her free hand slammed flat against the black-robed man's chest.
Searing Purple Flame erupted from her palm, crawling over his entire body in the blink of an eye. The black-robed man convulsed, his own chakra flaring wildly as pitch-black flames surged outward to devour and dispel the purple fire. He retaliated with a heavy punch aimed at her jaw, but she ducked smoothly under his arm, pivoting on her heel to deliver a devastating flying kick to his midsection that sent him crashing through the rubble.
During that brutal, split-second exchange, neither side had bothered to evade. One took a chakra rod to the ribs, and the other suffered the agonizing burn of the Purple Flame.
After trading several more vicious taijutsu blows despite their fresh injuries, they simultaneously leaped backward, putting a safe distance between them to reassess.
On the other side of the battlefield, Nara Kajisuke and the defensive squads stared up at the descending blue shell. The sheer density of the attack rivaled a Tailed Beast Ball. Their formations were completely useless against such scale, and the shinobi prepared to scatter.
Suddenly, an immense, orange-red sphere of condensed chakra screamed through the air from the opposite direction, colliding violently with the falling shell.
The pure Tailed Beast Ball, brimming with majestic, untamed energy, completely overpowered the fortress's attack, knocking the blue shell completely off its trajectory. The deflected projectile turned into a stray streak of light, flying miles away before detonating harmlessly in the upper atmosphere.
The stunned shinobi slowly turned their heads toward the source of the rescue. A gigantic, demonic fox was galloping toward them.
Every time its massive paws struck the earth, the ground vibrated and buckled as if caught in a severe earthquake. Behind its towering form, nine colossal orange-red tails swayed wildly, literally blotting out the sun and radiating a terrifying, heart-palpitating pressure that suffocated the air.
The ninja who were completely out of the loop stared in absolute horror. Having the Nine-Tails charging at them from the front while a flying fortress bombarded them from above felt like a rhythm leading straight to the afterlife.
A collective internal crisis swept through the ranks. Was it less painful to be flattened into bloody paste by a Tailed Beast Ball, or to be vaporized into dust by a massive chakra shell? Could they perhaps choose neither? Being alive was actually quite nice.
Nara Kajisuke, however, had seen the Nine-Tails loitering in the Hokage's office on multiple occasions, usually appearing in a shrunken human form to shamelessly demand an advance on its salary from Stelle. Seeing the giant fox arrive in all its terrifying glory actually made him breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
"Hold your ground, everyone. Do not panic." Kajisuke raised a hand to steady his men. "The Nine-Tails is a close, personal friend of the Fourth Hokage."
He took the initiative to step forward, offering a respectful bow to the towering beast. "We are counting on you."
The Nine-Tails completely ignored him. It kept its massive snout pointed toward the sky, its jaws unhinging as it began gathering a second, even larger Tailed Beast Ball.
Watching from his hidden vantage point, Black Zetsu felt his vision swim. He stared at the giant fox, completely free of any sealing chains or genjutsu control, obediently acting as Konoha's artillery unit.
What in the world was happening?
The Nine-Tails was actually willing to help Konoha fight him. Shouldn't the beast have gone on a murderous rampage to destroy the village the absolute second it escaped its seal? What kind of Tailed Beast was this? Where was its pride as an ancient calamity? It was actually standing shoulder-to-shoulder with humans.
Seeing the second Tailed Beast Ball locking onto the floating fortress, Black Zetsu frantically issued commands to the Karaku Village leader, forcing them to steer the massive structure out of the projectile's path.
"Kurama, I am leaving that hunk of junk to you. Coordinate with Kajisuke and force that fortress completely out of the village airspace." Stelle's voice echoed across the ruined streets.
The Nine-Tails stood upright on its hind legs, its booming voice carrying the distinct, haughty arrogance unique to an apex predator.
"Do not order me around. Having collected your salary for this long, I suppose it is time for Konoha's official guardian beast to put in a proper shift. That toy is just firing shells powered by the Seven-Tails. It cannot even begin to compete with my firepower."
The giant fox lowered its massive head, glaring down at the trembling shinobi below. "Listen up, humans. From this moment on, you follow my commands. Cooperate with me, and we will bring that floating rock down."
Nara Kajisuke stood in silence. The fox was literally stealing his tactical lines.
Back on Stelle's side of the battlefield, the brief pause ended as both combatants launched into a renewed, ferocious assault.
The black-robed man fully unleashed the power of his Rinnegan, smoothly weaving the destructive properties of the Black Flames into his gravitational attacks.
Both the Black Flames and the Purple Flames were pinnacle fire-style techniques. One was scorching, relentless, and completely unstoppable. The other was freezing, eerie, and carried an aura of absolute misfortune. As they clashed, neither element could consume the other.
The entire district was transformed into a chaotic sea of dual-colored fire.
"Your little trick has a five-second recovery window. Considering my speed, do you honestly believe I cannot close the distance and strike you within those five seconds? I am a shinobi renowned for being fast."
Stelle let out a dry, mocking sneer. Usually, she kept her Purple Flame wrapped around her entire body as a defensive cloak. This time, she abandoned that absolute defense, forcefully concentrating the eerie flames entirely into her legs and fists.
Her hands blurred through a single seal, and a Shadow Clone popped into existence beside her.
The two figures instantly vanished, turning into twin streaks of blinding purple light that converged on the black-robed man from opposite angles. The endless torrents of black and purple fire intertwined once again, creating shockwaves of displaced air.
The ambient temperature spiked so violently it felt as though the very oxygen was burning to ash. The defensive ninja, who had originally planned to support her, could not even step within a hundred yards of the clash. They were forced to retreat further and further just to avoid being roasted alive.
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air. A concentrated beam of purple light broke straight through the defensive wall of Black Flames, tearing through the sky and splitting the dark inferno perfectly in half.
"Universal Pull!"
The raspy, deadpan voice rang out again. The Purple Flame coating Stelle's body flared violently as she planted her feet into the cracked earth. She stood firmly in place, her muscles locking as she engaged in a brutal, physical tug-of-war against the invisible force of gravity.
The technique failed to move her. The extreme, sudden resistance caused the gravitational tether to snap back, knocking the black-robed man off his feet and sending him tumbling across the dirt.
He slowly pushed himself up from the ground. Tilting his head to the side, a cold smile crept across his face as he spoke in a low, malevolent rasp.
"As expected of the powerhouse who slaughtered four Kage single-handedly. However, brute force is far from enough. The true power of a god is something you fragile mortals cannot even begin to comprehend. Now, receive divine punishment."
A terrifying, vast ocean of chakra began to fluctuate around the black-robed man. His feet left the ground, his body slowly rising into the sky, floating higher and higher above the ruined village.
When he finally stopped at a commanding altitude, the shinobi below could only see his eyes emitting a strange, piercing purple glow. A thrilling, catastrophic energy gathered around his floating form, suffocating the atmosphere.
Slowly, deliberately, he extended both hands outward, bringing them together in front of his chest.
Every sound in the surrounding area suddenly vanished. The howling wind, the crackling flames, the distant explosions all ceased, plunging the world into a terrifying, scalp-numbing silence.
The air around him began to twist and fold violently upon itself. Looking up at him was like staring through a thick layer of boiling water vapor. Space itself seemed to intersect and warp, the scenery behind him constantly distorting and fluctuating under the sheer density of his gathered power.
An invisible, crushing pressure descended from the heavens, pressing the shinobi into the dirt.
Stelle stood amidst the rubble, gazing up at the floating figure high in the sky. A single drop of cold sweat slid down her forehead.
If this incoming wave actually leveled Konoha to the ground, her hard-earned title as the strongest in the ninja world would become an absolute joke.
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