A black beam of light shot out from nearby, exploding in the center of a Sand Ninja squad.
The next moment, a monstrous figure with jet-black skin and four arms charged into the group. Its sharp claws gleamed like open blades, shredding through the unsuspecting Sand Ninja formation in an instant, leaving behind a storm of blood.
"Wind Style: Binding Web!"
Nearby, a Sand Ninja Jonin rapidly formed hand seals, unleashing their signature jutsu without hesitation.
An invisible net of wind chakra wove together, completely enveloping the rampaging monster.
This large-scale wind net, infused with chakra, possessed the slicing properties unique to Wind Style techniques.
The Binding Web was both destructive and wide-ranging, with the added ability to restrain its target.
The web cut deep gashes into the monster's body, each wound crisscrossing its dark flesh. However, the injuries began healing at an alarming rate, closing up almost as quickly as they appeared. Original content can be found at noᴠelfire.net
The monster let out a deafening roar, the sound waves so powerful they tore through the wind net binding it. The net disintegrated into fragments, unable to withstand the sonic blast.
With its massive claws, the creature ripped apart the remnants of the jutsu as if shredding a piece of tattered fabric.
"Wind Style: Chaotic Airflow!"
"Wind Style: Sand Scattershot!"
"Wind Style: Blade of Wind!"
One Wind Style jutsu after another was unleashed upon the creature from every direction on the battlefield, each attack aiming to overwhelm it completely.
The turbulent wind and sand engulfed the area, obscuring all visibility. The concentrated barrage of jutsu was so intense that it carved several meters off the battlefield's surface.
"Did we get it?" one nearby Sand Ninja asked, panting as they stared at the dust-filled zone where the monster had been.
"No! Its life force is still strong!" The sensor ninja in the group grimaced. The oppressive, sinister chakra that made their skin crawl was still there. If anything, it was growing stronger!
"Fall back!" the sensor ninja shouted urgently.
The nearby Sand Ninjas immediately began retreating, but even with the warning, the enraged monster was faster.
Another black beam of light pierced through the sand-filled battlefield, but this time, it didn't just flicker and disappear. Instead, it solidified into a tangible blade of light, sweeping across the battlefield in a wide arc.
Any Sand Ninja caught within its range was instantly swallowed by the light and evaporated, unable to resist its sheer power.
The once crowded battlefield now featured a stark, semi-circular swath of emptiness, cleared by the monster's devastating attack.
As the pillar of light struck the ground, it erupted into a magnificent explosion.
This scene immediately drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield.
A Sunagakure Jōnin, who had narrowly avoided the light beam using a substitution technique, stood on the quaking ground, shaken by the explosion.
Battling against the surging shockwave, he warily watched the monstrous figure reappear through the swirling dust.
The few Chūnin and Genin who had survived by sheer luck were terrified. Screaming "Monster!" they scrambled backward in desperation.
From another part of the battlefield, Rasa—locked in combat with the Third Raikage—cursed under his breath as he observed the scene through his Third Eye of Sand technique.
The war had raged on for this long, and while the Sunagakure forces had managed to hold off the Kumogakure invaders led by the Third Raikage, their losses were severe.
Although Wind Release had an advantage over Lightning Release, Kumogakure's overall strength far surpassed the current might of Sunagakure.
The disparity in high-level combat power was especially stark. If it weren't for Konoha's support in holding off the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki and the elite Jōnin squad led by Ai, even Rasa's efforts to contain the Third Raikage wouldn't have been enough to turn the tide.
Sunagakure was in such dire straits that even children from the village had been forced to take the battlefield. The One-Tails' jinchūriki was being kept as their ultimate weapon—a last-resort measure to release the tailed beast if their forces collapsed, ensuring mutual destruction.
The only thing keeping Rasa going was the alliance with Konoha and Iwagakure, as both nations had shouldered a significant portion of the pressure from Kumogakure.
In particular, a recent shift of Kumogakure forces toward the Land of Fire's border—seemingly preparing for war with Konoha—had given Rasa a momentary sense of relief.
But the Third Raikage's sudden, unanticipated assault had dashed those hopes.
"Sunagakure brat! Your opponent is me!" roared the Third Raikage, Ay. His body crackled with lightning as he leapt out of the swirling golden sands and charged at Rasa again.
Rasa quickly formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground. Waves of golden sand began to surge in front of him, rising higher and higher like a tidal wave before cascading downward.
The battlefield's terrain was instantly altered, swallowed and reshaped by the flood of gold dust. The Third Raikage's charging figure was swept away by the massive waves of sand.
The sheer weight of the gold dust, imbued with Rasa's chakra, slowed down even Ay's renowned speed and momentum, significantly hindering his straight-line assaults.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Burial!"
The technique buried the target deep within layers of gold dust before triggering a massive explosion, leaving a deep crater in the ground.
This was a jutsu capable of restraining, even suppressing, a tailed beast!
The sand-covered ground shook violently as muffled explosions echoed one after another from deep underground. Then, everything gradually returned to silence.
"Third Raikage, you'll have to stay underground for a while!"
Rasa, who had momentarily suppressed the Third Raikage by burying him deep beneath heavy golden sand with a sudden burst of power, let out a small sigh of relief.
Using such a large-scale jutsu in quick succession took a toll on him.
He knew all too well that his Gold Dust Burial wouldn't be enough to defeat the Third Raikage. After facing him multiple times over the past year, Rasa had seen firsthand the immense strength of the Raikage's Lightning Release Armor.
It was a testament to the Third Raikage's unmatched physical conditioning and mastery of lightning chakra, elevating his defense to an almost invincible level.
To transform a relatively simple jutsu into something that rendered him nearly impervious to weapons was a clear sign of his terrifying power.
If it were anyone else, being buried under Rasa's Gold Dust Burial would mean the end of the battle. But against the Raikage, whose defense was unparalleled, Rasa could only hope to deal with the monster before he clawed his way back to the surface.
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