As Kirigakure's ace among aces, Sora attracted too many gazes… some expectant, some trusting, some worshipful. Many Jonin from Kirigakure even questioned whether he truly had the ability to hold the position of commander of the expeditionary force.
However, at this moment-
When the explosive flames from the Konoha's camp shot into the sky…
When the severely injured Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki arrived disheveled on the battlefield…
The doubts the Kirigakure's Jonin had about Sora also vanished accordingly. Replacing them were gazes even more blazing than flames, a fanaticism seemingly named faith.
Everyone understood the incalculable value a Ninja capable of suppressing a Jinchuriki held on a large battlefield.
And such a Ninja held irreplaceable significance for Kirigakure.
In an instant, because of Sora's appearance, the morale of the Kirigakure's Ninja forces soared to its limit.
"Kill!"
"Charge!"
"For Kirigakure!"
"For Sora-sama!"
Kirigakure's Ninjas roared as they charged towards the Konoha positions. No longer worried about the Jinchuriki's threat, the innate bloodlust of Kirigakure's Ninjas was completely ignited.
Soon, the Ninja forces, like tidal waves, violently crashed together. After a brief stalemate, the battlefield once again entered meat grinder mode.
A bloody slaughter. As blood splattered, lives continuously vanished on this cruel battlefield.
Just then, Sora, clad in a white haori, also crossed the chaotic battlefield and arrived at the very front of the Konoha's positions.
Now-
Before Sora were the Konoha's Ninjas whose killing cries shook the sky. He stood alone, calmly solidified before the Konoha front line.
Behind him, Kirigakure's forces surged like a tide.
Instantly, countless gazes converged on Sora.
"One person…"
"Don't look down on Konoha's Ninjas!"
"Hmph, Kirigakure's Yuki Sora, he's too arrogant. This is war, not a one-on-one fight. Does he want to face a thousand people alone?"
"Is he qualified?"
"Come on, does he think he's Kirigakure's Mizukage?"
"Since he's seeking death, let's send him off, and avenge Kushina-sama while we're at it!"
Immediately after, the elite Ninjas at the very front of the Konoha positions, under the orders of their Jonin Captain, began rapidly forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Boom!!!
In an instant, dozens of Konoha's Chunin, and even Jonin, joined forces to use Fire Release Ninjutsu.
Abruptly, a scorching and spectacular sea of fire appeared, blooming on the battlefield like fireworks.
High temperature!
Blazing!
Scalding Chakra!
In a moment, a vast amount of flame converged into a sea, roaring and swirling as it crushed towards Sora's location.
The combined effort of dozens of elite Ninjas released a terrifying sea of fire extending over a hundred meters. Within it, fearsome fire snakes danced, emitting a scorching aura sufficient to devour everything.
Where the sea of fire passed, grass, trees, and rocks were swallowed and melted by the high temperature. Even the damp air was dried out, emitting sizzling sounds.
Moreover, it wasn't over!
After the first wave of Fire Release Ninjutsu took shape, dozens of Ninjas skilled in Wind Release immediately stepped forward from the rear of the Konoha's positions.
As hand seals formed, gusts of wind swept out.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Release: Whirlwind Dance!"
"Wind Release: Wind Roll Technique!"
Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~
Gales convoluting high-pressure Chakra quickly gathered, forming small tornadoes that roared forth.
For a time, the wind fanned the flames, causing the sea of fire to explode and surge skyward, its momentum overwhelming.
"Be careful!"
"It's Konoha's combined Ninjutsu!"
"Water Release, quickly organize a Water Release defense!"
"But what about Sora-sama?"
A Kirigakure's Ninja, his hands flying through hand seals, saw Sora alone, pressing against the Konoha's front line. He couldn't help but exclaim: "Sora-sama, danger!!!"
In the distance was an extending hundred-meter tornado sea of fire, crashing down from the sky like a monstrous wave.
That power, fused from the Chakra of over a hundred elite Ninjas, had completely surpassed the power of normal Ninjas. It was simply a force of nature that humans absolutely could not withstand.
"Sora!!!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!!!"
After a brief moment of stunned disbelief, Mei charged towards Sora's side recklessly.
Leveraging the water attribute amplification from the recent heavy rain, the moment she attacked, a hundred-meter long roaring water dragon thunderously shot towards that horrifying sea of fire.
Yet even so, Mei's Water Dragon Bullet still seemed so insignificant and not worth mentioning before that sky-reaching sea of fire.
Some Kirigakure's Ninjas' faces couldn't help but show a trace of panic. They were very afraid, wondering if their commander, who had just appeared, about to be killed by Konoha's combined Ninjutsu!??
It couldn't be helped.
Before that sky-reaching sea of fire, Sora's figure was far too tiny, like an ant that could be destroyed at any moment.
However, Sora, standing motionless before the sea of fire, had an extremely calm expression. He looked up, gazing at that earth-shattering sea of fire, but between his brows was an indescribable composure and calmness.
"Hyorinmaru…"
"Six-Point Ice Formation."
Sora's voice, calm to the point of seeming devoid of any emotion, sounded.
Immediately after, rays of piercingly cold white light shone from the void, turning into straight lines that instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.
The next moment, the lines formed by the white light rapidly contracted. Connecting lines into surfaces, they transformed into a coffin-shaped domain that completely swallowed the sea of fire extending over a hundred meters.
White light emitting cold air grew increasingly dazzling. It seemed to move slowly, yet in the blink of an eye, it froze all the scalding heat, blazing intensity, and high pressure within the space.
Cold air ran rampant.
The moment those white light surfaces formed by lines completely connected, it was as if an iceberg had suddenly appeared on the battlefield.
With unbelievable force, it froze and ice-sealed that earth-shattering sea of fire.
The translucent white iceberg reflected a shimmering cold light, but within it was encased a sea of fire of irregular shape, forming a pattern resembling a giant crimson coral.
It was like a massive piece of amber suddenly forming. White ice wrapping red fire gave an extremely contrasting visual impact.
The giant ice coffin emitting cold air rose into the sky, brutally bursting into the sight of all Ninjas like a crushing landslide.
At this moment, not only the Konoha's Ninjas, but even the Kirigakure's Ninjas, were dumbfounded watching this.
In an instant, the world seemed frozen.
Petrification.
Stupefaction.
Terror.
The Ninjas who were shouting and killing moments ago now unanimously froze in place. Their gazes fixed on the iceberg standing before them, countless insane emotions exploded in their minds.
Thump!
Thump!
Crack~ Crack~
Crisp tapping sounds lightly echoed inside the ice coffin. Gradually, cracks spread from the core.
Then, under the insane and incredulous gazes of the crowd, the red flame coral encased by the frigid ice shattered like rotten wood, then scattered on the ground like snowflakes.
In an instant, the entire battlefield was terrified.
"Wh...what? What kind of Ninjutsu is this?"
"God, the Yuki Clan's Ice Release can actually block a combined Ninjutsu from a hundred people!??"
"That iceberg... you must be joking! An ability that can alter the terrain so easily, is he really not a god???"
"It's simply... simply not an opponent on the same level!!! Yuki Sora, he, he... is definitely a powerhouse on the level as Hokage-sama!!!!!"
"Even Hokage-sama in his prime might not have possessed such combat power, right?"
The Konoha's Jonin, including Shinsuke and Choza, were completely shocked by what had just happened.
Some Jonin even began to tremble, their legs shaking, unable to resist the urge to retreat.
Now, these Jonin finally remembered that the enemy they were facing was the Yuki Sora who had successively defeated Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina...
He was that Kirigakure's ace who killed Jonin as easily as slaughtering livestock!!!
Shinsuke, one of Konoha's main fighters, couldn't help but look at Minato and Kushina not far away with a horrified gaze.
'Before, were Minato and Kushina fighting such a monster!??'
'No wonder...'
'Even the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki like Kushina was brutally beaten into such a miserable state!!!'
…
'He's actually this strong!??'
On the Kirigakure's side, Mei, who was anxious a second ago, was now beginning to be dumbfounded. She looked at the scattered red ice fragments on the ground, her fair, pretty face full of an expression questioning reality.
'Fire…'
'Can also be frozen!??'
'Sora!'
'Are you sure this is Ninjutsu, and not some damned magic!!!'
"Hehe…"
"A mere small scene, why be surprised? That is Sora-sama after all!"
"Sora-sama must not be disrespected!"
Yuzuki stood within the crowd, one hand behind his back, showing off intensely.
He had long had a clear understanding of Sora's combat power. Now, seeing the shocked and terrified expressions on his village comrades' faces, he couldn't help but feel a sense of intellectual superiority.
'Mere mortals, how could they understand how magnificent Sora-sama is!'
Astonishment.
Bewilderment.
Incredulity.
Just as the Konoha's Ninjas on the positions were still souls roaring from the miraculous ice-sealing of fire, Sora's figure instantly vanished from his spot.
When he reappeared, he had already flickered into the midst of the Konoha's formation.
The air still seemed to permeate with frost.
At this moment, a splash of scalding blood spurted out, adding a few strands of bloody warmth to the frost-filled air.
It was a Konoha's Chunin. His flying head still retained the stunned expression from moments ago.
He hadn't reacted to anything at all before meeting his end, head separated from body.
Instant kill.
Sora slowly retracted his Zanpakuto, his gaze piercingly cold as he looked at those Konoha's Ninjas.
'2000 people!'
'The number before me was definitely less than two thousand!'
'In other words…'
'Konoha's reinforcement troops are already on the way, right?'
While showing a thoughtful expression, Sora's hands didn't stop moving. In an instant, another Konoha's Genin was alive split in two.
Chunin, Genin…
Enemies of this level held no interest for Sora to attack.
But for the sake of this war's victory, even the most boring and cruel things had to be endured.
'During the Fourth Great Ninja War, was this Uchiha Madara's state of mind when facing the Allied Shinobi Forces and even the Five Kage?'
Sora smiled wryly.
The next moment, he turned into an afterimage, boldly charging into the midst of the Konoha positions.
The Expert Level Shunpo was unleashed!
This was speed on par with, or even faster than, the Flying Thunder God.
Once this speed erupted on the battlefield, it was simply the apocalypse for ordinary Ninjas.
Afterimages!
No!
Not even afterimages could be seen!
Apart from Jonin, who could slightly sense Sora's presence, the remaining Chunin and Genin simply couldn't see the trajectory of Sora's movement.
If they couldn't see it, they naturally had no way to resist, not even a chance to fight back.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Within a few seconds, groups of Konoha's Ninjas were cut down.
The ground was covered with corpses. Just at the moment of engagement, over twenty people died tragically at Sora's hands.
The gap was too large!
It was like a fully-equipped carry brutally killing bushes in the grass.
As long as Sora attacked, it was an instant kill. Whether Genin, Chunin, or Jonin, meeting him meant death, with no chance to escape.
Soon, Sora literally carved out a bloody forbidden zone within the Konoha's formation. Countless Konoha's Ninjas crowded the periphery, faces pale as they swallowed saliva, some even beginning to lose the courage to attack.
"Fight? We simply can't fight!"
"We can't even see him, how do we fight?"
"Hyuga Clan, stop slacking! If you don't lock onto the enemy soon, all of us will be wiped out!"
"Dammit, stop talking! Just now, two Hyuga Clan's Jonin just looked at the Chakra on that monster and were directly scared into foaming at the mouth. This is messed up!"
"Maybe…"
"We should run?"
"Run where? The enemy is the Bloody Mist. Surrendering means becoming a specimen, think carefully!"
The Konoha's Ninjas instantly fell into disorder. Some were shocked, some terrified, some germinated thoughts of retreat.
Under the influence of various complex negative emotions, the entire force's morale began to collapse like an avalanche.
Seeing this scene, the Kirigakure's Ninjas' fighting spirit surged greatly. Waving the kunai and swords in their hands, they charged towards those scared stupid Konoha's Ninjas.
During the engagement, many Konoha's Ninjas, scared out of their wits by Sora, acted hastily.
Within a few moves, they were literally cut to death by the elite Kirigakure's Ninjas.
Casualties rapidly expanded.
Seeing this scene on the battlefield, Minato, the current supreme commander, couldn't help but feel his heart sink.
He originally wanted to charge forward and fight Sora in a bloody struggle, but looking at the still-recovering Kushina beside him, he gritted his teeth and held back.
'Kushina…'
'Must absolutely not be in danger!'
If Sora launched another sneak attack and directly killed Kushina, then the Konoha's forces, lacking top-tier combat power, could potentially be wiped out by Sora alone!!!
After two encounters, Minato was very certain that the opponent definitely possessed this ability!!!
At the critical moment between life and death, one must remain calm!
Calm!
Minato gritted his teeth tightly.
Wait!
He must wait until Kushina's condition was fully restored. Only then would it be the time for a decisive battle!