At this moment.
Tenfu Gorge battlefield.
Hundreds of corpses of Konoha's Ninja, transformed into ice sculptures, stood in clusters across the battlefield. The scene of corpses strewn everywhere, yet bizarrely lacking the expected rivers of blood, emitted an eerie aura, terrifying like a living hell.
After Sora defeated the Yellow Flash and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, Konoha's frontline forces, as expected, collapsed.
The terrifying ice coffin reaching for the sky was like the entrance to hell, sending countless Konoha's Ninjas into the abyss of death.
On the other hand, the Kirigakure's pursuit force, after killing a few dozen more Konoha's Ninjas, knew when to stop and withdrew back to Tenfu Gorge to clean up the battlefield.
This was perfectly normal. As the saying goes, one should not pursue a desperate enemy. If they chased too deep, they might force the Konoha's Ninjas into a corner.
Moreover, they were within the Land of Fire. If other Konoha forces arrived and surrounded them, the Kirigakure's troops would truly experience a turn from joy to sorrow.
Of course, the rout of Konoha was already irreversible. The Kirigakure's side had undoubtedly achieved victory in the Tenfu Gorge campaign, and it was an unbelievable great victory at that.
The Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, severely wounded!
The Yellow Flash, defeated and retreated!
A Konoha's Ninja Army of roughly a thousand strong, brutally reduced by seventy percent!
And the price Kirigakure paid for such abundant results was extremely small: merely a few dozen Ninja lives, and the consumption of some kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags.
In short, this was a complete victory!
A victory worthy of extensive praise throughout the entire history of Kirigakure!
Especially since, in this campaign, Kirigakure's opponent was Konoha, known as the [Strongest Ninja Village]!
On the battlefield,
Some Konoha's Ninjas who had fortunately survived were also dug out from the piles of dead by Kirigakure's Ninjas and saved with the best healing medicines.
Of course, this didn't mean these Konoha's Ninjas were saved, because what awaited them next was the torture of Kirigakure's interrogation squad.
By then, death would probably be a luxury.
Sora also released his Bankai State, drifting down lightly from the sky onto the battlefield.
As he sheathed his Zanpakuto, Sora turned.
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
At this time, the Kirigakure's Ninjas who had been busy cleaning the battlefield also turned their eyes in unison towards Sora, who is clad in his white haori.
One man, clothed in white as snow.
Standing calmly on the battlefield, yet inexplicably radiating an intangible aura that made all the Ninjas present feel a sense of trepidation, even an urge to prostrate themselves in worship.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
The vast battlefield fell into a dead stillness.
A moment later, one Kirigakure's Ninja after another began to walk slowly towards Sora's direction.
Their bodies seemed incredibly stiff, like walking zombies, yet each face was brimming with sheer excitement and fanaticism.
Finally, Yuzuki was the first to drop to one knee. He raised his head, his face full of a crazed expression, his right hand clenched into a fist, continuously pounding his chest.
"Sora-sama's divine might!"
"I..."
"Am willing to offer my life to Sora-sama!!!!"
After speaking, Yuzuki continued to pound his chest madly.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
Behind him, the other Kirigakure's Ninjas with equally fanatical faces seemed to have found an outlet for their fervent emotions. They too dropped to one knee, a dark mass kneeling across the field.
Within that rising and falling sea of people, every face was filled with boundless fanaticism and worship. Those blazing gazes seemed capable of burning away everything like flames.
"Sora-sama's divine might!"
"I..."
"Am willing to offer my life to Sora-sama!!!!"
"..."
"Sora-sama's divine might!"
"I..."
"Am willing to offer my life to Sora-sama!!!!"
A roaring sound like mountains and tides suddenly reverberated across the battlefield. That fanatical emotion spread wildly, seeming to make the very air grow scorching.
"Sora!"
Mei's beautiful eyes also reddened, 'How many years had it been? How many years had it been since Kirigakure had such a thoroughly satisfying great victory!!!!'
The First Mizukage!
Defeated by Hashirama Senju!
The Second Mizukage!
Killed by Iwagakure!
The Third Mizukage!
Successively defeated in war by Sarutobi Hiruzen and A!
Defeat! Defeat! Defeat!
Loss! Loss! Loss!
In this world, no one understood failure better than the Kirigakure's Ninjas, and no one yearned for victory more than them!!!
At this moment, years of oppressive failure and repression transformed into a giant hammer within this fanatical atmosphere, striking fiercely against Mei's heart. The immense impact caused an extremely sore feeling in her eyes, and tears couldn't help but fall.
Victory!
What a sweet taste it was!
Mei looked at the expressions on her comrades' faces… some fanatical, some reverent, some worshipful, while her own pretty face also flushing.
"Sora!"
"He can definitely do it!"
"He..."
"Absolutely can change this village, change this world!"
Mei felt her body filled with waves of a sour, astringent feeling. That excitement, so intense it was hard to breathe, made her also uncontrollably drop to one knee.
Tears continuously dripped from her lowered face onto the ground, tears filled with trust and hope, tears of passion.
A world-shaking battle, a hefty, shocking battle record, made Sora's figure become monumental in the hearts of countless Kirigakure's Ninjas.
Victory!
Revival!
Greatness!
A belief sprouted in their hearts: as long as they followed behind Sora, then no matter the goal, it could definitely be achieved.
Even changing this cruel village, even changing this hellish world!!!
…
Five hours later.
Due to the rout of Konoha's main forces, the Kirigakure's side smoothly took control of the positions around Tenfu Gorge.
"Sora completely dominated this war."
Yagura stood at a high point in the gorge, gazing at the battlefield that had become ruins, and muttered excitedly: "In terms of pure strength, let alone you and me, I'm afraid even Mizukage-sama is mostly not Sora's match. His presence on the battlefield..."
"Is that of a merciless war machine!"
"Sora has brought the Yuki Clan's Ice Release to an unbelievable level. I can already see the shadow of the God of Ninja, Senju Hashirama, upon him!"
As soon as the words fell, Yagura couldn't help but take a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the heart that was almost jumping out of his throat.
"A second Senju Hashirama? That's really an exaggerated, outrageous evaluation!"
Fuguki, holding Samehada nearby, had an indescribable look in his eyes, also filled with awe.
After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "If that's the case, then the candidate for the village's Fourth Mizukage probably holds no suspense anymore."
Originally, both Fuguki and Yagura were top contenders for the position of Fourth Mizukage within Kirigakure. But now, with Sora's meteor-like rise, their own battle achievements and strength seemed somewhat inadequate.
Especially for Fuguki… after this battle, his slight apprehension towards Sora had completely turned into respect and looking up with admiration.
Yes!
When you think a competitor is only slightly stronger than you, you might feel wary. But when that opponent's gap with you becomes as vast as that between cloud and mud, that wariness naturally disappears.
Because...
It's utterly meaningless!
"Ah, what a pity."
Yagura sighed. "We ultimately let Namikaze Minato and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki escape. If we could have kept their heads, Sora would have gained an unparalleled military merit, his fame approaching that of the Second Mizukage!"
"Killing the Yellow Flash is too difficult!"
Fuguki, however, laughed. "The Flying Thunder God Technique is as troublesome as rats in a sewer. Don't say Sora, even if Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara from back then came, I doubt it would be easy to kill him!"
"True."
Yagura also laughed. "Time flies so fast. Unknowingly, Sora, who was originally just an Anbu Captain, seems to have become a Ninja comparable to Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. His talent is truly unbelievable!"
At this moment, Yagura's face was full of envy.
In his view, Sora, who could single-handedly suppress the Nine-Tails + Namikaze Minato + an elite thousand-strong force, had undoubtedly possessed legendary-level power. An ordinary Kage-level Ninja like himself would probably be killed casually by Sora!
Perfect!
What a perfect and astonishing battle!
Yagura gazed into the distance at the battlefield, still feeling extremely tremulous. He felt as if he were staring at history, witnessing the rise of a supernova destined to shine across the Ninja Continent.
Soon, as the two conversed, a Jonin from the Intelligence Division flickered to appear before Fuguki and Yagura.
"Fuguki-sama, Yagura-sama!"
"The statistical data for this campaign is out!"
As he spoke, that Jonin knelt on one knee, presenting a scroll.
"Just read it out!"
Yagura waved his hand.
"Alright!"
Upon hearing this, the Jonin hurriedly unrolled the scroll in his hand. Even though he had already read the contents several times, his face still appeared with a look of utterly horrified shock.
"The Konoha's Ninja Army stationed at Tenfu Gorge numbered approximately 1,128. Among them, the known Elite Jonin included the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki Uzumaki Kushina, the reinforcing Minato Namikaze, the head of the Akimichi Clan's Akimichi Choza, the Third Hokage's son Sarutobi Shinsuke..."
"According to the current statistics, our side annihilated 912 Konoha's Ninjas in this battle and captured 17. Among them, the number of Ninjas personally slain by Sora-sama is..."
When he reached this point, the expression of the Intelligence Division's Jonin suddenly changed from shock to extreme fanaticism. He spoke excitedly, and under the expectant and curious gazes of Fuguki and Yagura, he uttered that astonishing number.
"..."