Rumble—!
The explosion caused by the Rasenshuriken raged on for more than ten seconds before finally beginning to subside.
At the center of the blast, an enormous circular crater had been carved into the earth.
Smoke and dust billowed endlessly from the pit, rolling outward in thick waves.
The scene resembled the aftermath of a meteor strike—a natural disaster unleashed upon the battlefield.
Thump—thump… thump—thump…
The sound of violent heartbeats echoed in the chests of every Sand shinobi who had managed to escape.
Fear filled their eyes.
"Report to me—now! What's the situation?!"
Ebizō seized a sensory ninja by the collar and roared.
The sheer scale of that ninjutsu made his heart sink straight to the bottom.
"Eliminated… gone," the sensory ninja replied, his voice shaking.
"The chakra signatures of one hundred and ten Sand shinobi have completely disappeared."
His fear had nothing to do with Ebizō's expression.
It was terror born from what he had sensed.
"W–What?!"
Ebizō's vision swam. His body swayed, nearly collapsing on the spot.
Fortunately, the sensory ninja reacted in time, grabbing him before he fell.
One hundred shinobi.
Gone—without a trace.
Blood seemed to drip from Ebizō's heart.
Regret surged violently within him.
If he hadn't ordered the use of large-scale ninjutsu to kick up dust and obscure vision—
If the battlefield hadn't been blanketed in sand and smoke—
That long-range Wind Style technique would never have caused casualties on such a terrifying scale.
"…Take me over there."
After several heavy breaths, Ebizō barely steadied himself.
He had to see it with his own eyes.
The Sand shinobi who had died because of his mistake.
Supported by the sensory ninja, Ebizō staggered toward the crater.
But when he reached the edge…
There were no bodies.
What should have been corpses had long since been shredded by countless wind blades, scattered so completely that not even fragments remained.
Only faint traces of blood lingered in the air.
Silent proof that they had died here.
Ebizō's chest tightened. He could barely breathe.
Already advanced in age, he nearly lost consciousness.
No bodies.
How would he face their families once the war ended?
"Lord Ebizō—that's him!"
"That Wind Style ninjutsu… he's the one who released it!"
The sensory ninja suddenly shouted.
By now, the smoke and dust hanging above Kikyō Castle had finally been blown away.
The castle reemerged into view.
And atop its wall—
A lone figure stood.
From this distance, only a vague silhouette could be seen.
"Move out. We engage."
Ebizō clenched his teeth, staring toward the castle.
He immediately ordered the Sand shinobi to spread out.
After witnessing that long-range ninjutsu, he no longer dared to let his forces cluster together.
"The enemy has suffered over a hundred casualties!"
On the watchtower of Kikyō Castle, a Konoha sensory ninja reported loudly to Yuhi Shinku.
For a brief moment, silence fell—
Then cheers erupted across the battlements.
Eyes filled with awe and disbelief all turned toward the figure standing above the city wall.
At this moment...
He was undeniably the most dazzling presence on the battlefield.
Kushina looked at Yagami, admiration clear in her eyes.
And something more—something different—flickered within her gaze.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating 110 enemies. Prestige gained: 6078 points.]
The system notification echoed in Yagami's mind, snapping him out of his daze.
Even he had been momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected to wipe out more than a hundred enemies in a single strike.
But after thinking it through, realization dawned.
The sand and dust raised earlier must have blocked the Sand shinobi's vision.
As a result, they never noticed the incoming ninjutsu in time and missed their chance to evade.
Understanding this, Yagami felt a quiet surge of satisfaction.
Ironically, the very dust they had stirred up themselves had become the price they paid.
"Sand shinobi are approaching again!"
"Everyone—stay focused!"
Shinku, eyes bloodshot, shouted the warning as he spotted the enemy advancing once more.
The Sand shinobi split around the massive crater, pressing toward Kikyō Castle again.
This time, however, their formation was far more scattered than before.
Pa—pa—pa
Footsteps echoed as their forces drew closer.
Though Yagami had eliminated over a hundred of them, more than nine hundred still remained.
The numerical gap had barely changed.
One hundred against a thousand…
One hundred against nine hundred…
The difficulty remained the same.
[Ding! A hostile target fears the host. Prestige +1.]
[Ding! A hostile target fears the host. Prestige +1.]
[Ding! 631 hostile targets fear the host. Prestige +631.]
The Sand shinobi halted tens of meters away from the castle.
At this distance, both sides could clearly see each other's faces.
Another wave of fear surged through the enemy ranks—
And Yagami calmly harvested the prestige it brought.
"Lord Ebizō—that's him."
"He's Yagami."
Earlier, Yagami had changed into samurai attire, and from a distance, Guizhi hadn't recognized him.
But now that they were close, realization struck instantly.
The man standing atop the wall was the same Yagami from yesterday.
He hurriedly reported it.
"He's the Yagami who slaughtered your men yesterday?"
Ebizō stared at him grimly.
"Yes."
"Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him."
Guizhi's voice trembled but his certainty did not.
After confirmation, Ebizō fixed his gaze on Yagami.
So Konoha truly possessed such a monster.
Not only terrifying with the sword—
But equally absurd with ninjutsu.
Fine, Ebizō thought coldly.
So you intend to hold the city with only a hundred men…
Then I'll bury you all here—alongside the Sand shinobi.
His eyes burned with murderous intent as he stared at Yagami standing calmly atop the wall, clad in a swordsman's attire.
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