Chương 71: Counter-Offensive Against the Mist (III)—Maximum Output

It turned out the Mist were no fools. When faced with a legitimate shinobi army, no one was keen on sticking around to play the martyr. Those with enough sense to smell the shifting winds had long since vanished into the underbrush. Who would willingly wait for death? If the higher-ups demanded accountability for the retreat, one could always choose the life of a rogue ninja. In the Bloody Mist, "integrity" was a flexible concept at best.

After scrubbing the battlefield, the Seventh Breach Unit continued its relentless eastward thrust. They were the scalpel of this operation; as long as the flanking friendly units remained silent, their mandate was simple: advance, advance, and advance again. So far, the neighboring units were making excellent time. No stubborn pockets of resistance had required a detour. Intelligence suggested the Mist had established at least four defensive lines along this route.

However, as Dongye Zhen tracked their progress, he realized that beyond the fresh traps left in their wake, the third and fourth lines were ghost towns. In his sensory net, there wasn't a single soul. Either the Mist was consolidating for a final, desperate stand, or they had simply cut their losses and bolted. Attempting to hide traps from the Byakugan was an exercise in futility. Even explosive tag arrays buried deep within cedar trunks or beneath river stones were laid bare by X-ray vision.

Once the hazards were cleared, the Seventh Unit, guided by Zhen's perception, arrived at the gates of a massive stronghold. They had encountered similar outposts before, but like the defensive lines, those had been abandoned. This one, however, was different. Its geography was a tactician's nightmare: it sat atop a jagged rise, backed by a sheer, vertical precipice. Within the forest surrounding the slope, enemies lay in wait.

They had masked their breathing and suppressed their chakra with clinical precision, but they could not evade the combined scrutiny of Zhen, the Hyuga, and the Aburame. The Inuzuka contingent, for once, was sidelined. For a ninja, scent is the easiest signature to scrub—and if it can't be erased, it can be drowned out by pungent decoys. A nose too sensitive was a liability; the legend of Naruto Uzumaki's well-timed flatulence incapacitating Kiba Inuzuka remained a cautionary tale.

In contrast, the Aburame's microscopic, all-pervading hive was far more difficult to circumvent. The cliff behind the fort was no obstacle for a shinobi's wall-walking, but an ascent from that angle meant braving a vertical rain of fire with nowhere to hide. The only viable path was a frontal assault up the slope. Had they a Hashirama or a Madara in their ranks, the problem would have been trivial—they would simply walk up the hill inside a wooden titan or a spectral god.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi's legendary five-element barrage could have leveled the hill. Or perhaps Orochimaru could have summoned Manda to coil around the peak and crush it. But they had none of the above. The "old snake" was currently obsessed with his laboratory, frequently taking to the sea for gods-know-what purpose. Uchiha Sosuke broke the silence.

"How many in the woods?"

"Fewer than us," Zhen replied.

"Roughly a hundred and fifty Mist ninjas lurking in the brush." Konoha had mustered roughly a thousand shinobi for this final push to drive the invaders into the sea. Between guarding the Land of Waves and maintaining the command camp, this was the absolute limit of their available manpower. The thousand were split into over a dozen units. The Seventh Breach Unit was the largest, boasting two hundred men at the start. Even after two lines of defense, they stood at a hundred and eighty.

Their losses had been remarkably light. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The village was at a crossroads. The Land of Fire was under siege on all fronts: the Hidden Sand was a fickle ally to the west, while the north was a meat grinder against the Cloud and the Rock. There were no reinforcements coming. Zhen and his peers were the final reserve. If they fell, the village would be forced to graduate academy children—sending lambs to the slaughter.

"Perhaps we should wait for the other units," Yunmi Gekko suggested, supported by several other Jonin.

"A massive disparity in numbers might force a surrender." Uchiha Sosuke knew that was the logical choice, but he was a man possessed. This was the Uchiha's moment to shine, to hoard the glory that would pave the way for the Clan Head's legacy. The Seventh Unit had been packed with Uchiha clansmen for this very purpose. He waved a dismissive hand.

"We wait for no one. The mandate of a Breach Unit is to sweep aside every obstacle. The Uchiha will lead the charge. We will be the first to bleed and the first to die. Today, we remind the world why we are the strongest clan in existence." What could anyone say to that? He was the commander, and he was putting his own kin on the front line. Zhen watched the exchange and shook his head. Were the Uchiha brave? Absolutely. Were they formidable? Without question. But Sosuke's bravado was a double-edged sword.

Even if they won, no one would thank the clan. When the families of the fallen learned of today's reckless haste, who would they blame? The village's propaganda machine was not in Uchiha hands. The forest erupted once more. While a small detachment circled toward the base of the cliff to cut off any retreat, the main force surged up the slope, led by the Uchiha. As soon as they entered range, the air became a chaotic tapestry of whistling steel.

Kunai, shuriken, and massive Fuma shuriken clashed in mid-air with a deafening metallic din. Among the flurry of metal were countless explosive tags; the resulting detonations hollowed out a scorched "no-man's-land" between the two armies. Konoha pressed through the fire. As the distance closed, the elemental war began. The Mist ninjas, holding the high ground, launched a coordinated Water Style barrage.

Water Trumpet, Wild Water Wave, and Exploding Water Colliding Wave converged into a roaring torrent that cascaded down the slope, snapping ancient trees like toothpicks. The Uchiha at the vanguard responded in kind. Great Fireball and Majestic Destroyer Flame blossomed from their lungs, supported by a dozen other elemental jutsu from the rest of the unit. The two collective forces collided with a thunderous roar. A wall of blinding steam hissed into the sky, blanketing the hillside in a white shroud.

Though Konoha was fighting uphill, they held their ground. Now came the brutal transition to close-quarters combat. RUMBLE! But then, a sound deeper and more terrifying than the first echoed from the heights. A group of Mist elites, having drained their chakra to the dregs, unleashed a joint Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave. Zhen didn't know how the future Kisame Hoshigaki would look using this technique with Samehada, but he imagined it would look exactly like this.

A monstrous volume of water surged forth, swallowing everything in its path. It wasn't just a wave; it was a mountain of water, carrying boulders and uprooted timber, fueled by gravity and a desperate, suicidal intent. It bore down on the Konoha shinobi like an act of a vengeful god. Faced with this man-made tsunami, the Leaf ninjas froze. How could they block the ocean? The Uchiha were masters of fire, not fortresses.

Most shinobi in this world only had enough chakra for a few Earth-Style Walls, and a mere wall was a joke against a flood of this magnitude. Zhen sighed. He had seen this coming. The Mist could afford to simply throw water downhill; the attackers had to dodge metal, counter jutsu, and somehow keep enough strength to kill. He couldn't watch his allies be swept away. For the first time since the war began, Dongye Zhen wove a series of hand signs.

He slipped into Sage Mode in a heartbeat, his cells gorging on the white natural energy and fusing it with his own essence. He dropped into a crouch and slammed his palms against the soil. Sage Art: Earth Release: Super Earth-Style Wall! Two massive earth ramparts rose with violent speed, joining at an obtuse angle directly in front of the Konoha formation. The walls were absurdly thick, their height eclipsing even the crest of the incoming flood. When the tsunami slammed into the barrier, the world shook.

The sound was deafening, a roar of primal fury meeting immovable stone. The Super Earth-Style Wall didn't flinch. It stood like a titan, parting the sea and guiding the destructive torrent harmlessly into the forests flanking the hill. Silence fell, save for the receding rush of water. On the heights, the Mist elites—now gasping for air, their chakra spent—stared down at the monolithic barrier in absolute shock. A cold, sinking dread took hold of them. The joint jutsu failed...

God help us, have we stumbled upon another Konoha monster?