"One hundred billion exploding tag grand burial array—Hah!"
With a cold shout, the seemingly ordinary ground instantly revealed its true nature.
It was covered in layers upon layers of explosive tags, each as powerful as a bomb. And this wasn't just a single layer—countless layers were buried beneath the limited soil to total an astonishing one hundred billion explosive tags.
In an instant, deafening explosions erupted continuously, and thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky.
As the overall commander of the outer perimeter of this battle, Nara Shikaku—both a shogi enthusiast and one of the highest-intelligence individuals in the Vast Ocean Realm—was well aware that the weakest point in their defenses would naturally be the easiest to breach. He had prepared for this contingency long ago.
However, a flicker of displeasure crossed Shikaku's eyes.
"Damn it, the credit will have to be shared."
The special targets marked by Ye Wen had their uses, especially with the impending war against the Ōtsutsuki clan. The more combat-ready personnel, the better.
There was no need to elaborate on Konan's talent in this era. Her unique Paper Release combined with her ability to mass-produce exploding tags made her akin to a human-shaped bomber.
Initially captured, Konan had been ready to die. She had always thought of herself as part of the trio she grew up with.
But upon reflection, the despair they faced in their past encounters—how could they have possibly handled opponents like those at their age? Moreover, Jiraiya, that irresponsible teacher, had only taught them the basics of ninjutsu without deeply cultivating their potential.
Even with talent, if it wasn't developed, it was useless. Back then, facing Hanzō, the semi-divine Shadow-level gatekeeper, simply surviving was already miraculous.
Strangely enough, Jiraiya truly did possess the fate of being the teacher of the savior.
Had Minato Namikaze not died, his talent and abilities would undoubtedly have restored Konoha to the heights of the Second or even First Hokage. With time, he might have realized Uchiha Madara's vision of unifying the ninja world and achieving peace.
Then there was the trio of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan. Though Yahiko, the leader, lacked some talent, his verbal persuasion skills were eerily similar to Naruto's. If Nagato had awakened his Rinnegan properly and served as his ace fighter, they could have followed Naruto's path. Combined with Konan's deeply refined Paper Release, they could have achieved great things.
Unfortunately, neither generation of disciples had such luck.
The past was like fleeting clouds.
Both of Konan's childhood companions had perished, and she herself had been ready to die. However, she was ultimately persuaded by Kakashi.
Ye Wen had issued orders to select talented individuals from the Vast Ocean Realm to participate in the upcoming war.
Though Kakashi yearned for peace, knowing the future trajectory, he was willing to step back onto the battlefield for his family. Ye Wen had also given assurances.
For divine-level warriors, as long as they accumulated sufficient merit, they could exchange it for benefits such as resurrection or immortality.
Kakashi had ascended to godhood and achieved immortality, but what about his wife and child?
Such was the cruelty of emotions. Even if Kakashi didn't want to, he had to tread this irreversible path for his family.
Konan was no different.
She harbored no obsession with immortality, but if possible, she wished to resurrect her two childhood companions so they could witness the peaceful ninja world they had dreamed of.
Even if this path was drenched in blood.
When the violent explosions finally ceased, Konan stood atop a mountain, her expression one of surprise and admiration.
"Indeed, the last sanctuary lives up to its name. To survive such an explosion with so many toads intact is impressive."
At the forefront, Gamabunta and the other giant toads had used Earth Release techniques to harden their surfaces, shielding themselves and most of their kin from the attack.
Even so, under the intense concentrated blasts, these giant toads were left with torn flesh and grievous wounds, looking utterly pitiful.
Though these toads were Jiraiya's summons, due to past grievances, Konan had long since stopped caring about him as a teacher.
If she could annihilate all these toads, the merits earned from this mission would be enough to resurrect Yahiko and Nagato.
After losing the Rinnegan, the two were now merely slightly stronger than ordinary humans and members of the Uzumaki clan.
Konan wouldn't spare a single toad.
Due to the intense concentration of ki, her figure appeared somewhat gaunt, but her eyes burned with extreme excitement, filled with hope.
"Shikigami Dance!"
Konan spread her arms, and countless sheets of paper folded into paper airplanes emerged from her body, flying toward the group of toads.
After the previous attack, none of the toads dared to underestimate this seemingly frail human.
Fukasaku, having lived for over a century, immediately noticed a flaw in Konan's Paper Release technique. He shouted loudly:
"Gamabunta, quickly use Fire Release! There's something wrong with this woman's paper—it must not get close to us!"
"Understood, Elder!"
Though Fukasaku and the others could also use Fire Release, their size meant their fire techniques and chakra couldn't match the giant toads'.
Konan's paper airplanes were laced with countless exploding tags, which detonated instantly, clashing fiercely with the toads' Fire Release techniques.
Konan frowned. It seemed these toads were truly difficult to kill—such attacks weren't enough to deal significant damage.
At this moment, she also noticed the encroaching outer forces. Determined to secure maximum merit, she decided to unleash her most powerful technique.
"Shikigami Dance: Paper Shuriken—Chaotic Tornado!!!"
Under Konan's control, the paper airplanes transformed into shuriken, swirling around the toads in erratic patterns.
Facing such scattered and unpredictable trajectories, a large number of weaker toads were instantly obliterated.
By now, the two Great Elder Toads had also noticed the approaching human forces. This was no longer the time for revenge against Konan—they needed to retreat quickly.
But how could they easily break through the tornado-like barrage of exploding-tag-laden shuriken? In mere moments, another wave of toads was blown apart.
"Old man, prepare the flames!" Shima suddenly commanded.
Having been together for so long, Fukasaku immediately understood Shima's intent and began channeling Sage Mode chakra.
"Sage Art: Great Flame Inferno!!!"
The surging flames, amplified by wind, shot farther and burned hotter, instantly piercing through Konan's encirclement.
Konan had also transitioned to the ki cultivation system. By now, aside from her Paper Release, she could skillfully wield ki of all five elements.
"Don't think you can escape! Earth Release: Rising Earth Spears!"
But Konan had overlooked one crucial detail. Fukasaku roared:
"Great toads, take as many clansmen as you can! Don't linger in battle—retreat!"
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