The group of mountain bandits had been utterly annihilated under the combined assault of Veigar Koshima, Kakashi Hatake, and Shōgetsu Uchiha. Only a couple dozen remained alive, all gravely injured, writhing on the ground in agony.
Meanwhile, three Shadow Clones of Veigar had launched an attack on a squad of Sunagakure genin. Though the Sand shinobi moved swiftly, Veigar's clones were no less quick. Each clone landed exactly where Kasuri, Aoji, and Shū Ōmon had just stood—immediately brandishing a Phenomenal Evil Rasengan and charging in pursuit.
High within the mountain's interior, Sandō, who had been awaiting news, was abruptly alerted by a rapid series of explosions echoing outside. Alarmed, he sprang into motion.
One of Veigar's clones had already closed in on Kasuri mid-air, preparing to drive the Rasengan into his chest.
At that critical moment, Sandō burst onto the scene—just in time to witness the impending strike. His face twisted in rage and fear as he bellowed:
"Kasuri!!"
BOOM!!
The clone's Phenomenal Evil Rasengan detonated directly against Kasuri's chest. With no time to evade, Kasuri spat out a mouthful of blood, his body hurled backward violently—landing lifelessly at Sandō's feet. His chest was caved in, and all traces of Life Essence were gone.
Simultaneously, Veigar's other two clones struck at Aoji and Shū Ōmon.
However, unlike Kasuri, the two had been standing slightly behind him. That minor distance proved crucial—they narrowly escaped the fatal blow.
Bang. Bang.
The Rasengans collided—not with flesh, but with wooden substitutes. The two bodies exploded into shards of substitution wood.
At the final possible second, Aoji and Shū Ōmon had activated the Substitution Jutsu, evading death and landing beside Sandō, flanking him on either side.
Lying between them was Kasuri's corpse.
While Sandō began weaving hand signs swiftly—his gaze fixed on Veigar preparing another attack—Aoji and Shū Ōmon stood in stunned silence, mourning.
"Kasuri…"
"Kasuri…"
Their broken voices trembled with grief. But the dead do not answer.
Even as Sandō had emerged, Veigar had already drawn two shuriken, channeling chakra into a Wind Release: Shuriken Jutsu.
The clone that had just killed Kasuri met Sandō's counterattack upon landing.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Shuriken Jutsu!"
Veigar's clone was ready for its end. A torrent of mud and stone from Sandō's Earth Dragon Bullet smashed into it, dispelling it into a cloud of smoke.
At the same time, Veigar's wind infused shuriken were hurled directly toward Sandō.
His remaining two clones finished weaving their own hand signs as the shuriken flew past them, yelling in unison:
"Wind Release: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With their final act, they duplicated the shuriken mid-flight.
Poof! Poof!
The two clones vanished—but their jutsu remained active.
Originally two blades, the wind-infused shuriken now multiplied—becoming a dozen deadly projectiles.
Instantly, the expressions on Sandō, Aoji, and Shū Ōmon's faces changed.
Swish!
Sandō leapt backward, his instincts flaring.
He narrowly avoided the attack.
Aoji and Shū Ōmon weren't so lucky.
Their movements lagged just a second behind. As their feet lifted off the ground, the cloned wind shuriken reached them.
Aoji was cleaved in half from the chest down. Shū Ōmon's throat was sliced cleanly through. Different deaths—the same look of terror frozen in their eyes.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Sandō, now the last one standing, wasted no time. Having witnessed the devastating force of Veigar's wind techniques, he slammed his hands to the ground.
A thick earthen wall surged upward before him.
But he had underestimated the power of Veigar's teamwork.
The Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, enhanced by Wind Release chakra, shredded through the wall like paper.
What Sandō had hoped would buy him time failed instantly. As the projectiles tore through his Earth-Style Wall, his body tensed once more. He dove flat against the ground, just as the deadly wind blades hissed over his head.
At that exact moment, Veigar's allies—Kakashi Hatake and Shōgetsu Uchiha—flanked him from both sides, appearing on either side of the crumbling wall. In tandem, they launched their own elemental jutsu:
"Lightning Release: Lightning Sphere!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
When Sandō had summoned the Earth-Style Wall, the two had acted immediately—setting up a coordinated pincer attack.
Now, Sandō, pinned to the ground, faced twin assaults from both sides.
Both techniques collided at his location.
Then—Shōgetsu's Sharingan flared wide.
"Something's wrong," he warned sharply. "That wasn't his real body!"
As the words left his lips, Sandō's voice echoed—from beneath Shōgetsu's feet:
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
Feeling the tremor below, Shōgetsu leapt high into the air, shouting:
"He's underground!"
And just then, from the very ground Shōgetsu had stood on, Sandō burst forth, hands outstretched.
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