(Translator Note : I apologize for the earlier inconsistency. Although the original text uses the surname Mizunotsuki (水无月), it's clearly meant to refer to the Yuki Clan (雪一族) — the canon Ice Release (Hyōton) clan from Naruto. To maintain alignment with established lore and avoid confusion, I've corrected the name to Yuki Yoru moving forward. Thank you for your understanding.)
As the dense fog thickened, a suffocating killing intent once again swept across the battlefield.
Just as Nara Shiomizu had predicted—
Kirigakure didn't divert their attacks elsewhere. They still chose the most direct, and also the most brutal, tactic:
A frontal assault!
Rows of Water Release users activated their jutsu in unison. In an instant, massive tidal waves surged forward, flooding the plains around Jinnan Town and turning them into a lake.
Creating a battlefield favorable to themselves with large-scale Water Release techniques had always been Kirigakure's signature tactic.
But it only took a few breaths—
Solid rock formations rose abruptly outside Jinnan Town, blocking the floodwaters with sheer force.
Konoha's diverse chakra affinities ensured that they had ample Earth Release users in their ranks. Against a deluge like this, the best countermeasure was earth walls.
And with Sarutobi Shinnosuke—an Earth Release master—on their side, the battlefield advantage Kirigakure relied on was thoroughly neutralized.
Jinnan Town – Konoha Encampment
Watching the massive earthen walls hold back the Water Release onslaught, Jiraiya and the others weren't surprised in the slightest.
They had already encountered this scenario many times in earlier skirmishes.
In this kind of large-scale formation warfare, Kirigakure's famed Silent Killing techniques lost their effectiveness. Konoha's numerous sensory-type shinobi had already pinpointed the positions of the Mist shinobi.
And it wasn't just the Byakugan—there were also hounds, insects, toads, and other ninja summons contributing to layered sensory detection!
Once the enemy's position was known, countermeasures became much easier to execute.
Without their stealth advantage, the Mist ninja couldn't match Konoha in a straight-up fight. That was one of the reasons they had failed to take Jinnan Town despite repeated assaults.
But now, Kirigakure's main forces had arrived—their sheer numbers alone could make up for individual shortcomings.
"I'll take on Yuki Yoru."
Gazing at the lake-like battlefield ahead, Jiraiya spoke solemnly.
"I've fought him several times already. His jutsu, combined with Ice Release, makes him far too dangerous if left unchecked. He'll slip through the battlefield like a dragon in the sea. I'll keep him contained."
"Then I'll handle Yagura."
Uchiha Fugaku added, glancing at Jiraiya.
He didn't want to face Yuki Yoru again.
That guy's techniques were simply too overwhelming.
Without activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, Fugaku had no confidence in winning. But once he used it, he'd have no cards left to play.
Yoru had kept his word and hadn't exposed Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan. Naturally, Fugaku wanted to keep that secret for as long as possible.
"Everyone, due to the disparity in numbers, prepare for one-versus-many scenarios."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke's voice was steady. "And especially against top-tier enemies like these—stay sharp!"
"Yes, sir!"
Konoha had made thorough preparations, waiting for Kirigakure's inevitable assault.
But unexpectedly—
That attack didn't come.
Yes.
After their Water Release jutsu was blocked by Konoha's Earth Release defenses, the Mist forces didn't immediately press the attack as they usually did. Instead, they seemed to be waiting.
This shift made Konoha's upper command uneasy.
The water vapor in the air thickened into true mist—denser and denser, like a monstrous presence creeping forward, inching toward engulfing all of Jinnan Town.
"There's thick chakra in the air—this is Mist-style Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
"Kirigakure is about to launch their assault!"
"Everyone, stay alert!"
Konoha's forces tensed, crouched behind the towering earth walls.
But then—suddenly—the earth wall itself began to emit a strange hissing sound. A few Konoha shinobi stepped forward to investigate, but the moment they touched the fog—
Agonized screams pierced the air.
"Aaaghh!!"
"My face! My eyes!"
"What's happening?!"
Panic rippled through Konoha's ranks. Nara Shiomizu's expression changed instantly.
"This fog isn't right!"
"It's corrosive—extremely corrosive! This isn't just Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
"What?!"
Jiraiya's face darkened. Without hesitation, he leapt forward, diving straight into the thick fog.
Instantly—
A searing pain spread across his exposed skin like acid.
"Wind Release: Gale Force Cyclone!"
Without delay, Jiraiya channeled chakra and unleashed a powerful gust from his mouth.
Boosted by his immense chakra, the cyclone roared across the battlefield, violently sweeping the corrosive mist away from Jinnan Town.
Without the fog as cover, the horror beneath was laid bare.
All the Konoha shinobi who had touched the mist were covered in grotesque burns and festering wounds. Some had been eaten down to bone—dead before help could reach them.
"Damn those Mist bastards… Medical corps! Over here—quickly!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke barked orders, hoisting a still-living but badly injured comrade onto his shoulders and rushing toward the medics.
But after only a few steps, his foot froze mid-step.
He looked back toward the towering wall of earth.
That corrosive fog had enveloped the entire wall.
If even a touch of it had melted through flesh and bone, what would happen to the earthen wall left completely exposed?
"—Not good!"
His face turned pale.
"All Earth Release users—reinforce the walls, now!"
BOOM!!!
Before anyone could respond, the wall erupted with a deafening blast.
The very ground trembled.
The rock barrier exploded, flames billowing outward in concentric ripples. A searing wave of heat and smoke shot skyward.
Under this immense force, the once-sturdy wall was blown apart.
The water that had been held back surged forward like a dam breaking—a raging flood pouring toward Jinnan Town.
"This… this is—!"
The sheer pressure of the crashing flood wiped out what little remained of the wall.
The tide swept toward Konoha's camp like a world-ending wave.
The wounded didn't even have time to react—they were swallowed up by the flood, their fate unknown.
The surviving shinobi instinctively used chakra to stick to the surface beneath their feet, but the force of the surge still knocked many off balance.
In moments, Konoha's formation fell apart.
And then—
The mist returned.
Thick fog rolled in again.
Konoha's shinobi paled, bracing for more corrosive fog—
But this time, there was no burning sensation.
"Just regular Hidden Mist Jutsu—not that acid stuff. Everyone stay calm—"
A voice called out, trying to reassure the troops.
But before he could finish—
A silent figure appeared behind him and slit his throat without a sound.
No, it wasn't corrosive mist anymore—
It was blood mist.
A mist soaked in killing intent.
Figures moved silently within the fog—like phantoms, slipping between the living and the dead.
Announcing the arrival of war… and death.
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