There's a saying: "Better to advance with a single thought than to halt with hesitation." Over the years of peace, despite being burdened with the responsibilities of Kazekage, Jing Hang had never slacked off in his personal training. Since he couldn't rely on any cheats like the Otsutsuki clan's divine powers, as a transmigrator, he could only continue honing his own strength, improving bit by bit.
Although Jing Hang had hit a "technical" bottleneck in terms of power progression, he had still made significant advancements in many areas. For instance, his mastery of the Xuanyuan Mound Sage Mode had reached the point where he could activate it instantaneously.
The moment Jing Hang dashed forward, he had already activated his high-imitation Lightning Release Armour and Sage Mode. His entire body radiated a dazzling blue-golden glow, and in the blink of an eye, he charged into the formation of Iwagakure ninjas. With a single move, he sent a group of them flying. Bolstered by his speed and strength, his attacks were nothing short of savage and brutal.
Not only that, the ground within an 800-meter radius was already covered in iron sand. From time to time, a black "iron spike" would emerge, instantly piercing through the Iwagakure ninjas like pigs being slaughtered. Within just a few breaths, over 300 corpses of Iwagakure ninjas littered the battlefield.
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!"
Kōka shouted, leaping repeatedly to avoid the emerging iron spikes.
This battle was unwinnable! Even if all 800 of them were sacrificed here, it wouldn't make a difference. If even half of them could escape, it would be a blessing.
Just as Kōka finished speaking, a massive figure suddenly emerged from the ground not far away, cutting off the Iwagakure ninjas' retreat.
"Little brats of Iwagakure, come and feel the warmth of Kumogakure!"
The man was none other than the Third Raikage, A, who had been lying in wait. He activated his Lightning Release Armour and, with arms outstretched, charged straight into the group of Iwagakure ninjas.
The three-day, three-night bloodbath had left an indelible mark on the hearts of the Iwagakure ninjas. At the sight of the Third Raikage, it was as if they were staring at the devil himself. Every Iwagakure ninja's eyes were filled with sheer terror.
The Third Raikage's massive arms were like scythes slicing through a field of lush crops. In the blink of an eye, wherever the Raikage passed, heads rolled, limbs flew, and blood sprayed freely, painting the Land of Earth's soil crimson.
Kōka was utterly despairing. Fight? Impossible. Flee? No chance. Were they really just lambs waiting to be slaughtered?
"Quick! Use Earth Release to form a defensive line! Slow their advance!"
Kōka roared loudly.
Walls of earth rose one after another, and the remaining Iwagakure ninjas huddled together, attempting to use the earthen barriers to block the attacks of Jing Hang and the Third Raikage.
However, such resistance was futile.
Jing Hang and the Third Raikage penetrated the earthen barriers in an instant. The walls, meant to defend, instead became obstacles for the Iwagakure ninjas trying to flee. Screams echoed within the walls, and this time, there was truly no escape.
In no time, the only one left standing was Kōka.
"Double Lightning Lariat!"
The arms of the Third Raikage and Jing Hang crossed in front and behind Kōka's neck, forming an "X" shape. With a synchronized motion, their arms exerted force, encountering only slight resistance before—
A perfectly severed head flew into the air, and Kōka's lifeless body collapsed with a thud.
After the slaughter, the Third Raikage, seemingly venting the frustration of being besieged for days, let out a hearty laugh.
"Ha ha ha! That was satisfying! Truly satisfying! The two of us are far more efficient together. Jing Hang, my brother, your mastery of the Double Lightning Lariat is spot on—it's almost on par with Kōichi!"
"Tch! Taking advantage of me, huh?"
Jing Hang wiped the blood splattered on his face, visibly annoyed. Yet, he had to admit, the sensation of decapitating someone with the Lightning Lariat was indeed smooth and satisfying.
Coincidentally, among Sunagakure's Twelve Earthly Branches, Chifenruo (Ox Branch) was also a Lightning Release-type ninja, and, like the Third Raikage and Kōichi, he was equally burly. Teaching him this technique upon returning would be a perfect fit.
"Alright, we've cut off their tail. Now, brother, lend me a hand. Let's leave a little 'lunch' for Kitsuchi."
With that, Jing Hang pulled a few explosive tags from his ninja pouch.
"You're too wicked!"
Looking at the scattered corpses of Iwagakure ninjas, Kitsuchi was seething with rage.
"Lord, this is my fault. I underestimated the strength of the Third Kazekage," said Wenya, bowing his head.
"There's no point in saying that now. I just want to know—can we still catch up to them?" Kitsuchi demanded sharply.
Wenya examined the corpses carefully, pondering for a moment before responding.
"The bodies have been dead for about an hour. The enemies are at least two hours ahead of us. If we force-march, it's possible to catch up. However..."
"Stop dithering—speak!"
"Lord Kitsuchi, have you thought about how to deal with the Third Kazekage? He's no weaker than the Third Raikage. Using sheer numbers might not yield the desired results. His Magnet Release ability..."
Wenya analyzed calmly, picking up a handful of leftover iron sand from the ground.
"With him around, our metal weapons are useless. Coupled with Sunagakure's unique chakra-enhancing pills, I can't even estimate how many lives it would cost to take him down."
Hearing this, Kitsuchi clicked his tongue in frustration.
Those chakra-enhancing pills, like the chakra-suppressing pills, were classified substances strictly regulated by Sunagakure. According to their rules, every combat ninja was issued only two pills before each battle, with any leftovers collected afterward.
One of the key charges against former Sunagakure Fourth Division Commander Li Fengtian was the illegal sale of these pills. During the anti-corruption investigations, it was revealed that only about 500 pills had been sold, yet they fetched a staggering price of 30 million ryō on the black market. Since the anti-corruption crackdown, the management of these substances had become even stricter. Combat ninjas now needed approval from the General Command to obtain them, making these pills nearly impossible to find on the black market. After all, having these pills was almost like doubling one's chakra reserves—it wasn't exactly cheating, but it came close.
"If I use the Earth Mountain Jutsu to trap him and have the sealing squad seal him instantly, do you think that's feasible?"
Kitsuchi asked.
"I'm not sure. Theoretically, it sounds plausible. After all, the Kazekage was nearly sealed by Horikoshi's Format Ring before."
"Good! That's the plan! We don't have the Format Ring, but we still have the Earth Star Seal!"
Excitedly, Kitsuchi seemed to have found a way to defeat the enemy.
"Send a few people to gather the bodies of our fallen comrades. Bring them back along with the remains of the others. The rest of you, prepare for a forced march. Move out!"
With that, Kitsuchi led the charge forward.
They had barely run for ten minutes when a series of deafening explosions erupted behind them.
"Probably explosive tag traps set by the Third Kazekage," Wenya said grimly.
"Jing Hang, I'll kill you!"
Kitsuchi roared furiously.
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