HLnovel Chapter 498: Feel Despair
Chapter 498: Feel Despair
On the grassland, Kitsuchi rode a white clay bird, observing the formation of the large Iwa-nin force below.
For some reason, Konoha's forces had suddenly become proactive. In the over two months of war, Konoha's troops had been on the defensive.
Something major must have happened somewhere Kitsuchi didn't know about; otherwise, Konoha wouldn't be counterattacking.
He didn't know if Konoha was bluffing, using an offensive to create a chance to retreat, or if Konoha's forces had received reinforcements.
The Sannin were difficult to deal with. Even combined, a tailed beast wouldn't gain an advantage against them.
However, Kitsuchi wasn't afraid of Konoha either. Their Iwa-nin not only outnumbered the enemy, but their four Kage-level ninja were also strong.
The Iwa-nin force's position had already been exposed. Bakura said he had seen a Spear Egret.
That was a very rare flying summon. It must be Konoha's summon.
Since their position was exposed, then they would fight.
On the ground, 18,000 Iwa-nin carefully set up their defensive line.
Earth-Style Walls rose like a maze, with underground fortifications beneath the surface.
Apart from the frontal force, the two Jinchūriki, Han and Roshi...
As far as Kitsuchi knew, Konoha's frontline forces only numbered a little over 5,000. This time, he would make sure they didn't return.
Aside from the 18,000 Iwa-nin he commanded, the two Jinchūriki, Roshi and Han, led 2,000 Iwa-nin in a flanking maneuver.
Once they released tailed beast chakra, they couldn't distinguish friend from foe, so they didn't bring too many troops.
In Kitsuchi's plan, as long as he and Bakura tied down Konoha's frontal forces, Roshi and Han's flanking force could attack from both front and rear, completely crushing Konoha.
Bakura suddenly descended from high altitude. "Kitsuchi! They're here! Over 2,000 Konoha ninja have appeared to the southwest!"
After a moment's thought, Kitsuchi said, "It seems Konoha has split their forces too. With just over 2,000, we'll swallow them whole, then go find the other Konoha force."
Kitsuchi descended from the clay bird to the ground; his Earth Release couldn't fully showcase its advantage in the air.
A few minutes later, Bakura found Kitsuchi again.
"Kituchi! Konoha's commander isn't the Sannin, it's the Anbu's Fox! I saw that fox mask!"
"Don't worry," Kitsuchi said. "What's scary is not knowing why Konoha is counterattacking. Now that we have the intel, we can respond accordingly."
"No wonder Konoha dares to counterattack; it turns out Fox has come to the front lines."
"We haven't received intel from the Akatsuki for a while. I wonder if the Tsuchikage-sama and the Raikage will seize this opportunity to raid Konoha Village."
Intelligence traveled extremely slowly in the shinobi world. Ōnoki was already dead, but the frontline Iwa-nin knew nothing about it.
The Akatsuki and others had already abandoned the Anti-Konoha Alliance. The alliance's war was about to fail, holding no more value, so they didn't waste time informing Kitsuchi and the others either.
Kitsuchi stood on a ten-meter-high Earth-Style Wall, looking into the distance at the Konoha forces.
The nearby grassland was covered in Earth-Style Walls and tunnels. Kitsuchi thought that even if Sarutobi Hiruzen came personally, he wouldn't be able to deal with the Iwa-nin quickly.
After delaying for some time, the two Jinchūriki would deliver a devastating blow to the Konoha forces.
From far away, Kitsuchi heard a voice.
"Forbidden Jutsu! Gold Sand Cutting Wave!"
Kitsuchi's heart tightened. Was Fox using a forbidden jutsu?
A turbid beam of water suddenly appeared from the side, slicing horizontally like a water-jet cutter!
Kitsuchi hastily jumped.
His proud, densely packed defensive works of over ten thousand Earth-Style Walls were actually cut through by the water blade!
How could there be such a powerful Water Release? Even the legendary Second Hokage was probably like this, right?
Fox was still over two hundred meters away from the Iwa-nin. Agile Iwa-nin ducked down or jumped up, dodging the water blade, but the slower ones were unlucky, their bodies cut in half.
Just one forbidden jutsu had already killed many Iwa-nin.
Kitsuchi's heart bled. Fox seemed even stronger. The intel said Fox's Water Release was formidable, but not to the extent that a water beam could still be lethal from over two hundred meters away.
In the sky above, Bakura, riding his clay bird, began a dive.
The clay bird's claws gripped a clay pillar over ten meters long.
The clay pillar smashed down towards Fox.
A wooden hand burst from the ground, grabbing the clay pillar in mid-air.
Boom!
The explosion created intense, thick smoke, the plume rising hundreds of meters high.
However, the smoke churned violently as a wooden hand swept it aside, revealing the completely unscathed Three Worlds Wood Human.
Standing atop the Wood Human's head, Yōkō looked at Bakura, who was gaining altitude.
If nothing went wrong, this person should be Deidara's father. Explosive Clay was too troublesome; it had to be dealt with first.
Yōkō took out a Flying Thunder God Kunai and threw it at Bakura with all his might.
Bakura was over a hundred meters away from Fox. Hearing the sound of something cutting through the air behind him, he hastily dodged.
The kunai brushed past him.
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
Bakura's head flew off!
Blood sprayed, crystallizing into a sparkling membrane of blood high in the air.
Seeing his own important Kage-level ninja killed in one move, Kitsuchi felt a sense of dread and realized things had taken a terrible turn.
Did Kage-level ninja really have so little ability to resist against Fox?
Kitsuchi's eyes fixed on Fox in the air, only to see Fox suddenly vanish. vanish.
Kitsuchi's scalp tightened, afraid Fox would use some secret technique to ambush him.
When he spotted Fox again, he saw him back on top of the Wood Human's head.
Kitsuchi slapped both hands on the ground. "Earth Release: Mountain Soil Technique!"
Two Earth Release hemispheres appeared on either side of the Three Worlds Wood Human, clamping down on the Wood Human in the center.
The Earth Release hemispheres possessed tremendous kinetic energy, even taller than the Three Worlds Wood Human.
The Three Worlds Wood Human's six arms each pushed outward, holding back the Earth Release hemispheres.
Yōkō looked beyond the Earth Release hemispheres. Kitsuchi was not far away, straining to maintain the hemispheres.
"Feel despair, Kitsuchi..."
Hearing Fox's low murmur, Kitsuchi remained unmoved.
He was an Iwagakure jōnin who had inherited his father's Will of Stone. Even in absolute disadvantage, he would never despair.
However, a few seconds later, Kitsuchi's body swayed, his gaze became vacant.
Despair... Is this despair?
Encountering Fox, Kitsuchi didn't despair. Bakura being killed, Kitsuchi didn't despair. The Three Worlds Wood Human being stronger than imagined, Kitsuchi didn't despair either.
But the scene before his eyes, how could it not make one despair...
A glowing barrier appeared in Fox's palm.
That barrier was unmistakably his father's Dust Release barrier.
Had his father already attacked Konoha?
Had his father already been killed by Konoha?
Had the memories from his father's corpse's brain already been extracted by Konoha?
Otherwise, it couldn't explain why Fox had mastered Dust Release.
Kitsuchi had studied Dust Release but never grasped the essence. His father also said his talent wasn't in Dust Release and told him to focus on Earth Release.
Fox must have obtained Dust Release very recently. Why could he already use it proficiently?
The Dust Release barrier expanded, decomposing Kitsuchi's Earth Release hemispheres into dust.
Kitsuchi slowly stood up from the ground, the hand inside his sleeve trembling uncontrollably.
Should he give the order to abandon? Should he give the order to retreat?
(End of Chapter)