Chapter 648: Sorry, I'm Undercover
With both sides highly confident, the Iwagakure Ninja Force and the Konoha Ninja Force clashed in a major battle on the border of the Land of Grass.
Since both sides had their own schemes, neither side played any tricks. They engaged in a pure Ninja Force battle.
Hundreds of Ninja used all kinds of methods to attack each other.
"Earth Release: Rock Iron Cannon Technique!"
Hundreds of Iwagakure Ninja stood together in an organized formation, spitting rock cannonballs toward the Konoha Ninja Force.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
The Sarutobi Clan Ninja also gathered together, using their clan's secret technique to unleash fierce, high-temperature flames.
"Gamabunta Oil Bullet!"
Following Jiraiya's command, Gamabunta condensed Chakra, transformed it into toad oil, and spat it out together with the Sarutobi Clan's Fire Release.
Whoosh!
After combining with Gamabunta's oil, the already fierce Fire Release: Great Flame Technique became even hotter. Its destructive power grew even more terrifying, eroding and destroying the rock cannonballs with sheer heat.
"Explosion Release: Exploding Flying Stones!"
Retsuishi silently arrived beside Gamabunta and spat out an Explosion Release cannonball toward Jiraiya, who stood on Gamabunta's head.
However, Jiraiya had already noticed him and immediately used Ninjutsu to block it.
Bang, bang!
A red figure with steam rising from his back rampaged freely across the battlefield. Any Konoha Ninja who came into contact with him were either severely injured or killed instantly.
The surrounding Konoha Ninja had no choice but to quickly retreat.
After all, this was a Jinchuriki.
Mugetsu did not rush to act. Instead, he simultaneously used his Byakugan, Transparent World, Kenbunshoku Haki, and other abilities to carefully examine the non-Konoha powerhouses.
[Name: Ōnoki]
[Chakra: 162000]
[Skills: Dust Release (Mastery: 9000/15000), Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 11200), Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique (Mastery: 10800)...]
[Name: A]
[Chakra: 276000]
[Skills: Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 11600/15000), Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient), Lightning Release Chakra Mode (Perfect), Hell Stab (Mastery: 10000)...]
[Name: Rasa]
[Chakra: 135000]
[Skills: Magnet Release (Mastery: 5000/15000), Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Magnet Release: Gold Dust (Mastery: 4000)]
[Name: Mizutani Masato]
[Chakra: 158000]
[Skills: Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery: 8900/15000), Wind Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery), Water Release: Water Mirror Technique (7200)...]
It had to be said that their stats were quite luxurious. Even Rasa, who seemed to be the weakest among them, had stats surpassing many powerhouses Mugetsu had appraised before.
The strongest, the Third Raikage, even possessed a Perfect-level skill.
Mugetsu was not surprised by this. After all, these people were Kage, the true pinnacles of the Ninja World.
Genius was merely the threshold for becoming a Kage. Any Ninja who became a Kage had basically dominated a certain era.
"Time to cast the bait."
After sensing that the Konoha forces were gradually falling into a disadvantage, Mugetsu immediately condensed a large amount of Chakra and performed Wood Release Ninjutsu.
On the surface, this was a war to break through the Land of Fire's defense line, but in reality, Mugetsu was the core of this war.
Only when Mugetsu made his move would the true battle erupt.
"Wood Release: World of Trees!"
Rumble!
The moment Mugetsu completed the Ninjutsu, the ground began to tremble. Countless branches and trees suddenly shot out from the earth.
Accompanied by the roar of the earth, trees grew rapidly, tearing apart the previously flat battlefield. Giant rocks tumbled, ravines spread everywhere, and everything was reshaped by this irresistible force.
The trees rose from the ground at astonishing speed. Their trunks were so thick that several people would need to wrap their arms around them together, and their dense foliage covered the sky. In an instant, a vast, flourishing forest appeared.
"This is Wood Release Ninjutsu," Jiraiya said, a trace of surprise appearing on his face as he watched the terrain transform instantly.
This was his first time personally witnessing Wood Release Ninjutsu. Before this, he had only known that Mugetsu had mastered Wood Release, but he had never seen Mugetsu use it.
Jiraiya had to admit that Wood Release Ninjutsu was truly stunning.
Trees that would normally take decades to grow thick had shot out from the ground in an instant.
Smack, smack!
Under Mugetsu's control, the trees continuously swung their branches to strike the Iwagakure Ninja, while also blocking Ninjutsu for the Konoha Ninja.
With a large forest as their aid, the situation on the battlefield changed instantly.
"It's Lord Mugetsu's Wood Release!" The aided Konoha Ninja were both excited and thrilled.
For Konoha Ninja, there was no Ninjutsu more reassuring than Wood Release.
Only the Ninja who had fought Hidden Mist or Uchiha Madara together with Mugetsu could remain calm.
Because they had already witnessed even stronger Wood Release Ninjutsu. Although Wood Release: World of Trees was impressive, it was still far inferior to Art: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees and Wood Human Technique.
In contrast to the excited Konoha Ninja, the Iwagakure Ninja did not directly flee in fear, but they immediately felt immense pressure.
The Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han, stared at Mugetsu with extreme vigilance.
If he had not been worried about Mugetsu's Wood Release, he would have already unleashed Tailed Beast Chakra to heavily strike the Konoha Ninja Force.
"Wood Release Ninjutsu really is amazing," Obito exclaimed, seizing the opportunity to take away several Iwagakure Ninja.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was also very strong, but it could not be used too much. Otherwise, the eyes would go blind, which was extremely annoying.
"Flash!"
Kakashi gripped Enma and unleashed a draw slash, instantly killing an Iwagakure Jonin. Then he cautiously observed his surroundings, showing no intention of unleashing Chakra for a large-scale kill.
Iwagakure dared to attack even knowing that Mugetsu had Wood Release, which meant they must have a trump card. For safety, he had to conserve Chakra as much as possible.
"Earth Release: Mountain Jutsu!"
Kitsuchi unleashed the massive amount of Chakra he had condensed beforehand and slammed both hands onto the ground.
Boom!
A huge roar suddenly erupted, and the ground where Mugetsu stood began to shake violently.
With Mugetsu as the center, the ground on both sides rapidly split open. Two giant rocks dozens of meters tall quickly closed in on Mugetsu.
Crack!
Mugetsu controlled the trees to block them, but the rocks were too massive and instantly crushed the obstructing trees.
Kitsuchi's eyes were fixed on Mugetsu as he breathed slightly heavier. This was the Earth Release Ninjutsu he was most proficient in and the most powerful one he had. It required an enormous amount of Chakra to use and maintain.
Whoosh!
Mugetsu activated the Flying Thunder God Technique without hesitation, appearing beside a Flying Thunder God Kunai he had thrown earlier.
He had the ability to block it head-on, but doing so would consume more Chakra than using Flying Thunder God.
"What a troublesome Ninjutsu," Kitsuchi sighed.
Mountain Jutsu truly had no answer against a flexible space-time Ninjutsu like Flying Thunder God.
However, Kitsuchi's expression remained unchanged.
This was still within their plan.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Ōnoki, who had arrived above the battlefield at some unknown time, rapidly lowered his altitude and fired a transparent cylindrical object toward Mugetsu.
He had been present since the battle began, but he had hidden high in the sky without making a move.
He was waiting for Kitsuchi to use large-scale Earth Release to force out Mugetsu's Flying Thunder God Technique.
Whoosh!
Before Ōnoki's Dust Release could hit Mugetsu, Mugetsu disappeared from the range of the Dust Release with the Body Flicker Technique.
He had already appraised Ōnoki's stats, so how could he not guard against Ōnoki?
The destructive power of Dust Release was too terrifying. Even with full Armament Haki, Mugetsu was not one hundred percent certain he could withstand it.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted. Everything within the range of the Dust Release, whether it was the hard trees of Wood Release or the rocks created by Earth Release, was instantly reduced to dust and ash the moment the technique detonated.
"What terrifying reaction speed," Ōnoki thought, believing that Mugetsu had sensed the attack and reacted instantly.
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
Seeing this unique Dust Release, the Iwagakure Ninja all showed expressions of surprise and joy.
The plan to surround and kill Mugetsu was only known to the higher command of the force. The rest only knew that there would be reinforcements, but they had not expected the reinforcement to be their beloved Third Tsuchikage.
The morale of the Iwagakure Ninja Force instantly soared, and their confidence doubled.
Aside from his position as Tsuchikage, Ōnoki was the undisputed strongest Ninja in Iwagakure.
The absolute strongest.
Many Iwagakure Ninja believed that Ōnoki was the strongest Ninja in the current Ninja World.
With the strongest Ninja as reinforcement, how could they not be joyful? How could they not feel confident?
"If I had come alone, killing him would truly have been difficult," Ōnoki thought as he quickly condensed Chakra, preparing for his next move.
Dust Release possessed unparalleled destructive capability, but its casting time was a major drawback.
Against ordinary Ninja, it was fine. But against a Ninja who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, he might not even touch their clothes.
Zzzzt!
The sound of lightning crackled.
Suddenly, a tall Cloud Ninja with powerful muscles all over his body appeared, approaching Mugetsu at lightning speed.
"For Kumogakure's supremacy, die!"
The Third Raikage swung a hand blade wrapped in dazzling blue lightning toward Mugetsu without hesitation.
To achieve maximum speed, he did not use Hell Stab, which was known as his strongest spear. He aimed to catch Mugetsu off guard.
Of course, this was still a hand blade that he had pushed to the limit with Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Even if it was not as strong as Hell Stab, it was still a Lightning Release Ninja Body Technique with extremely high destructive power.
Mugetsu's expression remained unchanged, and he met the attack with a hand blade of his own.
At that moment, his breathing was focused to an incredible degree, pushing Rock Breathing's enhancement of strength and defense to the limit.
At the same time, with the assistance of Transparent World, all the power in his body was poured into his outstretched palm.
Finally, Mugetsu transformed the Chakra in his hand into Armament Haki, covering his palm in pitch-black Armament Haki.
Boom!
The blue and black hand blades collided, unleashing a terrifying impact. The ground around them could not withstand such immense force and rapidly exploded, splitting apart in all directions.
The aftershock destroyed the trees around them, and nearby Ninja who failed to stabilize themselves with Chakra in time were directly blown away.
"Third Raikage!"
Both the Iwagakure and Konoha Ninja were bewildered.
How had a Kage from Hidden Cloud Village suddenly appeared in the middle of the battle?
Unaware of their respective higher commands' plans, both Konoha and Iwagakure Ninja subconsciously held back somewhat, unwilling to let other Ninja Villages take advantage.
"Hm?" The Third Raikage showed an incredibly surprised expression.
He was even more surprised than when he had just seen Mugetsu use Wood Release: World of Trees.
A Ninja had actually blocked his Lightning Release Ninja Body Technique head-on, and it was a young Ninja famous for Ninjutsu.
If he had not believed that no one in the current Ninja World could put him under Genjutsu, the Third Raikage would have thought he was hallucinating.
Even if his son took this hand blade with Lightning Release Chakra Mode at full power, he would definitely be injured.
Yet Mugetsu was fine.
"He absolutely cannot be allowed to continue growing!"
This thought instantly flashed through the minds of both the Third Raikage and Ōnoki.
They did not know how Mugetsu had done it, but they knew one thing.
Mugetsu was strong.
Stronger than they had expected.
This was no longer just the possibility of becoming the second God of Shinobi.
If he did not die, he would definitely become the next God of Shinobi.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust!"
Rasa seized the opportunity to unleash the large amount of Chakra he had condensed, instantly creating a vast expanse of Gold Dust that surged toward Mugetsu like a tidal wave.
If Mugetsu withdrew his power and used Flying Thunder God at this moment, he would inevitably suffer the Third Raikage's attack.
Conversely, if he did not, he would be controlled by the Gold Dust, then forced to endure Ōnoki's Dust Release and the Third Mizukage's Water Release.
No matter what he chose, it would be difficult for Mugetsu to escape unscathed.
At least, that was what Rasa thought.
"Fourth Kazekage!"
Rasa's sudden appearance and attack made the atmosphere of the ongoing battle even more bizarre.
This was already the third Kage.
Kage rarely appeared on the battlefield because they were too important to their Ninja Villages. Aside from being strong, they were also the highest decision-makers of the village. Any accident involving them could have extremely adverse effects.
At this moment, even ordinary Ninja could feel that this battle was very unusual.
"Sunagakure, which hasn't declared war on Konoha, has also appeared on the battlefield and attacked Teacher Mugetsu. Could it be..." Kakashi, who had been observing Mugetsu, wore an extremely serious expression.
His sharp mind instantly connected many things, finally reaching a terrifying conclusion.
To kill Mugetsu, this Wood Release Ninja with infinite potential, the Four Great Ninja Villages had set aside their prejudice and hatred and formed an alliance.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Third Mizukage would also appear soon.
Kakashi was not too flustered.
He and the other disciples understood each other extremely well, and none of them were too far from Mugetsu.
That ensured they could support Mugetsu at the first possible moment.
"No matter what Kage you are, if you dare to harm Teacher Mugetsu, you must be prepared to pay the price!"
Obito's scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan stared intently at Ōnoki in the sky, rapidly condensing Chakra in his eyes.
As long as Ōnoki dared to use Dust Release, Obito would activate Kamui and tear off half of Ōnoki's body.
Shisui also condensed Chakra in his Sharingan, ready to approach Mugetsu at any time and use his Mangekyō Eye Technique on him.
Divine Imperial Throne was extremely precious to use, and once used, it might not be usable again for a long time.
But this concerned Mugetsu's safety.
Even if the mark never triggered in the end, it would still be worth it.
"Water Release: Circular Mirror Technique!"
At this critical moment, the Third Mizukage appeared just as Kakashi had expected, using a defensive Ninjutsu that surprised both Rasa and Kakashi.
.....
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]