A bitter cry erupted in the heart of Sanada Shun as he hurled his kunai with renewed ferocity.
He had gone all in.
Sanada Shun was fighting with everything he had.
The deaths of his two fellow jōnin made it clear to him, the tide had turned.
Though his Sand ninja unit had held numerical superiority in both jōnin and lower-ranked shinobi, Veigar Koshima's presence had shattered their advantage. Now, they stood teetering at the edge of total defeat.
One more step back meant death.
"AHHHHH!"
Overcome with despair, Sanada Shun let out a furious roar. His chakra flared violently, and in the same breath, he seized a fleeting opportunity, driving his kunai into Shikuro's chest, who seemed momentarily stunned.
Secret Technique: Insect Clone.
But Shikuro wasn't frozen in fear. He had used the Insect Clone Jutsu.
His form dissolved into a swarm of insects just as Sanada Shun narrowly avoided an ambush from Yamashi, utilizing the Teleportation Jutsu to leap away and land beneath a nearby tree.
Gone from Sanada's gaze was all panic, his eyes now reflected only a cold, mechanical resolve. His fingers flew through a complex sequence of seals with lightning speed.
After all, as one of the elite jōnin of the Sand Village, Sanada Shun still had a trump card left.
Earth Style: Hell Rising Earth Spears.
Unleashing his ultimate jutsu, Sanada Shun aimed straight at the still-prone Veigar.
In this clash with the Sand shinobi, Veigar had proven to be a key figure, now, he would face Sanada Shun's most lethal strike.
Just as Veigar tried to rise, he felt a sudden force pulling him downward, a powerful suction beneath the earth. In the next instant, dozens of razor-sharp earthen spears erupted from the ground, surging toward him like a swarm of deadly thorns.
"Veigar, look out!"
"Run! Veigar, get out of there!"
Seeing the attack, both Shikuro and Yamashi shouted in alarm. They had no time to save him, only enough to cry out in warning.
Konoha Style: Crescent Moon Dance.
Secret Technique: Insect Swarm.
Unable to save Veigar in time, both shinobi launched themselves at Sanada Shun with ferocious killing intent, praying that Veigar might survive the onslaught.
"Genius of Konoha…"
"Come to hell with me!"
Sanada Shun had already accepted his fate. With insects crawling up his legs, escape was impossible.
His blade slashed downward, striking Sanada squarely in the chest.
Blood sprayed violently. Twisted in agony, Sanada Shun's face distorted into a grimace, his eyes locked on Veigar.
But the ending he had envisioned never came.
Most shinobi would have had no chance against the Hell Rising Earth Spears. Death would've been certain.
But Veigar wasn't most shinobi.
Rasengan: Revolving Heaven.
Though his chakra reserves were nearly drained, ending his Shadow Clone technique had restored just enough for one final move, Rasengan: Revolving Heaven.
The swirling sphere of energy shattered the incoming spears, breaking off their deadly tips and leaving Veigar completely unharmed.
As consciousness faded, Sanada Shun caught one final glimpse, Veigar, unable to maintain his Rasengan due to chakra exhaustion, being dragged beneath the earth by the jutsu's secondary effect: burial beneath the crushing soil.
"Kff… ghk—"
Underground, Veigar groaned as the crushing pressure of the dirt squeezed the air from his lungs, blood spilling from his lips.
One minute later.
A sliver of light reached him once more.
By the time Veigar resurfaced, the battle was over.
Of the fifty-plus Konoha ninja, only twenty-seven remained, Veigar among them. Nearly half had perished.
As for the Sand shinobi, all 101 were dead. Nearly forty of them had fallen to Veigar's hands alone.
"Veigar, are you alright?"
Shikuro helped him out of the earth, looking at the mud-caked, battered yordle with concern.
Surrounded by what remained of Konoha's forces, Veigar answered hoarsely:
"Not dead yet."
Hearing his voice, the surviving shinobi collapsed with relief, slumping to the ground.
To them, Veigar was a savior. Without him, they likely wouldn't have survived.
Half an hour later, the surviving ninja regained a portion of their chakra and strength. A distress signal and intel report were dispatched to the front command post at Mount Kikyo.
With their wounds tended and the bodies of friend and foe alike buried or respectfully arranged, Shikuro, Yamashi, and Veigar, accompanied by twelve battle-capable Konoha ninja, departed for the front lines. Nine seriously injured comrades were left behind to await evacuation.
Having defeated Sanada Shun's Sand unit, Shikuro quickly pieced together their strategy.
Tonight, the front lines would be ambushed.
This rogue unit's presence behind Konoha lines could only mean one thing, they were the pincer attack meant to crush the forward base from both sides.
No other explanation made sense.
At the frontline base, Captain Hizashi Hyuga, tasked with holding the line, received Shikuro's intelligence report.
Opening the scroll, his face immediately darkened.
"Everyone… take a look."
Within moments, all the jōnin at the front were assembled. The contents of the scroll were passed among them, and heavy silence filled the air.
They looked to Hizashi, awaiting his command.
"Captain Hizashi… what should we do?"
Among them, Myōji Sarutobi, bruised and bloodied, asked gravely.
As field commander, it was up to Hizashi to make the call.
Gazing at Myōji's injuries, Hizashi spoke in a low, weighty tone:
"Jōnin Myōji, I have a mission for you."
Myōji stood at attention. "Yes, sir."
Hizashi nodded.
"Gather all personnel who are no longer combat-ready. Lead them to HQ."
"Rendezvous with the wounded Shikuro's unit left behind."
"Once you arrive, report to Orochimaru-sama. Request immediate reinforcement."
"I believe this Sand offensive… is part of a much larger scheme."
Myōji opened his mouth to protest, but Hizashi didn't give him the chance.
"This task falls to you, Myōji. I trust you."
"The next battle may be… the bloodiest of this war."
"Don't let any more comrades die needlessly. Bring the wounded back alive."
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