Now, this Konoha ninja was undoubtedly preparing to unleash that secret throwing technique again.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
One Cloud ninja immediately erected a defensive ninjutsu in front of himself, hoping to block Li Anshi's attack.
But unfortunately, even though they raised their guard to the utmost, they still couldn't stop Li Anshi's flying daggers.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Another four Jonin collapsed to the ground, striking fear into the hearts of the remaining two Cloud Jonin. That fear reached its peak when they saw two more flying daggers appear between Li Anshi's fingers.
Thwip! Thwip!
"Retreat! Run!"
As the last two Jonin fell, nearby Cloud ninjas witnessing the scene completely forgot about their Konoha opponents and turned to flee in panic.
It was madness! In just a few seconds, nine Jonin had died at the hands of this single Konoha ninja. From the way he fought, even if they all rushed him at once, it would likely only result in him throwing a few more daggers.
Seeing the Cloud ninjas scatter, Li Anshi didn't pursue them further. True, he could kill them with just a flick of his wrist. However, Li Anshi hadn't yet reached the legendary state where "grass, wood, bamboo, and stone can all be used as blades."
Thanks to Tsunade, on the night before his conscription, Li Anshi had enough money to commission the blacksmith uncle to forge some flying daggers. Three million Ryo, if used entirely for daggers, could have produced tens of thousands. Unfortunately, with less than three days between his conscription notice and departure, Li Anshi had only managed to take just over two hundred daggers with him.
During the year-long conflict with the Sand ninjas, Li Anshi had killed over a hundred Sand shinobi, consuming more than eighty daggers in the process. Currently, he had fewer than one hundred daggers left on his person.
On the battlefield, leaving oneself without reserves was the greatest taboo. Although Li Anshi's own skills weren't weak even without daggers, it was undeniable that with his daggers, he had the confidence to take down even a Kage-level powerhouse with a single throw. Without them, however, Li Anshi would likely struggle even to kill a single Jonin.
It couldn't be helped; ninjutsu remained Li Anshi's weak point thus far. The Rasengan and his half-finished "Revolving Heaven" made him formidable in close combat and defense, but he had no answer for long-range ninjutsu attacks. At least, not until he could learn to throw the Rasengan like a Tailed Beast Bomb. If an enemy decided to flee, and happened to be faster than Li Anshi, he currently had no way to stop them.
Moreover, with the Cloud ninjas losing their will to fight and retreating, the Konoha forces were already pressing forward, decisively breaking the stalemate on the battlefield. On the other side, the loss of nine Jonin was a devastating blow to the Cloud Village forces, akin to losing muscle and bone.
...
Boom!
The Third Raikage was sent flying by the Adamantine Staff formed from Enma, crashing into the ground and creating a large crater. But he quickly leaped out, seemingly unharmed except for some torn clothes.
"This guy... his defense is incredible."
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gripped the Adamantine Staff tightly, his palms numb. He looked at the Third Raikage, A, with undisguised amazement.
Although from the flow of their battle, it seemed Hiruzen Sarutobi held the upper hand against the Third Raikage, neither his powerful ninjutsu nor the blows from the Adamantine Staff had inflicted any real damage.
Conversely, every time the Third Raikage used his "Three-Fingered Thrust," he destroyed one of Hiruzen Sarutobi's Shadow Clones. This forced Hiruzen to remain constantly vigilant, terrified that his real body would be discovered by the Raikage. Given the speed of the Raikage's thrust, Hiruzen had no confidence he could dodge or defend against it.
Fortunately, the Shadow Clone Technique created by Konoha's Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, produced solid clones. Until struck, even powerful Dōjutsu couldn't distinguish the real body from the clones.
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned grim. Since his current attacks couldn't break the Third Raikage's defense, victory in this fight seemed possible only by dragging it out until the Raikage exhausted his chakra.
Thinking this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt little confidence. The Third Raikage possessed the Storm Release Kekkei Genkai; his chakra quantity and quality surpassed those of ninjas without bloodline limits.
The Sarutobi clan, while considered the fourth great clan in Konoha after the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga, and one of the oldest ninja clans, was not a bloodline clan. Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi's chakra reserves were smaller than the Third Raikage's.
Furthermore, Hiruzen had to expend large amounts of chakra on powerful ninjutsu just to push the Raikage back, increasing his own consumption significantly. Now, Hiruzen could only hope that the chakra consumed by the Raikage's constantly active Lightning Release Chakra Mode was greater than his own expenditure. Otherwise...
Kagami was locked in a fierce struggle with the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. His father, Sasuke, held a slight advantage against the Two-Tails Jinchuriki but couldn't achieve a decisive defeat.
"A miscalculation..." Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a pang of anxiety.
Although he had known of the Third Raikage's strength from Kagami Uchiha previously, after becoming Hokage and gaining access to the powerful techniques within the Scroll of Seals, Hiruzen had felt his own strength had increased dramatically, fully surpassing Kagami's. He had reasoned that if Kagami could hold off the Third Raikage, he certainly could too, perhaps even defeat him.
Defeating the Third Raikage would free him up to lead the Konoha forces in a decisive rout of the Cloud ninjas, greatly boosting his own prestige. But now, he was pinned down here by the Raikage. Could the Konoha ninjas hold out against the Cloud attacks without his direct leadership?
Those ninjas might die because of his own arrogance. Filled with guilt, Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced towards the main battlefield after once again repelling the Third Raikage.
What he saw stunned him. He had assumed that with his inability to defeat the Raikage, the Konoha forces would be suppressed by the Cloud ninjas. But contrary to his expectations, his own side held the upper hand on the battlefield.
In one particular area, the Konoha forces thrust forward like a sharp knife, having almost pierced entirely through the Cloud formation, threatening to cut it in two.
Because of Hiruzen Sarutobi's momentary distraction, another of his Shadow Clones was destroyed by the Third Raikage.