No matter how powerful a technique may be, it requires chakra—its foundational energy—to maintain its strength.
Among all the Earth Release techniques Sakumo had ever encountered, none surpassed the might of Tsuchigawa's Earth Rock Dragon or the colossal Stone Giant standing before him now.
Otherwise, during their last clash, his attack should have cleanly severed the Stone Giant's limbs.
It took an enormous amount of chakra to sustain such an advanced level of Earth Release. And even though the Stone Giant could regenerate itself, that too came at a cost of chakra.
Hearing Sakumo's words, Tsuchigawa guessed that the latter might be planning to win this battle through attrition.
His chakra reserves were far beyond those of an average ninja, but against Sakumo Hatake, he couldn't be certain of victory before the Stone Giant disappeared.
That was an indirect admission of his inferiority to Sakumo Hatake.
But that didn't mean he had given up.
Sometimes, victory in battle isn't just about brute strength!
The Stone Giant swung its massive fists and smashed downward at Sakumo, whose figure seemed small in comparison.
"Boom!"
That single punch carved out a crater several meters wide and nearly three meters deep, shaking the entire battlefield spanning hundreds of meters.
Such force clearly showed the unimaginable power behind that strike.
A strength no human could possibly endure head-on.
Sakumo had already moved away just moments before the impact.
He glanced sideways. Because of their fight, no ninja had dared approach within dozens of meters around them.
Yet such distance offered no protection from the Stone Giant's sheer size and destructive force.
"Everyone, quickly retreat!" Sakumo suddenly shouted. He must have used some special ninjutsu, as his voice still reached people clearly even from over a hundred meters away.
Just then, another earth-shattering blow came down—giving Sakumo no chance to breathe.
"Boom!"
The ground shook once again, but Sakumo dodged swiftly using his speed.
He looked back at the battlefield again. The Konoha ninja had pulled back after his warning—but the Iwa ninja seemed to be following specific orders.
Even in the deadly danger zone, they stubbornly held their ground and continued fighting against the Konoha forces.
"So you're trying to box me in," Sakumo muttered, piecing together Tsuchigawa's plan.
"Then tell me, Sakumo Hatake, what will you do next?" Through gaps in the Stone Giant, Tsuchigawa caught sight of the slightly grave expression on Sakumo's face and sneered maliciously.
Minato stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching the scene unfold. With his sharp perception, he naturally saw through the predicament Sakumo now faced.
"You really think that'll stop Master Sakumo from moving?" Minato said—not showing even a hint of concern.
This powerful ninja, who would soon come to be known as the "Legend of the White Fang," was so formidable that even ninjas of his teacher's caliber paled in comparison before him.
With just these tactics and jutsu, you still don't have the qualification to push him into a desperate situation!
"You actually disregarded the safety of your subordinates, Tsuchigawa! You're not worthy of leading an Iwa Ninja Unit!"
For the first time during his battle with Tsuchigawa, Sakumo's expression turned grim—not because he had been cornered.
The attacks from the Stone Giant would hit Konoha ninjas, but Iwa ninjas wouldn't escape unscathed either.
"Once you set foot on the battlefield, you must always be ready to lay down your life. Sacrificing lives for the interests of the nation and village—that is the very meaning of a ninja's existence!"
Tsuchigawa let out a harsh laugh. What he had said was simply accepted wisdom in the ninja world.
After all, ninjas were merely disposable tools used to protect the interests between nations and villages.
However, Sakumo strongly rejected that belief.
Although he could not deny that reality, judging from his expression, he was already furious. He shot back, "Even so, allowing unnecessary casualties among one's subordinates when you could have prevented them—that's not what being a ninja means."
"Foolish fellow, then let me see how you intend to protect your men!"
As laughter echoed out, the Stone Giant's fist came crashing down again.
Shua!
Sakumo's eyes sharpened, and he swiftly darted sideways.
"You can't run forever!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The clash between both sides continued nonstop, and light tremors constantly rippled across the ground.
Sakumo's maneuvering space was gradually restricted to just dozens of meters in diameter. Although the Stone Giant hadn't landed a direct hit on him yet, it was continuously compressing his area of movement tighter and tighter.
"As I thought."
There wasn't a trace of panic visible on Sakumo's face. The reason he could keep dodging the Stone Giant's attacks at this point wasn't because his speed had improved enough to completely evade them.
Rather, through these continuous attacks, the Stone Giant's speed and strength had been gradually decreasing.
The range of destruction it caused also kept diminishing until one moment arrived.
The Stone Giant swung its fist downward, and this time, Sakumo had no intention of dodging at all.
Chi chi!
Crackling with bright blue lightning, the chakra tanto flared up. Sakumo stamped his foot against the ground, using the force to propel himself upward. Then, he slashed downward with a single sword strike, colliding head-on with the Stone Giant's massive fist.
Peng!
A thunderous explosion roared several meters into the air, lit up by searing arcs of lightning and flying debris.
Xiu!
Sakumo's body was immediately sent flying backward, leaving behind a nearly ten-meter-long mark dragged across the earth by his feet.
At the corner of his lips, a thin trail of fresh blood slowly trickled down...
Meanwhile, over half of the Stone Giant's right arm had been utterly shattered in that impact.
But since its body was made entirely of rock, Tsuchigawa performed hand seals from within the giant, gathering nearby stones toward the broken part of its arm, gradually restoring it.
He saw the blood dripping from Sakumo's lips, and a wave of ecstatic joy spread across his face.
So Sakumo Hatake has finally been injured!
"Heh." Sakumo's face, however, revealed a faint smile.
"After continuous fierce attacks, the Stone Giant's destructive power and defensive capabilities have dropped significantly."
Sakumo murmured to himself. Previously, his sword strike couldn't even sever its joints, but now he had already blown off half its arm.
Though the impact canceled out most of the force, Sakumo—who took the blast—was only lightly wounded.
Exactly as he expected.
Just as Tsuchigawa was basking in his own triumph, Sakumo—who stood before the Stone Giant—suddenly formed hand seals.
"What is he...?"
When Tsuchigawa saw this, he froze for a moment. Suddenly, he realized something was stopping the Stone Giant's severed arm from healing itself.
Moreover, Sakumo Hatake was forming hand seals. The Chakra Tanto he always carried was now gone.
"Zzzzt!"
At that moment, embedded several inches into the Stone Giant's broken arm, was Sakumo's Chakra Tanto, with faint arcs of lightning flickering around it.
[Hatake Secret Technique: Roaring Heavenly Lightning!]
A shout roared like furious thunder. From the Chakra Tanto in the severed arm, sudden bursts of intensely brilliant azure light erupted outward.
A deafening boom filled the air, accompanied by blinding light that radiated outward in an instant...
...
...(to be continued.)
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