Although Yoshida Eiichi's plan was simple, it was undeniably effective. In an instant, the emotions of the several Kage-level fighters stabilized.
Only now did they fully remember something crucial—
They weren't just four Kage.
They were a twenty-thousand-strong allied army.
In ninja warfare, unless one's strength had truly reached an overwhelming level, numbers still mattered—a lot.
If Yoshida Eiichi hadn't spoken up, they might have completely forgotten that they still had twenty thousand elite shinobi at their disposal. If those forces joined hands to unleash large-scale ninjutsu, the resulting power would be no weaker than that of a Super-Kage!
Of course, that lapse wasn't entirely their fault.
Arata's earlier strike—and the words he'd spoken afterward—had shaken them too deeply.
At that moment, the Third Mizukage, who had kept his eyes closed the entire time, suddenly made a subtle hand signal behind his back. The gesture was so discreet that none of the other Kage noticed it.
But the Kirigakure shinobi behind him reacted instantly.
The next moment, seven Kirigakure units broke away from the main force and rushed toward the shoreline, distancing themselves from the battlefield.
With Kirigakure's seven elites gone, the main army was reduced to roughly thirteen thousand. Though Arata was still completely surrounded, the pressure had noticeably lessened.
Yoshida Eiichi immediately noticed and shouted in suspicion:
"Hōzuki Gengetsu! What are you doing? Are you planning to desert?!"
This was the first time Arata had heard the Third Mizukage's real name—and it finally clicked.
He was from the Hōzuki clan.
Come to think of it, aside from the First Mizukage, Byakuren, Kirigakure had produced two consecutive Mizukage from the Hōzuki clan. That alone proved just how terrifying that family's overall strength truly was.
Hōzuki Gengetsu glanced at Yoshida Eiichi's agitation and snorted in disdain.
"I'm not like you. Just watch Kirigakure's performance."
Only then did Yoshida Eiichi relax. If Kirigakure truly withdrew, their chances of victory would drop by more than half.
After all, while there were still over ten thousand shinobi present, most were from minor nations—few possessed Kekkei Genkai. In terms of real combat power, they likely didn't even match Kirigakure's seven elite units.
But once Gengetsu spoke, the other Kage instantly realized what Kirigakure was planning.
They were fighting on the coastline.
And right beside them lay the endless sea.
With that in mind, Yoshida Eiichi barked an order:
"All units—Earth Style!"
At once, more than ten thousand shinobi moved.
Not everyone could use Earth Style, but the army had long prepared for this scenario. Each unit knew exactly which jutsu they were responsible for.
Arata watched the breathtaking sight of ten thousand shinobi forming seals simultaneously—and Gengetsu's movements—and felt genuine interest spark within him.
Let's see what kind of trick you've prepared.
Having just stepped into Super-Kage peak, this was the perfect opportunity to test his limits. Perhaps these combined techniques would finally be worth his attention.
His earlier kick that crippled the Third Raikage had been too fast, too effortless. He hadn't even felt it.
He wanted excitement.
Looking at the allied army, Arata spoke calmly:
"I hope you don't disappoint me."
By now, the Uzumaki had been saved, and the system's objectives were essentially complete. Once he dealt with these remaining nuisances, the Uzumaki would truly pledge themselves to him.
Besides, Uzumaki Suigetsu was family to him now—things would be easy.
Confident in absolute control, Arata had no intention of ending the battle quickly.
The moment his words fell—
The allied army completed their seals.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
In an instant, seven or more groups unleashed Earth Style simultaneously. Towering walls erupted around Arata, sealing him in from all sides.
Each wall was over twenty meters thick and nearly a hundred meters tall.
The space left inside was barely more than a dozen meters wide.
At the same time, Fire Style techniques roared forward.
Countless Great Fireballs merged into a single colossal sphere, hundreds of meters in diameter. The temperature rose sharply, and the flames shifted from orange-red to a terrifying dark crimson.
Space itself warped under the heat.
Where the fire passed, trees, grass—even sand—glowed red and melted.
When the fireball struck the Earth-Style Wall, instead of destroying it, the interaction of fire feeding earth caused the walls to harden instantly. The yellow-brown soil turned pitch black, transforming into solid rock in seconds.
And the fireball didn't stop there.
With the sky left open, the flames poured down directly toward Arata.
Surrounded on all sides, escape was impossible.
Even with his speed, retreating skyward would only mean enduring continuous incineration.
Seeing the results, the allied shinobi broke into smiles.
This was the power of numbers.
A true combined assault.
Even a Kage would be instantly killed by this sequence.
And this wasn't even everything.
Out at sea, Hōzuki Gengetsu raised his voice:
"Kirigakure—Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!"
At his command, the seven Kirigakure elites completed their seals in perfect unison. This was a technique they had practiced countless times—their coordination far surpassed that of the massive army.
"Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!"
A jutsu capable of producing enough water to form a lake—expelled directly from the user's mouth.
For Kirigakure's elites, this was a foundational skill.
Standing atop the sea, the water they produced was further amplified.
The moment they unleashed it, the ocean itself began to churn violently.
A two-hundred-meter wave rose into the sky.
Behind them, Uzushiogakure had already sunk completely—and the tsunami that destroyed it had not yet dissipated.
The two waves merged.
In an instant, a monstrous five-hundred-meter-high tsunami formed.
A wave of this magnitude—
Even a Super-Kage at early stage would be crushed instantly if struck.
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