Jiraiya and Minato, following Kazuki's instructions, quickly led the Konoha shinobi in retreat, abandoning the defenses they had worked so hard to build.
When they came back, they saw that Kazuki had entered the command state.
"Bombing units one, three and four! Drop bombs at the impact points I indicate. Cover the retreat of our troops."
From the top of the watchtower, Kazuki analyzed the battlefield situation in real time and transmitted orders to the pilots, guiding them precisely.
[Boom! Boom!]
Just seconds after Kazuki's order, in the areas where the Konoha shinobi were still locked in combat and unable to retreat, bombs fell from the sky with pinpoint precision. The explosions wiped out entire groups of Iwagakure shinobi, sending them flying into the air.
The strategy was different from the one used on the battlefield against Kirigakure.
Since Iwagakure had Onoki and two Jinchuriki, despite the Iwa-nin focusing on Earth Release ninjutsu, they were not lacking in defenses against aerial attacks.
Flying at low altitude was therefore not an option and high-altitude bombing was chosen, which significantly increased the concealment of the attack.
The only drawback was the absence of units with flying ninja tools to carry out follow-up attacks. But that wasn't a big problem...
Because on that day, the Tobirama No. 2, a weapon of mass destruction created by Tsunade, and the forbidden techniques of the Aburame clan would come into action. The lack of firepower would no longer be a problem.
"So this is what Yamanaka Kaze was referring to?" Minato said, shocked to witness the scene. "A high-altitude bombing squadron guided by sensory abilities and genjutsu?"
Minato had just been worrying about how to rescue his comrades trapped in combat...
But then he saw Kazuki take a quick look at the battlefield and, without hesitation, give an order. Seconds later, the bombs descended from an altitude he didn't even think was possible, hitting with absolute precision.
It was... incomprehensible.
Jiraiya, puzzled, scratched his head vigorously and muttered, "So this is how Root Support is supposed to be used? How the hell were we supposed to read those lengthy manuals?"
Kazuki glanced at Jiraiya and said slowly: "Now is not the time to be surprised by these little things. Remember, after you hold back Onoki, you must immediately evacuate the battlefield when you see me make a gesture to retreat. Do you understand?"
"Otherwise, even the two of you will be in danger."
Minato and Jiraiya nodded solemnly, indicating that they remembered it clearly.
Having witnessed the power of ordinary bombing, the two couldn't help but feel anxious—and a little fearful—of the devastation that the explosive called Tobirama would cause.
Meanwhile, among the Iwagakure shinobi, the sudden rain of explosive clay bombs had caused chaos.
The explosives, launched from the sky, had taken the Iwa shinobi by surprise.
"Damn, there is an enemy attack!"
"Where are the enemies coming from? We need support!"
The Iwagakure Explosion Corps was especially dismayed. They instantly recognized the type of bombs that were falling upon them.
They were exactly the same ones that his village was developing, and it was still in the experimental phase!
"Pay attention to the air defense, those damned Konoha shinobi have stolen our Kekkei Genaki!" Onoki shouted loudly and just as the second wave of bombardment descended, Onoki made his move.
With a wave of his hand, a colossal earth wall rose from the ground, covering the Iwagakure shinobi like a shield.
As soon as they realized the threat, the Iwa shinobi reacted quickly, using Earth Release to reinforce their defenses against aerial attacks.
"From what height are they dropping these bombs? And how the hell are they making them?"
Floating in the air, Onoki felt a mixture of anger and bewilderment. Looking up, he could only make out a few small black dots in the sky…
It was evident that Konoha's forces were flying even higher than him.
Looking at the battlefield, Onoki's face darkened.
Despite Onoki's quick response and ordering his troops to disperse to minimize damage, Konoha's bombs seemed to have a terrifying accuracy, as if they were guided by some kind of tracking system. Each bomb landed in the exact spot to cause maximum impact.
With this first wave of bombings alone, Iwagakure had already lost nearly a thousand shinobi.
Onoki's heart was bleeding. They, Iwagakure, had not killed so many Konoha shinobi yet!
"Damn Konoha! First they created those booby traps with a variation of Explosion Release and now they've developed aerial bombs… This is a humiliation to me, the Tsuchikage!"
Onoki's eyes burned with fury, but his mind remained cool and analytical.
"The losses have been considerable… but in reality, these explosive clay bombs have a limited impact on our ranks. After all, our shinobi are experts in Earth Release and have the ability to defend themselves against aerial attacks."
Looking out over the battlefield, he saw the Konoha shinobi begin to retreat. His eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.
"Listen up, all troops! Have Roshi and Han lead the way! Each hundred-man squad will form groups of ten air defense specialists. Do not stop the advance!"
"Fear not! I myself will provide cover. My Dust Release will reduce to dust anyone who dares to stand in our way!"
Onoki's powerful shout restored the morale of his troops.
Retreat?
Absolutely impossible!
If Konoha really had more reserves of these explosives, they would have used them from the beginning instead of waiting until now. As deadly as the aerial bombardments were, if they thought they could intimidate them with this…
So, they simply underestimated him as a Tsuchikage.
The Iwagakure forces continued their advance, and to their surprise, not a single more bomb fell.
With his Dust Release ready in hand, Onoki kept watch in the sky, but a faint smile appeared on his face.
'Hah… I knew Konoha was just trying to scare us.'
But at that very moment…
Roshi, who was leading the attack, spotted a small hill ahead. Without stopping for a second, he prepared to cross it in a single leap.
The Konoha shinobi had already disappeared, but… on the hill, a lone shinobi remained standing.
He smiled calmly as he watched him.
He was Kazuki.
Roshi narrowed his eyes and, without slowing down, he launched himself straight at him like an arrow.
Behind him, the earth was melting under the scorching heat of the lava pouring from his body.
With his Lava Release Chakra Mode activated, he was practically invulnerable to any physical attack.
"A Lava Release user…?" Kazuki glanced at the magma covering Roshi's body. A peculiar glow, characteristic of Dust Release, began to gather in his hand. With a faint smile, he whispered, "How about you compare it to my Dust Release?"
Roshi's eyes widened. In an instant, he stopped his advance and rolled on the ground to dodge. He knew perfectly well what the semi-transparent barrier that buzzed in Kazuki's hand was.
[A strong feeling of doubt and fear has been detected from Roshi towards the host. The target has been linked.]
Kazuki smiled slightly. "What's wrong? Where did all that spirit from before go?"
Roshi, who had gotten back up after his evasive turn, looked at him with extreme seriousness. To his surprise, the semi-transparent barrier that Kazuki was holding had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.
"Hey... Did that guy use Dust Release? I'm not trapped in a genjutsu, am I?" Roshi mentally asked the Four-Tails.
The Four-Tails was silent for a moment, cautiously observing Kazuki's crimson eyes before replying in a deep voice, "It's not genjutsu... Stay alert."
For some reason, something about Kazuki's ocular power seemed strangely familiar.
"An Uchiha supporting Konoha on the front lines?" Roshi muttered, analyzing the situation. "But then... how the hell did he use Dust Release?"
He shook his head in disbelief. "No way. Only that old thing Onoki can handle that technique..."
"He's trying to scare me!" With a burst of chakra, Roshi released a wave of fiery magma that coated his body. The lava poured out heavily, charring the ground beneath his feet. "Kid, you're going to pay for this!"
Transforming into a fiery stream of red lava, Roshi charged ferociously towards Kazuki.
But Kazuki didn't move. Instead, he watched the Iwagakure reinforcements arrive after Roshi and then clasped his hands together.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
What happened next was completely illogical.
From out of nowhere, a gigantic wave of more than ten meters roared and rose behind Kazuki. As if emerging from the void itself, it covered the sky and advanced like a tsunami, sweeping across the battlefield and heading relentlessly towards Roshi and the Iwa shinobi.
Roshi's heart skipped a beat. He backed away immediately, his gaze fixed on Kazuki, who now stood on the immense wave.
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