Chapter 625: The Fall of Konoha's Mighty Warriors!
Chapter 625: The Fall of Konoha's Mighty Warriors!
The Leaf Village Ninja Army was about to lose its ace, Root Blade, and all hope of a comeback.
"Retreat!" Asuma ordered without hesitation, his decisiveness evident. It was clear that if they didn't retreat now, they wouldn't make it out.
"Don't even think about escaping!" Ye Cang intensified her offensive.
But Asuma's strength had skyrocketed after his dark transformation, and it wasn't something that could be overcome in a short time.
Especially skilled in Wind Style, Asuma's power had reached the level of a Shadow Rank ninja after receiving guidance from Danzo, a top-tier Wind Style expert. Defeating Ye Cang was impossible, but ensuring his own safety was not a problem.
"Asuma, you retreat first. Leave this to us!" A voice rang out, accompanied by several shadows creeping along the ground towards Ye Cang.
It was Todoroki Nara, battered and bruised but with a calm gaze.
They had been scattered by the Tailed Beast Bomb during their battle with Violette, allowing them to seize the opportunity to come here.
"But..." Asuma could see that Todoroki Nara was prepared to cover his retreat.
"You're the leader of the Ninja Army. Getting them back safely is your responsibility!" Todoroki Nara interrupted the other's next words with his Shadow Secret Technique.
Indeed, the other party could not afford to suffer any harm.
Whether it was the identity of the Hokage's son or the leader of the Ninja Army, neither could afford to die here.
"Alright!" Asuma could only grit his teeth and turn away, enduring the pain.
But Ye Cang was not willing to let her prey escape right before her eyes, and she was about to give chase.
"Meat Tank!" An Akado Clan member charged forward, his chakra surging after consuming the red pepper pill, posing a threat even to Ye Cang.
Finally, a Yamanaka Clan member used the Heart Turn Technique.
The three worked in perfect harmony, disregarding all consequences, forcing Ye Cang to temporarily retreat.
It wasn't that their combination was stronger than a Shadow Rank ninja; it was because they were risking their lives.
If Ye Cang were willing to take the risk, she could overpower them.
The question was, was it worth it?
Winning the bet would only eliminate a small 'Ino-Shika-Cho' squad, which would have little impact on the overall situation.
Losing the bet, however, could potentially turn the tide in Konoha's favor, as the Sand Village had already lost their Kazekage.
The stakes were clearly uneven, so unless Ye Cang was foolish, she wouldn't gamble her life against them.
Moreover, she never intended to annihilate the Leaf Village Ninja Army.
Repelling them was sufficient.
Once repelled, her position would be solidified, and eliminating them would only have the same effect but with greater sacrifices. It would also have another consequence: the wrath of Konoha.
Most of the Ninja Army were direct descendants of the Hokage lineage, and their deaths would direct Konoha's hatred towards her.
Even though Ye Cang wasn't afraid of Konoha, it didn't mean she wanted to bear the brunt of the Stone and Cloud Village's attacks.
Currently, the Stone and Cloud Villages were eyeing Konoha with hostility, and their armies were poised at the border, ready to strike at the first opportunity.
If the Sand Village were to annihilate the Leaf Village Ninja Army, Daimoku and A might go insane with joy.
For this reason, Ye Cang naturally wouldn't push too hard.
She was eagerly awaiting Konoha's clash with the Stone and Cloud Villages.
Compared to Konoha, the Sand Village actually held more resentment towards the Stone Village.
This was because the Stone Village often initiated invasions of the Land of Wind, and as the invaders, they wouldn't bear as much hatred.
However, the Stone Village frequently invaded the Land of Wind, and the Sand Village ninja who died at their hands were no fewer than those who perished in Konoha.
So, given the chance, Ye Cang would strike a blow against the Stone Village.
If Konoha could hold back the Stone Village's main army, she could launch an attack from the Land of Birds, not only delivering a devastating blow but also potentially annexing the Land of Birds, a small country filled with 'treasures'.
Thus, facing the desperate efforts of Todoroki Nara and the others, Ye Cang didn't feel the slightest urgency as she waited for their chakra to deplete.
Watching the retreating Leaf Village Ninja Army, the Sand Village ninja were exhilarated.
Finally, this day had come.
Despite the Sand Village's frequent invasions of the Fire Country, they always ended in failure, almost leaving Konoha with PTSD.
Previously, the enemy had launched an attack with superior strength, but they were soundly defeated, shattering their morale to the point of contemplating a dignified surrender.
If not for Ye Cang's recent rise to power, bringing abundant resources and manpower, this counterattack would never have happened.
But now, they had truly routed the Leaf Village Ninja Army.
Even if it was just a fraction of their strength, the Sand Ninjas were thrilled beyond measure.
It was like when Tang Ping traveled back in time, and if any of the bottom two of the Five Great Nations defeated a fleet of the Land of the Rising Sun, the entire nation would rejoice and take pride in it.
The Sand Ninjas were in a similar state of mind, their morale soaring.
At this moment, Ye Cang's position as the Fifth Kazekage was unshakable, not even Chiyoki could challenge it.
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"Don't run! This old man isn't done playing yet!"
Guardian Crane watched as Akado Qufeng prepared to flee, and grew anxious.
The opponent's staff strikes had caused him great pain, and now he wanted to stop playing. This was unacceptable.
"Cease the pursuit and leave a few of them behind!"
Ye Cang issued orders while preventing others from joining the chase.
The pursuit was halted to prevent a desperate counterattack. With their overwhelming victory, it would be comical if they pushed too hard and faced a retaliatory strike.
However, not pursuing those troops didn't mean they couldn't do something else.
Leaving behind a few strong Konoha ninjas was a good idea.
Asuma couldn't be allowed to escape; he was a main general and the Son of the Hokage, and killing him would have severe consequences.
But Akado Qufeng and Maru Shinkai, both Shadow Rank powerhouses, couldn't be allowed to flee either.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
Sand ninjas shouted in response to the order.
Thousands of sand ninjas worked together to capture the few, ensuring no accidents.
Meanwhile, these ninjas understood that if they attempted to escape, the sand ninjas would focus their efforts on chasing down other Leaf ninjas, forcing them to make a choice.
Just like the Second Hokage, who chose to cover for his disciples when faced with a pursuit, Akado Qufeng and Maru Shinkai decided to hold off the pursuers.
The sand ninjas, after abandoning the chase, gathered and surrounded their targets, like a wolf pack watching their alpha hunt a formidable enemy.
In no time, Ye Cang saw their chakra exhausted, and the surrounding Flame Style fireballs suddenly merged.
"Flame Style: Oversteaming Death!"
Although they were enemies, their resilience deserved respect, so Ye Cang didn't hold back and gave them a dignified end.
Facing the massive fireball, Nara Todoroki and his two teammates exchanged knowing smiles.
"Goodbye!"
Watching their expressions, Ye Cang detonated the Flame Style in her hand.
A thunderous explosion erupted, and a towering pillar of fire rose, like a celebration of her coronation as the Kazekage.
After defeating their enemies, Ye Cang turned her gaze towards Chiyoki.
To her surprise, as she looked over, Chiyoki had stopped her attack, and her opponent collapsed.
Poison!
It was clear that Chiyoki had used poison.
When dealing with Tailed Beasts or large summoned creatures, Chiyoki's role was limited.
But when the target was human, Chiyoki's advantage was immense.
All her techniques, whether puppetry or poison, were specifically designed for humans.
She was a 'Human Specialist,' and after being on the receiving end of their tactics, she had prepared a targeted poison.
One could say that Maru Shinkai's strength was not inferior to Chiyoki's.
But facing specialized tactics and having to hold off the pursuers meant stacking negative status effects, making survival nearly impossible.
In the end, it was Akado Qufeng.
This was Guardian Crane's moment to enjoy.
Even Ye Cang didn't intervene, merely standing in their path of retreat, cutting off any chance of escape.
If Akado Qufeng was in his prime, Guardian Crane would have to pay a hefty price to defeat him alone.
But in his old age, it only took some time to finish him off.
Finally, a single Vibration Artillery blast shattered the opponent, whose chakra had been exhausted, and whose Gigantification Technique had been released.
With that, the counterattack came to a close.
The impact of this news spread rapidly.
(End of Chapter)
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