Torifu looked at the endless lake in front of them and said, "Keep heading west, and when we reach a large lake, we should turn north. That's what he said, right?"
Kagami nodded. "That's right. I remember."
"Good. It looks like we'll be reaching Amegakure very soon."
The roads in the Land of Rain were extremely muddy, with many potholes even on the main path. If you weren't careful, you could get stuck and end up covered in mud. Fortunately, this didn't affect the army's progress. They would reach Amegakure around seven or eight in the evening. Although a little slower than expected, Torifu was fine with it.
Konoha's army, guided by the local man, avoided many dangerous spots along the way. Torifu could sense enemies in ambush, waiting for them to fall into their traps. But since they were in a hurry, Torifu didn't bother to deal with them.
"This kind of heavy rain is a rare sight in Konoha."
Hashirama nodded. "Indeed. If your Cloud Release hadn't blocked the rain, we would be in a bad situation."
When they first entered the Land of Rain, it was only a light drizzle, but now a downpour suddenly began without warning. To keep the ninja from getting soaked, Torifu had to continuously channel his cloud sphere, which absorbed all the rainwater. The effect was remarkable.
"We'll be there soon. I can already see Amegakure!"
Kagami pointed forward. Torifu looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a massive, Asura-like statue in the distance.
"That must be Amegakure."
Torifu nodded in agreement. Even though he had never been to Amegakure, he knew about its landmark.
"So the Akatsuki didn't build it."
"What did you say, sir?"
Torifu waved his hand. "Let's speed up. It looks like we have to cross a long river to get to Amegakure."
He had no idea how many rivers they had crossed on this trip. If it weren't for the war, Torifu would never have wanted to come to Amegakure. Who could stand this terrible weather?
"We are close to our destination now. I wonder how the Kazekage and Tsuchikage are doing..."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Land of Rain, Onoki was in a standoff with the ninja in front of him. He had an army of ten thousand, while the enemy only had five thousand, but they had ten Kage-level ninja! On closer inspection, their physique was different from the ninja who had attacked the Land of Earth.
"So it's true what the Hokage-sama said. People who forcefully break through don't live long. Those guys who offended the Land of Earth must be dead by now."
A Jonin next to him asked anxiously, "Onoki-sama, you are our only Kage. With Mū-sama staying in the village, it's going to be very difficult for us to handle these ten Kage-level ninja!"
Onoki waved his hand. "Don't worry. They may seem like Kage-level ninja, but they only broke through by taking some sort of secret medicine. Their strength isn't that of a true Kage-level ninja."
"Pass on my command: three Jonin against one Kage-level ninja! I will wear them down until they drop!"
The Jonin beside him immediately passed on the order.
"Where is the Kamizuru Clan! I wonder if their bees can be of any use here."
At that moment, a man in a brown robe with a protective net over his head and a wooden box on his back walked forward.
"Tsuchikage-sama, our Kamizuru Clan's bees have been bred over generations to adapt to all kinds of climates for war. Today, we will show you our power!"
Onoki smiled upon hearing this. "Good! You were originally our secret weapon, meant to be used against Konoha's Aburame Clan. But now we have a partnership with Konoha, and there won't be another war for a long time."
"Since that's the case, I will no longer hide your presence. I hope you will shine in this war."
"As you command, Tsuchikage-sama!"
After that, hundreds of people dressed like him jumped out and placed the wooden boxes on their backs onto the ground, gently opening the lids. The buzzing sound was endless. "You've been restless for a long time. It's time to move out!"
The Kamizuru Clan ninja opened their beehive lids at the same time! In an instant, all the bees swarmed out together! They formed a brownish-yellow cloud over the Land of Earth's army!
Following this was an angry roar: "You scum of Amegakure! You will pay the price for angering the Land of Earth! Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Jutsu!"
A semi-transparent white cube appeared in Onoki's hand and suddenly grew in size, flying toward the leading ninja of Amegakure!
Even though they had never seen a Dust Release, they had heard of it. The reputation of this Kekkei Tota echoed throughout the ninja world. Even the most powerful people would fear its attack, which could instantly disintegrate a person into atoms.
The leader of Amegakure ninja immediately flashed away to escape, but the Kage-level ninja next to him was a step too slow. The semi-transparent cube landed right next to him and suddenly expanded! It enveloped half of his body. When the white light faded, all that was left on the ground was his upper body. He was not completely dead, but he was close. His eyes were vacant, and he was spewing blood—a miserable sight.
But Onoki had no pity for them. They were going to die anyway; he just hastened their end by two days.
"Kill!"
With Onoki's command, the battle instantly erupted! The Kamizuru Clan's ninja manipulated their bees like birds, sending them diving into Amegakure's army! They flew into their sleeves, relentlessly injecting venom with their stingers. Some even flew directly into their bodies through their ears, noses, and mouths, tearing through their organs. By the time the bees flew out, the ninja was long dead.
Screams echoed across the swampy marshland. Blood flowed everywhere, turning the place into a living hell. Mutilated bodies and severed limbs were scattered everywhere. For many of the ninja, this was their first time participating in a war, but they quickly adapted to this cruelty. Because if you showed any mercy, the enemy would not hesitate to slit your throat!
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Jutsu!"
A pale white light beam shot out from Onoki's hand! Everything along its path, whether it was the ground or the trees, was instantly disintegrated. Onoki specifically aimed the jutsu at the densest parts of Amegakure's army. Some people died before they could even react, while others lost half their bodies and fell helplessly to the ground, only to be trampled to death. Wherever the Dust Release went, there were only severed limbs and body parts.
The retreating leader of Amegakure finally stopped, unable to bear it any longer. He quickly made a hand sign, and a stream of water rose from his feet! With the roar of a dragon, it attacked Onoki!