Special Jōnin
Tsunade slammed her fist into the double-bladed puppet, sending it crashing backward. Even amidst the chaos of battle, her analytical mind remained sharp.
"This toxin… it's a neurotoxin extracted from desert flora and serpents. Protein-based. Good—so long as it's not mineral-based at the molecular level, I can neutralize it!"
Nimbly dodging another of Chiyo's attacks, Tsunade bit her lip, drawing blood, and quickly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu: Katsuyu!"
With a loud puff, a massive cloud of white smoke erupted, and the ground quaked as the colossal slug Katsuyu appeared—her size rivaling that of a tailed beast.
"Katsuyu, split and assist the wounded!"
At her command, Katsuyu instantly dispersed into thousands of miniature clones, scattering across the battlefield.
"Siphon the venom from the poisoned. Heal those you can!" Tsunade ordered, before charging back toward Chiyo with renewed fury.
Chiyo hesitated, genuinely surprised.
She could create lethal poisons, of course—but that required long-acting agents and rare resources. Sunagakure, already strained for supplies, couldn't sustain that for prolonged warfare. Instead, she had opted for a fast-acting, non-lethal neurotoxin designed to debilitate.
She hadn't expected Tsunade to deduce its composition mid-battle—let alone counter it instantly with such an effective antidote strategy.
As Katsuyu's clones worked, Konoha's morale surged. The mini-slugs not only neutralized the poison but also accelerated healing. Wounded shinobi leapt back into the fray, fighting with reckless abandon. As long as their injuries weren't instantly fatal, they fought like men and women with nothing to lose.
But Sunagakure's nightmare was just beginning.
"Reserve forces, prepare to engage! We're ending this now!" ordered the elder Nara patriarch, his voice echoing across the field.
Uchiha Mingjing's legs moved instinctively, carrying him with his squad across the muddy, blood-soaked terrain. Water splashed up his legs with every step—but no one paid it any mind. Their focus was total. Gripping their weapons tightly, they advanced toward the weak point in the Sand shinobi formation.
The Konoha forces struck like a tidal wave, shattering the once-stable formation of Sunagakure's troops and splitting their front line in two.
Mingjing's blood surged with adrenaline. His Sharingan flared to life—three tomoe spinning with deadly clarity.
The Uchiha bloodline, long tempered by war, awakened fully within him.
And with it, the results of his intense training with the Mind Activation Technique surged forth. He could feel his heartbeat racing, chakra surging, blood boiling—but his mind remained razor-sharp. He watched, calculated, and struck.
"Uchiha Style: Instant Fire Blade!"
With a flash, his wakizashi sliced a Sand shinobi cleanly in two.
Others tried to flank him—but were swarmed by Aburame Nami's kikaichū. Their cries ended in gurgles as Inuzuka Ryo tore their throats with his claws.
The insects dispersed suddenly, forming a thick curtain that obscured enemy vision.
From within the swarm, Mingjing emerged like a phantom—his blade slicing the air.
"Uchiha Style: Instant Wind Blade!"
A single, clean stroke. Another enemy down.
"Keep pushing!" he shouted, licking the blood from his lips. His scarlet eyes gleamed with a wild, bloodthirsty light.
He hunted weak enemies, targeting the vulnerable, cutting them down with swift, efficient strikes.
But... it couldn't last.
While cleaving enemies in half felt exhilarating, it drained too much chakra and stamina. His body, still not fully mature, couldn't sustain that kind of output for long.
He adjusted.
Target vital spots. Throat. Heart. One strike, one kill.
He moved like lightning, graceful and efficient—his blade an extension of his will. The Sharingan allowed him to anticipate movements, pierce through deception, and strike with lethal precision.
This was true Uchiha combat—elegant, swift, deadly.
Since the battle began, Mingjing and his team had killed over twenty Sand shinobi. Of those, more than a dozen had fallen to his blade alone—including several Chūnin.
He was born for this. All Uchiha were. The battlefield was their domain.
Naturally, his performance hadn't gone unnoticed.
Some Konoha shinobi watched with admiration, while others—his enemies—watched with dread.
One among them was a tall, gaunt Special Jōnin from Sunagakure. His eyes narrowed as he watched Mingjing and his team.
"Those brats... are too dangerous. If they survive, they'll become monsters. We can't let them leave this battlefield alive."
He made his move—fast and lethal—targeting Mingjing with a barrage of shuriken.
"Mingjing, left flank!" Aburame Nami's voice rang out. Her kikaichū had sensed the attack before it reached them.
Mingjing spun immediately, his Sharingan tracking the incoming projectiles with flawless precision.
"You think you can out-throw an Uchiha?" he scoffed.
From his pouch, he drew a dozen shuriken and flicked his wrist.
"Uchiha Style: Shuriken Barrage!"
The blades danced through the air, colliding mid-flight with the enemy's weapons, redirecting them. Half continued onward, slicing through the air like a deadly storm.
Several found their mark.