Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The massive black iron drill struck fiercely at the neck of the Six-Tails.
Even the Six-Tails couldn't withstand such a powerful impact. Its entire body was forced backward, carving a deep trench into the ground as it slid.
To avoid the white corrosive liquid spraying from the Six-Tails, the remaining Mist ninja scattered to either side.
But now, the Third Kazekage, who had entered the Purple Flame Formation, spread his iron sand wings wide and soared directly to the central battlefield.
"Magnet Release: Super: Iron Sand World Method!"
With a series of swift hand signs from the Kazekage, dense masses of iron sand coalesced around him. From these clusters, spiked iron sand branches shot out suddenly.
From the perspective of the Mist ninja, it looked as if countless "iron sand trees" had burst forth from the spherical masses of iron sand.
The iron sand trees spread rapidly, intertwining and extending downward like dense roots burrowing into the earth. The sharp iron spikes gleamed with a deadly, cold light.
"Ahhh!"
Pshhh! Pshhh!
The iron spikes extended at an astonishing speed, and because they grew from multiple "iron sand trees" simultaneously, their density was terrifying.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Purple Flame Formation was filled with black iron spikes of varying thicknesses.
Hiss!
The Six-Tails had been pushed to the edge of the Purple Flame Formation by the massive drill. Its body collided with the flaming barrier, releasing thick clouds of white smoke.
Screech!
The Six-Tails cried out in pain, raising its two short, stubby "mini-arms," which were now oozing a thick, milky white liquid. It flung the liquid onto the black iron drill.
Sizzle, sizzle!
The concentrated corrosive liquid immediately took effect, melting the black drill into a pitted, irregular shape. Its rotation slowed significantly.
Before long, the massive black drill dissolved entirely, reduced to a puddle of inky liquid that spilled onto the ground.
"What?!"
"This creature!"
When Yagura, in his Six-Tails form, saw the Third Kazekage slaughtering the Mist ninja en masse, his anger reignited.
He deeply regretted not heeding Elder Karatachi's advice.
Elder Karatachi had warned him that even though Sunagakure's strength had diminished with the absence of Sōmi and Sasori, it remained a formidable enemy that demanded caution.
The elder had advised a steady approach: leveraging the advantage of their two Jinchūriki to gradually wear down Sunagakure's forces, while simultaneously inciting defections and internal chaos. Only after thoroughly breaking the enemy's morale should they launch a final assault.
The ultimate goal was to install a "puppet Kazekage" and siphon all of the Land of Wind's resources and profits to the Land of Water.
Eventually, the Land of Wind would cease to exist...
But Yagura's string of victories had made him overconfident. Under the onslaught of his and Kisame's wide-range destructive jutsu, Sunagakure seemed unable to mount any resistance.
And when the Third Kazekage humbly "sacrificed himself for the greater good," Yagura abandoned his last shred of caution, preparing to conquer Sunagakure in one fell swoop and end the war, cementing Kirigakure's dominance in the shinobi world.
Unfortunately for Yagura, his impatience played right into the Kazekage's hands.
To lull Yagura into a false sense of security, the Kazekage had deliberately inflated the number of "elite forces" killed in battle.
Most of these casualties were cannon-fodder Genin, with a few Jōnin mixed in—though many of the latter were actually disguised using the Shape-Shifting Technique or enhanced with secret medicines.
Thus, while Sunagakure's casualty rate appeared alarmingly high, most of the losses were insignificant.
In reality, Sunagakure's main forces had remained intact throughout the war.
As for the sacrificed cannon fodder, the Third Kazekage's resolve left no room for sentimentality. Their lives were simply tools for achieving victory.
Screech!
The Six-Tails let out another furious cry.
Blue and purple orbs of Chakra began to materialize around its mouth. This time, the Tailed Beast Bomb it was preparing was significantly larger than the previous one.
"Huff... huff..."
The Third Kazekage, having unleashed two powerful jutsu in succession, was now panting heavily. The gray-black "armor" covering his body faded away with a red glow, leaving him in his human form once more.
Fortunately, his iron sand wings remained unaffected. Sensing the Six-Tails' movements, he quickly flapped his wings, preparing to leave the barrier.
However, among the thousands of Mist ninja Yagura had brought, there were still skilled fighters.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Several water dragons shot forth from the mouths of the Mist ninja, soaring toward the Third Kazekage.
"Charge!"
"Support the Kazekage-sama!"
The Sand ninja outside the barrier shouted in unison.
At this critical moment, the sealing team executed another brilliant maneuver.
They split the massive Purple Flame Formation into two sections. The portion of the barrier surrounding the Kazekage dissolved, leaving only the area containing Yagura intact.
The sealing team members then rushed to the gap in the barrier ahead of Yagura, quickly repairing it.
With this, the battlefield was successfully divided into two parts.
This was the Third Kazekage's strategy!
No matter what, the Jinchūriki had to be contained. The destructive power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was simply too great. If Yagura were allowed to fire a few shots at Sunagakure, the best outcome for the village would still be a pyrrhic victory.
By gradually isolating and eliminating the Mist ninja, they could eventually focus all their efforts on the Six-Tails.
At that point, it would only be a matter of time.
Yagura, of course, realized the Kazekage's intentions.
Enraged, he no longer cared about whether the Tailed Beast Bomb would harm his own allies.
If he didn't break the barrier soon, Kirigakure was doomed to total annihilation.
Thus, Yagura, in his Six-Tails form, poured even more Chakra into his attack.
"Mizukage-sama..."
"An attack of this magnitude..."
"Even we..."
The remaining Mist ninja trapped within the Purple Flame Formation swallowed nervously, their faces pale with fear as they murmured among themselves.
Boom!!!
A blinding light erupted, followed by a deafening explosion.
"Hold steady!"
"Reinforce the barrier!"
A middle-aged man with a white bandage wrapped around his head shouted urgently.
But the sheer power of Yagura's Tailed Beast Bomb, unleashed in fury, was overwhelming.
The Purple Flame Formation's glow intensified, flickering wildly like an unstable lightbulb.
Crack... crack...
The section of the barrier directly in front of the Six-Tails became semi-transparent, fracturing into glass-like cracks that reflected a kaleidoscope of colors under the sunlight.
Shatter!
A crisp cracking sound rang out.
A surge of fiery light and a powerful shockwave erupted outward.
"Took you long enough to make up your mind?"
"Too late!"
The Third Kazekage, dodging enemy attacks, flashed a sharp glint in his eyes.
Everything was proceeding according to plan. The Kazekage's goal was to eliminate the Mist ninja first, leaving only the Jinchūriki.
If Yagura wanted to help with that, all the better.
The Third Kazekage ascended rapidly once more, determined to avoid the powerful shockwave of the Tailed Beast Bomb.
As for the Sand ninja on the ground, the Kazekage could no longer afford to worry about them.
After all, this was war!
For the sake of ultimate victory and capturing the Six-Tails, the Kazekage wouldn't hesitate to order more sacrifices.
In moments of life-and-death importance to the village's survival and future, the Kazekage would use every resource at his disposal—villagers, supplies, even himself—as bait, as stepping stones toward triumph.
"Hmm?"
"What's that?"
Suddenly.
A streak of emerald-gold light flashed across the Kazekage's vision, positioning itself directly in front of the shockwave from the Tailed Beast Bomb.
"This presence?!"
"Could it be?!!"
The Third Kazekage's face instantly lit up with excitement. It was a figure he knew all too well.
Boom!!
The dazzling light scattered outward with the force of the explosion.
But amidst the chaos, a towering emerald-gold figure stood firmly at the forefront of the shockwave.
As the light faded, a massive emerald-gold Shukaku stood at the breach in the Purple Flame Formation, its imposing form like a mountain.
Standing atop Shukaku's head, a young man looked up at the Kazekage with a bright smile.
"Sensei!"
"I'm back..."
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