Pffft!!
The pillar of pure white Dust Release energy grazed Hanzō's left leg.
From the knee down, the leg instantly vaporized and vanished the moment it touched the edge of the beam, leaving behind neither a trace of blood nor a speck of residue!
The beam continued unabated, slamming into the struggling Salamander beneath Hanzō's feet.
The section hit by the light pillar, whether it was the tough skin or the solid bone, silently turned into dust, like pencil marks erased by an eraser!
A huge hole, several meters in diameter, appeared in the center of the Salamander's body!
"Wuuu!!" The Salamander let out an extremely mournful howl. Its massive body twitched violently, and its struggling strength instantly weakened.
Hanzō, having lost a leg, let out a muffled grunt. His body lost balance and he tumbled onto the head of the severely wounded, near-death Salamander. The searing pain covered his forehead in cold sweat.
This old fox can still attack, as expected.
"What kind of regeneration speed is that?"
"What kind of human modification did this old geezer Hanzō undergo?!"
Seeing the rapidly growing granulation tissue at Hanzō's wound, Ōnoki's face filled with shock and bewilderment. He quickly shouted, "Hurry up! Get Hanzō—"
Wūng!!
Before he could finish his sentence, an extremely chilling aura suddenly surged up from behind Kitsuchi and Ōnoki!
The aura was so abrupt and heart-stopping that every sensorily acute ninja present felt their hair stand on end, their hearts gripped by an icy hand.
Sensing this familiar aura, Ōnoki's body violently shook. He turned his head to look at the source of the aura!
When he clearly saw the scene behind him, his pupils immediately contracted, filled with shock and terror.
Not far away, in the clearing that had been plowed over by the previous battle's aftermath and scattered with broken stones, the corpse of Rōshi, which should have been cold and stiff, underwent a spine-chilling mutation.
Click! Click!
Rōshi's corpse began to twitch violently, as if invisible threads were forcefully pulling his limbs, emitting a grating sound.
His body inflated and twisted wildly. His limbs stretched out unnaturally, his spine arched backward, and his head tilted back at an impossible angle, positioning him on all fours like a gorilla.
His previously bruised skin was being covered by white bone at a visible speed, while simultaneously revealing dark red patterns that resembled cooled magma!
Gurgle... Gurgle...
Magma, radiating high heat and the foul stench of sulfur, surged from his body like a broken dam. It crashed onto the ground, melting out scorched pits.
Soon, the erupting magma completely encased him, forming a massive, bubbling, molten 'cocoon' over ten meters high! Rōshi was completely submerged within, with no trace of him visible.
"Rō... Rōshi..." Ōnoki's voice was dry and hoarse, filled with disbelieving terror.
You old man, you always opposed me when you were alive. Now that you're dead, you choose to transform into a 'Hollow' (Menos) to cause trouble at this crucial moment?!
BOOM!!
The massive, churning ball of magma suddenly exploded violently. A searing heatwave surged out from its center like a tsunami, rapidly spreading outward.
Scorching magma splashed wildly in all directions like fireworks. The Stone Village ninjas closest to it had no time to dodge.
"Ah!"
"Watch out!"
Ninjas splashed by the blazing magma were set alight, letting out agonizing screams. Some were even hit by large chunks of magma, instantly turning into charcoal, or even melting away!
Screams rose and fell, and the Hidden Stone forces instantly descended into chaos.
In this fiery, chaotic hell, a colossal and hideous figure slowly rose from the exploding ball of magma!
"ROAR!!"
A ferocious, insane howl shook the entire valley! The voice no longer belonged to Rōshi; it was more like the roar of a wild beast!
In the smoke that had yet to fully disperse, a monster, several times its original size, materialized.
The air was warped by the terrifying heat it emitted, and everyone could make out the silhouette of a giant ape.
Its white body was covered in hideous spikes. The cracks on its surface glowed with a dark red light, looking like uncooled, flowing magma.
Where its face should have been, a pale, bony mask covered the area. Fangs were exposed, and its two empty eye sockets glowed with a destructive scarlet light!
Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi, had completely transformed into a Great Hollow (Gillian-class Menos)!
"Retreat! Everyone fall back!" Ōnoki's eyes were bloodshot. He endured the intense pain and shouted hoarsely.
However, in the next moment, the newly born Great Hollow suddenly stood up on its hind legs from its four-legged stance.
"ROAR!" It roared toward the sky. Its gigantic fists, seemingly condensed from magma, were suddenly raised, then slammed fiercely against its chest!
Pang! Pang!!
Like a giant hammer striking a battle drum, two dull, thunderous sounds exploded.
In an instant, a blinding white light erupted, centered on the monster!
A visible 'ring' suddenly formed around it, vibrating and expanding outward, carrying a terrifying heatwave that surged in all directions!
In the wake of the heatwave, the air was intensely warped, light refracted, and the gravel on the ground instantly melted and vaporized!
The few Hidden Stone ninjas closest to it couldn't even let out a scream. In the face of the visually distorted heatwave, they became like wax figures thrown into a furnace. Their flesh rapidly charred and carbonized, drifting away as wisps of ash!
Watching the tidal heatwave, which scorched and twisted even the air, surging toward them, Ōnoki's face changed. He tried to form a hand seal.
But the next moment, a tearing pain from his waist instantly interrupted his movement, forcing a grunt of pain from him and breaking his jutsu.
In this critical moment, a burly figure suddenly took a step forward, resolutely blocking the front of Ōnoki and the Hidden Stone forces.
It was Kitsuchi!
Facing the terrifying heatwave, his expression was steady and grave. He gripped the huge single-handed axe that was strapped to his back.
BANG!!
The moment he grasped the axe handle, an incredibly heavy force acted upon him. The rocky ground beneath his feet instantly cracked and sank under this tremendous power!
Kitsuchi's chakra boiled and surged with unprecedented ferocity. His legs were deeply rooted in the earth, as if he had become one with the entire mountain range!
He stared fixedly at the monster in the distance. His knotted muscles bulged to their limit beneath his taut vest, and veins stood out and coiled around his thick neck and arms!
"Crush them!"
Kitsuchi roared, the sound rolling out. He forcefully engaged his core, driving the full power of his body to swing the massive axe, heavily infused with chakra, from left to right!
"Heaven's Gathering Clouds (Ama-no-Murakumo)!"
A visible, immense impact suddenly burst forth with the swing of the axe blade!
Carrying an unmatched momentum that seemed capable of crushing everything and cleaving mountains and waves, it charged directly into the oncoming heatwave!
In the next moment, the 'Heat' that could incinerate everything and the 'Force' that could crush everything collided in the canyon clearing!
BOOM!!
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