Earth Release: Rock Flow.
This Earth Release technique is limited in sheer destructive power. Its effect is to alter the terrain—splintering the ground into countless grains of fine sand, which then surge forward like the tide to engulf the enemy. In battle, it is most often used to break apart traps laid by opponents, or to reshape the field into one more advantageous for the user's side.
And now—
Akaishi's purpose in casting it was the former.
To shatter the surrounding landscape,
and at the same time sweep away any traps—whether real or illusory—that might be lurking nearby. As for remaking the terrain to gain an advantage, that much was impossible. Their enemies also commanded Earth Release; no matter how the ground was altered, the difference could not be widened.
It had to be said—
Akaishi's strength was formidable.
With just a single strike,
he reduced the ridge beneath their feet to nothing but fine, cascading sand, collapsing in a roaring landslide.
The Iwa-nin, well-prepared, planted their steps firmly on the flow of sand and slid down safely, unaffected in the slightest. They were Iwa-nin, after all—elite ones at that. The weakest among them was a tokubetsu jōnin. None of them were unfamiliar with the Rock Flow technique, and they had already discussed their countermeasures on the road.
So, the fact they suffered no setback was only natural.
But—
Standing opposite them, Kyoichi of the Koeda clan and Konan were also left unscathed. Konan's reaction was swift: a cascade of pure white paper surged outward beneath her feet, interlocking into a raft-like platform. Rising and dipping upon the waves of sand, she remained untouched by the tide-like current.
As for Kyoichi—
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of hammer on iron rang out through the drizzle.
Kyoichi and Akaishi walked the shifting sand as if on level ground, colliding head-on. One wielded the Earth Release: Earth Spear, the other the Earth Release: Bronze Bell. Blackened fists clashed against golden arms, each strike fast, each impact furious.
And the result—
was dead even.
Watching this exchange,
the Iwa-nin could not hide the shock flashing in their eyes.
"How can this be… he's actually matching blows with Akaishi-sama!"
One of them muttered under his breath.
They knew better than anyone the measure of Akaishi-sama's power. In Iwagakure, the Third Tsuchikage was without doubt the strongest. Akaishi, if not second only to him, was certainly among the village's five greatest masters.
For this Koeda Kyoichi, once an unknown name,
to fight Akaishi-sama on equal terms—
did this not mean he, too, was one of Iwagakure's top-tier elites?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
If the records of the Koeda clan were not mistaken,
wasn't this Kyoichi only fifteen years old?
"What kind of monster is this?"
"I've never heard the Koeda clan had such a genius…"
The Iwa-nin whispered among themselves, their composure faltering.
"Silence! Is this the time for idle chatter?"
Slate snapped, his eyes sharp with displeasure. He admitted these shinobi handpicked by Akaishi-sama were all skilled, but aside from the one with ANBU training, their discipline was sorely lacking. To still have time for gossip in a moment like this… they had grown too complacent in the comforts of the village!
At his rebuke, the others fell silent.
Akaishi had already instructed them beforehand: if he were pinned down, command authority would automatically pass to Slate, a jōnin of the ANBU and a frequent bodyguard to the Tsuchikage. If Slate could not fulfill the role, then command would shift again to another jōnin…
This was not some grim deathbed testament.
It was standard wartime procedure among shinobi. Should the commander fall in battle, the chain of command would not collapse. After all… commanders were expected to charge into the frontlines. Their survival rate was never high.
Seeing the others quiet, Slate, still gliding across the sand, glanced toward Konan in the distance and spoke:
"Don't forget Akaishi-sama's orders. He may not be able to break through quickly, so according to plan, it falls to us to shatter the deadlock. Kazetsuchi—scan the area for threats."
Kazetsuchi.
That was the name of their sensory-nin. Though only a tokubetsu jōnin, his specialty was perception, and in this field he surpassed even many full jōnin of Iwagakure. Were it not for his lacking combat strength, he would already have earned the rank of jōnin.
Not that it mattered now.
Their squad lacked no firepower; every jōnin here was a formidable attacker, and even the other two tokubetsu jōnin specialized in combat.
"...Wait—be careful!"
Kazetsuchi's shout cut through the air. His sensory technique had detected danger.
"Those earthen clones are still around us! They weren't destroyed by Akaishi-sama's Rock Flow! The total count is… four?"
"What?"
The group stiffened in alarm.
But when they scanned the battlefield, not a single shadow could be seen.
"It's the Camouflage Concealment Technique."
The ANBU-masked tokubetsu jōnin spoke up.
Even as his words fell, his blade flashed from its sheath, slashing toward a seemingly empty patch ahead. At once, a figure flickered into sight—Kyoichi, chest ripped open.
A moment later, the clone crumbled back into mud.
At that same instant, Itaichi and the other jōnin moved as one, striking at the hidden signatures. In an instant, Kyoichi's four camouflaged earth clones were obliterated, reverting to mud.
"Without a sensory-nin, it's true this jutsu would be difficult to pierce. But… how unfortunate. This is the Land of Rain. No camouflage can erase you completely—the rain will still fall on your bodies."
Slate gazed at the collapsing mud with a calm voice.
As an Iwa-nin, he despised the Land of Rain's endless drizzle. Yet today, he had to admit, it was a blessing. Without the rain, rooting out these camouflaged clones would not have been so simple.
After all, ANBU themselves had members skilled in Camouflage Concealment, and Slate knew well how troublesome it was. Even with Kazetsuchi present, the sensor could not possibly pinpoint the exact locations of so many clones at once.
Squelch!
The sound of a blade piercing flesh tore through the air.
Blood sprayed from Kazetsuchi's chest.
"H-how…?"
He looked down at the gush of crimson, yet never saw the blade that pierced his heart. Confusion filled his eyes, and in the last instant of his life, he clung to a single question:
"Why… why is there a fifth? I only sensed four!"