When an elite jonin disregards the state of the battle entirely, leading a specialized squad to single-mindedly assault a chūnin, the impact is absolutely staggering.
No one expected such a formidable figure to suddenly appear and launch such an aggressive attack.
Within seconds, dozens of Konoha ninjas at the front lines were thrown into chaos, panic written across their faces.
Those quick to react could still launch various ninjutsu against the sandstorm, though they had no idea whether the storm posed any other risks beyond obscuring vision.
The slower ones were doomed, attacked and slaughtered on the spot by the squad led by Araki of the Sandstorm, their screams echoing as they fell.
Araki of the Sandstorm struck like a blade piercing through wind and sand, showcasing the terrifying power of an elite jonin to the fullest.
"Everyone, get out of my way! Stay away from me, and you might survive," Araki of the Sandstorm's eyes were fixed solely on Kaede Tsukasa. This wasn't just about avenging past humiliation—it could determine the future trajectory of the Sand Village.
He fully understood the matter of the human puppets. As an elite jonin, he might not be in the village's upper echelon, but he was undoubtedly a pillar of strength. Even a major ninja village could hardly produce many elite jonin.
By this point in the war, the Sand Village was already struggling. Even if they won, they couldn't seize fertile lands from the Land of Fire. As for war reparations? There would be nothing.
In summary, after years of fighting, it was a net loss: the Land of Wind's economy was crippled, many talented ninjas were lost, and the Sand Village had to find ways to rapidly strengthen itself to catch up with other villages.
Human puppets were the most economical path to development, which meant Kaede Tsukasa's value would rise even further.
"It seems Konoha's leadership never anticipated this. They still consider you just a very capable medical ninja…"
Araki of the Sandstorm targeted a very small number of jonin. Most of his attacks came against squads composed of chūnin and genin, striking suddenly. In an instant, the Konoha forces were thrown into utter disarray.
His gaze passed over countless heads until it landed on Kaede Tsukasa. He hoped to see fear, but aside from the initial surprise, all he saw was absolute calm.
"Hmph. When I capture you and bring you back to the Sand Village, you'll get a real taste of our village's tortures. Don't cry then!!"
Araki of the Sandstorm snarled and summoned an even larger sandstorm. The whistling and howling suppressed all other noise, reducing visibility to less than five meters.
"So this is it… terrifying presence indeed. Ignoring the squad's casualties just to create an opportunity to capture me?" Kaede Tsukasa looked up at the sky-altering scene, genuinely impressed and a little intimidated.
He saw the enemy controlling over a hundred shuriken with Magnet Release, each tipped with a specially prepared hemolytic toxin. The ground leading to Kaede Tsukasa churned like a living thing, turning the surrounding hundred-meter area into quicksand—carefully prepared for him.
Araki of the Sandstorm may not have excelled at direct assaults, but he was a master of area control, capable of engaging a large number of ninjas single-handedly to create the opportunities he wanted.
Kaede Tsukasa summoned six zombies at once, positioning them around himself in different directions, forming a tight protective circle.
"The enemy's target is you? Whatever their purpose, stop them!"
Takuno Kazematsuri's face showed astonishment. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but any enemy objective—understood or not—had to be stopped with full force. At the very least, it couldn't be wrong.
After losing several comrades, the surrounding Konoha ninjas quickly regrouped, attempting to surround Araki of the Sandstorm and his squad.
Opportunities to kill an elite jonin were exceedingly rare.
"Your Death Soul Technique isn't limited to this level? What, you think these cheap tricks can stand against me?" Araki of the Sandstorm sneered.
Magnet Release: Quicksand Vortex Prison!
Suddenly, vast amounts of sand converged, forming a terrifying downward spiral meant to trap Kaede Tsukasa in its center. "This time, I won't give you a chance to escape. I've seen through all your tricks!"
Kaede Tsukasa said nothing, only retreating. As a medical ninja, his primary task on the battlefield was self-preservation—a lesson Tsunade had drilled into every medical ninja.
No Konoha ninja thought this was wrong. They surged forward, trying to buy their medical comrade time to escape.
But Kaede Tsukasa wasn't simply running away.
The six zombies moving with him spread out and simultaneously formed hand seals, launching different ninjutsu.
Water, fire, and wind spewed from their mouths. Though all the techniques were ordinary, Kaede Tsukasa never expected the zombies to defeat Araki of the Sandstorm.
He was merely buying time.
The deaths of his comrades did not shake him in the slightest. Defeating Araki of the Sandstorm remained his goal.
"Tsukasa, I suggest you retreat," Takuno Kazematsuri said, stepping in front of him. He realized he couldn't stop Araki of the Sandstorm—the man was insane, charging recklessly toward Kaede Tsukasa.
Then he would have to use his own life—
A zombie grabbed him and hurled him aside.
"Leave it to me. I'll deal with this guy here," Kaede Tsukasa said calmly. "No village comrade will have to die for me."
Takuno Kazematsuri froze, stunned by such a resolute declaration, his eyes wide.
In truth, as a medical ninja, it wasn't proper for Kaede Tsukasa to say this. On the battlefield, ordinary ninjas were supposed to prioritize protecting medical ninjas.
As Araki of the Sandstorm approached, resistance grew stronger. After finally reaching Kaede Tsukasa and blocking a series of ninjutsu attacks with Magnet Release, he decapitated one of the zombies.
Kaede Tsukasa's face showed no surprise. He formed a hand seal with one hand.
"Zombie Release: Void."
His body blurred, and instantly, he swapped positions with a zombie.
It was the first time he had used the Void Realm Technique in front of so many people—the visual effect was explosive.
Many thought Kaede Tsukasa was doomed, yet the next moment, they saw Araki of the Sandstorm kill a zombie, while Kaede Tsukasa appeared in the zombie's original position, making people question their own eyes.
"What technique is that?!"
"No doubt about it. I was just transferred from Iwagakure and saw Minato Namikaze use the Flying Thunder God Technique—it's very similar. Instantly changing position! Though I didn't see this medical ninja throw a special kunai in advance…"
"This kid… no wonder he's a target! Summoning multiple physical bodies to use ninjutsu—this move alone is like creating dozens of subordinate ninjas out of thin air, and he can use a space-time ninjutsu similar to Flying Thunder God!"
For many, it was their first time partnering with Kaede Tsukasa, and their first close-up view of his techniques. They had wondered why the enemy elite squad was targeting an apparently obscure medical ninja. Seeing this strange and visually striking ninjutsu, it all made sense.
Boom!
Another usual zombie self-detonation, failing to harm Araki of the Sandstorm in the slightest.
"At this distance… it's about time. From now on, become my trump card."