Chapter 14: Fist Shatters Iron Sand! Fame Across the Ninja World!
Behind the Third Kazekage, the black Iron Sand gathered and formed into enormous wings.
They spread out, lifting him high into the sky.
In the ninja world, jutsu that allowed true flight were extremely rare.
"Tch! Showing off again!"
Seeing the Third Kazekage soar into the air, Tsunade clicked her tongue in disdain.
Show off? Maybe.
But on the Sand Village's side, seeing their Kazekage take flight made every shinobi's confidence surge.
"Ninjutsu — Iron Sand Shower!"
From above, a storm of glistening black Iron Sand began raining down toward the Konoha forces.
"Ryūun!"
Without a change in expression, Tsunade called out to Aoyama Ryūun.
"Leave it to me."
He grinned and looked up at the descending Iron Sand — and at the Third Kazekage seated in the air like a god of war.
So it begins… the war has truly started.
"Dragon's Breath!"
The dragon-scale tattoos on his body began to glow and take on solid form.
His eyes turned into vertical dragon pupils, and crimson lines shimmered across his skin.
A destructive aura erupted as blazing dragon flames roared from his mouth, surging upward toward the storm of Iron Sand!
"BOOM!"
The Dragon's Breath collided head-on with the Iron Sand Shower.
If it had been a normal Fire Release, it would never stand a chance against Iron Sand —
but this was something far beyond ordinary ninjutsu.
"Who is that guy?"
Most of the enemy shinobi didn't even know who Aoyama Ryūun was.
"You'll find out soon enough."
A cold grin appeared on Ryūun's partially dragonized face.
He stomped the ground with one foot.
"BOOM!"
He shot into the sky like a cannon.
Seeing this, the Third Kazekage's eyes narrowed. He waved his hand — countless streams of Iron Sand gathered in front of him, forming layers of defensive barriers.
"Hahaha! That's not enough!"
Ryūun laughed wildly as the Iron Sand defenses built up like a giant turtle shell around the Kazekage.
He drew his right arm back — jet-black Armament Haki swirled around his fist like living smoke.
"Shatter for me!"
With a roar, Ryūun drove his fist straight into the Iron Sand defense!
Everyone's eyes turned upward to the battle in the sky.
Whichever side lost here — their morale would collapse instantly.
BANG!
The Third Kazekage looked down at his opponent, ready to mock him —
but suddenly his eyes widened in disbelief.
Cracks were spreading across his Iron Sand barrier!
For the first time ever, his supposedly indestructible Iron Sand defense…
was on the verge of breaking!
The Third Kazekage couldn't hide his shock.
"BOOM!"
With a deafening explosion, the Iron Sand barrier shattered completely.
Ryūun's fist slammed directly into the Kazekage's body,
blasting him backward through clouds of dust and sand.
Ryūun landed back on the ground, sneering.
"The so-called strongest Kazekage in history? Doesn't seem that impressive to me!"
He might look reckless in battle —
but when it came to mocking his opponents, Aoyama Ryūun was no slouch either.
"Lord Kazekage!"
"Our Kazekage was defeated!?"
Panic rippled through the Sand shinobi ranks.
If even their invincible Third Kazekage could lose,
then what chance did the rest of them have?
"Me, lose? Impossible!"
From within the storm of dust, the Third Kazekage's furious roar echoed out.
As the strongest Kazekage in history, he refused to be defeated so easily.
"Ninjutsu — Iron Sand Barrier!"
It was one of his trump cards — an ultimate defensive technique.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But Ryūun didn't back down in the slightest.
Instead, he laughed and charged straight into the barrier!
"Not enough! It's still not enough!"
Like a rampaging ancient beast, his Armament-coated fists smashed again and again against the Iron Sand spikes.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each punch shattered the black spikes into dust.
Some fragments of Iron Sand struck Ryūun's body,
but he ignored them completely — unfazed and unstoppable.