Under Shino Aburame's control, swarms of kikaichu bugs surged forward, flying toward the island ahead.
Behind him, more Aburame clan members floated in the air.
Twenty-two shinobi in total, it not a large force, but not a small one either.
However, if all twenty-two were capable of using Sage Mode, their significance became entirely different.
"Approximately three thousand enemy shinobi."
Shino Aburame stated.
"What's our move?"
Torune Aburame asked calmly. "Do we charge in directly?"
"We split up."
Shino Aburame thought for a moment before answering.
"Deploy both kikaichu bugs and Exploding Insects together."
"Understood."
Torune Aburame and the others immediately scattered.
Moments later, they raised their hands.
A torrent of kikaichu bugs surged forth, mixed with a scattered number of Exploding Insects.
Boom!
The evolved kikaichu bugs suddenly detonated.
Shockwaves and fire rippled outward, engulfing the area.
Before the Kirigakure shinobi could react, many collapsed instantly.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
Ao rushed out of his tent, only to witness a scene of devastation.
Fires raged everywhere, and countless Kirigakure shinobi lay motionless.
His heart shook violently, his pupils contracted in rage.
Could it be that something went wrong on Lady Mizukage's side?!
"Where are they?!"
A young man in a long robe stepped forward and asked.
It was Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchūriki.
Ao was momentarily stunned.
That's when he realized something strange—
Aside from Kirigakure shinobi, he hadn't seen a single enemy in sight.
"Use sensory ninjutsu!"
Ao shouted urgently.
A moment later, he felt a pang of regret.
If only he still had his Byakugan, he could have easily located the enemy.
But in order to exchange for Zabuza and Haku, he had returned his Byakugan to Konoha.
However—
His expression suddenly twisted in horror.
The moment the sensory ninjutsu users activated their techniques,
Their stomachs bloated unnaturally—
A grotesque white tumor-like mass sprouted from their abdomen.
A second later—
Boom!
The tumors exploded, bursting into clouds of blood mist.
"W-what is this?!"
Ao's face turned pale with terror.
"Tell them to stop using ninjutsu!"
Utakata realized the severity of the situation immediately.
"Cease all jutsu immediately!"
Ao instinctively relayed the order.
But the truth was—
Even without him saying it, the Kirigakure shinobi were already too terrified to use ninjutsu anymore.
"What do we do now?"
Despite his battle-hardened experience, Ao had never encountered such a bizarre situation before.
For once, he was at a complete loss.
Utakata did not respond.
Instead, his chakra flared, igniting into white flames.
In an instant—
A colossal beast emerged.
It bore a slug-like appearance.
But—
It had six long tails.
"The enemy is from Konoha!"
Now fully transformed into the Six-Tails, Saiken, Utakata's sharp eyes locked onto Shino Aburame and his forces.
Turning its massive head, Saiken opened its mouth wide—
A white mist billowed forth.
"Alert Lord Jiraiya."
Shino Aburame raised his hand.
Without hesitation, Torune Aburame shot toward the coastline.
There, a small toad, no larger than a fist, noticed him and leaped forward.
This was one of Jiraiya's messenger toads.
"Tell Lord Jiraiya that we've engaged the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, Utakata."
Torune Aburame said swiftly.
"Understood!"
The messenger toad spoke fluently, then dived into the sea, vanishing from sight.
Meanwhile—
Shino Aburame had already engaged Saiken.
Sage Art: Insect Wall Technique!
A swarm of kikaichu bugs rushed forward, rapidly forming a barrier-like wall in front of him.
The white mist collided against it.
The outermost bugs were instantly corroded, dissolving into sludge.
However—
With the power of Sage Chakra, the barrier remained intact.
But in the next instant, more mist surged forward.
The kikaichu bugs were completely engulfed.
Shino Aburame immediately retreated.
Torune Aburame raised both hands.
Sage Art: Insect Sphere!
A vast swarm of kikaichu bugs gathered, forming a dragon-like mass, surging toward the Six-Tails.
Shino Aburame followed suit, unleashing even more insects.
The Six-Tails spewed forth a torrential wave of liquid, sweeping toward Torune Aburame's insect swarm.
"Detonate!"
Shino Aburame's voice rang out.
Boom!
The Exploding Insects erupted, shattering the liquid wave into countless droplets.
Screams echoed from the battlefield.
Nearby Kirigakure shinobi were caught in the crossfire.
The corrosive liquid burned through their clothes and flesh, causing severe casualties.
"Stay away from Utakata!"
Ao shouted. "Find the other enemies!"
However the explosions continued without cease.
The entire island was in chaos.
The combination of kikaichu bugs and Exploding Insects rapidly thinned Kirigakure's numbers.
But—
The Six-Tails would be the one to determine the battle's outcome.
Sage Art: Insect Tornado!
Shino Aburame remained calm, stalling for time.
He and Torune Aburame worked together, managing to hold their ground against the Six-Tails.
However—
Even with Sage Mode, they were not powerful enough to subdue a Tailed Beast.
Just then—
A powerful gust swept in from the ocean, rustling the trees and grass on the island.
Shino Aburame instinctively turned his head.
Under the moonlight, he saw three enormous toads, each rivaling a Tailed Beast in size.
Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro.
The three Great Toad Elders of Mount Myōboku.
"So it's the Six-Tails, huh?"
Gamabunta, a pipe clamped between his teeth, leaped forward.
"You two, stand aside!"
Water Release: Gunshot!
Gamabunta opened his massive jaws and a gigantic water bullet shot forth.
In the original timeline, Gamabunta's Gunshot was on par with Shukaku's Drilling Air Bullets.
Boom!
The water bullet struck the Six-Tails.
Its massive body rolled across the ground, crushing many Kirigakure shinobi in its path.
Roaring in rage, the Six-Tails scrambled to its feet.
"Attack!"
Gamabunta drew his forty-meter-long blade.
Gamaken brandished his Sasumata.
Gamahiro wielded twin blades.
Four colossal beasts clashed violently.
"No…!"
Ao's face filled with despair.
The battle was simply too overwhelming.
Every Kirigakure shinobi was affected.
With the Aburame forces disrupting them, their numbers had already been cut in half.
At this rate—
It wouldn't be long before they were completely annihilated.
BOOM!
The earth trembled.
Gamabunta's blade struck the Six-Tails, but failed to penetrate.
In retaliation, the Six-Tails spat out a massive glob of white acid.
Gamabunta failed to dodge—
"ARGHH!"
He screamed in pain.
"Watch out!"
Gamahiro rushed in, twin blades flashing.
"Toad Twin Blade Slash!"
The sound of slicing wind tore through the battlefield.
Sensing danger, Six-Tails Saiken lashed out with its six tails like piercing arrows, ensnaring Gamahiro's arms before the attack could land.
Seeing this, Gamaken rushed forward, thrusting his Sasumata toward Saiken.
At the last moment, Saiken yanked Gamahiro's massive body and used him as a shield.
Gamaken's expression shifted dramatically.
At the last second, he was forced to redirect his attack, narrowly missing Gamahiro as the Sasumata pierced deep into the ground instead.
Abandoning the Sasumata, Gamaken swiftly retrieved a giant lid from his back and smashed it down toward Saiken.
CLANG!
A sharp, ringing impact resounded.
Saiken staggered, its head spinning from the blow.
With a furious roar, it whipped its six tails and hurled Gamahiro away.
Gamabunta reacted instantly.
He leaped into the air and caught Gamahiro mid-flight.
"Fall back!"
Gamabunta's eyes widened in alarm.
Gamaken hesitated briefly, only to see Saiken open its maw, condensing a dense, pitch-black sphere.
A Tailed Beast Bomb!
On reflex, Gamaken raised his lid defensively.
The next moment—
BOOM!
The impact sent him flying hundreds of meters, before he crashed into the ocean with a massive splash.
A deep resounding thud followed.
Gravely injured, Gamaken instinctively dispelled the summoning and returned to Mount Myōboku.
"Tailed Beast Bombs are such a hassle."
Gamabunta exhaled, surveying the massive crater before him.
Beside him, Gamahiro remained silent, gripping his twin swords tightly.
But then—
"What is that…?"
Gamabunta's eyes flickered with surprise.
Before them, Shino Aburame summoned a massive insect, which soared straight toward Saiken.
What truly startled Gamabunta, however, was the fact that, the insect's entire body was covered in kikaichu bugs.
And it radiated an immense amount of Sage Chakra.
Until now, Gamabunta had been too preoccupied with Saiken to notice Shino and Torune's Sage Mode.
Now, he could see clearly.
Aside from the Three Great Summoning Lands, could there really be a fourth faction capable of wielding Sage Chakra?
Saiken had already noticed the approaching insect.
Without hesitation, it unleashed another wave of corrosive white mist, attempting to devour it whole.
But in that instant—
BOOM!
Thousands of kikaichu bugs that consisted the massive bug exploded simultaneously.
The explosion roared like thunder, ripping the ground apart, and blasting tents and debris outward.
Flames surged into the sky, engulfing Saiken.
A piercing scream rang out.
"Now's our chance!"
Gamabunta tightened his grip on his short blade.
His massive body leaped high into the air.
Using the momentum of his descent, Gamabunta drove his blade deep into Saiken's flesh.
"Toad Twin Blade Slash!"
Refusing to be outdone, Gamahiro followed up, slashing with both swords.
BOOM!
Saiken crashed to the ground, its body covered in wounds.
But what truly weakened it was not the blades, but Shino's massive summon—
Shino had completely expended his kikaichu bugs and Sage Chakra for that one attack.
Together with Gamabunta and Gamahiro, they had finally brought down the Six-Tails.
Saiken's massive form slowly dissolved, revealing an unconscious Utakata.
"That was a close call!"
Gamabunta let out a breath, shaking his head.
"Jiraiya better compensate us for this."
Gamahiro chuckled.
Gamabunta sheathed his short blade and turned toward Shino Aburame.
His gaze lingered on Shino's Sage Mode, filled with curiosity.
It was his first time seeing Sage Mode outside of the Three Great Summoning Lands.
"Thank you."
Shino offered a rare moment of gratitude before immediately rejoining the battle.
But before long;
The remaining Kirigakure shinobi surrendered on their own.
They had suffered too much, and their will to fight had completely crumbled.
More importantly, the battle was already lost, there was no turning it around.
From an initial force of five thousand, less than a thousand remained.
Yet Shino's expression remained unchanged.
This was war.
It was kill or be killed. Every shinobi who signed up for the war knew that.
…
"Does Lord Jiraiya have any new orders?"
Shino turned to Gamabunta.
According to the original plan, they were supposed to launch a pincer attack with Jiraiya.
However, to ensure no last-minute surprises, he asked anyway.
"Yes."
Gamabunta nodded slightly.
"Jiraiya wants you to wait here, because…they're almost here."
Shino's eyes narrowed in thought.
Judging by those words,
The battle on Jiraiya's side had gone well.
"Torune."
Shino glanced at his fellow clansman.
"Gather the surviving Kirigakure shinobi. Ensure none escapes."
Torune nodded and left to carry out the order.
Shino remained where he was, waiting.
Beside him, Gamabunta and Gamahiro stood silently.
Half an hour later—
A thick mist drifted toward the coastline.
"Hold on! We're almost at the camp!"
Chōjūrō stood at the bow of the approaching ship, shouting.
From above, barrages of attacks from the Konoha Fortress continued, cutting down the shinobi around him.
But then—
Chōjūrō froze.
"That… what is that?!"
His gaze locked onto the two colossal toads standing before their camp.
Jiraiya's summons?!
How… how could they be here?
A terrifying realization struck him.
His heart stopped.
A dreadful thought surfaced in his mind.
…
In the Konoha Fortress;
"Halt!"
Jiraiya raised his hand.
Hinata and the others immediately withdrew.
Before them were Terumī Mei and Zabuza, battered and exhausted.
"Look down."
Jiraiya said calmly.
Instinctively, Terumī Mei lowered her gaze—
What she saw made her blood run cold.
Her entire camp was in ruins.
Her body trembled.
How… how could this happen?!
"It's over, Terumī Mei."
Jiraiya smiled.
"NO! not yet!"
Terumī Mei bit her lip, refusing to give in.
Her only hope now was Kumogakure and Iwagakure. They had to buy more time.
If they arrived in time, they could still turn this around.
But then—
A golden light streaked across the sky.
Everyone froze.
Their bodies tensed with alertness.
"It's Shinho!"
Hinata's eyes lit up.
"Indeed. The Hokage is here."
Hiashi nodded slightly.
With his Byakugan, he saw the towering chakra radiating like the sun itself.
Aside from Jinchūriki, only Shinho possessed such terrifying chakra levels.
The golden radiance touched the ground, and a figure stepped forward.
He scanned the battlefield and smirked.
"Looks like I arrived just in time."
Terumī Mei staggered back instinctively.
For him to be here instead of fighting Kumogakure…
The meaning was clear.
The Anti-Konoha Alliance was utterly defeated.
From this day forward—
The Shinobi World would be united.
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