A woman's helpless scream, children crying out in fear, the faint cries for help from the elderly...
Chaos filled every corner of the village within a few breaths.
One by one, buildings—never particularly sturdy to begin with—collapsed into ruins under the impact of ninjutsu. Sharp wind blades and surging waves rampaged freely, obliterating everything around them.
The thick mist from Water Release: Hiding in Drizzle Technique continued to spread endlessly.
Under the wild leadership of Fuguki Suikazan, Mist shinobi gradually unleashed their most effective tactics.
Meanwhile, Sunagakure ninja under Pakura's command did their best to use Wind Release.
The power of Wind Release surged alongside the scorching heat of Scorch Release, sweeping outward in all directions.
Each ninja on both sides was fighting for their life.
The reserve agents originally embedded in the village no longer cared about concealing their identities, joining the battle without hesitation.
The once already fragile village had clearly become a living hell under the relentless bombardment of clashing ninjutsu techniques.
Within the stream of people desperately fleeing the battlefield,
Yamanaka Kei and Minato Namikaze stood still, unmoving, seeming completely out of place amidst the chaos.
"Right now, you're from Suna, I'm from Kiri."
With one-handed seals, Kei activated Transformation Jutsu and took the appearance of a captured Mist shinobi they had previously apprehended.
His chakra natures were Yin and Water.
Although he had always focused on studying his clan's secret techniques and genjutsu due to his outstanding talent in mental fortitude,
he was still reasonably proficient in Water Release.
Not that he could rival those ruthless specialists who mastered advanced Water Release techniques,
but compared to the four basic nature transformations—Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Fire—he could barely perform,
his skill and proficiency in Water Release were significantly higher.
"You'll try to stick to Wind Release only?"
Minato nodded, also using Transformation Jutsu to take the form of a captured Sand shinobi.
Their mission was a village secret.
If possible, he didn't want to expose his identity either.
[Mind Body Transmission Technique!]
Kei formed a single hand seal and activated his clan's secret art, linking his consciousness with Minato's.
Now able to communicate mentally and share sensory perception, the two instantly reached into their waist pouches and simultaneously pulled out kunai.
Clang~!
Kunai clashed, sending sparks flying.
They leapt into the air, landing atop the rooftops. Appearing to engage in an intense and deadly hand-to-hand fight, they quickly advanced toward the battlefield still shrouded in thin mist.
"Akasaburō?"
A Sunagakure ninja had just repelled an opposing Mist shinobi when he spotted a heavily bloodstained figure wrapped in tattered bandages—clearly grievously injured.
Recognizing him as Akasaburō, a flicker of joy flashed across his eyes.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward to help Akasaburō fend off the equally blood-soaked opposing Mist ninja.
Seeing himself surrounded, the 'Mist ninja' launched an attack to force Akasaburō back.
Then, hands forming seals, he once again used Mist's signature technique—Water Release: Hiding in Drizzle Technique.
Thick fog rose up rapidly.
As this ninja arrived beside his ally, he instinctively moved to his comrade's side for cover while preparing to release a Wind Release technique.
But before he could finish forming the seals...
The kunai wrapped in sharp wind-natured chakra from the 'comrade' instantly slashed across his neck.
"Tch... such a naive kid."
Kei Yamanaka thought with disdain.
Minato Namikaze once again employed the Transformation Jutsu to assume the form of the ninja he had just decapitated.
With Kei Yamanaka's wide-range Sensor Ninjutsu providing support,
the two of them, still moving as freely as fish within the Mist Hiding Technique, did not disperse the mist.
Instead, they followed the same strategy and silently eliminated yet another Mist shinobi.
With their new identities assisting them,
the two impostors became even more adept at deception.
The faint mist, only partially cleared by Scorch Release, created visual interference.
Kei Yamanaka's nearly undetectable Genjutsu, paired with convincingly mimicked Water Release techniques and Minato's masterful Wind Release,
kept both sides' ninjas too occupied amid the fierce battle to suspect anything amiss.
In less than five minutes,
the increasingly synchronized pair silently eliminated over ten shinobi from both sides.
"Keep your distance! Someone is using Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as our comrade! Anyone who approaches will be attacked immediately!"
Pakura's voice rang out across the battlefield.
Unlike the frantic Fuguki Suikazan, she relied on her vast combat experience and quickly deduced the truth upon spotting the anomaly.
And Fuguki Suikazan, the seasoned Jonin, was immediately alerted and realized something was off.
Even though he was eager to reclaim Samehada,
clinging to the last remnants of his reason, he quickly backed off and issued the same order to his subordinates.
The thin mist, now deprived of chakra support, rapidly dissipated into the air.
Under the cold moonlight, the remaining Mist and Sunagakure shinobi moved in silent unison, leaping onto rooftops and standing motionless as they warily surveyed both comrades and foes alike.
Within that brief moment,
on the Mist side, only four remained including Fuguki Suikazan.
On the Sand side, only five remained, including Pakura.
Among them were still Kei Yamanaka and Minato Namikaze, maintaining their Transformation Jutsu disguises.
"Pakura, hand over Samehada!"
Fuguki Suikazan seemed to suddenly recall his voice.
Ignoring the heavy losses among his subordinates, he directly demanded the missing Samehada.
"Fool! Can't you see yet? We never took your Samehada! A third party has interfered in our fight!"
Pakura glared hatefully at Fuguki Suikazan across from her,
muttering curses under her breath about his stupidity.
This idiot with water in his brain hadn't noticed someone else taking advantage amidst the earlier chaos!
And now he dared to blame it all directly on their Sand shinobi.
Attacking recklessly within the village!
She could already see it—the return home without a single battle credit, only disciplinary action from the village!
Such an utter idiot, Fuguki Suikazan!
Even if he were roasted alive and carved into pieces, it still wouldn't satisfy her hatred!
"Hehehe~ Perfect! Now, everyone, slash your palms..."
Fuguki Suikazan let out an angry laugh, his ghostly teeth gleaming with a cold, sinister light as he raised his hand high before everyone.
He hadn't risen to a high-ranking position in Mist through strength alone.
After Pakura's hint, he now realized just how thoroughly he'd been made a fool of.
[Ninjutsu: Heart-Disrupting Technique!]
Invisible and formless Yin Release chakra energy spread outward.
Except for Minato Namikaze, who already understood Kei Yamanaka's intentions, everyone else broke out in cold sweat!
They wanted to dodge away, but that eerie, overwhelming Yin Release energy had already taken root like a parasite burrowing into their bones, eating away at their insides until they couldn't so much as twitch a muscle.
"This is... the Heart-Disrupting Technique from the Yamanaka clan! Damn you Leaf shinobi!"
Feeling the crushing pressure spreading through his body, Fuguki Suikazan strained with his immense strength, wrenching his neck painfully.
He glared savagely in the direction from which the chakra disturbance had erupted.
Heart-Disrupting Technique.
[Secret Heart-Disrupting Art] — an extremely advanced S-rank jutsu of Konoha's Yamanaka clan!
It was said that after suffering heavy losses following the Second Great Ninja World War, few Yamanaka were left who could wield it.
This technique could easily control enemies' bodies, turning them against one another.
"Congratulations on guessing correctly. As a reward, I'll let you die with dignity."
Kei Yamanaka grinned brightly, one hand still holding the hand seal, his face blooming with an innocent, disarming smile.
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