NOVEL WEB Chapter 80: Chapter 80: High Above Iwagakure
Nightfall.
The Land of Earth.
Under the cover of night, Seiya, Hikaru, and Sora bid farewell to Kakashi's ANBU squad at the border of the Land of Grass. Activating the Peacock Method, they ascended swiftly into the skies.
To avoid detection by Iwagakure's ninjas, the three maintained an altitude of over a thousand meters, soaring through moonlit clouds that obscured them from prying eyes. Despite their precautions, the prolonged use of the Peacock Method was taxing, and they continually popped soldier pills to replenish their chakra.
"How are you holding up, Hikaru, Sora?" Seiya shouted over the howling wind, his voice straining to cut through the turbulence.
"Still good!" the two yelled back, their tones resolute but tinged with strain.
"Push harder! We're almost above Iwagakure! Stay sharp!"
With a powerful flap of his chakra-forged wings, Seiya surged forward. The other two followed suit, increasing their speed to keep up.
...
Iwagakure. Midnight.
Nestled within a natural fortress of rocky mountains, Iwagakure was a bastion of stone and strength. The village, perched within a basin of towering cliffs, was notoriously hard to assault but equally isolated.
Though the recent Konoha raid had left much of the village in ruins—obliterating even the Tsuchikage's tower—the abundance of skilled Earth Release users had seen to the rapid reconstruction. The buildings were rebuilt in record time, albeit lacking their former grandeur.
Beneath the moonlight, the village lay quiet. Night patrols ambled through the streets with torches in hand, some yawning from boredom, others chatting idly to pass the long hours.
"Hey, Daishi," a burly man with a scruffy beard slapped the shoulder of his lanky companion, who gazed absently at the moon. "Heard your house got blown to bits by those Konoha bastards. Your family alright?"
"Yeah, they're fine. Just the house," Daishi grumbled, his voice heavy with bitterness. "Damn those Konoha scum."
"They're real pieces of work, huh? The Hokage snatched our Jinchūriki and wouldn't even own up to it! When Kitsuchi-sama tried to reason with them, the Hokage had the gall to detain him! Makes my blood boil!"
Spitting angrily on the ground, the burly man cursed again.
"Relax. Didn't the Tsuchikage leave the village recently to meet with the Mizukage and Raikage? Rumor has it they're planning to attack Konoha together."
"For real?"
"You think I'd lie? Haven't you noticed the increased troop movements lately? Just this morning, I saw Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi rallying ninja at the gate."
"About time! When the war starts, I'll make sure to take down as many Konoha's as I can!"
Their conversation was cut short by the sudden cry of a lookout.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The shout shattered the stillness of the night, snapping the patrolling ninjas out of their lethargy.
...
Above Iwagakure
Seiya, Hikaru, and Sora had descended sharply, their altitude dropping to barely a hundred meters. While remaining high above made them harder to spot, it also rendered their kunai throws ineffective—the wind would divert their trajectory before they reached the village.
As expected, their descent didn't go unnoticed. Iwagakure's sentries immediately raised the alarm.
"Quick! Throw the kunai!" Without hesitation, the three drew their specially marked kunai and hurled them toward the village below.
On the ground, Iwagakure's ninjas spotted their silhouettes and launched counterattacks.
"It's Konoha shinobi! Bring them down!"
"They're too high! Use Wind Release!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Idiot! Don't use Earth Release—they're airborne!"
Sharp gusts of wind lashed out at the three, disrupting their flight patterns. Their chakra wings flickered under the assault, and they wavered unsteadily.
"It's working! Hit them harder!"
Before the second volley could strike, the three completed their task, flinging their kunai across the village. The marked weapons scattered and embedded themselves into the ground, unnoticed by most of the Iwagakure ninjas.
As the mission neared its end, Seiya and the others sped off, their wings beating furiously.
Suddenly, a blinding white beam of light erupted from the ground, striking Sora's wings.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
An aged voice, laced with authority and anger, rang out. A cubic light engulfed Sora's wings, disintegrating them into nothingness. Without his wings, Sora plummeted like a stone.
"You Konoha wretches dare intrude upon Iwagakure and expect to leave unscathed?"
Floating above the village was the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. Though his diminutive frame hovered effortlessly in the air, his presence radiated an oppressive weight.
"Tsuchikage-sama!"
Cheers erupted from the Iwagakure ninjas as they watched Ōnoki effortlessly disable the intruders. The once-quiet village was now ablaze with lights as villagers woke to the commotion, spilling into the streets.
In the sky, Seiya and Hikaru exchanged a pained glance before retreating at full speed, their wings flapping desperately.
Ōnoki, however, was far from done. His hands glowed once more, another Dust Release technique forming in his palms.
"Dust Release—"
A sudden scream from behind interrupted him.
"What now?!" Ōnoki growled, his mustache bristling with irritation. He turned to see the source of the commotion, only for his expression to shift from anger to disbelief.
"Senju... Tobirama?!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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