Chapter 297: Susanoo Vs Four-tails And Five-tails
The sky over Sand Village was dyed a turbid hue by yellow sand and gunpowder smoke, the former fortress of wind now plunged into utter chaos.
Cries, explosions, and the sharp clashes of ninja tools mixed together, forming a scene of devastated war.
In the smoke and dust after the north district passage was blasted, Star Ninja in deep blue uniforms surged in like a tide, moving swiftly and in perfect coordination, their star-shaped forehead protectors gleaming with cold hardness under the dim yellow light.
Hizashi Hyuga stood atop a towering rock building, Byakugan blazing, taking in every chakra flow around him.
At his side, Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses, reporting in a calm, low, rapid voice: “Lord Hizashi, Sand Village has no organized troops left inside, the remaining resistance forces are very scattered, but the Konoha reinforcements brought by Danzō number about one hundred twenty, that’s the main resistance right now.”
“Good work.” Hizashi nodded slightly, knowing this spy was the key contributor to the Star Ninja main force smoothly breaching Sand Village’s hard-to-attack outer defenses.
Then Hizashi ordered in a steady voice: “Stick to the original plan, each squad disperses to clear out remaining resistance, control important facilities. Gōta, Kimimaro, follow me straight to the Kazekage’s Office.”
“Yes! Lord Hizashi!” The Star Ninja behind him responded in unison, eyes burning hot.
In the charge, Hizashi’s gaze suddenly sharpened, Byakugan catching several familiar chakra signatures at the edge of its vision.
They were his Konoha comrades he had fought alongside for years.
Hizashi’s lips tightened, a trace of complexity rising in his heart, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.
Even though the opponents were once good friends, their positions were now opposed, and any hesitation would be irresponsible to his own warriors’ lives.
In war, there was no room for personal sentiments.
The Star Ninja main force pierced toward the village’s core area like a sharp sword.
Scattered Sand Ninja along the way tried to block them, but scattered swiftly under the Star Ninja assault.
Sand Village’s defenses were now virtually nonexistent.
In front of the Kazekage’s Office, Konoha ninja had built a circular defensive line centered on the building, with a few Sand Ninja fleeing under the organization of Konoha ninja.
Danzō stood at the top of the Kazekage’s Office, leaning on his cane, his single eye scanning the approaching Star Ninja with sinister menace.
Kakashi stood beside him, the Sharingan revealed by removing his eyepatch full of gravity, the Anbu and Root members behind him holding their breath, the atmosphere taut as a drawn bowstring.
When Hizashi led elites like Gōta, Kimimaro Kaguya, Mizuki Haku, Yukimi and others to appear in front of the defensive line, the air seemed to freeze.
“Hizashi… Senior…” Kakashi murmured the name lowly, gripping his kunai tighter.
During the Third Great Ninja War, Hizashi had served as frontline deputy commander, and due to Sakumo Hatake, Hizashi had looked after Kakashi, their relationship decent, but now Kakashi saw the unfamiliarity in this admired senior’s eyes.
The battle erupted in an instant.
Star Ninja advanced in groups of three or four, cutting into the Konoha defensive line like precision scalpels.
The screech of kunai guns, the boom of explosive tags, the blasts of ninjutsu collisions.
Gōta and Yukimi blurred forward, first engaging Kakashi and Yamato.
In the charge, Gōta’s body suddenly turned into a dense cloud of smoke, vanishing from the spot.
Kakashi’s Sharingan spun rapidly, trying to track, but then Yukimi’s hands slammed the ground.
“Wood Release: Tree Realm Descent!”
Rumble—
Countless tough vines and trees burst from the desert ground, small in range but extremely sudden, wrapping toward Kakashi and Yamato.
“Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!” Yamato reacted swiftly, raising an earth wall to block the vines and also the kunai swung by Gōta reforming from the side.
Kakashi tore through approaching branches with Lightning Cutter, eyes locked on Gōta.
“Yukimi… your Wood Release is stronger than last time,” Yamato commented.
Hard to imagine she had developed Wood Release in less than a year.
“Tenzo…” Looking at Yamato’s figure, Yukimi’s freckles trembled slightly with her movements.
She still firmly believed Yamato was her brother Tenzo.
“I’ll definitely bring you back!”
Then, her eyes resolute, she formed hand seals again: “Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree!”
A massive wooden spear extended from her arm, thrusting fiercely at Yamato.
“Lightning Cutter!” Kakashi’s hand erupted in brilliant lightning, stabbing straight at Yukimi!
But Yukimi dissolved into smoke again, the Lightning Cutter piercing only void.
Gōta misted again, harassing Kakashi from the side, forcing him to split attention against these elusive attacks.
Lightning and Earth Style flashed frequently, but struggled to break the pair’s exquisite coordination.
Years ago Kakashi wasn’t Gōta’s match, and now with his bloodline disease cured, Gōta’s combat power was even stronger, and with Yukimi’s coordination, they had Konoha’s elites Kakashi and Yamato scrambling, barely holding on.
On the other side, Kimimaro and Haku faced Might Guy, Inuzuka Kiba, Mimura Hamaki, and others.
Bone spikes bristled around Kimimaro, his transplanted Byakugan coldly regarding his opponents.
He moved, appearing before Guy, bone blade thrusting at the throat.
“So fast!” Guy exclaimed, barely dodging sideways, his fist wind whistling in counterattack.
“Leaf Hurricane!”
Kimimaro didn’t evade, arms instantly extending stark white bone blades!
Clang! Clang!
Leg and bone blade clashed, emitting metallic collision sounds!
Guy felt a massive force, involuntarily shaken back several steps, face showing excited gravity: “So hard! You’re the last survivor of the Kaguya Clan? Didn’t expect Byakugan transplant too! Truly… blood-boiling!”
“You’re Konoha’s ‘Blue Beast’?” Kimimaro slowly assumed stance, bones covering his body like a hedgehog, Byakugan coldly fixed on Guy.
“Clan seniors mentioned you, in the Third Great Ninja War, a worthy opponent. Unfortunately, today, your youth may end here.”
“Hahaha! You’re just like those seniors of yours!” Guy steadied himself, face beaming with excitement, sweat glistening in the sunlight.
“Let’s have a hot-blooded youth showdown!”
“Gate of View—Open!”
Boom!
Vast green energy erupted from Guy, air currents sweeping around, ground sand blasted away in a circle.
Kimimaro’s eyes narrowed slightly, sensing pressure, but his bone spikes grew denser, assuming battle stance: “My honor. Today, in the name of Kaguya, I’ll experience the pinnacle of Konoha taijutsu!”
“Bloom, youth!” Might Guy roared, speed and power surging to a new level!
“Corpse Bone Pulse: Willow Dance!” Kimimaro unflinching, body like supple willow branches carrying skyful bone spikes, clashing with Guy!
The two became green and white streaks of light, colliding again, fists, feet, and bone blades striking like dense drumbeats.
At the same time, Haku’s hands flew, air temperature plummeting.
“Demonic Mirror Ice Crystals!”
Countless ice mirrors condensed instantly, trapping Inuzuka Kiba and Mimura Hamaki within.
Haku’s graceful figure shuttled through the mirrors, senbon raining down.
“Fang Over Fang!” Inuzuka Kiba and ninja hound Akamaru became twin rotating storms, trying to break the ice mirrors, but more mirrors blocked and refracted.
“Damn! Isn’t this the desert! How does he have so much Ice Release!” Mimura Hamaki’s Fire Style greatly weakened in the extreme cold, ice and fire interweaving, steaming up vast white mist, the two floundering wretchedly in Haku’s Ice Release domain.
At the battlefield core, Hizashi Hyuga directly faced Shimura Danzō.
His Byakugan veins bulged, clearly seeing the Sharingan hidden under Danzō’s bandages.
“Shimura Danzō!” Hizashi’s voice boomed, laced with unmasked sarcasm: “You old dog! As expected, transplanted a bunch of Sharingan. What, collecting Sharingan isn’t enough, you also want to dig out our Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan, and other bloodline limits, to stuff into your filthy body?!”
The words caused a stir in the Konoha ranks.
Hyuga Iroha and others’ faces changed sharply, gazes toward Danzō filled with shock and dissatisfaction.
They instinctively looked at the forehead-smooth Hyuga Branch Family kin opposite, complex emotions surging.
Several Uchiha ninja glared furiously, Sharingan fixed deadly on Danzō.
Danzō’s face darkened, single eye flashing killing intent: “Hizashi Hyuga! You village traitor, what right do you have to spout off here!”
“Aburame Yuruma!”
No need for more words, Aburame Yuruma and Root elites charged instantly.
“Secret Technique: Insect Jade!” Black parasitic insects swarmed like dark clouds toward Hizashi!
“Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Empty Palm!” Hizashi unhesitatingly slapped both palms, invisible shockwaves scattering the insect swarm!
Several Uchiha elites behind him immediately formed hand seals!
“Fire Style: Majestic Dragon Fire!”
“Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!”
Several fire dragons roared into the Root formation, triggering chain explosions.
Danzō retreated amid the chaos, hands sealing, summoning jutsu unfolding—
“Baku!”
The massive dream-eating beast descended with a boom, trunk inhaling, generating terrifying wind pressure.
“Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!”
Combined with Baku’s suction, high-pressure wind balls shot like cannonballs toward the Star Ninja ranks.
“Scatter!” Hizashi shouted.
At the same time, several Earth Style-proficient Star Ninja stepped forward, hands slamming ground: “Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!”
Star Ninja swiftly evaded, Uchiha ninja countering Wind Release with Fire Style, explosions unending.
Nara Shiosui seized the chance, Shadow Imitation Jutsu quietly extending, trying to control a Uchiha jonin.
“Hmph, petty trick.” The Uchiha jonin Sharingan spun, easily seeing through the shadow path, sidestepping and hurling an explosive tag shuriken at Nara Shiosui, forcing him to interrupt the jutsu to defend.
“Damn! The opposing Uchiha ninja know our tactics too well!” Nara Shiosui sweated coldly on his forehead.
Hyuga Iroha and Hizashi’s gazes briefly met amid the chaos.
Iroha looked at Hizashi and the branch kin behind him with no Caged Bird curse seals on their foreheads, eyes complex.
Hizashi read his gaze, saying deeply: “Iroha, look at us! Without Caged Bird, Hyuga is still strong, even stronger! Konoha gave you only shackles!”
“Senior Hizashi, the new clan head has already stamped the main family with Caged Bird, and promised that from now on, no Hyuga clan member, main or branch, will be stamped with Caged Bird!” Iroha gritted his teeth, assuming Gentle Fist stance.
“Is that so? That’s good.” Hizashi paused briefly, also assuming Gentle Fist stance, not even asking who the new clan head was.
Iroha’s Byakugan trembled, even trying to persuade: “Come back, Senior Hizashi, the new clan head will forgive you.”
Hizashi shook his head, eyes firm: “In the future, your children won’t be stamped with Caged Bird, Hyuga main family’s secret techniques will also open to you.”
“But remember, it’s not because the main family became kind…”
“It’s because we came!”
With that, Hizashi charged Iroha, the two clashing, Gentle Fist assaulting, palm winds whistling.
The battlefield fully descended into melee.
Sand Village buildings collapsed nonstop under ninjutsu barrages, former streets turned to scorched earth.
Star Ninja, with superior equipment, diverse bloodline limits, and high morale, gradually gained the upper hand.
Konoha ninja, though individually experienced, began to waver under high-intensity, multi-bloodline mixed strikes.
Kakashi and Yamato showed fatigue under Gōta and Yukimi’s fierce assault; Might Guy, though Gate of View open, was locked in stalemate with Kimimaro, but Corpse Bone Pulse’s strangeness and Byakugan’s insight prevented real advantage; Inuzuka Kiba and Mimura Hamaki were thoroughly suppressed by Haku’s Ice Release.
Danzō watched the Konoha defensive line falling back step by step, Star Ninja numbers swelling, single eye flashing ruthless, quietly vanishing.
Sand frontline main force routed, now massive Star Ninja invading the village, indeed as Hizashi said, no need for support anymore…
He had tried to regain rights with war merits, but now facing ever more Star Ninja, only retreat to preserve Konoha ninja, or excessive losses here would trouble him too.
——————
Land of Earth eastern border, vast Gobi outside Tottori Mountain Castle.
Under the plateau sky, the battle had entered its most brutal and spectacular phase.
The ground was scarred everywhere, massive craters, lava-flowing gullies, violently torn rock layers, silently telling of the recent battle’s terror.
The two-hundred-meter red Susanoo stood majestically, like a heaven-supporting earth-spanning war god, its terrifying pressure stagnating the air.
By comparison, the fully tailed beast-transformed Four-Tails Son Goku and Five-Tails Kokuō, their sixty-plus-meter massive bodies now seemed like ferocious hounds circling a giant’s knees.
Five-Tails Kokuō emitted a shrill neigh like horse or boar, pure white beast eyes locking on Susanoo’s knee joint, five sharp horns on its head gathering vast chakra, its entire body charging like an out-of-control war chariot.
Horn Collapse!
Facing this mountain-toppling impact, Uchiha Hikari inside the five-diamond crystal on Susanoo’s forehead merely shifted her gaze, her cold face unmoved.
She didn’t even use a weapon, just manipulated Susanoo to lift its right leg covered in black tengu armor, casually kicking forward like swatting a pesky mosquito!
Boom—!
Susanoo’s foot precisely struck Five-Tails Kokuō’s head side, the absolute size difference making the strike’s effect exaggerated.
A muffled-to-the-extreme, teeth-gritting colossal boom!
Five-Tails Kokuō let out a pained wail, massive body flung by irresistible force, tumbling into the Gobi hundreds of meters away, kicking up sky-high dust like a kicked wild dog.
The ground was plowed with a deep gully!
“Han!” Inside Four-Tails Son Goku, Roshi roared in fury and alarm, hands slamming together, dark red Lava Release chakra surging madly.
“Lava Release: Flower Fruit Mountain!”
In an instant, centered on Uchiha Hikari’s Susanoo, the ground for hundreds of meters softened, boiled, turning into a churning hot lava lake!
Scorching heat waves distorted the air, viscous magma trying to wrap Susanoo’s legs, restricting movement.
Uchiha Hikari frowned slightly, Susanoo’s massive wings unfolding behind, preparing to rise and escape this lava hell.
Onoki hovering in the air seeking opportunity wouldn’t miss this?
His hands sealed lightning-fast, “Earth Style: Add Heavy Rock Technique!”
An invisible heavy force suddenly applied to Susanoo’s legs, making its just-lifting body sink sharply.
Immediately, Onoki unrelenting, hands pressing void: “Earth Style: Rock Arm!”
Rumble—
At the lava lake edge, a giant arm of hard rock burst from the ground, fingers splayed, grabbing Susanoo’s left leg ankle dead!
Double restraint of Add Heavy Rock and rock arm temporarily fixed the red war god in place.
“Now! Roshi! Han!” Onoki roared hoarsely.
Far off, the just-risen Five-Tails Kokuō and roaring Four-Tails Son Goku simultaneously opened massive mouths, destructive chakra rapidly gathering and compressing into two black spheres.
Tailed Beast Bombs!
Uchiha Hikari’s scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan swept over the forming Tailed Beast Bombs, glancing at Tottori Mountain Castle not far behind and the You River Dam farther back.
If she dodged now, these two Tailed Beast Bombs would slam unhindered into the castle or dam, causing catastrophic destruction.
Yet her face showed no panic, instead curving into proud amusement, her cold voice echoing through Susanoo across the battlefield:
“Brats, playing these little tricks… before absolute power, worthless.”
Before the words finished, she manipulated Susanoo to abandon struggling, pouring full power into the right hand’s over-hundred-meter chakra greatsword.
The greatsword hummed, its burning red chakra flames surging, emitting even more terrifying energy waves.
The two Tailed Beast Bombs finally formed, hurtling with world-tearing momentum, one left one right!
“Slash!”
Uchiha Hikari’s cold command, Susanoo gripped the hilt with both arms, massive body showing astonishing speed unfit for its size, greatsword arcing red in the air, meeting the two Tailed Beast Bombs!
Sizzle—
Boom!!!
The first Tailed Beast Bomb collided head-on with the chakra greatsword’s blade edge, not exploding directly but cleaved in half by ultimate sharp chakra blade qi!
The forcibly unbalanced Tailed Beast Bomb instantly triggered earth-shaking explosion, blinding white light and violent shockwave sweeping out, but mostly blocked by Susanoo’s broad blade.
Almost simultaneously, the greatsword used the backlash from cleaving the first to curve with clever force, blade back precisely smacking the second Tailed Beast Bomb’s side!
Whoosh—!
The second Tailed Beast Bomb’s trajectory altered by the strike, like a hit baseball, flying back faster along its path, aimed straight at the dense Rock Village army behind!
“Bad!” Onoki’s eyes nearly popped.
The Tailed Beast Bomb fell into the dense Stone Ninja formation.
Brief dead silence, then destruction descended.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!!!
An even more violent explosion than before, violent energy storm devouring everything in range.
Wails, explosions, rock-vaporizing sizzles mixed together.
In one strike, over a thousand Rock Village ninja vaporized instantly, surrounding two or three thousand Stone Ninja blasted away by the shockwave, the once orderly army array wiped out in a huge chunk, leaving a horrific scorched black crater.
Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi and others lucky at the explosion edge were flung by the shockwave, landing wretchedly, staring at the vanished comrades, faces drained of blood, only endless fear and bewilderment left.
“Mon… monster…” Bun’ya collapsed to the ground, murmuring dazedly.
Onoki hovered in the air, body trembling uncontrollably, looking at the red Susanoo unmoved amid the explosion smoke, bone-chilling cold rising from feet to head.
Even Tailed Beast Bombs resolved and countered so easily…
Was this really a power ninja could have?
His shock unrested, Uchiha Hikari’s counterattack arrived.
“The game’s over.”
Susanoo wings flapped, massive body erupting terrifying speed unlike its size, like a red meteor charging straight at Five-Tails Kokuō, just after releasing Tailed Beast Bomb in brief exhaustion.
“Han! Dodge quick!” Roshi shouted anxiously.
But too late.
The chakra greatsword with sky-tearing might swung down from above!
Splurch—!
The muffled sound of blade entering flesh teeth-gritting.
Five-Tails Kokuō’s pure white head severed at the neck, massive beast body stiffened an instant, then crashed down, kicking up sky-high dust.
Five-Tails Jinchūriki Han gravely wounded by the strike, falling from the severed neck, rescued by quick Akatsuchi rushing forward desperately, already barely breathing.
“Roshi! Careful!” Onoki’s warning just out, Uchiha Hikari’s gaze turned to enraged Four-Tails Son Goku.
“Blazing River Grand Eruption!” Roshi controlled Four-Tails, unleashing strongest Lava Release, massive lava fist like volcanic eruption smashing at Susanoo.
“Obstinate.” Uchiha Hikari’s Mangekyo narrowed slightly.
“Inferno Style: Add Gu Tsuchi Life!”
Black Amaterasu flames instantly covered Susanoo entirely, turning it into a magus god burning inauspicious black fire.
The lava giant fist smashed on black flame Susanoo, not only failing damage but swiftly wrapped and burned by black flame.
At the same time, Susanoo’s massive left hand reached out, grabbing Four-Tails Son Goku’s ferocious ape-monkey head, immense force fixing it dead.
Right hand chakra greatsword followed with horizontal slash!
Blade light flashed, Four-Tails Son Goku’s head fell with the sound.
The massive headless body swayed, toppling like pushing golden mountain or jade pillar, turning to flowing lava slowly dissipating.
Roshi fell out, body charred black, unconscious.
In a blink, two fully tailed beast-transformed jinchūriki crushed overwhelmingly!
Roshi and Han one heavily injured one unconscious!
Uchiha Hikari manipulated Susanoo, left hand holding Four-Tails’ still black flame-burning, dissipating massive head, right hand holding chakra greatsword, scarlet Mangekyo coldly overlooking the remaining Onoki below, and the distant Rock Village remnants thoroughly broken in will, trembling in fear.
“This guy… even scarier than Uchiha Madara…” Onoki floated soullessly, mind replaying the crushing battle, last shred of resistance will utterly pulverized.
This wasn’t battle, it was one-sided slaughter!
God crushing mortals!
Yet Onoki’s despair didn’t end.
As dead silence and despair enveloped the battlefield, three figures appeared at Uchiha Hikari’s Susanoo left and right flanks.
Precisely the just-arrived reinforcements: Shisui Uchiha, Izumi Uchiha, and Inabi Uchiha.
“Lord Hikari, sorry, we’re late.” Shisui nodded slightly, tone mild.
“No matter, just in time to clean up.” Uchiha Hikari replied indifferently.
“Yes!”
Next instant, three powerful chakra soared skyward!
Shisui Uchiha’s eyes Mangekyo patterns spun, emerald chakra surging, bones, flesh, armor rapidly forming, a complete Susanoo with back wings and spiral sword rising, height slightly less than Uchiha Hikari’s red war god, but its vast presence equally shocking.
Izumi Uchiha and Inabi Uchiha simultaneously activated their Mangekyo.
A snow-white, lithe female Susanoo, and a verdigris all-over, sharp-lined samurai Susanoo, quickly formed following.
These two Susanoo not yet complete, merely third form covered in chakra flesh and meridians, height about sixty or seventy meters like the prior tailed beasts, but standing proudly on the battlefield, echoing the red and green Susanoo, their visual and psychological impact unparalleled.
Four Susanoo, like four deities from mythic age, their shadows blanketing the remaining Rock Village army.
Onoki watched this despairing scene, last bit of strength seemingly drained, slowly descending from air, collapsing to the ground, seeming to age ten years instantly.
He could wear down Third Raiden with ten thousand Stone Ninja lives because Third Raiden was ultimately human, without Tailed Beast Bomb-like mass kill power.
But facing Susanoo, how long had it been, over two thousand of ten thousand Stone Ninja already dead!
Fight on, the ten thousand Rock Ninja would be wiped out!
Onoki’s heart trembled.
He arduously lifted his head, gazing at the red Susanoo, voice hoarse and dry:
“Stop… stop… we… surrender…”
【Today’s Illustration: Susanoo】
