Naruto: I Survived Two Wars Without You, System!

A thunderous roar rose from beneath their feet.

The terrifying chakra surge sent shockwaves through the three figures hovering at an altitude of several kilometers.

They hurriedly turned their gaze toward the source of the sound below.

Atop a giant crack dozens of meters in diameter,

a figure cloaked entirely in pitch-black aura shrieked through the air, rapidly closing the distance between them!

Although Kei Yamanaka's hair color and chakra signature had clearly changed,

and there was now an unpleasant Sage Art aura about him,

Black Zetsu, who had forcefully taken over Yagura Karatachi's mind, recognized him immediately.

"This guy's sensory range is even larger than the intelligence reports indicated!"

Still wearing Yagura Karatachi's guise, Black Zetsu—who had once again disguised himself as an Iwagakure ninja—reacted quickly, instantly realizing what had gone wrong.

According to the intelligence he had gathered, Kei Yamanaka's sensing radius should only be five kilometers.

Based on the earlier battle distance between Kei and Rasa and Pakura, there was no way he should have been able to detect their presence.

Plus, considering that he had risked revealing his strength in front of Rasa and Pakura just to reduce Konoha casualties,

after finishing the fight,

he should have immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique to rush to the main battlefield.

Even if he later sensed their presence,

to ensure as many Konoha ninja survived until reinforcements arrived, he wouldn't easily abandon his position.

Now suddenly appearing here—

it could only mean he had discovered them first.

He must have assessed their threat as far greater than that of the Iwa and Suna forces below. And his earlier move hadn't truly been for reducing the losses of the thousand-strong unit, but simply to buy them enough time to hold out until reinforcements arrived, preventing total collapse.

Damn it!

He should've realized this sooner!

A man capable of defeating old Madara Uchiha—who entered Root—how could he genuinely remain under Danzo Shimura's command?

Perhaps Danzo had already become his puppet!

That list of one thousand decoys? He likely played a role in compiling it. Anyone included on it couldn't possibly be that important anyway!

"Those good at hiding always enjoy showing half while concealing the other."

Onoki spoke with the tone of a seasoned veteran, chiding the false Yagura Karatachi beside him.

Glancing sideways at the battle unfolding in the Konoha camp, he internally sneered.

A few days earlier, he had learned from "Yagura Karatachi" that those thousand Konoha ninja were just bait.

His decision to lead the Sand ninja in ambushing the Konoha camp

was based solely on his belief that he could swallow the bait whole with minimal losses.

Even if Konoha reinforcements arrived,

if the numbers weren't drastically different, the best outcome would be a prolonged stalemate.

After all, fallen Konoha and Suna ninja wouldn't return to life.

Now, since this sudden enemy had chosen not to rush aid to the battlefield, but instead came alone directly after them, why not capitalize on the Mizukage's proximity and attempt to eliminate him here?

Even if they failed, it would at least allow them to gauge his strength.

Onoki twisted midair, both arms extended straight out before him.

Chakra surged wildly between his palms, quickly forming a translucent cube emitting a faint white glow.

He aimed directly at Kei Yamanaka, who was charging forward.

"Does the Mizukage have any way to restrict his movements? The best way to deal with such an enemy is to use our strongest move immediately and finish him in one strike!"

"...Leave it to us."

Hearing this, Yagura Karatachi hesitated briefly before giving a slight nod. He then signaled to Tobi, who stood beside him wearing a forehead protector over his eyes.

Tobi's form drifted downward, positioning himself beneath the two.

Hands forming hand seals, chakra mist began to rise.

A masked Mist shinobi, covered in grotesque black rods, appeared beside him.

Without exchanging a word, the summoned Mist ninja immediately spread his arms downward.

[Universal Pull!]

A terrifying suction force erupted from his body.

Kei Yamanaka's already incredible speed doubled uncontrollably!

After a brief charge-up, Tobi thrust both hands downward.

He hurled a pitch-black sphere of highly condensed chakra straight toward Kei Yamanaka, who had closed the distance to within a hundred meters!

[Planetary Devastation!]

An overwhelming gravitational pull erupted from the black sphere.

In the howling wind, Kei Yamanaka—moving at unimaginable speed—clapped his hands together.

Potent sage chakra surged outward.

Countless roots and branches erupted from the swirling chakra mist around him!

Thanks to Sage Mode's enhancement, even while airborne and far from the earth below, he could still use Wood Release as long as he had a few cells to use as seeds!

The forest erupted upward, growing rapidly.

The terrifying gravitational pull of Planetary Devastation continuously drew in the wildly expanding roots and branches!

In just the blink of an eye,

the Planetary Devastation became a massive wooden ball dozens of meters in diameter!

[Wood Release: Wood Clone!]

Kei Yamanaka clapped his hands again.

Dozens of clones under Sage Mode instantly took form across the surface of the wooden ball.

They all clapped their hands simultaneously, activating Wood Release in unison,

causing the already sizable wooden ball to expand several times over in an instant!

The wooden clone standing atop the giant wooden ball was now barely ten meters away from Onoki and Yagura Karatachi!

"Wood Release?!"

Onoki wore an expression of utter horror!

Having personally witnessed the terrifying power of apex Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, he knew exactly what Wood Release meant!

It was the power that once dominated an entire era!

"Quickly!"

Black Zetsu, who had taken over Yagura Karatachi's consciousness, urgently shouted.

His right hand slammed onto the storage seal on his left forearm, and amidst rising chakra mist, he tightly gripped a staff adorned with green flowers.

As chakra boiled within his body, he slightly shifted his stance, partially hiding behind Tobi.

Eyes locked tightly onto the enormous wooden ball and the wood clone standing atop it wearing a look of triumph!

"!!!!"

Startled awake by Black Zetsu's warning, Onoki didn't hesitate to act.

The white cube he had been charging with energy in his palm was forcefully thrust forward toward the wooden sphere before him!

[Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling]!

A sharp buzzing~

The white cube shot forward.

In an instant, it blocked the distance between the Wood Clones and the others—who were already within arm's reach!

A terrifying buzzing sound, as if space itself trembled.

[Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling] instantly expanded into a massive cube dozens of meters in diameter, directly enveloping most of the area centered around the Planetary Devastation!

Reducing everything inside to atomic particles!

However, the massive wooden sphere created by Wood Release was simply too big. Large sections of the wooden structure were still intact at the edges of the cube, along with two Wood Clones whose smiling faces remained undamaged!

Tobi formed Hand Seals.

From the rising chakra mist, five puppets identical to the previously summoned Mist shinobi rose at his side.

And behind him, Black Zetsu—who had taken control of Yagura Karatachi's mind—began manipulating the Three-Tails' chakra within him, entering a partial tailed-beast transformation, his entire body glowing bright red!

Swish~ Swish~

Two Wood Clones cloaked in pitch-black Sage Chakra blurred forward in an instant, arriving right in front of the Six Paths clones confronting them head-on.

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