Chapter 81
"Quickly, get the two advisors back to cam[!" Hiruzen shouted urgently upon witnessing Koharu and Homura's fall.
"Don't use too much force! Get a stretcher! Gently, support my back!" Koharu, clutching her injured shoulder, yelled in pain as he gestured with his right hand.
Medical Ninja: "..."
"Move!"
Just as the medical ninja was left speechless, Koharu's chest was effortlessly slashed with a massive machete, and the chainmail around Koharu's chest was cut as though cutting through tofu. The perpetrator was Jūzō Biwa, one of the seven Ninja swordsmen.
"Let's eliminate the old woman first!" Juzo, with a cruel grin, turned the Kubikiribōchō sword towards the injured Koharu, who lay twitching on the ground.
Despite their hostile relationship, Juzo found humour in the situation. "What was this old woman doing on the battlefield? Is this some new tactic to make us feel sorry for killing old ladies?"
"Forget it. Meet your end, old hag!" Juzo raised the beheading sword, ready to cut Koharu in two.
"Wind Style·Vacuum Wave!" A sudden rush of wind blades forced Juzo to divert his attention and defend against the attack.
The powerful wind attack forced him to retreat more than ten meters away.
"Thank you, Danzo," Koharu uttered begrudgingly.
"You and Homura, step back." Danzo, forming hand seals with a scowl on his face, was fed up with being on the battlefield.
"Ice release· Raging Tiger!"
Simultaneously, as the "Third Mizukage" performed hand seals, Sarutobi Hiruzen did the same. He released a wide arc of ice from his mouth, shaping it into a colossal fire dragon.
Meanwhile, the blue chakra surrounding "Third Mizukage" rapidly transformed into an ice tiger with an open maw, which lunged forward, snapping the fire dragon to pieces and continuing its assault.
"Earth Style·Earth Style Wall!" In response to this, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly formed another set of hand seals. The ground beneath him quaked, and within moments, a massive wall rose, standing more than ten meters tall, right in front of the charging ice tiger.
With a whoosh, the extended Adamantine staff smashed the earth wall and closed in on "Third Mizukage" in an instant.
"Excellent!" Sarutobi Hiruzen cheered from the rear, believing their victory was at hand.
However, in the next moment, before the shocked eyes of countless Konoha Shinobi, the body of "Third Mizukage" turned transparent and white, shattering into ice crystals upon being struck by the Adamantine staff.
"That's—An Ice clone!?" Danzo exclaimed in astonishment.
Click! Click! The icy fragments didn't fall to the ground but clung to the Adamantine staff, rapidly cooling and freezing it. They continued to advance towards the hand of Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was still holding the stick behind him.
When Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself in shock, he quickly released his grip on the Adamantine staff.
"Secret Jutsu: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!" The voice of "Third Mizukage" echoed like an eerie spectre in the ears of Hiruzen and Danzō.
They instinctively looked in the direction of the voice, but to their surprise, the sound seemed to come from multiple directions.
Upon closer examination, they realized that the surrounding area, covering about 100 square meters, had been encased in rectangular ice mirrors. There were over a hundred of them, varying in size, effectively trapping the Konoha elders.
In mere seconds, afterimages of "Third Mizukage" began appearing consecutively within the ice mirrors.
"Is this a secret technique of the Yuki Clan?" Hiruzen exclaimed in surprise.
"Is Tobirama's disciple only capable of this? How boring," Madara grumbled, his initial curiosity turning into deep frustration. He took control of the Third Mizukage's body and launched an attack.
"Enough of this! Disappear!"
"Save Lord Hokage!" The Konoha Shinobi at the periphery hastily shouted and launched an assault on the ice mirrors.
"Delusional! Stop them!" Yagura waved his hand, commanding the Mist Shinobi army to impede Konoha's advance.
...
...
This scene unfolded amidst the ruins of the Uzumaki country during the clash between Konoha's 4000-strong force and the 2000 Mist Shinobi.
The battle raged on for a gruelling four hours, culminating in a resounding climax.
Bang!
The Adamantine staff, now enlarged ten times, shattered the surrounding ice mirrors. Bloodied and battered, Sarutobi Hiruzen carried Koharu and leapt out of the ice mirrors, just as they were beginning to regenerate. He turned and shouted to his rear, where Danzō was struggling.
"Danzo! Hurry!"
Two seconds later, Danzō, clutching Homura, managed to escape.
Danzō, however, fared no better than Sarutobi Hiruzen. He was covered in ice needles, resembling an elderly hedgehog.
By the time the ice mirrors began to regenerate, it was too late.
"Third Mizukage's" Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals was far more formidable than its future inheritors of the Yuki Clan, Haku, particularly in terms of self-healing capabilities.
Not to mention anything else, these mirrors could regenerate in under three seconds after being shattered, outclassing Haku's abilities.
This is why, for several hours, the Sarutobi Hiruzen group remained ensnared within the ice barrier.
"Retreat! Fall back!" Hiruzen yelled loudly.
With both chakra and physical strength depleted, they could no longer continue the fight.
Since the Hiruzen group had been trapped in the Magic Mirror Ice Crystal, the morale of Konoha's army had been shaken. Now, facing defeat at the hands of the Mist Shinobi, they understood Master Hokage's order to withdraw.
Without hesitation, they turned and fled.
"Advance," declared "Third Mizukage" as he emerged from the ice mirrors, his tone indifferent.
"The entire army, press forward!" Yagura led the charge, vigorously waving and shouting orders.
...
...
Konoha vs. Mist Shinobi
In just four hours of their initial battle, Kirigakure managed to secure control of the Uzunokuni ruins, a strategically significant location situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
The loss was substantial, and there was no denying that this was an impressive start for the Mist Shinobi.
Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen led the remaining troops in a retreat to the southeast coast of the Land of Fire. They had reached a point of no return, as any further withdrawal would allow the enemy to breach the borders of the Land of Fire.
This would not only be a concern for Tatsuya but also for Daimyo, who would undoubtedly be furious with them. Protecting the honour of the Land of Fire was of utmost importance.
"That damned Third Mizukage showed no mercy, attacking a comrade of mine who's 54 years old!" Homura, who had also been turned into a human pincushion by ice needles and had just undergone surgery, shouted angrily from the infirmary.
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