'Based on Ryumon Shiki's modus operandi, this harassment is just meant to create an opening for an actual attack making us forcefully drop our guard by tricking us into raising it in the first place.' Dodai realized.
At the moment, the shinobi fleet was more vulnerable than even before they realized something was off with the storm.
Dodai's credibility in Kumo had taken a serious hit but the Third Raikage, despite his rough appearance, was no fool that let himself be swayed by such things and took the man's warning seriously, ordering his troops to keep their defenses up.
And thanks to that, they got off the easiest.
Within the dense rain, droplets became hidden liquid senbon, assailing the shinobi fleet from all angles.
This was Water Release: Killing Rain, unleashed through the Nirvana Art: Elemental which had generated the storm itself.
Kiri, already under a bloody regime under the Third Mizukage, were always on the lookout for attacks, even from their supposed allies.
Combined with their specialization in assassination tactics and terrain advantage from having access to plentiful water and forgetting about Jonin, even most of their Chunin managed to deal with the sudden assault after the first few casualties.
The lives of their genin however, were mercilessly harvested.
Iwa was even unluckier.
Their main strength militarily lied in numbers.
Though their Elite Chunin and above were fine due to Earth Release's defensive capabilities, there were few of them to begin with.
They brought the largest force amongst the three powers forming the fleet but the majority were regular Chunin and Genin.
Screams rang out like scenes of a nightmare.
Normally, the senbon were not deadly unleash aimed carefully but with such a volume of attacks, things were very different.
Already on guard, Kumo got away relatively scot free
*
'Tch.' In utter darkness at an unknown location, Shiki internally complained as he watched countless shinobi frantically dodging and defending against his onslaught.
But no matter how much they dodged, flipped and parried, the weaker ones among them were getting culled progressively as they tired.
Alas, owing to their familiarity with him, the enemy the boy was most interested to see suffer was doing quite well.
'Time to move on to the next phase. Let's see how they deal with this . . .' He venomously thought.
When it came to Kumo, his prejudice was always maxed out.
*
Just as the shinobi fleet was beginning to organize and effectively block the rain using large domes of water created by teams of Water Release Jonin, Shiki sprung the trap.
With the enemies focused on the sky.
"FROM BELOW!" Dodai shouted, using chakra to make as many people in range hear his words, even those shinobi from other villages
'FUCK YOU! You're dead, bastard!' Shiki internally raged.
His actions however, remained agile and ice cold.
A last minute warning would only do the Elites any good and they were not the ones the boy was targeting in the first place.
'Water Release: Water Dragon Symphony'
Countless massive, serpentine, water dragons sprung from the ocean.
The eruption splintered wood and tore metal as a third of the fleet's ships were sunk, forcing the shinobi on board to waste chakra to stand on the turbulent waters, even more vulnerable to follow up attacks.
As for the unfortunate fodder that actually fell into the water . . .
Needless to say, they were never seen again.
The rampage of the water dragons remained unimpeded as their massive forms sunk into the water and emerged to drag more victims into a watery grave.
A foolish Kumo jonin jumped high to evade a passing dragon, only to find another rushing at him from below as he fell, unable to dodge.
'Water Release: Water Formation Wall'
A reasonably powered water wall rose to protect its maker but to not avail.
The dragon crashed through without even being slowed down, captured the jonin and dragged him below the sea surface.
Scenes like this repeated across the scattered fleet and the true powerhouse, could no longer bear to hold position.
They meant to save their energy for the battle against the enemy's mightiest force at their gates but that course of action was no longer feasible.
As if spurred by an unseen agreement in coordination, the three Kage jumped into the fray.
Shrouded in lightning, the tall, burly body of the Third Raikage flashed around, effortlessly tearing through the massive water dragons.
On Iwa's side, a massive white beam, like a sci-fi laser, erased every single wanted construct in sight.
And the Third Mizukage, a man who climbed the the top of his own village relying on the power of his Water Release, immediately showed Shiki he was growing far too cocky.
He humiliatingly wrested control of some of the boy's water dragons, using them to counter the assault of those still under Shiki's control.
Even worse, under the Mizukage, each dragon was more solid, powerful, fast and controlled with much greater precision.
'Nice going old timers . . .' Shiki acknowledged.
The Mizukage in particular, as someone with no role whatsoever in the original series, truly surprised the boy with his masterful move.
'But how about this?' The boy felt like laughing maniacally.
'Lightning Release: Grand Heavenly Formation Lightning'
'Wind Release: Great Serial Flaywind'
Two S rank jutsu, simultaneously deployed at massive scale with Nirvana Art: Elemental and the environment it created acting as facilitators.
A mass of a myriad lightning bolts rained down from above before the shinobi of the three invading nations could sigh in relief for surviving the water dragon onslaught.
At the same time, mighty gales formed, filled with the power to strip skin and flesh from the bones of its victims.
If the previous situation was nightmare inducing . . . The current one was horror fitting for the punishments of Hell itself.
While shinobi tried their utmost to defend themselves from the shining lightning bolts, hidden within the storm, the gales of Faywind silently struck.
The tempest drowned out the screams of the victims as they were gruesomely mutilated.
A visceral image of red, sanguine flesh being forcefully shredded and torn from a still living shinobi followed, turning the wind tainted crimson as the stench of blood was carried across the battlefield.
*
In the dark murky depths, with his Ryugan: Zenchi, Shiki observed the carnage he had brought about with an eerie sense of detachment.
Even the perverse satisfaction of striking at Kumo faded into the hollow void and a profound feeling on the worthlessness of life rose in his soul.
To the Ryumon in him, the boy was finally stepping onto the right path though what that meant, was not quite clear yet.
But how had Shiki accomplished all of this?
Even with the Nirvana Seal holding functionally infinite chakra, the output at which it generated it was limited.
Such large scale ninjutsu . . . The boy would be drained dry and still only produce a smaller scale version of one amongst the multiple jutsu he had just unleashed.
So how come?
Well . . . The mastermind of the whole thing was, in fact, Mito.
Shiki was the one planning and executing the attack itself but it was the Uzumaki matriarch that made it all possible in the first place.
+++++
Hey, Author here!
To promote the novel I will be releasing BONUS CHAPTERS on SUNDAYS based on the previous week's power stone count.
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
500 Power Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters
1000 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
Every earned BONUS CHAPTER on Webnovel will also be posted on Scribble.
Just a reminder that you can read up to a FULL MONTH ahead of this site on pa-treon.
I'm trying to become a full time Author now and I'm not going to be starting any new novels just so I can make sure this one is properly completed.
Find those sweet advanced chapters on pa-treon.com/lusoba without the -