Chapter 213 It's Great to Be Konoha's Dog
The fire dragon and the earth dragon collided, and an explosion and heat wave swept across the entire area.
Although the Iwagakure's combined ninjutsu hadn't fully charged up, they had studied it for many years. Talented Iwagakure ninjas begin learning this skill during their ninja academy years. Compared to them, the three Sarutobi clan ninjas were inferior in both numbers and proficiency. Therefore, in this round of clash, their fire dragons quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.
"Goro!" Shikamaru shouted, urging another team beside Sarutobi Konosuke who was charging up their attack.
"Understood! Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The next moment, the rolling waves joined the battle. Although the impact of the water release countered the power of the earth dragon bullet, the fire dragons released by the Sarutobi clan earlier were also extinguished by the water waves. Rolling steam rose straight into the sky.
"Are you guys in Konoha joking? Using Water Release to support Fire Release? Don't your ninja academies even teach the most basic ninjutsu counters?" Seeing this, an Iwagakure member grinned and laughed loudly.
However, as the sky above grew darker, Kurotsuchi, who had been relentlessly pressured by Naruto, seemed to realize something. No longer concerned about chakra consumption, she unleashed a large cloud of Lava Release limestone at Naruto, forcing him back. She then loudly reminded her comrades, "Gather together, and prepare defensive ninjutsu!"
"Realized already? Too bad, a little too late." Kurotsuchi's words reached Shikamaru's ears, but a confident smile appeared on his face. He then issued the final order of the battle: "Everyone, retreat! Clear an area!"
"Then, watch Sasuke's performance." Shikamaru said, using Shadow Binding Technique to pull back several teammates who had ventured deep into the enemy ranks. Then, he looked up at the sky.
From the depths of the slowly gathering cumulonimbus clouds came a roar like that of an ancient beast.
Sasuke leaped from the highest treetop on the battlefield, landing steadily. He then calmly strode towards the Cloud Village members, his hands forming a series of hand seals. Chakra surged through his body along rising currents into the clouds, while lightning energy flowed through his meridians, making every cell seem to scream. Purple plasma churned around him. The Iwa
ninja, gathered together, stared intently at Sasuke as he approached. Almost everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Even though Sasuke was still a considerable distance away, they all felt as if they were being targeted by a wild beast.
Thump, thump, thump.
The only sound in the world seemed to be Sasuke's seemingly leisurely footsteps, each step like a countdown to death, hammering into the hearts of the Iwagakure members present. This fear was like a herbivore facing its apex predator; even the simplest act of resistance required immense courage.
Finally, one of the Iwagakure members couldn't withstand the pressure any longer and gritted his teeth, throwing shuriken at Sasuke.
However, as the series of shuriken approached Sasuke, they stopped abruptly in front of him.
As the final hand seal was completed, a blinding white light cleaved the sky!
A bolt of lightning, over ten meters in diameter, condensed into the head of a Kirin, its horns and mane formed by hundreds of intersecting lightning bolts. It flickered amidst the thunderclouds, containing the majestic might of heaven.
Sasuke snapped his fingers, and the electric light swirling around him scattered like butterflies, converging on the Iwagakure members from all directions.
"Everyone, concentrate your chakra, use Earth Release: Earth Wall!" Kurotsuchi roared. Completely outmatched in her battle with Naruto, her previous composure was gone. Now, facing the imminent threat of lightning strikes overhead, she shouted, her voice filled with panic.
A flash of lightning struck the group of Iwagakure, and the Kirin in the thunderclouds let out a deafening roar.
"Lightning Release: Kirin!" Sasuke whispered.
The next moment, the Kirin, formed from blue and white lightning, shattered the clouds. The colossal thunderous beast swooped down, its blinding light flashing incessantly, the ozone from the ionized air completely masking the lingering stench of blood from the previous battle.
At that moment, layer upon layer of Earth Walls rose above the Iwagakure members, blocking the oncoming thunderous beast.
The Earth Walls vaporized into crystalline particles under a million volts of lightning, the ring-shaped rock prison collapsed in the lightning, and the surrounding forest crackled and sputtered as the lightning ignited it.
The Iwagakure ninja beneath the earth-flow wall reinforced their defenses layer by layer, but before the might of nature, all their efforts were in vain.
The earth-flow wall, painstakingly constructed by nearly twenty people, crumbled in waves, and the summoning rings rose in unison with the screams of the Iwagakure ninja.
"Lightning Release: Kirin..." In the VIP room, apart from Uchiha Touko, who was leisurely sipping tea, everyone else's faces were filled with solemnity, especially A and Onoki.
Blocking Sasuke's ninjutsu was not a difficult task for them, but the one using this ninjutsu was only a 12-year-old genin. What kind of power would this ninjutsu possess in the hands of his teacher, the creator of this ninjutsu?
Thinking of this, Onoki and A couldn't help but look at Uchiha Touko.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! The Hokage's disciple has truly inherited your style perfectly." At this moment, Takagi Seiwan broke the silence, clapping and exclaiming loudly.
Upon hearing this, everyone present couldn't hold back any longer. "Where did you get your old style? Who doesn't know where this ninjutsu first became famous?"
"It's safe to say that the majority of those who died under this ninjutsu were from Kirigakure. Now, for you, the Mizukage, to say this is a bit ridiculous."
Feeling the strange looks from those around him, Takagi Seiwan remained unconcerned. As one of the few Kirigakure survivors of Uchiha Touko's Lightning Release: Kirin, no one knew better than him the power of this ninjutsu in Uchiha Touko's hands. Although he escaped by betraying his teammates, for a long time after the war, Takagi Seiwan had nightmares of Uchiha Touko sweeping away countless lives with a wave of his hand amidst raging lightning.
However, now, seeing the power of this ninjutsu in Sasuke's hands, Takagi Seiwan felt no fear whatsoever. After all, only Uchiha Touko and Konoha's enemies needed to consider the consequences of this ninjutsu, and as long as he served Konoha well, this ninjutsu would never fall on his head.
"Being Konoha's dog is truly wonderful!" "Takagi Seiwan thought proudly to himself.
Inside the Forest of Death.
The lingering power of the Kirin slowly dissipated, followed by a torrential downpour that extinguished the surrounding trees ignited by lightning, sending plumes of white smoke rising.
The air in the area was purified by the lightning, smelling unusually fresh.
Sasuke, who had somehow acquired an umbrella, slowly walked to the area where the Cloud Village had previously gathered.
Now, all that remained were various supplies that had exploded and then been charred into pieces by the lightning.
The message that the next safe zone had been refreshed was transmitted to Sasuke's bracelet.
At this time, the Konoha members also gathered.
"There are basically only us left in the examination hall," Shikamaru said. "The other teams, after seeing the Kirin's movements just now, probably didn't dare to approach and were eliminated outside the safe zone."
"Currently, including the Kirigakure team you brought back yesterday, we still have 10 teams left. In other words, one of our teams won't be able to enter the next round of the assessment," Shikamaru said.
"Um, Sasuke-sama, we'd like to skip the next round. We weren't able to help at all in the previous battle," the Kirigakure team said.
"Do you think I'm some kind of untrustworthy person?" Sasuke glanced back at the three men, his face expressionless.
"No, no," the three Kirigakure soldiers quickly shook their heads. The terrifying lightning release from that moment had terrified them. Having not experienced the Third Shinobi World War, their impression of Kirigakure's Nightmare Azure Lightning Release was only based on rumors. But after witnessing Sasuke's performance, they understood what their elders in the village had been so afraid of.
"I said I'd let you advance to the next round, and I will," Sasuke said.
"Let's skip the next round," Shikamaru said. "We already told Kakashi-sensei that we only came to the Chunin Exams to support you and Naruto. Now that everyone from the other villages is gone, we've completed our mission."
"Aren't you going to stay a couple more rounds? With your strength, getting into the top eight shouldn't be a problem."
"Forget it, it's too much trouble," Shikamaru said.
"Yeah, instead of advancing to the next round, we might as well go home and eat some chips. I've already finished the chips I secretly brought in," Choji added. Ino
had no objection to her teammates' choice.
After saying that, the three of them waved to everyone and walked towards the edge of the safe zone.
After Shikamaru was eliminated for staying outside the safe zone for too long, the bracelets on the wrists of the others still inside the arena lit up.
In no time, the nine teams that passed the test were all teleported to the area where they had passed.
The second round of the Joint Chunin Exams held by Konoha, the survival test, had thus come to an end.
"Congratulations, Hokage! Konoha has truly dominated this Chunin Exams. They say Konoha is a cradle of geniuses, and that's certainly true. It's truly admirable that your disciple, at such a young age, possesses such strength and strategy." Takagi Seiwan said with a smile to Uchiha Touko.
"Mizukage, you flatter me. This kid has made a mess of the Chunin Exams; it's giving me a real headache. Almost all those who advanced to the third round are from Konoha. I reckon the Daimyo from other countries won't be coming for the tournament in two weeks. That'll cost Konoha a lot in ticket revenue."
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