The stronger the wind, the fiercer the fire.
Thus, Fire Release counters Wind Release.
But this isn't absolute truth… merely natural law. Finding the counter-law, Wind Release can also counter Fire Release.
Sunagakure's Shinobi generally excelled at Wind Release. To prevent village's Shinobi from being countered in battle, the Second Kazekage developed a series of techniques not countered by, even countering, Fire Release.
Wind Murder Formation was one.
Not conventional Chakra-generated wind, but wind created by iron fans, infused with Chakra to turn violent, causing turbulent, high-speed cutting currents, forming a sustained vacuum stream zone.
Without air, fire can't burn… the bane of all Fire Release.
The delegation members accompanying this mission... aside from the twenty-plus miscellaneous perpetual Genin, everyone else was elite.
These two guard captains weren't Elite Jonin, but capable among Jonin… otherwise they wouldn't be entrusted with guarding the delegation. They were masters of this Fire-countering Wind Release.
The fifty charging Konoha's Shinobi, enveloped in the vacuum stream zone, faced hundreds of slicing blades tearing horrific wounds.
But within the vacuum, sound couldn't travel.
Outsiders only saw the silent agony inside… the soundless hell more terrifying, breeding fear.
"Attack the casters!"
Vacuum turbulence ahead prevented entry.
Using Ninjutsu to break the enemy's technique would harm trapped comrades. The only option was bypassing the middle zone to attack the casters behind, stopping the technique.
Fugaku, experienced in combat, issued commands while leaping, preparing to use Great Fireball Technique on the two captains from above.
Others followed, jumping to attack the Sunagakure's group behind.
But combat isn't child's play; actions consider countermeasures. Especially large-scale engagements.
This was no longer a fight, but war.
Though one side had only forty-plus, Shinobi destructive power escalated this brawl to war.
As the two captains attacked, Ryuji anticipated enemy responses, ordering Genin to aim crossbows diagonally upward, firing when enemies jumped.
Twang! Twang! Twang!!!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!
Bowstring twangs, arrows piercing air… sounds like death warrants, panicking Konoha's Shinobi.
Konoha's Shinobi, having just jumped, faced an arrow rain.
Too late to form hand seals.
But airborne with no leverage or cover, they became targets, mercilessly swallowed by arrows. Only a few masters deflected arrows with kunai.
But with such density, even masters, unable to use ninjutsu in time, could only protect vital areas.
Surviving Police Force's elites, including Fugaku, all injured, fell.
The vacuum turbulence dissipated, leaving gruesome corpses on the disordered lawn.
'The situation became one-sided.'
Fugaku, clutching his injured shoulder, sweating profusely, stared at the Sunagakure's group before the gate.
Behind him, surviving Konoha's Shinobi's eyes held traces of fear.
They weren't afraid to die, but afraid of meaningless death.
Dying in combat, outmatched, was one thing.
But now, they couldn't even approach the gate, let alone fight.
This wasn't combat, but one-sided slaughter.
Ryuji moved from behind the Genin line to the front.
Scanning the remaining Konoha's Shinobi blocking the way, he estimated about a hundred left.
'Three volleys took out over two hundred.'
Ryuji inwardly nodded in satisfaction, but his expression toward Fugaku showed pity. "Uchiha Fugaku, your Uchiha Clan was once the Shinobi World's most renowned and powerful clan, co-founding Konoha with the equally famed Senju. Now reduced to guard dogs… truly pitiful."
"Don't bother sowing discord. Konoha is a village built by our ancestors' lives. Naturally, we'll protect it with ours."
"Yes, as co-founder, Uchiha Madara was driven out like a stray dog, eventually killed by another founder. Truly a village built with lives!"
"Shut up!"
Fugaku roared.
Eyes wide with rage, hair whipping without wind, an oppressive aura spread.
Other Uchiha reacted similarly.
Madara was a perpetual pain in current Uchiha's hearts.
This ancestor who led the Uchiha to glory, then plunged them into current awkwardness... they both revered and hated him.
Revered his strength, the Uchiha's former glory. Hated how he made the Uchiha collateral damage, becoming objects of suspicion for other Konoha's clans and Shinobi.
If Madara hadn't left Konoha but stayed to build the village with the First, becoming Second Hokage, the Uchiha wouldn't be in this awkward position.
But regardless of Madara's choices or consequences, he remained a great Uchiha's ancestor, not to be insulted by outsiders' rumors.
Non-Uchiha's Shinobi looked confused.
After the Third Hokage took office, to ease tensions between village's Shinobi and the Uchiha, details of past events were kept secret.
What they learned from Shinobi Academy's textbooks only mentioned Madara as a co-founder. The rest remained unknown.
Hearing Ryuji's words, they exchanged glances.
Considering the village's suspicion and discord with the Uchiha, they speculated conspiracies.
'Could our First Hokage-sama have been so despicable?'
"Shut up?" Ryuji looked at him with contempt, snorting. "With what? Those Sharingan eyes?"
A warrior can be killed, not humiliated.
Fugaku gritted his teeth. Ultimately, rage overrode reason.
"Kill!"
Watching the youth leading the charge, Ryuji's eyes turned colder.
"Kill!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!!!!
Human roars, arrows whistling, blades piercing flesh, ninjutsu explosions... chaotic sounds intertwined, painting a one-sided slaughter.
Ten minutes later.
Silence before the mansion.
Smoke drifted over the open lawn, littered with corpses, blood pooling.
"Why... like this?"
Fugaku knelt, gaze vacant, surveying the surroundings. The corpses, the blood pools… all pierced his mind painfully.
"Because you lack power!"
Hearing the voice, Fugaku looked up. The youth who led the crushing of over half the Police Force elite stood before him, bright black eyes holding unconcealed scorn.
This hurt Fugaku's heart more.
But he didn't attack, knowing it useless.
Before he could act, arrows from behind the youth would kill him first.
"Being someone's dog, willingly used as a tool despite suspicion..." Ryuji looked at him calmly. "The Uchiha Clan abandoned the pride of the strong, naturally losing former power, reduced to bullies of ordinary Shinobi. Facing true strength, you're like those ordinary Shinobi you bullied… helpless."
Having said this, he ignored Fugaku, walking past him.
Gin, Kuro, Aka, Kana, and other Sunagakure's Shinobi followed.
Each passed by without a glance.
Comrades' deaths, defeat's frustration, psychological gap, shattered pride... Fugaku surveyed the surroundings. Comrades' corpses deepened countless negative emotions intertwining within.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"
Fugaku could no longer contain the pain, howling.
In his blood-red eyes, three tomoe spun wildly, finally merging into a connected pattern. Bloody tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
…
Hokage's Office.
A group of higher-ups gathered around crystal balls, faces grave.
Three crystal balls displayed different scenes.
One: inside the hospital, Anbu confronted fifty elite puppeteers Sunagakure sent for study.
Two: on Konoha's commercial street, a young woman stood amidst swirling yellow sand, destructively ravaging surroundings. Root's Shinobi outside were helpless.
The third crystal ball was cracked.
But before cracking, they'd seen the Police Force, except Fugaku, annihilated.
"Hoo~"
Hiruzen sighed deeply, face troubled. "The situation is completely out of control."
"This Senki Ryuji is insane!"
Koharu said, disbelief in her voice.
They hadn't truly intended to harm the Sunagakure's delegation, only use them as leverage… detain them, then negotiate with Sunagakure to return benefits previously taken from Konoha.
With such disparity in strength, higher-ups planning this didn't think Ryuji would resist.
Because it was foolish.
On Konoha's turf, with only a hundred-plus personnel, including deadweight of twenty-plus miscellaneous Genin, victory through force was impossible.
Only surrendering, cooperating with Konoha's investigation, was the best choice.
Such political maneuvering, with Ryuji's displayed intelligence and insight, he couldn't be unaware.
But reality slapped them hard.
Ryuji not only resisted but acted mercilessly from the start.
Two-thirds of Konoha's Police Force, except Fugaku, died there.
And Fugaku likely wouldn't escape either.
"Now how should we respond?"