Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
As the first Sound ninja corpse hit the ground, the rest of the encircling Otogakure ninja bodies soon followed one after another.
Meanwhile, hidden within the forest the members of the Sound Five watching Yagyu's display all wore shocked expressions.
Even Kimimaro's face became noticeably serious.
"In just an instant…"
Looking at the corpses littering the battlefield the only female member of the Sound Five, Tayuya, felt a chill run through her heart,
"He wiped out that many people so easily… Can the four of us really defeat someone like this?"
Hearing Tayuya's words the expressions of the other three aside from Kimimaro, who had already returned to his emotionless state became ugly.
Anyone could tell Yagyu's strength was far beyond what they could handle.
"There's no time for hesitation."
Sweeping a cold glance across Tayuya and the others Kimimaro, the leader of the Sound Five, spoke in a frigid tone,
"Carry out the plan exactly as decided. It's time for the four of you to offer your loyalty to Lord Orochimaru."
Hearing that the four gritted their teeth and responded:
"Yes!"
Buzz.
A surge of chakra erupted from their bodies.
The markings of the Cursed Seal instantly spread across their skin.
Not only that once the curse marks fully covered them, their appearances also began to change dramatically.
Skipping past the first stage entirely they directly activated Curse Mark Level Two.
As their bodies transformed their chakra pressure surged past its limits, reaching the level of special jōnin.
The instant they entered that state.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
The four burst from their hiding spots and charged toward Yagyu's group at high speed.
In the blink of an eye they spread apart and occupied four separate corners, surrounding Yagyu's team completely.
The moment they reached their positions all four raised their hands and rapidly formed seals.
Their dark and violent chakra fluctuated as if preparing to link together into one.
"So it really is them…"
Seeing the four appear Yagyu revealed an unsurprised expression.
"They went straight into Curse Mark Level Two, huh?"
Then, after noticing the hand seals they were forming Yagyu paused briefly before letting out a mocking laugh.
"The Four Violet Flames Formation?"
A sneer appeared on his face.
"So the plan is to trap me inside a barrier… and then let Kimimaro kill me?"
With just a single glance.
Yagyu had already seen through the Sound Five's entire strategy.
It was actually a fairly decent plan.
But Yagyu wasn't the Hiruzen Sarutobi type.
He had no intention of standing there politely and waiting for the enemy to complete their barrier.
Click.
One hand gripped the hilt of his chakra blade.
Yagyu lowered his stance slightly, just about to move.
Whoosh.
Having also entered Curse Mark Level Two Kimimaro suddenly appeared high in the air.
A white bone extended from his right arm, twisting rapidly into a sharp spiral drill.
As he descended toward Yagyu the strongest spear formed from the hardest bone in his body pierced downward with terrifying force.
"Remain inside the barrier."
Locking his gaze onto Yagyu Kimimaro spoke expressionlessly,
"Lord Orochimaru wants your life. There is absolutely no way we'll allow you to return to Konoha alive."
Seeing Kimimaro attack Yagyu's expression didn't change in the slightest.
In fact a faintly strange smile even appeared on his face.
"So you've finally all come out?"
Looking at Kimimaro descending toward him Yagyu smiled calmly:
"Well then… good luck to all of you."
Buzz.
The moment Yagyu's words fell and Kimimaro instinctively sensed that something was wrong the massive Four Violet Flames Formation created by the four Sound ninja rose instantly.
It completely enclosed everyone present within the barrier.
Clang.
Kimimaro's strongest spear collided directly against Yagyu's chakra blade.
Looking at the cold smile on Yagyu's face the unease in Kimimaro's heart exploded countless times over.
"You…"
Staring at Yagyu, Kimimaro asked in a low voice,
"What are you trying to do? Did we overlook something?"
Hearing that Yagyu, still holding back Kimimaro's attack with one hand, smiled faintly:
"Nothing much."
"I just wanted to let you all witness…"
His free left hand rose slowly.
Then he formed a seal.
Crackle crackle crackle.
Lightning chakra began to emerge from his body.
The glow of electricity grew brighter and brighter.
At the very same moment strong lightning also erupted from the bodies of Shikamaru Nara, Gaara, and the others who had been silently following behind Yagyu inside the barrier.
Not only that the large scrolls carried on Choji Akimichi's back had already been tossed near the feet of Tayuya and the others, including Kimimaro.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle.
The sound of explosive tags igniting…mixed together with the roar of lightning coursing across Yagyu's group.
Together they formed a symphony of destruction.
"What true art is…"
Yagyu's calm, composed, utterly confident smile reflected in Kimimaro's eyes as he finished speaking,
"Art… is an explosion."
Buzz
BOOOOOOM!!!
The moment Yagyu's words fell his body exploded amidst blinding lightning.
At the same time the bodies of Shikamaru Nara and the others inside the barrier did the exact same thing.
Wrapped in brilliant lightning they all detonated into destructive bursts of Lightning Release chakra.
Combined with the massive amount of explosive tags secretly taken from this shipment of supplies a full ten thousand explosive tags detonated simultaneously.
In that instant a grand explosion erupted within the Four Violet Flames Formation one so terrifying that it rivaled even the self-destruction art of Deidara.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The roar of the explosion spread endlessly into the distance.
Crack.
As the explosive shockwave expanded outward the Four Violet Flames Formation maintained by Tayuya and the others shattered instantly with a crisp breaking sound.
It couldn't withstand the force of the blast at all.
Boom!
The deafening explosion drowned out every other sound between heaven and earth.
The horrifying shockwave devoured everything in every direction.
Forests vanished.
Trees were erased.
Mountains cracked apart.
Earth and stone shattered into pieces.
Even the solid ground itself
was blasted into a gigantic crater more than twenty meters deep.
Several minutes later the terrifying aftermath of the explosion finally began to settle.
What remained was only a massive crater and a barren wasteland carved out by the destructive force of the blast.
Nothing else survived.
As for the Sound Five at the center of the explosion including the strongest among them, Kimimaro not even a trace of residue remained.
They had been annihilated completely.
The devastated terrain stood out grotesquely amidst the vast surrounding forest.
And all of it perfectly demonstrated just how terrifying and dangerous that battle had truly been.
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