Elder Brother, the captain has been killed."
"Second Brother, the captain has been killed."
The death of the Sand Ninja captain caused some commotion among the enemies attacking the supplies. However, it quickly disappeared like a stone sinking into the sea. On the battlefield, anyone could die, and grief could only be turned into strength.
Of course, turning grief into escape was even more likely. After all, if even the captain was dead, what else could be expected?
As for the instigator, Uchiha Tatsumi, he paid no attention to any of this. He had already rushed to the enemy's flank.
At this moment, no one could stop his slaughter.
Tatsumi ran, hooking his right hand into the ninja pouch on his leg. Several shurikens appeared in his grasp.
His running speed didn't even pause, and he didn't use any unnecessary force. With the cutting power enhanced by speed, the shurikens instantly and accurately sliced through the necks of several unlucky enemy ninjas.
The Konoha ninja fighting nearby barely noticed what had happened before the enemies collapsed limply.
"This... Could it be that I've awakened a super-powerful bloodline limit?" A Genin looked at his hand in shock.
"...."
It seemed that the ninja world was full of peculiar individuals. Not only were there monks, rappers, and crossdressers, but now there was also an abstract art visionary.
Tatsumi didn't bother paying attention to him. In a chaotic battle like this, standing still was a death sentence. He knew from experience that constant movement was the key to survival. In his previous life, he had been in plenty of group fights and arguments—he understood the principle well.
So, after cutting down his opponents, he didn't stop and rushed straight toward another enemy.
This time, his target was a formidable Sand Ninja, whose build suggested he specialized in raw strength.
The enemy didn't take Tatsumi seriously at first. Seeing that a Chunin was charging at him, he simply smirked cruelly before swinging his massive blade in a heavy slash.
Tatsumi sidestepped slightly to evade the strike and raised his kunai to intercept the attack.
"Clang!"
The enemy's long blade suddenly stalled.
Seizing the opportunity, Tatsumi curled the middle finger of his left hand slightly before flicking it against the back of the blade. The Sand Ninja's eyes widened in horror—he couldn't hold onto his weapon!
With a swift movement, Tatsumi grasped the back of the blade, took a large step forward, and effortlessly snatched it away.
The Sand Ninja instinctively tried to retreat.
But ninjas who relied on strength typically lacked speed. After all, in the entire ninja world, how many people could match the Raikage in both power and speed?
This Sand Ninja was no such anomaly. He belonged to the common category of power-type fighters, making him particularly vulnerable to speed-based attacks. Against Tatsumi, this was an insurmountable weakness.
Tatsumi swung the stolen blade, slashing deeply into the Sand Ninja's chest. Blood gushed from the wound, his body convulsing as crimson liquid dripped from his mouth.
Pulling the blade free, Tatsumi formed a Chidori in his right hand. His Sharingan flared as he cast an illusion.
With a single thrust, he skewered another Sand Ninja, then charged forward another ten meters, using the impaled body as a shield.
His body remained concealed behind the corpse, avoiding the barrage of kunai and shurikens flying across the battlefield.
Relying on his Sharingan's dynamic vision, Tatsumi quickly selected his next target. The lightning coursing through his body made his movements swift and unpredictable. The second enemy barely had time to react before being impaled by another Chidori.
Like a relentless force, Tatsumi bulldozed through the battlefield, piercing through three enemies in succession.
By the time the fourth enemy reacted, it was too late. Desperate, he ignored his two still-dying comrades and thrust his long blade straight through their bodies, aiming for Tatsumi hiding behind them.
Tatsumi ducked and tilted his head while simultaneously stabbing his own long blade through the corpses.
The two blades met within the flesh, producing a muffled sound.
"Chidori Sharp Spear."
Lightning chakra surged along the length of both weapons, striking the Sand Ninja directly. The enemy let out a muffled groan as electricity coursed through his body.
"Puff, puff, puff!"
Suddenly, three soft sounds rang out.
Three kunai embedded themselves into the corpses Tatsumi had been using as shields. Unlike before, he immediately retreated.
The kunai weren't normal—they had thin wires attached to detonating tags. If he had hesitated even a second longer, he would have been caught in the explosion.
It seemed the Sand Ninjas were willing to sacrifice their own fallen just to eliminate him. This was the brutal reality of a ninja war.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted.
Blood rained down, splattering onto Tatsumi's clothes, but he paid it no mind.
The shockwave threw him through the air. As he soared out of the smoke, three Sand Ninjas leaped towards him at once.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere."
Tatsumi spat out several high-pressure wind bullets toward his attackers. The jutsu not only countered their advance but also propelled his own body farther away, allowing him to evade the enemy's ninjutsu.
The three Sand Ninjas who had lunged at him were struck mid-air, their bodies convulsing before falling lifelessly to the ground.
Tatsumi landed smoothly and pulled out several shurikens embedded in his arms and legs. Though the detonating tags hadn't caused substantial damage, the resulting blast had thrown him off balance, making it impossible to completely avoid airborne projectiles.
He surveyed the battlefield. By now, most of the troublesome opponents had been dealt with.
At this point, Minato and the others didn't need him anymore. They weren't rookies; their teamwork and jutsu were far superior to most enemies at this level. With the major threats eliminated, this battle would serve as valuable combat experience for them.
At the rear of the formation, Sakumo was fending off multiple elite Jonin while protecting the wounded Konoha troops.
"I'm going to support Sakumo-sama!" Tatsumi called out before dashing toward the battlefield's rear.
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