480. A One-Sided Battle

On the battlefield of the Land of Earth, smoke filled the air as the flames of war raged. A fierce battle between shinobi was unfolding.

"Art is an explosion—ha! Ha! Ha!"

Standing atop a giant white bird, Deidara laughed wildly, his hands dancing as he crafted a series of clay bombs.

With devastating force, the bombs detonated one after another in the sky, the deafening explosions shaking the air. Under his assault, the wreckage of Konoha's flying ninja tools rained down like a storm.

Having suffered at Konoha's hands before, Deidara now wore an expression of sheer arrogance as he scanned the chaotic battlefield below, sneering:

"This is Konoha's flying unit? Pathetic."

Konoha's aerial forces, normally agile and swift, found themselves at a disadvantage against Deidara, whose aerial combat skills were equally formidable.

His clay bombs were not only immensely powerful but could also maneuver freely in the air, homing in on their targets with deadly precision, leaving Konoha's flying shinobi with no means to defend themselves.

Even Ōnoki had to grudgingly admit that this time, Deidara—that brat—was performing exceptionally well.

Growing more and more reckless, Deidara blasted two more Konoha flying shinobi out of the sky before shouting arrogantly:

"If you're so weak, just call out that old bastard Danzo Shimura! Stop sending these worthless ants to their deaths!"

Yet the moment his words fell, a cold voice cut through the air:

"You aren’t even worthy of my teacher’s attention."

Deidara turned sharply to see Uchiha Itachi, equipped with flight gear, appearing before him with effortless grace.

The sight of that familiar figure made Deidara gnash his teeth in fury.

"You again… Uchiha Itachi!!"

Itachi smirked coldly, his crimson Sharingan flashing with three tomoe as a chilling glint flickered in his eyes.

"Let’s see how much you’ve improved since the Chunin Exams."

The mention of his past humiliation during the exams sent Deidara into a rage.

With a furious sweep of his arm, he launched several clay birds straight at Itachi.

The birds flapped their wings rapidly, closing the distance in an instant.

Yet Itachi remained calm, sidestepping the attack with ease before forming hand seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, streaking toward Deidara like a blazing meteor.

Deidara barely managed to swerve his white bird out of the way, hastily molding more clay bombs to hurl at Itachi.

In an instant, the sky became a storm of explosions and flames as their battle escalated into a fierce duel.

---

While the aerial battle raged, the fight on the ground was no less intense—or rather, it was a one-sided slaughter.

From the very beginning, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, displayed overwhelming power.

Moving like a golden flash, he tore through Iwagakure’s defenses with lightning speed.

The Iwa shinobi barely registered a flicker of gold before their heads were severed from their bodies.

Minato’s Flying Thunder God Technique made him untouchable on the battlefield. His figure flickered in and out of existence, each reappearance claiming another life.

Under this relentless onslaught, the once-confident Iwa forces quickly lost morale. Fear spread, their lines wavering as soldiers began to retreat.

---

Meanwhile, the elite squad composed of Shimura Kabuto, Kimimaro, Haku, Jūgo, and Chino wreaked havoc.

"Multiple Lotus Barrage!"

Grey cannons emerged from Jūgo’s body, rotating rapidly with a mechanical hum before unleashing a devastating energy blast that obliterated Iwa’s stone barriers.

Kimimaro, now in his cursed seal form, sprouted thick bone spikes from his back before yanking out his own spine. His eyes glowed eerily as he whispered:

"Dance of the Death: Iron Thread Flower!"

Like a specter, he surged into the enemy ranks, his bone weapons whirling in a deadly dance. Every strike painted the ground with blood.

Haku, with a single hand seal, murmured:

"Ice Release: Ice Age."

A tidal wave of frost erupted from his feet, freezing trees, boulders, and Iwa shinobi solid in an instant—leaving behind grotesque ice statues, some mid-attack, others frozen in terror.

Chino, wielding her Blood Dragon Eye, turned Iwa shinobi into living bombs. Their hollow-eyed puppets charged their former comrades before detonating in a storm of gore.

And Kabuto? His hands blurred through seals as chakra tendrils lashed out like whips, injecting lethal toxins into any foe they touched.

Victims collapsed, their bodies blackening in agony before death claimed them.

---

But compared to these rising stars, it was the legendary Sannin who shattered Iwa’s last hopes.

Jiraiya, standing atop Gamabunta, unleashed a combined jutsu:

"Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Gamabunta spewed a flood of oil as Jiraiya ignited it with his flames, transforming the battlefield into an inferno.

And then there was Konoha’s Finance Minister, the immortal Kakuzu.

Black threads burst from his body, impaling enemies like spears while his masks unleashed lightning, wind, and water in a relentless barrage.


Under this overwhelming assault, Iwa’s defenses collapsed completely.

Ōnoki stood amidst the ruins of his forces, his heart heavy with despair.

Minato. Kakuzu. Jiraiya.

Not a single one could be dealt with quickly.

Even their last hope—Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki—was being held at bay by Uchiha Fugaku and his Susanoo.

Iwagakure’s fate now hung by a thread.