"Earth Release!"
Kurotsuchi's hands moved swiftly, forming seals at an impressive speed.
But Tsuchiya was faster.
Before she could complete her jutsu, he raised his hand and unleashed a fireball—fast as a meteor streaking through the sky.
At this speed, there was no time to finish her technique.
With no other choice, Kurotsuchi abandoned her jutsu, channeling chakra to her feet instead.
She pushed off the ground, leaping backward just as the fireball struck where she had been standing.
Boom!
The explosion sent a wave of heat rushing toward her.
The scorching air stung her face, and the fiery glow illuminated her tense expression.
"A quick-release technique... and it's this powerful and fast?" she thought.
The ground where the fireball had hit was now blackened, the dirt turned to scorched earth, still radiating heat.
Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed.
If she took a direct hit, she'd be completely defenseless.
No time to hesitate.
She needed to counterattack with her own quick-release jutsu.
---
Tsuchiya, meanwhile, wasn't surprised that she had dodged his first attack.
His opening move had been a test, meant to gauge her reaction.
And now, he had his answer.
Her speed, agility, and composure under pressure… these were the traits of a strong fighter.
But his own situation wasn't ideal.
After a series of battles, his chakra reserves were running low—down to less than half.
He could still unleash thirteen more fireball bursts, but he didn't intend to drag this fight out that long.
He aimed to finish it in ten shots or less.
Their eyes locked.
Both had calculated their next move.
Then—
Kurotsuchi sprang into action.
She stepped back, forming a rapid series of hand seals before pressing them to her mouth.
Her cheeks puffed out, and she exhaled forcefully—
"Lava Release! Quicklime Congealing Technique!"
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Multiple clusters of quicklime shot toward Tsuchiya.
He didn't hesitate.
Raising his hand, he fired another burst of flames.
The fireball streaked through the air—
Boom!
The two attacks collided, igniting a fiery explosion in midair.
The airborne quicklime hardened rapidly from the intense heat, turning to powder midair and obscuring Tsuchiya's vision.
Seeing his technique working, Kurotsuchi smirked and quickly formed another set of hand seals.
"Earth Release: Subterranean Dragon Technique!"
The ground beneath her softened instantly, turning to loose earth. She sank into it as if stepping into water, disappearing from sight.
Tsuchiya remained on high alert, his eyes scanning the dust-filled air in front of him.
Then—
Boom!
Kurotsuchi erupted from the ground beneath him, fist clenched and coated in solid rock, swinging straight for his face.
"Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique!"
Tsuchiya barely had time to react. His arms shot up in defense, but—
Crack!
Bang!
The impact sent him flying backward, crashing to the ground several meters away.
Kurotsuchi didn't let up. She lunged after him, fist still reinforced with stone.
Even though pain shot through Tsuchiya's arms, the bones likely fractured, he refused to surrender.
Gritting his teeth, he raised his trembling hands toward her.
"Burst Fireball! Triple Shot!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three fireballs exploded toward Kurotsuchi, cutting off her escape routes.
At that moment—
She slammed her hands onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A massive earthen barrier shot up in front of her.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fireballs struck, blasting three holes straight through the wall.
Kurotsuchi's eyes lit up.
Meanwhile, Tsuchiya staggered to his feet, but his arms were trembling violently—especially his right arm. The damage was severe.
Fighting like this was nearly impossible.
But Kurotsuchi wasn't about to give him a moment to recover.
She formed another rapid set of seals, then slammed her palms onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Rising Stalagmites!"
Tsuchiya's eyes widened.
This is bad!
The ground rumbled for a hundred meters in every direction. Then, like bamboo shoots sprouting after rain, jagged stone spikes erupted from below.
"Ahhh!"
The large-scale attack sent Tsuchiya flying through the air.
Pain shot through his body as he tumbled, helpless.
Then—
He hit the ground.
A glowing ring of light appeared above his head.
A message flashed in his mind: "Eliminated! You have been eliminated!"
Tsuchiya lay on his back, staring at the sky, his face twisted in frustration.
"I still lost..."
Footsteps echoed.
Slow and steady.
Kurotsuchi stepped into his fading vision, her figure tired but resolute. She glanced at him briefly but said nothing, simply walking past and continuing forward.
Tsuchiya sighed, closing his eyes.
"I'm still far behind..."
---
Meanwhile, Naruto stood before a group of Kumogakure shinobi—several teams working together.
Though they were a "large force," fewer than ten of them remained.
Still, each one was skilled, moving in perfect coordination.
But against Naruto, it wasn't enough.
With a single burst of speed—
Whoosh!
He vanished into a golden blur, flickering across the battlefield.
The Kumogakure shinobi reacted immediately.
"Lightning Release! Fivefold Razer!"
Three of them worked together, sending crackling arcs of lightning across the ground.
Bright, jagged tendrils spread in all directions, creating a barrier around their team.
It wasn't meant to attack.
It was purely defensive—because without it, they knew they wouldn't even be able to touch Naruto.
One of the Kumogakure shinobi, beads of sweat forming on his brow, muttered, "So this is what it's like to fight someone like the Raikage..."
Naruto, completely unfazed, activated his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
Red chakra arms shot out from his back, stretching across the battlefield at high speed—each carrying a Rasengan.
"Move!"
The Kumogakure shinobi panicked.
They had no idea Naruto could attack from this distance!
Too late.
Three were struck before they could dodge—
Boom!
The impact sent them flying, instantly eliminating them.
The lightning barrier flickered and vanished as two of the remaining shinobi lost control of the technique.
Naruto didn't hesitate.
Whoosh!
He vanished, reappearing in the middle of the Kumogakure formation.
They were fearless. Swords drawn, they charged at him.
But Naruto simply unleashed a surge of red chakra—
A shockwave blasted outward, sending every single shinobi flying.
Before they could recover, Naruto darted through their ranks like a golden streak, eliminating them one by one with a swift kunai strike.
Within seconds—
The entire Kumogakure squad was down.
---
Elsewhere, Ino and Sakura were locked in their own battle.
Their opponents were tough, dragging the fight into a drawn-out struggle.
But their strength and teamwork gave them the upper hand.
It was only a matter of time before victory was theirs.