A Sage's Pursuit of Power

A large-scale Fire Release jutsu enveloped the entire area surrounded by the Earth-Style Wall.

If the opponents were all genin, this move would have been an instant wipeout.

However, the opponents included three jonin-level combatants, who reacted swiftly.

"Water Release: Water Wall Formation."

One of the rogue ninja cast the Water Wall Formation. In truth, he was only a rogue ninja by current affiliation.

Previously, he had served as a shinobi under the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. He was well-trained, unlike typical rogue ninjas, and his skills were of a completely different caliber.

The two Iwagakure jonin also used Earth Release techniques, neutralizing most of the attack.

But this was just the beginning. Sasuke's hands didn't stop moving, immediately chaining into another jutsu.

"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique."

The scorching ash covered the entire battlefield. The vision of the chunin and genin, already hampered by steam, became utterly useless, leaving them powerless to resist.

Being a ninja was always a peculiar and twisted profession, at least in the old days.

Regular shinobi, regardless of their combat prowess, could be taken down in a moment of carelessness by a single kunai. Ninja battles revolved around intelligence—when intel was compromised, even the strongest could be brought down.

But once a shinobi's strength surpassed what could be constrained by traditional intelligence warfare, the situation changed dramatically.

The Fourth Hokage was the best example of this. Everyone knew about the Flying Thunder God Technique, yet even knowing about it didn't mean you could counter it.

This was why the Fourth Hokage became a battlefield reaper. Enemy ninjas facing him were no better than chickens awaiting slaughter, completely helpless.

Now, facing Team 7's combined assault, most of the genin on the field found themselves in the same situation.

By the time Sasuke cast his second jutsu, they realized the danger—but it was already too late.

Dozens of Naruto's shadow clones flung dozens of kunai simultaneously from all directions. Each kunai carried two explosive tags.

The scorching ash in the air ignited the explosive tags on contact. Without the need for activation, the tags detonated the moment they neared the enemy.

Ninja tools had always been a focus of Aoba's development strategy. In his opinion, shinobi were far more valuable than tools.

If you could spend money to eliminate your opponent, there was no need for hand-to-hand combat. With Konoha's current wealth, ninja tools had been heavily subsidized and made affordable under official regulation.

Moreover, thanks to Konan's "donation," the village's stockpile of explosive tags was unprecedented. For this mission, Team 7 was fully equipped with various ninja tools.

By the time one Iwagakure shinobi used Wind Release to disperse the Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique, half of the chunin and genin on the scene were either dead or seriously injured.

This enraged the three jonin, especially the rogue ninja. The subordinates he had painstakingly gathered, his "elite," had been decimated by a group of kids.

"You brats, go to hell! Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"

This man had both Wind and Water natures and an extensive repertoire of jutsu. With Wind Cutter, he forced Sasuke and Yugito to switch from offense to defense.

Meanwhile, the other two Iwagakure shinobi engaged Naruto's shadow clones.

Within seconds, dozens of clones were wiped out. But as the last clone vanished, Naruto lunged from behind.

"Take this! Rasengan!"

With a loud boom, the Rasengan struck one Iwagakure shinobi square in the back.

The powerful impact drove the shinobi into the ground.

"One down!" Naruto shouted excitedly. Minato, watching from a distance, could only shake his head helplessly.

"Still too naïve. The opponent is an Iwagakure jonin—it won't be that easy to take him down."

"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu."

The moment Naruto landed, a hand emerged from the ground, grabbing his ankle and dragging him underground.

"Damn it!"

"Die, brat!" The other Iwagakure jonin quickly moved in, drawing a short sword to slash at Naruto's head.

Clang! The sound of blades clashing filled the air as Sasuke's sword intercepted the attack.

"Idiot, get up!"

In the distance, Karin used Earth Release to help Naruto escape his predicament.

The battle had now split into three engagements: Yugito versus the rogue ninja, Sasuke and Naruto against the two Iwagakure jonin, and Karin suppressing the remaining chunin and genin while supporting her teammates.

Yugito herself was fairly strong, roughly jonin level. However, she was used to relying on the power of her tailed beast.

Now, without the tailed beast's chakra, she struggled to adapt and couldn't fully unleash her strength, falling into a disadvantage early in the fight.

The same went for Sasuke and Naruto.

The two of them had strength comparable to elite jonin and exceptional talents, theoretically capable of facing ordinary jonin.

However, their opponents were Iwagakure jonin—elite shinobi from a major village, with no exaggeration in their abilities.

Moreover, the experience gap between the two sides was immense. Naruto's earlier sneak attack with his shadow clones would have failed entirely if Sasuke hadn't intervened in time—Minato himself had been ready to step in.

Thus, from the moment the fight began, the three on the frontlines found themselves at a disadvantage. Fortunately, Sasuke and Naruto's teamwork, honed over time, allowed them to cover for each other, preventing outright defeat.

Meanwhile, the two Iwagakure jonin grew increasingly anxious. Although they held the upper hand, they couldn't finish off the two kids.

They were acutely aware that this was the Land of Fire. And Konoha wasn't the same as before.

In the past, they could afford to hire rogue ninja while personally joining missions for a double-pronged approach.

But now, they could only dare to hire rogue ninjas. Konoha wouldn't hesitate to kill intruders these days.

If this dragged on any longer and Konoha's patrols noticed, none of them would make it out alive.

"Don't hold back! End this quickly!"

The two exchanged glances and made their decision.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"

Combination jutsu has existed since ancient times, but in-depth research into it has been rare. The main reason is that combination jutsu demands an extremely high level of chakra reserves, precise control, and synchronization.

For one person, it's almost impossible to sustain. When two people perform it, achieving the required coordination becomes a significant challenge. As a result, truly effective combination jutsu has always been scarce.

However, ever since Aoba introduced the concept of "war ninjas," these unconventional tactics have brought large-scale combination jutsu into the spotlight for other ninja villages.

That said, without the "chakra cloak" as an external aid, the results have been far less impressive for them.

After all, ninjas are a high-agility profession. Without sustained area-of-effect attacks, the impact of such techniques is limited.

The two Iwagakure shinobi in front of them were among the rare few who successfully developed a compatible combination jutsu.

The effect of Swamp of the Underworld is to transform the ground into a swamp, trapping enemies who enter and leaving them with no footing to escape.

However, the range of Swamp of the Underworld is fixed. Once the opponent escapes or avoids it, the technique becomes completely ineffective.

This is where Earth Flow River comes in as the perfect complement to Swamp of the Underworld. By creating a high-speed moving swamp, it engulfs the surrounding battlefield entirely, making evasion nearly impossible.

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Currently on Chapter 290 - Interference Field