Chapter 73 CHAPTER 73
The dust and smoke gradually dispersed.
Akimichi Choza stood at the edge of the crater he had smashed into the ground while gasping heavily for breath.
The muscles all over his body trembled slightly from the burden of the Multi Size Technique and the intense battle.
Not far behind him, Sarutobi Sosuke lay curled up on the ground.
He clutched the stump of his severed arm while crying out miserably in pain, his voice shrill and broken:
"My arm... ahhhh... save me..."
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Three figures landed almost simultaneously.
But they did not land in front of Sarutobi Sosuke.
Instead, they landed directly in front of Choza.
The three formed a triangular formation while shielding him behind them.
They were Guy, Ebisu, and Genma.
All three were covered in blood.
Their jumpsuits and combat gear were filled with cuts, scorch marks, and tears.
Guy's right shoulder carried a deep wound that nearly exposed the bone while blood continuously flowed down his arm.
Ebisu limped heavily on his left leg.
Blood flowed from Genma's forehead, staining half of his face red.
Yet despite their injuries, all three stared forward with unwavering eyes while tightly gripping their Ninja tools.
On the opposite side.
Pakura slowly stood up from the smoke and dust.
She clutched her chest, still aching from the impact of Choza's collision, before spitting several mouthfuls of bloody saliva onto the ground.
Her face was pale.
But the killing intent within her eyes became even fiercer.
Several nearby Konoha Chunin noticed the opening.
They exchanged glances before charging toward her simultaneously with blades in hand.
"Seeking death."
A cold light flashed through Pakura's eyes.
She abruptly raised both hands.
"Scorch Release: Great Steam Murder!!"
Three Scorch Release fireballs materialized instantly before whistling toward the charging Chunin.
The moment the fireballs touched their bodies, there was no explosion and no raging flames.
Instead, all moisture within their bodies evaporated instantly.
Their skin and muscles visibly shriveled, withered, and carbonized before everyone's eyes.
They barely managed to release half a scream before turning into twisted human shaped mummies.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The corpses collapsed onto the ground.
The entire process happened so quickly that it made people's scalps go numb.
Choza's pupils violently contracted while cold sweat instantly covered his back.
At that moment, he finally realized the truth.
If not for that golden Buddha phantom appearing earlier and blocking Pakura's five Scorch Release fireballs,
His own fate would probably have become no different...
from those dried corpses lying on the ground!
Choza abruptly raised his head.
His gaze landed heavily upon Guy, who stood in front of him.
Choza had no idea what kind of Ninjutsu that golden Buddha was.
But he knew with certainty that Guy had used it.
Because he had heard that voice clearly as well.
"This kid..."
"...saved my life again!"
In the air.
Rasa stood atop floating Gold Dust while his expression darkened to an almost terrifying degree.
Sarutobi Sosuke was now completely protected behind Choza, Guy, and the others.
The opportunity to capture him alive had already vanished completely.
Rasa's gaze slowly swept across the battlefield.
His face grew even darker.
After the brutal meat grinder battle earlier, only around six hundred of Konoha's original thousand shinobi still remained standing.
Within such a short amount of time, nearly four hundred had died.
No matter the battlefield, such losses could already be described as catastrophic.
On Sunagakure's side, there were still far more standing shinobi than Konoha.
At first glance, Sunagakure still held the overwhelming numerical advantage.
But Rasa felt no joy whatsoever.
Because Sunagakure...
had suffered even heavier losses!
Of the original three thousand shinobi he personally led here,
Fewer than two thousand remained combat capable!
In total, more than one thousand Sunagakure shinobi had already died!
And they were the side that launched the ambush!
They were the side fully prepared!
They were the side with superior numbers!
The current state of battle had already exceeded even Rasa's worst pre battle estimates.
By rough calculation, Konoha had somehow achieved a horrifying casualty exchange ratio of more than one to two!
"Trash..."
"...a bunch of useless trash!"
Rasa's face darkened like stagnant water.
He no longer cared about hostages.
Nor did he care about crushing enemy morale.
Compared to this bloody battlefield reality, all such schemes now looked pale and ridiculous.
At this point, he only wanted one thing.
Results.
Even if he abandoned the plan to advance deeper into the Land of Fire,
He would still use these final two thousand troops to completely crush the remaining six hundred Konoha shinobi here.
And wipe them all out on this battlefield!
"All forces!!"
Rasa's voice sounded like grinding Gold Dust itself, carrying suppressed fury and murderous rage as it echoed across the battlefield.
"Kill them all!!! Leave none alive!!!"
Before his voice even fully faded,
He personally took the lead.
His body transformed into a streak of golden light as he descended from the sky.
A gigantic fist formed entirely from Gold Dust condensed rapidly.
Its target was directly aimed toward Akimichi Choza, who stood blocking the front lines!
At this moment, Choza was Konoha's strongest combatant.
As long as this giant boar standing in the way was killed,
The remaining Konoha shinobi would no longer pose any threat.
"Then come!!"
Choza roared furiously.
Facing the full power attack of a Kage level powerhouse, he held absolutely nothing back.
His hand suddenly reached into his robe.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the wooden box containing the Three Colored Pills,
Swoosh!
A faint sound cutting through the air suddenly rang out.
Choza reflexively reached out and caught the object.
A warm and smooth sensation touched his palm.
When he opened his hand, he saw a pale yellow medicinal pill.
A Small Restoration Pill.
Choza immediately met Guy's gaze.
Guy stared back at him and gave a firm nod without the slightest hesitation in his eyes.
Choza looked deeply at Guy.
He said nothing.
Instead, he directly stuffed both the Small Restoration Pill and the curry pill into his mouth.
Crunch.
He chewed violently before swallowing both.
"Multi Size Technique!!"
Choza roared toward the heavens.
His already gigantic body expanded once more.
Even larger than before.
Carrying a monstrous Aura that seemed capable of crushing mountains, he charged directly toward the descending Rasa.
BOOM!!!
The gigantic Gold Dust fist violently collided against Choza's enlarged palm once again.
The resulting shockwave blasted dirt and rocks flying across a radius of over ten meters!
At the same moment,
After receiving Rasa's final order, the Sunagakure shinobi completely lost all restraint.
The remaining nineteen hundred plus shinobi released beast like roars.
Like a collapsed floodgate, they surged once more toward Konoha's heavily outnumbered formation.
Pakura also wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth.
Her killing intent filled eyes pierced through the chaotic battlefield.
Then she locked onto one familiar green figure within the crowd.
Might Guy.
The corners of Pakura's lips slowly curled upward into a cold and sinister smile.
"Konoha's green brat..."
"...now it's finally your turn."