Naruto: I have an attribute panel

Chapter 468 Turning the Tide

As the sun rises, the western canyon defense line of the Land of Demons appears and disappears in the morning mist.

Matsushita Taichi, accompanied by three disciples, once again arrived at this strategic pass guarding the heart of the Land of Demons.

The four walked along the temporarily opened passage, but what they saw along the way was quite different from what they had seen the day before.

The once orderly camp now appears chaotic and crowded, with the wounded soldiers' camp even more overcrowded. Three temporary bunkers made of rubble have been added around the perimeter of the camp.

What was even more striking was the gaze of the stationed soldiers and Iwa ninja. When Taiichi and his group of four appeared, all eyes turned to them, their gazes filled not only with respect for the strong, but also with an almost fearful awe.

"Teacher!" Jiang Tai lowered his voice, unable to resist leaning closer to Taiyi, "The way these people are looking at us—isn't it a bit too much?"

Yami frowned and looked around: "Do they know us? Why do they look at us like we're monsters?"

Before she could finish speaking, a Chunin from Iwa ninja who was carrying supplies saw them and instinctively took a half step back, almost dropping the box in his hand.

Itachi's dark eyes swept across the camp, finally settling on the direction of the canyon battlefield.

There, the entire canyon is enveloped in a dark red, glass-like substance, creating a striking contrast with the bluish-gray rocks on the mountain walls on both sides.

If it wasn't formed naturally, it must have been scorched by a powerful fire jutsu. But judging from the scale, is there really such a fire jutsu?

Itachi looked up at his teacher beside him, pointed to the charred remains outside the valley, and said to Eta and Yami, "Probably—"

It's because of that.

Taiichi followed Itachi's gaze, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

He offered no explanation, but simply continued leading his disciples toward the command tent.

Jiang Tai finally couldn't hold back any longer. Under the watchful eyes of a group of Oni Kingdom soldiers who were resting, he directly asked, "Hey, why are you looking at us like that? Is there something on our faces?"

The soldiers exchanged glances. One of the older warriors hesitated for a moment, then bowed deeply and said, "We dare not! Your Excellency—we witnessed your teacher's power with our own eyes yesterday. That is—that is the power of a god."

"Gods?" Jiang Tai was even more confused.

Just then, Huang Tu strode out of the main tent. The Iwagakure Jonin looked tired, but his eyes were much brighter.

Upon seeing Taiichi, he immediately stepped forward: "Lord Taiichi, you've arrived! I heard that at the Shrine of the Priestess—"

"It's resolved," Taiyi said calmly. "The assassin is dead, and the priestess's injuries have healed. Now my shadow clone and the Nine-Tailed Fox are staying in the palace to ensure everything is safe."

Huang Tu let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing: "That's great! That's great!" He looked at the three boys behind Taiyi, his gaze pausing slightly when it met theirs before returning to normal. "You three have worked hard too."

The camp has prepared rest areas and supplies for you.

"Thank you, Senior Huangtu," Itachi replied politely.

Taiyi did not immediately enter the tent, but turned to face the scorched canyon, his eyes gradually becoming deep.

Memories flooded back like a tide; they were memories transmitted back before the shadow clone dissipated.

yesterday.

Taiyi's shadow clone unfurled pale blue chakra wings, like a streak of light piercing through the dark clouds above the canyon.

He flew against the direction of the Ghost Legion's advance, with clay golems covering the mountains and plains below.

The puppets made of rocks and mud moved slowly but tirelessly, and wherever they stepped, the grass and trees withered and life was cut off.

After flying for about fifteen minutes, the terrain gradually opened up. We were now close to the border between the Land of Demons and the Land of Swamps. What should have been a fertile hilly area had turned into a barren, purplish-black wasteland.

The air was filled with a strange stench of evil and decay, and even the sky was tinged with an ominous dark purple.

Such destruction is no longer just an enemy of humanity; it is the common enemy of all life in the ninja world.

Finally, not long after crossing the border of the Land of Demons, Taichi found it.

In the center of that boundless ghostly army, lurked a monster that defies description.

It stands a hundred meters tall, its body as bulky as a mountain, covered in purplish-black scales, with a dark red sheen flowing between the scales.

What is most suffocating is its head. Five ferocious dragon heads protrude from different parts of its torso, each head with curved horns and its eye sockets burning with eerie green soul fire.

Even from thousands of meters away, the oppressive aura emanating from that monster was suffocating.

Taiyi hovered in mid-air, his chakra perception fully activated. With just one sweep, Taiyi knew that this was not a simple physical creature; it was more like a tailed beast, a materialized manifestation of negative energy.

No wonder they can't be killed. As long as there are intelligent life forms in the world, negative energy will continue to flow, and the demons will not be killed.

"This is the Wraith!" the shadow clone whispered.

Just then, the five dragon heads of the demon suddenly turned in unison, and ten eerie green eyes locked onto the tiny figure in the air.

Seemingly provoked by Taiyi's probing, the Kui Liang opened its five enormous mouths simultaneously, roaring!!!

That was no ordinary sound; it was a roar that directly shook the soul.

The sound waves spread out in visible ripples, cracking the ground, shattering rocks, and forcibly tearing a hole in the dark clouds in the sky. The shadow clone Taichi felt his chakra wings vibrate violently and had to increase his output to stabilize himself.

Even more terrifying are the mutations that arise with the roar.

A large amount of purplish-black mist escaped from the body of the demon. The mist was so thick that it was almost tangible. After landing, it quickly condensed and deformed, turning into hundreds or thousands of small monsters.

They are about the size of a human, resembling miniature dragon heads, without complete bodies, only a ferocious head dragging a misty tail, floating and swimming in the air.

"The earthen golems weren't enough, now you've added this vengeful spirit?" Taiichi's face darkened. "The Akatsuki—"

You've really prepared a great gift for the ninja world.

Just as Taiyi frowned, a voice resounded directly in his mind: "Spying One—I can sense the immense power within you. Unlike those ants, you are worthy to stand before me."

The voice was ancient and hoarse, with multiple echoes, as if five heads were speaking at the same time.

Taiyi sneered: "Wangliang, a legendary ancient demon. What, you've only just been released after being sealed for a thousand years, and you're already in a hurry to find subordinates?"

"Subordinates? No—collaborators." The demon's voice was seductive. "I can see through your true nature. You crave power and seek a realm beyond the mortal. Cooperate with me, and I can grant you an immortal body and share the supreme power I gain after devouring this world."

Those ants who call themselves "Akatsuki" only see me as a tool—but you are different; you are strong enough.

"What promises did the Akatsuki make to you?" Taichi asked casually. "They didn't help you break the seal just to do a good deed."

"Promises?" The demon roared with deafening laughter, its five heads shaking simultaneously. "They promised to help me completely break free from the witch's seal, and promised to provide me with the nourishment to grow—fear, death, war, these negative emotions are my food."

In exchange, I need to restrain the power of the five major powers for them at the right time.

Taiyi, the shadow clone, had a sudden thought: "The right time? When?"

"I don't care about that. In my eyes, they're all the same." Wangliang didn't seem to mind revealing this, casually answering Taiyi's question.

"Are you willing to be used?" Taiichi, the shadow clone, probed.

"Use me?" The five eyes of the demon simultaneously flashed with sarcasm. "Once I have absorbed enough negative energy and fully recovered my power, no one in this world will be able to seal me away again."

"Then, this entire world will become my nourishment. What do you say, human? Cooperate with me, and you can avoid that fate."

The shadow clone Taichi shook his head: "Sorry, I have no interest in becoming someone else's 'reserved nourishment.' And—"

His eyes sharpened: "You seem to have misunderstood something. I'm not here to negotiate, but to determine the best way to put you back into the seal."

"Arrogance!" The demon's roar rang out again, this time with genuine rage. "You will regret this, human! When my legions trample your homeland, when your loved ones turn into vengeful spirits in their wails, even you will become the source of my power."

"Then let's give it a try." Taiyi stopped talking nonsense, flapped his wings, and quickly escaped the Wangliang's observation range.

At this time, the focus should be on gathering intelligence, rather than fighting the demons.

He unleashed his full chakra senses, surveying the entire occupied area, but what he discovered next made him even more disheartened.

The members of the Akatsuki organization have completely disappeared, as if they had never appeared in this area.

Only a few rogue ninjas and wandering samurai, bewitched and manipulated by demons, are scattered throughout the puppet army as a strike force.

After the search was completed, Taiyi turned around and went back.

Time is running out; we must inform the troops at the front.

Dusk is falling at the front-line camp.

When Taiyi returned to the canyon defense line, the scene he saw made his heart sink.

The situation on the battlefield has taken a sharp turn for the worse. The newly appeared dragon-headed monsters, mixed among the puppet soldiers, have completely disrupted the defenders' rhythm.

These spirits have no physical form; soldiers' swords can only cause minor damage, not even slow them down. Only ninjutsu attacks can inflict effective harm on them.

The problem was that the incident happened too suddenly, and the ninjas had no time to adjust their tactics. Ordinary soldiers were also helpless against these spirits. Several gaps were torn in the defensive line, and the earthen golems poured in like a tide.

"Hold on! Third team, prepare your Fire Release techniques!"

The roar of the loess earth echoed throughout the battlefield.

This Jonin from Iwagakure personally stood at the forefront, patting the ground with both hands.

Earth Escape·Earth Flow Wall.

Three rock walls rose from the ground, temporarily blocking one wave of attack, but were quickly pushed down by subsequent puppets.

Taiichi saw that even the soldiers and ninjas who were still able to move in the wounded soldiers' camp struggled to go to the front line.

A Chunin from Iwa with a missing leg sat behind cover, releasing a tiny amount of earth spikes with one hand forming a hand seal.

Outside the medical tent at the rear, several soldiers from the Land of Demons were transferring the seriously wounded to the back, each with despair written on their face.

The defenses could collapse at any moment.

There was no time to hesitate.

Taiyi transformed into a streak of light and flew across the battlefield, landing fifteen meters in front of the position. At this distance, he was already within the puppet army, and several dragon-headed spirits immediately shrieked and pounced.

"Yellow Earth!" Tai shouted without turning his head. "I've cleared a space for you. Take this opportunity to regroup! Those dragon-headed monsters are vulnerable to energy attacks, especially fire and lightning!"

Huang Tu was taken aback, then realized what he was about to do: "Sir, your chakra—"

He didn't believe that a shadow clone could change the course of the battle under these circumstances; it was better to leave enough strength to cover the retreat of the main force.

"That's enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, Taiyi clasped his hands together, his chakra surging wildly, and natural energy gathered from all directions.

Sage Mode activated!

Hands form a mudra.

Immortal Technique: Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation—he took a deep breath, his chest bulging high, and then—exhaled.

There was no flame; light appeared first.

Pure platinum-gold light burst forth from Taiyi's mouth. The next moment, the light transformed into a tangible flame, but it was no ordinary flame. This was an ultimate fire fused with Sage Chakra, with a temperature far exceeding that of conventional fire-style techniques.

"boom!!!

'

The flames surged forward like a tsunami.

It wasn't a pillar of fire, but a sea of ​​fire, hundreds of meters wide, advancing along the canyon terrain.

Wherever the platinum-gold flames passed, the air was distorted and deformed by the heat, and the ground rocks instantly melted into crimson magma.

The clay golems didn't even have time to shatter; the moment they came into contact with the flames, they began to melt, becoming limp and flowing like wax figures, eventually merging with the lava.

The resentful spirits let out a shrill shriek, attempting to pass through the flames in an ethereal form, but under the flames of immortal magic, they melted and evaporated like snowflakes encountering fire.

The high temperatures even affected the troops stationed in the rear.

Even though they were more than ten meters apart, the Iwa ninja in the front row still felt short of breath and had a burning sensation on their skin.

Huang Tu had no choice but to order: "Retreat! Everyone retreat ten steps!"

The fire continued to advance, destroying everything in its path.

It burned through the entire puppet army, burned through the middle of the canyon, and finally spewed out from the other end, turning into a fire wave tens of meters in diameter, which swept everything in a fan shape.

The flames continued to burn at the end of the canyon, forming an impassable wall of fire. Any puppets attempting to bypass the canyon from either side would spontaneously combust once they got within a certain distance.

Inside the sea of ​​fire, all the puppet remains were being continuously burned and purified, and none could be restored.

Taiyi, having unleashed this attack, completely exhausted his chakra.

He turned to look at the dumbfounded guards behind him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then with a "bang," he vanished into white smoke.

A brief silence fell over the battlefield.

Only the crackling of flames and the distant roars of the puppet army being blocked could be heard.

A scream rang out as a soldier from the Land of Demons, distracted, was slashed on the arm by a stray puppet. The scream acted as a switch, jolting the defenders back to reality.

"What are you all standing there for!" Huang Tu was the first to react, his voice trembling with excitement. "Counterattack! Now! Wipe out all the remaining enemies!"

"kill!!!"

Morale soared to its peak at that moment. Ninjas formed hand seals and unleashed their last remaining ninjutsu, samurai wielded their swords to slay lone puppets, and soldiers threw the remains of fallen puppets into the flames, watching them turn to smoke and never rise again.

Awe was deeply planted in everyone's heart at that moment.

Now, in front of the main tent at the camp.

Taiyi briefly explained the information he obtained from his shadow clone to everyone, naturally mentioning the tragic state of the canyon. Only then did the three little ones understand why everyone looked at them so strangely—it was out of genuine awe.

Itachi looked at the scorched earth, then at his teacher, and finally made up his mind: "Teacher, let me go to the front lines to fight!"