Chapter 469: Deployment (Today just 6000 characters)

"Time's almost up!"

His gaze swept over the intense battlefield, watching the ninjas fighting each other, and finally Dong Shilang's gaze fell upon Zhongbing Wan.

After rampaging on the battlefield for a while, a dark red figure appeared opposite it.

Fourth Mizukage, gouju yaocang!

"Looks like I've changed a lot!"

At this moment, Dong Shilang is no longer the timid little brat who, when he first became a ninja, feared enemies and dared not kill.

Even though he was on the battlefield, with companions' or enemies' dying groans constantly ringing around him, his heart remained undisturbed.

On the contrary, he felt a surge of hot-blooded excitement.

"Send the signal, everyone press forward, launch the general attack!"

After giving orders to the command staff behind him, Dong Shilang then said:

"Yejuan, the subsequent command is yours!"

Standing on high ground, after memorizing the battlefield situation, Dong Shilang called out to Mei Village's Yejuan who had returned from the battlefield, gave him a brief instruction, then leapt directly from that high ground.

"Hokage…"

He opened his mouth, Mei Village's Yejuan originally wanted to advise the Hokage not to personally go to the battlefield, but after looking at the opposing Fourth Mizukage, he ultimately didn't speak those words.

Step by step, gradually quickening his pace, Dong Shilang held the inherited Flame Fan in his left hand, the Grass-Cutting Sword snatched from Orochimaru in his right hand, draped in a white flame-patterned Divine Robe, becoming an arrow aimed straight at the battlefield's center.

Nine hundred meters… seven hundred meters…

As his steps quickened, his breathing became more rhythmic, and his chakra boiled to its peak.

"Be careful!"

A Mist Ninja who had just killed a Leaf Village ninja caught sight of Dong Shilang rapidly approaching from the corner of his eye.

For some reason, he couldn't help swallowing, gripping his kunai tighter, while beads of sweat the size of beans dripped from his forehead.

Presence is a rather mysterious thing.

Just like the Dance King in the original, who single‑handedly charged a ninja army of ten thousand, yet in terms of presence he alone overwhelmed ten thousand.

Dong Shilang lacked the Dance King's rich killing experience and hadn't reached his awe‑inspiring might, yet even an ordinary Mist Ninja…

Facing his charge, there was instantly a surge of adrenaline, a feeling of dry mouth and tongue.

He casually disposed of the Mist Ninja blocking his advance; Dong Shilang's eyes blazed with crimson light, his pupils darting left and right, his footwork unceasing.

Shifting his form, he appeared behind another Mist Ninja and effortlessly thrust the Grass‑Cutting Sword into the opponent's chest.

Dong Shilang had a strange feeling.

As his Sharingan swept over them, the next moves of these Mist Ninja seemed all within his anticipation.

How they would block, how they would counter his attack, the trajectory of their next actions—all lay within his mind.

He only needed to get close to them, then with his Grass‑Cutting Sword he could easily take their lives, without needing to expend much effort.

With a light sidestep he dodged the attack from behind, the Flame Fan unfolded lightly to block the kunai flying from the flank, and he gave it a gentle shake.

Those kunai shot off in the direction they came from.

The long sword in his hand pointed backward; the Mist Ninja who had just attacked Dong Shilang, as if they had consulted beforehand, happened to be preparing to step forward and swing their blade.

Then his Grass‑Cutting Sword just happened to appear at the opponent's heart; it was as if he delivered a parcel, sending the opponent's heart straight onto the sword's blade.

Everything was so natural, so smooth.

"You brat, don't underestimate the Mist Ninja~"

Another sword thrust easily pierced a Mist Ninja's chest; a Mist Ninja whose ninja sword flickered with blinding blue light.

Seeing Dong Shilang mercilessly slaughter his comrades, the Mist Ninja directly slashed, driving back the opposing Leaf Village ninja, brandishing his ninja sword and charging at Dong Shilang.

"Futile!"

His eyes flicked over—it was a Mist Ninja Jonin, but such an enemy posed hardly any threat to him.

"Since you're rushing to seek death, I'll send you on your way!"

His target wasn't the Mist Ninja brawling here, but the Fourth Mizukage locked in combat with Zhongbing Wan in the distance.

But since this person charged forward on his own, he didn't mind taking the initiative to send him to his death.

"I won't let you succeed!!"

Just as Dong Shilang was about to pull the Grass‑Cutting Sword from before him, out of the chest of the Mist Ninja already stabbed through the heart…

The dying Mist Ninja suddenly unleashed his last vitality, clasping his hands together, his chakra exploding, and in one motion trapped Dong Shilang's weapon against his body.

Even as a mouthful of blood poured out, the Mist Ninja summoned his final strength and roared loudly:

"Light, kill him to avenge me!"

"Not bad resolve!"

With a casual pull, he didn't draw the Grass‑Cutting Sword, nor did he panic; instead he praised the Mist Ninja's willpower.

"But… an attack of this level poses no threat to me!"

He lightly turned the Flame Fan in his hand, blocking the Mist Ninja's ninja sword, glanced at the Mist Ninja with astonishing willpower, and said indifferently:

Then his chakra surged, a layer of blue‑green chakra light covering his Grass‑Cutting Sword.

Pfft!

His right arm retracted, spraying a large arc of blood, while his left arm exerted force, the Flame Fan shaking and releasing a recoil force.

"Not good!"

A slash struck the opponent's strange‑shaped weapon in his hand; this Mist Ninja realized things were bad, before he could adjust,

a huge recoil force sent his sword‑gripping right hand flying up uncontrollably; his whole body instantly lost balance, leaving his defenses wide open.

Then a flash of sword light swept past, and his world quickly plunged into darkness.

……

Swish!

A light sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air came.

Damn it!

He turned his body, dodging the blade in the Mist Ninja's hand, and Bai Yun Zao Jian let out a cold snort.

He was surrounded by three Mist Ninjas, looking at their hostile gazes, and he felt no fear in his heart.

On the contrary, it only intensified his resolve to die.

Even though they outnumbered him, Bai Yun Zao Jian had long been prepared to sacrifice himself for the Leaf Village.

What a pity!

Feeling the chakra within his body nearly exhausted, he tightened his grip on his ninja sword, which had begun to become somewhat nicked.

Is this the limit of my strength?

Looking at the three Mist Ninjas cooperating seamlessly before him, Bai Yun Zao Jian knew that, barring any accident, his life might end here.

The only regret is that, at the last moment, he cannot take all his enemies with him to the underworld.

Attack together, take him down!

A leading Jonin glanced at Bai Yun Zao Jian's sword-holding hand.

Those hands that had reaped many Mist Ninja lives, now weakened, began to tremble uncontrollably.

Water Release: Water Fang Bullet Technique

Three vortices appeared from the puddle beside Bai Yun Zao Jian's feet, then turned into three rotating fangs attacking his lower body.

This isn't over yet.

A swooshing sound came, and a large volley of shuriken flew from his flank toward him, fortunately none had explosive tags.

This let Bai Yun Zao Jian breathe a sigh of relief.

Clink clink clink!

Helplessly leaping up, he just swung his blade to block the shuriken surrounding him, and a bright blade light flashed from ahead.

Clang!

Without caring about the remaining shuriken he hadn't blocked, Bai Yun Zao Jian directly swung his blade to block the opponent's powerful, heavy slash.

Thud thud thud!

A muffled sound came as shuriken pierced the Jonin's flak jacket.

Enduring the intense pain on his body, Bai Yun Zao Jian twisted his body in midair, adjusting his posture.

He knew the opponent's offensive would not be so easily blocked.

Sure enough, in his peripheral vision he saw the Mist Ninja who had just performed the jutsu and thrown the shuriken had quietly moved behind and below him.

Preparing to deliver a fatal blow.

With his free left hand, he secretly gripped a few explosive tags; Bai Yun Zao Jian had made up his mind that even if he died, he would take someone down with him.

Swish swish swish!

A bluish-green light flashed.

Bai Yun Zao Jian, preparing to die together with the enemy, before he could react, a large crimson stain appeared on the enemy's chest.

Then he collapsed powerlessly to the ground, twitched twice, and lost all signs of life.

Not only the close-combat enemy before him, but also the enemy behind and below who had been preparing to deliver a fatal blow was now severed, lying in a pool of blood.

Hokage...?

His gaze fell on the figure ahead, a silhouette that brushed past him with a clean wind, watching as the opponent easily slew the enemies before him and then continued to charge forward.

Feeling the opponent's unstoppable aura, he somehow felt his own blood, growing cold as he neared death, beginning to slowly boil.

Fighting behind such a strong warrior... isn't bad either!

Feeling the chakra surging within his body, and his right hand regaining stability.

Bai Yun Zao Jian swung his ninja blade, taking out a Mist Ninja who was ganging up on a Leaf comrade, and roared at the still dazed companion.

Kill... kill all these Mist Ninjas!!

Afterward, he followed Dong Shilang's back, slowly heading toward the central battlefield where the most Mist Ninjas gathered.

Originally, with his relatively aloof personality, he wouldn't have made such an extra move, but seeing the Hokage's distant back made his emotions surge.

He simply couldn't control himself.

With such a leader who leads from the front, how could these ordinary Leaf ninjas be lax? Though they couldn't join the fight beside the Hokage, dealing with these Mist Ninjas was no problem for them.

Not only Bai Yun Zao Jian, but many Leaf ninjas burst forth with strength far beyond before, spontaneously following that fluttering divine robe toward the Mist Hidden Village where they outnumbered, launching a countercharge.

Each one couldn't help but let out impassioned, stirring roars.