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GSiN: Ch. 40
🕑 Added 2025-03-22 17:46:19 +0000 UTC---Third POV---
Ryouma silently gazed into the distance.
Rin, Kakashi, Obito... if anything has happened to them...
He quickly leapt down from the treetop, preparing to act.
Minato was currently engaged in battle with Chiyo. He wanted to use the Flying Thunder God to help himself quickly return to the camp, but it was impossible.
The technique consumed an enormous amount of chakra when transferring either a large object or over a long distance.
Given his current state, already exhausted from his prolonged fight with Chiyo, even if he managed to use the technique to return to the camp, he likely wouldn't be able to participate in any subsequent battles.
In this situation, returning alone would be futile. Transferring Ryouma back to the camp, however, would leave the main battlefield without a key combatant, creating a significant opening that would give Suna a considerable advantage.
Ryouma didn't care about the main battlefield. Right now, he just wanted to return to the Konoha camp immediately.
But Minato was different. For him, the outcome of the main battlefield was far more critical than what was happening in the rear camp. This was because the main battlefield directly determined Konoha's ultimate victory or defeat in this war.
Their priorities clashed completely.
Therefore, even if Ryouma went to him now, it wouldn't help. Minato might even try to persuade him to deal with the Suna ninjas on the battlefield first and then return to the camp for reinforcements.
At this point, Ryouma had no choice but to go back on his own.
Space-time ninjutsu... After this war, I must learn it.
He resolved firmly.
As long as Rin and the others were safe this time, once he returned and learned the Flying Thunder God Technique from Tsunade, he'd leave a mark on each of them.
After all, the shinobi world wasn't about taking exams.
"Aah!"
The familiar sound of chirping birds filled the air as the Chidori surged with energy. With precise control, he redirected the current through his legs instead, preparing to stimulate the cells in his legs, entering a full-speed sprinting mode. The pain would be excruciating, but it would increase his speed by at least thirty percent.
For every minute saved, lives could be preserved.
Suddenly, the air beside him distorted. Minato appeared beside him using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Ryouma carried one of the kunai that Minato had once given him, marked with the Flying Thunder God mark.
"You heard it too, didn't you?" Minato asked as soon as he arrived. Although phrased as a question, his tone was certain.
"The explosion from the camp."
Minato nodded. "Your hearing is extraordinarily sharp. Most wouldn't have noticed from this distance."
Ryouma didn't want to waste time chatting. All he wanted now was to hurry back to the camp. But if Minato had come all this way to speak to him, was he going to ask him to prioritize the main battlefield?
Just as Ryouma was about to say something, Minato's next words surprised him.
"Ryouma, get ready. I'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to send you directly to the rear camp." The moment he finished speaking, he moved to place his hand on Ryouma's shoulder.
"But Captain Minato, your chakra..."
Minato cut Ryouma off. "It's fine. Although it'll be a bit taxing, I can still use my speed advantage to lure Chiyo to Jiraiya-sensei."
"You're pushing yourself too far," Ryouma protested.
"Some prices are worth paying. Kakashi, Rin, Obito... they're not just my students, they're the future of Konoha. And Kushina would never forgive me if I didn't do everything possible."
He gave Ryouma a warm smile, his expression apologetic as he continued. "Sorry, Ryouma. I'll have to leave the reinforcements to you. It's my fault for not being strong enough."
Seeing the guilt in Minato's expression, Ryouma felt as though he'd been mistaken all along.
He had always unconsciously imposed the stereotypical impressions he had of these characters from his past life onto the real people before him.
What a joke. How could 700-some chapters encapsulate the fullness of these flesh-and-blood individuals?
He extended his fist toward Minato, flashing a confident smile.
"Captain Minato, you're wrong about one thing. Even though I'm going back alone, this isn't just my reinforcement."
Minato was momentarily stunned by Ryouma's words, then curious. "What do you mean?"
"I carry the Will of Fire from everyone here," Ryouma explained with confidence. "When I arrive, it won't be just me facing Suna, it will be all of us."
That was corny... Is my chunibyo phase resurfacing again? Wait... Did it ever end?
"You're right." With that, Minato bumped fists with Ryouma.
His reserves flaring bright blue as he channeled an enormous amount into the technique, activating the Flying Thunder God Technique at full force.
The world around Ryouma blurred and stretched, reality itself seeming to bend as space-time distorted. In an instant, his figure vanished.
The last thing he saw was Minato's confident smile
He staggered slightly, the chakra drain hitting him harder than he'd anticipated. He steadied himself, breathing heavily. He turned toward the direction of the Konoha frontline camp. "Kakashi, Rin, Obito... please, stay safe."
Despite his concern for his students, he knew he had to stabilize the situation on the main battlefield first. Victory here would mean nothing if there was no one left to save.
He pulled a kunai from his pouch. Chiyo would expect him to be weakened, and he would use that expectation against her.
"Please, Ryouma."
---
How powerful was the combined explosion of billions of explosive tags buried in the gold sand?
To put it in perspective, consider Konan's use of 600 billion explosive tags in the original story. One explosive tag was equivalent to approximately 4 grams of TNT. Thus, 600 billion explosive tags equate to an explosive yield of 2,400 kilotons of TNT.
For comparison, the "Little Boy" atomic bomb had an explosive yield of about 15 kilotons of TNT. Konan's explosive tags were roughly 160 times more powerful than Little Boy.
Of course, this is just a mathematical calculation. In reality, the explosive tags would not detonate in a perfectly efficient manner, as they were dispersed rather than tightly packed. Nevertheless, the sheer scale of the explosion remains formidable.
The current Konoha frontline camp had been completely obliterated, replaced by a massive crater.
Rasa stopped forming his hand seals and thought to himself, The plan is going smoothly. It seems we don't need to worry about the One-Tails Jinchūriki anymore.
Long before, Suna had been planning this ambush. Utilizing Rasa's Magnetic Release, they scoured the desert for gold mines to fund their war efforts, buying explosive tags in massive quantities.
To avoid detection, Suna willingly took extra time and effort to make scattered purchases across the shinobi world, ensuring no single transaction raised suspicions.
During the earlier mission undertaken by Ryouma and Minato, where the Suna ninjas prioritized defending the seventh warehouse, the contents were these very explosive tags. Unfortunately, the tags were stored in sealed scrolls, preventing Ryouma's Rikugan from discerning their nature.
Initially, Suna intended to keep this trump card hidden, using it against Iwa after defeating Konoha. However, the emergence of Ryouma on the battlefield of the Land of Rivers forced their hand, as the tides of war turned against them.
Thus, they deployed their trump card early. If they didn't, Konoha would soon be celebrating their victory.
Judging by the results, the plan had been highly effective.
Rasa walked through the ruins of the Konoha camp, nodding in satisfaction as he surveyed the destruction.
Victory was absolute.
But then, movement caught his eye. From the rubble, large, plump slugs began to emerge.
"Slugs!"
---
Moments before the explosion, Tsunade had used the Summoning Jutsu to call forth a giant slug. The slug immediately split into countless smaller slugs that scattered throughout the camp.
These slugs enveloped the Konoha ninjas, shielding their bodies.
Of course, even the robust slugs couldn't withstand such a massive explosion. To ensure their survival, Tsunade released her Yin Seal, channeling an extraordinary amount of chakra into the slugs to sustain them.
Thanks to her self-sacrificing efforts, most of the Konoha ninjas miraculously survived.
Now, these slugs were emerging from the rubble, spitting out the Konoha ninja they had protected. Tsunade no longer had the chakra to maintain the summoning, so the slugs had to release their charges; otherwise, the Konoha ninjas would remain buried alive beneath the ruins.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
One by one, the slugs vanished in puffs of smoke, returning to the Shikkotsu Forest.
Rasa scanned the area and spotted Tsunade leaning against a large boulder at the edge of the crater.
Her chakra was nearly depleted. She had undone the Yin Seal, and even the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead had faded. She didn't even have the strength to stand.
Logically speaking, it would have been better to focus on protecting a few key individuals rather than everyone, as this would have left some combat-ready forces. However, Rasa could understand her decision. If the same situation had occurred in Suna, he likely would have done the same.
"Tsunade, you are a kunoichi worthy of respect," Rasa said sincerely.
But respect didn't mean mercy. Then, without changing his expression, he raised his right hand in a subtle gesture.
A stream of gold sand floated upward, forming a sharp golden spike aimed directly at Tsunade.
"It's over."
