Ye Zi faced the direction of the Hokage Rock, his hands weaving through a rapid sequence of seals.
The nearly one hundred Konoha shinobi entangled by the wooden roots roared angrily, but their cries were futile. The surrounding houses suddenly began to liquefy, transforming into a mud-like substance before twisting into thick, braided shapes.
The transformation, from liquid to fully formed, happened in an instant, it was so fast that it appeared like an optical illusion.
The material from the houses, reshaped into twisted stone-like columns, was tightly wrapped with wooden roots, their sharp, pointed ends aimed at the entrapped Konoha shinobi.
As they realized what was happening, terror washed over the faces of the trapped shinobi.
"What kind of jutsu is this...!"
No one answered their cries. The only response was the silent toll of the reaper's bell.
With a sudden and brutal motion, the braided stone-and-wood columns shot upwards like unleashed missiles, piercing through the hearts of each shinobi. The columns continued to ascend, carrying their victims higher and higher, even surpassing Ye Zi's elevated position, before finally coming to a stop.
Now, more than a hundred bodies hung limply in the air, impaled and lifeless, as streams of blood cascaded down, creating a gruesome rain.
From an aerial perspective, the scene resembled a horrific cake with Ye Zi at its center, surrounded by candle-like pillars adorned with corpses.
The entwined wooden roots began absorbing chakra from the impaled shinobi, sprouting vibrant green foliage that gradually enveloped the columns like climbing ivy.
Standing atop his stone pillar, Ye Zi's snake-like eyes coldly surveyed the surrounding forest of gruesome spires, his face devoid of emotion.
The pungent stench of blood filled the air, carried by the wind to every corner of the village.
And it wasn't over yet.
This macabre display was a deliberate act of defiance, it was a chilling demonstration aimed directly at Minato Namikaze.
All the stone-and-wood columns began shifting, converging toward Ye Zi. As they combined, they formed an enormous singular pillar that towered over Konoha, its height surpassing even the Hokage Rock.
"Now then..." Ye Zi's lips curled into a cold smile as his heightened sensory abilities detected more shinobi approaching rapidly from various directions.
"Let them come... the more, the better!"
Across Konoha, ninja engaged in battles with the invaders couldn't help but notice the towering pillar dominating the eastern district's skyline.
Those closer to it found their expressions darkening as they realized the horrific details: the pillar was adorned with countless bodies, and rivulets of blood were cascading down its surface, staining it a deep crimson.
On the roof of the hospital, Kushina and Tsunade stood frozen, their gazes locked on the gruesome spectacle. Moments ago, they had summoned the Katsuyu army, dividing their responsibilities with Kushina heading to the western district and Tsunade to the eastern when they witnessed this horrifying sight.
Kushina's eyes filled with pain. She could feel Ye Zi's presence through her sensory abilities, and there was no doubt that the pillar was his doing.
The moment she sensed him, she wanted to rush to confront him, but the village was under attack from Edo Tensei reanimations and giant summons. Injured comrades were piling up, and she and Tsunade had to prioritize summoning Katsuyu to tend to the wounded.
"Ye Zi..." she whispered in anguish. The scars inflicted on Konoha today would leave an indelible mark on her heart.
"Sensei, I'm going there," Kushina said through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with determination.
Tsunade was silent for a moment before nodding. Her tone was stern as she said, "Go, but... don't hold back this time."
Tsunade glanced at Kushina briefly before turning her icy gaze back to the pillar. Even with Kushina's assistance, her chakra reserves were already stretched thin. Without her, summoning such a large number of Katsuyu would have been impossible.
Tsunade knew she couldn't stop Kushina from confronting Ye Zi, but her tone carried a sharp reminder:
"Whatever lingering hopes you have, it's time to abandon them. That man... is now Konoha's mortal enemy."
Kushina didn't respond. She leaped off the roof and raced toward the pillar.
In the central street, Manda wreaked havoc in the heart of Konoha's commercial district, his massive body toppling building after building.
Manda's rampage was only possible thanks to a single Edo Tensei shinobi, Sakumo Hatake.
Sakumo's lone presence was a nightmare for Konoha's forces. With his unyielding blade and the immortality of his Edo Tensei form, no one could withstand even a single blow from him.
Despite the overwhelming odds, it wasn't until the arrival of the Third Hokage and a team of Anbu that the tide began to shift.
Elsewhere, in front of Konoha's main gate, the duo of Sasori and Shin had been engaged in combat with Jiraiya's team. However, the massive pillar's appearance drew everyone's attention, causing the battle to momentarily pause.
Across Konoha, in the clan compounds of the Uchiha, Hyūga, Inuzuka, and other families, similar reactions played out. Members of each clan stared at the pillar in shock and horror.
At the edge of the forest near Root's headquarters, Danzo Shimura stood atop a tree, his expression calm as he observed the chaos engulfing the village.
"Danzo-sama, shouldn't we assist?" asked a masked Root operative cautiously.
Around them, dozens of Root operatives stood ready, waiting for Danzo's command.
"There's no need," Danzo replied, his gaze fixed on the pillar towering over the village. "With Tsunade and Kushina present, they can manage the situation. Let them handle Ye Zi."
His tone was cold and calculating. "This is their fight."
Danzo's eyes narrowed as he studied the enormous structure.
"Who created that... and what is their true goal?"
Many wondered about the purpose of the towering pillar. It didn't take long for them to get their answer.
Hundreds of Konoha shinobi comprised of jōnin and chūnin were racing toward the pillar, their singular objective clear: eliminate the intruder.
Ye Zi was waiting for them.
The Konoha shinobi advanced across the rooftops, leaping with precision and purpose.
A cold smile spread across Ye Zi's face as he performed the final hand seal.
Suddenly, the ground began to quake violently, the tremors radiating outward to encompass the entire eastern district.
The sudden earthquake startled the approaching shinobi, forcing them to halt their advance in caution.
Boom!
In an instant, the buildings from the shinobi's line of sight to the base of the massive pillar were violently hurled into the air, as if propelled by an unimaginable force.
Ye Zi had manipulated the land itself, forcefully uplifting the ground beneath the eastern district, sending every structure within its boundaries soaring into the sky.
The technique consumed an immense amount of senjutsu chakra. However, Ye Zi had planned for this. After unleashing the technique, he intended to replenish his chakra reserves through Spirit Transformation Jutsu and continue refining senjutsu chakra.
The Konoha shinobi barely had time to process their shock before the very rooftops beneath their feet were also launched into the air. The force of the upheaval hurled them even higher than the structures they had been standing on.
Everyone could see it, the incredible spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
Centered on the massive bloodstained pillar, the entire eastern district's buildings were launched skyward.
Then, as Ye Zi leapt off the pillar and descended toward the ground, the "flower" formed by the massive structure bloomed.
In an instant, the "petals" of the enormous pillar fragmented into tens of thousands of stone columns, each as thick as an arm, shooting outward in every direction like a cascade of fireworks.
The airborne buildings and Konoha shinobi were instantly shredded by the densely packed onslaught of stone.
The destruction was absolute.
The term "shredded" wasn't figurative, those caught in the barrage were literally torn into pieces, their bodies pulverized into a fine mist of blood. The stones left no room for survival, as they ravaged through the air, reducing everything they touched into fragments and dust.
The hundreds of Konoha shinobi who had rushed toward the battle were turned into a crimson mist, floating eerily in the sky.
Everyone who witnessed this scene was left in utter shock and horror.
The entire eastern district... had been razed to the ground.
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Currently on Chapter 472 - A Pleasant Surprise