"Except for the three from the Kamizuru Clan, the rest of you stay alert!"
"It looks like the old man was right—this isn't a natural disaster at all. Someone's deliberately stirring up trouble."
Kitsuchi's expression hardened, the muscles in his arms bulging as he shifted into a battle stance.
The other Iwa shinobi immediately drew their weapons, scanning their surroundings in an attempt to locate Kazuyama.
However, since this mission was focused on handling the snake and insect plagues, the team sent back to the Land of Earth consisted entirely of combat specialists—none of them were sensory-type ninjas.
Not that it would've mattered. Even if they had a sensor, the Transparent Escape Technique rendered them useless unless Kazuyama chose to reveal himself.
At that moment, Kazuyama had already landed a short distance away, quietly observing the group while weighing his next move.
"Kazuyama, what are you hesitating for? It's just a bunch of small fry. Let me pump you full of chakra, and you can wipe them out in an instant."
"I swear, you're getting more and more gutless."
Kazuyama ignored Chōmei's grumbling. Was he scared to make a move?
Of course not.
He was strategizing how to maximize his gains.
Kitsuchi wasn't just some random nobody—he was a well-known powerhouse. If Kazuyama rushed in recklessly and took him down too quickly, wouldn't that mean missing out on potential rewards?
Without those, how was he supposed to deal with the terrifying Akatsukigakure? Or, worse yet, Madara?
"...Not coming out?"
"Hmph. Fine. Keep clearing the venomous insects."
"Get started."
Kitsuchi let out a cold snort before ordering his men to resume the extermination.
The Kamizuru shinobi immediately commanded their bee swarm to charge forward.
Kazuyama frowned at the sight.
After all that effort—all that time putting up with the endless rustling and buzzing—his work was about to be undone just like that?
"Chōmei, prep some Scale Powder for me. My Flying Thunder God mark is right up ahead—wipe out these bees."
"Think you can handle it?"
Chōmei perked up immediately.
"Heh, easy. But just killing them? How boring. How about making them turn on each other?"
"They're just bees, still insects all the same. My Scale Powder works just fine on them."
Kazuyama didn't respond—he didn't need to. His actions spoke for him.
No need to ask—just do it.
With a flicker, the Flying Thunder God activated. In the blink of an eye, Kazuyama reappeared ahead of the enemy, his body already brimming with Scale Powder.
Without hesitation, he spread his arms wide.
The moment he moved, his presence was fully exposed.
"There!"
"How bold! He actually showed himself right in front of us!"
"What is he trying to do?"
Shouts erupted from the Iwa ranks.
Kitsuchi, however, didn't waste time asking questions. The instant he laid eyes on Kazuyama, his expression turned grim.
"Stop him—whatever he's planning, don't let him do it!"
"...Too late."
By then, the Scale Powder had already spread, colliding directly with the incoming swarm.
The bees halted mid-flight, then suddenly turned around—and began attacking their own kind.
The Kamizuru shinobi froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"Impossible! My bees—what's happening?!"
"That guy... what did he do?!"
As members of a clan specializing in insect control, they had worked with bees since childhood. Never once had they encountered a situation where their insects refused to obey.
This sight completely shattered their understanding of the world.
The only Kamizuru ninja who had yet to speak grimaced but forced himself to stay composed.
"Don't be fooled! It's just Genjutsu!"
"Dispel it!"
Blind confidence leads to the hardest falls.
The moment they attempted to break free, their eyes widened in horror.
Because they realized—they hadn't fallen under Genjutsu.
Everything happening before them was real.
"How could this be...?"
"In that case, exterminate those disobedient bees!"
"Let's go!"
The giant bee surged forward, quickly crushing the smaller ones that had fallen under the control of the Scale Powder.
Kazuyama smirked at the sight.
"Chōmei, give me more Scale Powder. This big guy should be even easier to handle!"
"Uh... we're out..."
Kazuyama and Chōmei both froze. Kazuyama looked stunned, while Chōmei appeared a bit embarrassed.
As the massive bee closed in, Kazuyama had no choice but to teleport away with the Flying Thunder God.
Mid-escape, he took the opportunity to berate Chōmei.
"Seriously?! Why didn't you prepare more Scale Powder?"
"You just had to run out at this crucial moment?"
Chōmei shifted his body, adjusting into a more comfortable position before replying with a touch of grievance.
"I wanted to, but you moved too fast."
"I had just started gathering the Scale Powder, and then you used the Flying Thunder God. There was only enough for one shot."
"And that thing is huge. It takes a lot of Scale Powder to confuse it."
"Give me ten more seconds, and I'll have enough."
Ten seconds?
Hearing that, Kazuyama instantly felt back in control.
Without hesitation, he teleported back, leaving Chōmei completely dumbfounded.
"I'll give you ten seconds! I'll hold them off!"
"Great! Ten seconds is plenty!"
Kazuyama's sudden return didn't just shock Chōmei—it left the Iwa shinobi completely baffled.
"Did he just leave... and then come back?"
"You saw that too? I thought I was seeing things."
His movements were so fast that they couldn't believe their own eyes.
But Kazuyama had no time to entertain them. Forming hand seals at lightning speed, he locked eyes with the incoming threat and roared,
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive wall of earth shot up from the ground. It wasn't his first choice, but there was no time for anything else.
Boom!
The giant bee slammed into the wall at full speed, completely shattering it on impact.
Amidst the flying debris, Kazuyama spread his arms wide.
"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!"
Countless snakes erupted from the ground, surging forward like a living tide.
The sight alone was enough to shock everyone.
Once again, Kitsuchi was the first to react.
"Damn it! A Konoha ninja... is he with Orochimaru?!"
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!"
Slamming his hand to the ground, Kitsuchi caused the terrain beneath the Iwa shinobi to tremble before rapidly rising, lifting the entire group just in time to evade the sea of snakes.
At the same time, the Kamizuru shinobi directed their bees upward, narrowly avoiding the writhing mass below.
"Chōmei! Are you ready?"
"All set!"
"Good! We're going up—let's take down the big one!"
"On it!"
Thanks to the snake swarm, Kazuyama had finally bought enough time.
With the Scale Powder now prepared, he sprang into the air, launching himself toward the giant bee.
Before it could react, he flung a handful of powder straight at its face.
"Got it!"