Chapter 283: Spear and Shield
Overwhelming fierce winds descended from above like countless sharp steel blades, completely covering the space beneath Neji's feet, slicing back and forth meticulously.
This time Konoha's aerial forces couldn't dodge even if they wanted to.
Fierce winds struck bodies, penetrating through completely.
Both people and mounts were sliced into fine pieces.
Foul-smelling blood rain fell from the sky, drifting abundantly. Set against the full moon's background, it actually possessed a certain savage beauty.
"Hahahaha..."
Neji laughed loudly while slowly lowering his figure again.
"Not everyone who can fly in the sky is qualified to fight me!"
"Aerial combat strength disparity is far more obvious than ground combat!"
He waved his arms again, shouting loudly:
"All Branch House members listen! Today I will slaughter the Main House with blood. Anyone standing before me is my enemy—life or death doesn't matter."
"I won't force you to defect on the battlefield. You merely need to distance yourselves—don't become the Main House's cannon fodder."
"After this battle, I'll have people secretly contact you, helping bring your families and loved ones away from here."
"Now, everyone—scatter!"
After Neji finished shouting, his body suddenly dove downward, landing among the Hyuga crowd.
"Repulsive Force: Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation!"
The chakra outside Neji's body suddenly rotated at high speed, erupting with tremendous repulsive force outward—just like Almighty Push. Using his body as the center, he flung surrounding people in all directions.
This force was tremendous but lacked strong lethality.
The numerous Hyuga clan members originally gathered together were immediately scattered, separately falling to different positions.
Some Branch House members after landing hastily rushed to Main House members' sides, continuing to perform as loyal guard dogs.
But many Branch House members, after climbing up, rolled their eyes before silently slipping into nearby buildings or forest thickets.
Within moments, enemy and ally separated.
"Hahahaha..."
Neji threw his head back laughing. His body lunged forward, arriving before a Main House member. Raising his hand, he shattered this person's blocking arms with a single palm strike before heavily slamming into his chest.
"Ahhh!"
This Main House member screamed. His entire body flew up from the ground like a cannonball, heavily crashing into the building behind him.
He crashed through the front wall and out the back wall. Body covered in blood and flesh, mixed with numerous brick fragments, he bounced like a ball across the ground, crushing countless flowers and landscape features before finally slamming into another wall and stopping.
"Lord Nippa!"
Many Branch House members cried out in alarm, hastily rushing forward to attack Neji, preventing him from continuing his violence.
"Hmph!"
Neji felt tremendous anger at these self-degrading Branch House members. He showed no hesitation in attacking.
Flicking his sleeve, dozens of chakra orbs condensed out, bombarding toward these people separately.
Everyone had already clearly witnessed these orbs' power earlier. They absolutely dared not let them make contact.
The group of Branch House members immediately scattered in all directions like birds and beasts.
Boom boom boom
A continuous series of explosions sounded, as though triggering large-scale sympathetic detonations, sweeping the entire group inside.
Only a scant few lucky individuals with fast reaction speeds escaped miserably from that smoke and dust. Most people fell in the explosions—dead or injured.
Neji's gaze turned, locking onto another Main House member. But before he could act, he heard furious roars from behind.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
The earth bulged like an earth dragon turning over. Numerous thick tree roots broke through the ground, coiling toward Neji.
Simultaneously, many other shinobi rushed out in formation, launching Wood Release attacks toward him.
Neji had long anticipated this. A cruel smile immediately appeared at his lips. Pressing both palms together, he fused all chakra orbs into one, radiating blinding golden light.
"Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"
His body spun in place, sweeping the golden light in his palms horizontally around at waist level.
This golden light proved invincible—like a knife cutting tofu—severing everything surrounding him at the waist.
Including those towering trees, and including those approaching Wood Release ninja.
"Argghhh!"
Those bisected shinobi wouldn't die immediately. They lay miserably on the ground, hands deeply clawing the earth, leaving ten deep finger marks.
Wood Release cells themselves possessed life force enhancement effects. If they had Tsunade-level vitality plus powerful medical ninjutsu, they could definitely reattach their severed bodies.
However, the Wood Release cells in their bodies were inferior versions processed by Yasushi. Moreover, on the battlefield, no one could come save them.
Thus what should have been Wood Release cells' advantage now became torture instead—the source of their agony.
Neji had no intention of granting them relief. His gaze focused, locking onto those few jonin capable of using "Advent of a World of Trees"-level large-scale techniques.
Several people stood dispersed, mutually covering each other. After that person's Wood Release forest was severed, a second person immediately supplemented.
He stimulated his chakra, making severed tree roots regrow and continue waving vines, heavily whipping toward Neji.
The golden sword in Neji's hand turned, drawing a circle overhead. The sword light suddenly extended over ten times, cleanly slicing all approaching vines.
Thick branches fell from midair, heavily slamming the ground and splashing countless mud and sand.
The field immediately filled with flying dust, blocking many people's vision.
But the next instant, another golden light emerged from within the dust—tearing through space, slashing toward that Wood Release ninja's head.
"Not good!"
That Wood Release ninja hastily used Body Flicker to dodge. Other Wood Release ninja also hurriedly stimulated Wood Release to help him block.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
But before this golden light, even the super-defensive Wood Locking Wall proved like paper—easily shattered with one strike without providing even half a moment's delay.
With a light "swoosh," that Wood Release ninja who'd dodged with Body Flicker stiffened, freezing in place.
After several breaths, a blood line appeared from this ninja's forehead, running along nose bridge, chin, throat downward, splitting his entire body in half from the center.
With a "splat," his entire body separated to both sides. Blood, flesh, and bones inside splattered everywhere—like an exploding balloon.
Amid everyone's alarmed cries, Neji slowly walked out from the smoke and dust, lips wearing a disdainful cold smile.
"Before these eyes, all smoke and dust concealment is ineffective."
"All physical defenses are also ineffective."
"Is that so?" A voice suddenly sounded behind Neji.
"Then try and see if you can break through my Susanoo!"
With this voice, a massive energy fist smashed down toward Neji's head.