Moonlight struggled through the fog, barely illuminating the canyon floor. At the deepest point lay a massive stone structure with an ancient design unlike anything common in the Shinobi World. Its surface was scarred by long years of erosion.
More unsettling was what surrounded it. Countless Iwagakure Statue soldiers packed around the structure like swarming ants, their movements stiff and unnatural as more continued to pour out from inside.
"That's the place!" Chakra said, pointing weakly toward the entrance while fighting off dizziness. His finger trembled as he marked the target.
At his words, Mei Terumi's cheeks puffed slightly as she rapidly formed hand seals. Her expression sharpened with focus as she prepared her technique.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" The roar of water followed immediately.
A massive surge of water burst from her mouth and transformed in an instant into a water dragon several meters long. The dragon twisted forward with overwhelming force.
At the same time, Darui formed seals as violent arcs of lightning chakra leapt around his body like silver snakes. The crackling energy filled the air with sharp noise.
"Lightning Release: Black Panther!" A deep black bolt of lightning erupted from his palm.
The lightning took the shape of a powerful black panther. It surged forward at a speed beyond sight, striking after the water dragon but reaching it first, merging directly into its body.
The once-clear water dragon expanded violently. Its entire form became wrapped in raging black lightning, radiating destructive power.
Combined Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet Technique! The fusion roared as it descended.
With a deafening crash, the lightning water dragon slammed into the dense mass of Iwagakure Statue soldiers at the building's entrance. The air ionized, filling the canyon with piercing crackles of electricity.
Blinding light turned the canyon floor as bright as broad daylight. Solid rock shattered instantly, torn apart and crushed as Iwagakure Statue soldiers were blasted in all directions. Gravel flew outward, and dust and debris surged into the air.
In a single breath, the area before the entrance was completely cleared. What remained was a deep crater scorched black and littered with scattered gravel.
A direct path to the dark entrance of the structure had been forced open. The destruction left no doubt about the power unleashed.
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Onoki narrowed their eyes. Each cast a brief glance at Darui and Mei Terumi in turn.
So this was their level of mastery in Lightning Release and Water Release. It seemed that the "Kage" of Kumogakure and Kirigakure both had capable successors.
Still, Konoha and Iwagakure were not lacking either. Only Sunagakure stood out for different reasons.
"Hmph." Third Kazekage snorted coldly as he noticed their looks. His face darkened with irritation.
With a sharp motion, he accelerated the sand cloud into a streak of light. Following the newly opened path, he shot straight into the shadowy entrance, and the others followed close behind.
Beyond the entrance lay a long downward-sloping corridor. Ancient and eerie murals were carved into the stone walls on both sides, their meanings impossible to discern. The corridor was also filled with large numbers of Iwagakure Statue soldiers.
"Annoying," Maki muttered. As if sensing Third Kazekage's displeasure, he brought his index and middle fingers together. Highly compressed Wind Release chakra gathered instantly at his fingertips.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!" He swung his hand sharply.
Thin, invisible wind blades shot forward, each one razor-sharp despite its fragile appearance. They cut cleanly across the necks of the Iwagakure Statue soldiers.
Heads rolled to the ground as bodies collapsed heavily. Dull thuds echoed through the corridor as the path was cleared.
Third Kazekage gave a subtle nod. He glanced at the others, only to find that none of them reacted at all, which made his expression darken further.
Among all ninja who mastered the five elemental chakra natures, those with wind affinity were relatively rare. For Maki to use such high-level Wind Release without hand seals placed him among the top ranks even within the Five Great Nations' Jonin.
But that always depended on who he was compared with. The greatest wind user in the entire Shinobi World was Ryoma, a fact even Ryoma could not dispute.
Compared to Ryoma's Wind Release, Maki's wind techniques were still lacking. Third Kazekage understood this clearly and felt only helpless bitterness.
In truth, his own strength among the current Five Kage Summit was not weak. However, Sunagakure suffered from severe lack of resources, and thoughts of the village's broken succession always gave him a headache.
Fortunately, he was still in his prime. Once this Five Kage Summit ended and the Five Great Nations entered a calmer period, he would have ample time to train successors.
With that thought, Third Kazekage's mood steadied. The team moved smoothly through the corridor as the space ahead suddenly opened up.
A massive underground chamber spread out before them like a subterranean plaza. The ceiling towered high above, with rough stone walls surrounding the area. At the center stood the vague outline of a huge altar, shrouded in thick mist.
The moment all nine stepped into the chamber, the ground thundered violently. The walls and ceiling bulged outward as stone pressed in from every direction.
Like a giant hand closing, the rock sealed in around them. In an instant, the area was completely enclosed, forming a massive stone prison.
"Earth Release: Earth Corridor!" The technique's name echoed through the darkness.
All vision vanished as pitch-black darkness swallowed them. Only the deafening grind of stone filled their ears as the pressure closed in.
"Pure Byakugan!" Chakra shouted sharply. Through the thick rock, his vision pierced outward.
Beside the altar, two cold presences appeared clearly in his sight. One of them was Huang Quan.
His main body and a Shadow Clone both had their palms pressed against the ground. It was obvious that the Earth Corridor had been his doing.
What truly changed Chakra's expression was the sudden blaze of fire around Huang Quan's main body. Flames spun rapidly, compressing into a blazing ring.
"Fire Release: Running Fire!" Huang Quan raised his foot sharply.
The fire ring poured directly into the sealed stone prison. At the same time, his Shadow Clone formed seals, summoning a violent gale in front of it.
"Wind Release: Divine Wind!" The raging wind followed instantly, surging into the prison and feeding the flames.
With a thunderous roar, the compressed fire ring expanded violently. It blossomed into a red storm of flame.
The stone prison was instantly filled with the wind and fire. The temperature rose to a level capable of melting steel, warping the air itself.
The inner stone walls groaned under the heat. Firelight leaked through cracks, painting everything red like a furnace.
Standing by the altar, Huang Quan watched the shaking prison with a cruel smile. He could feel the scorching heat within.
"Hmph," he said with disdain. "So this is all the Five Kage Summit amount to."
The power granted by Moryo was indeed strong, nearly equivalent to mastery of all five elemental chakra natures. But his own strength was still limited.
Before the smile on Huang Quan's face could fully settle, a terrifying explosion erupted from within the prison. The sound shook the entire chamber.
The stone prison burst apart from the inside. A golden flood tore through it, shattering the rock and blasting it outward.
Countless gravel were hurled away, mixed with scorching air and lingering flames. Heavy impacts echoed as debris crashed down in all directions.