After the raging inferno consumed half the gambling den, it surged forward and slammed into the purple barrier.
Sssshhh—!
Purple flames ignited across the shield's surface. The violet fire and orange flames clashed like mortal enemies locked in a death struggle, instantly entangling and exploding in violent bursts.
Soon, the orange flames finally extinguished, while the barrier became thinner and more transparent.
The Root ninja separated by the barrier saw this and their eyes gleamed with excitement.
The Root Jonin bellowed, "The barrier's cracking! Keep hitting it with ninjutsu!"
Others quickly responded in unison, "Yes!"
Then everyone rapidly formed hand seals, launching various elemental jutsu attacks toward the barrier.
[Water Release - Water Dragon Jutsu!]
[Fire Release - Great Fireball Jutsu!]
[Earth Release - Earth Spear!]
...
Most of Root's elite had already been eliminated by the Shadow Guard Team. Only a handful of Jonin remained inside the gambling den, while Chunin were all that stood outside besides the leader.
Without nature transformation abilities, their techniques lacked power. Their attacks against the barrier only caused faint ripples.
Inside the gambling den.
Aozora, who had briefly tapped into Yakton chakra, felt his throat dry and burning hot. He couldn't help but open his mouth wide, continuously inhaling and exhaling to let air cool his throat and chakra pathways.
Yakton-level fire chakra packed incredible power, but it came with extreme physical demands.
Shisui hadn't yet wiped away the blood tears on his face before new ones streamed out again, slightly blurring his vision.
Susanoo still placed heavy strain on him.
Feeling dizzy, he had no choice but to temporarily close his eyes, dispel Susanoo, then leap beside Aozora to rest with closed eyes.
He conserved every drop of chakra and ounce of ocular energy inside him so he'd be ready to summon Susanoo if his younger brother was ever in danger.
Suddenly some drifting smoke and dust within the gambling den vanished. Danzo suddenly reemerged at the center of the battlefield.
This time, before Aozora and Shisui could act, Danzo himself encountered trouble.
His right arm suddenly swelled, sprouting branch-like extensions, while the rest of his body visibly paled and withered.
"Aaaahh—"
Instantly, this man known as the "Darkness of Ninja" let out a painful cry.
However, Danzo possessed an iron will. Enduring the pain through sheer determination, he activated the seal on his body.
In the next moment, black cursed seals spread from his limbs, wrapping and restraining his right arm, even pressing the face embedded in his shoulder back into the limb itself.
Danzo's right arm returned to normal shape, though his once muscular frame had withered down to protruding ribs, and his head full of black hair turned partially white.
"Orochimaru! Help me!"
Danzo's voice sounded somewhat weak, yet his tone toward Orochimaru remained as if issuing orders to a subordinate.
"Certainly!"
Hearing this, Orochimaru showed no resentment, kindly agreeing.
Then, licking his lips, he said, "But that'll cost extra!"
"Hmph!"
Danzo let out a scornful grunt. "Fine," he snapped.
After pausing slightly, he added, "What about the sealing technique left behind by the Uzumaki Clan?"
Orochimaru tilted his head, casting a surprised glance at Danzo. "I didn't expect Lord Danzo's collection to be more extensive than I imagined!"
"Don't waste my time!" Danzo pointed at Shisui. "Kill him, and then carve out his eyes for me!"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Your offer isn't enough!"
"Damn it!"
Orochimaru's bargaining made Danzo feel his dignity had been compromised. However, with his right arm currently sealed and his power diminished, he couldn't afford to take action by force.
Suppressing his rising anger, he muttered grimly, "What do you want then?"
Orochimaru spoke deliberately, "[Izanagi] combined with your right arm is your trump card. I know exactly how powerful this combination is, so I will never allow others to possess it as well. Lord Danzo, please consider carefully!"
Orochimaru's voice remained calm, but his yellowish-brown vertical pupils shimmered dangerously.
While Orochimaru and Danzo bargained back and forth, Aozora didn't rush in recklessly but instead backed away with Shisui to Tsunade's side.
Pointing at Shisui, Aozora said, "Brother, your comrade's hurt! Quick, heal him!"
During the fierce battle, Shisui's mask had been destroyed, allowing Tsunade to see his still-youthful face and the nearly dried blood trailing from the corners of his eyes.
Seeing this, her hands trembled briefly before she regained control.
Her hands shimmered with a soft green light as Tsunade examined Shisui thoroughly, healing all his external wounds.
Just as she was about to move on to treating Aozora, she noticed that the wounds previously inflicted by Air Blade on Aozora had already completely healed, without even leaving scars.
Only the fingers where the flesh had been stripped showed any damage, but even those injuries were healing on their own.
Tsunade picked up his hand and examined it closely.
This kind of regeneration ability was extremely rare even within the Senju clan, and was almost comparable to her own healing capabilities.
Suddenly feeling his hand held by Tsunade, Aozora asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"
Shisui eyed Tsunade warily too — after all, his little brother was still practically a kid!
Though she looked youthful and beautiful, Lady Tsunade was already in her forties!
Felt the brothers' sharp stares on her, Tsunade snapped back to her usual self.
Looking back and forth between the two of them, she clicked her tongue and said mockingly, "Hmph! Saying you did it for me indeed, actually it was for him!"
With that, she dropped Aozora's hand. Although curious, she realized they faced powerful enemies ahead and this wasn't the time for deeper investigation.
Taking out a kunai, she quickly sliced the fleshy part of her index finger and swiftly formed hand seals to summon two tiny slugs, each only the size of a palm.
Handing the slugs to Aozora and Shisui, she explained, "Place them on your bodies; they'll not only treat injuries but also help restore some chakra. We might soon face another major battle."
With that, Tsunade shifted her gaze toward Orochimaru across the field.
Nodding, Aozora suggested, "Send your comrade to protect your aide. He's completely drained now — can't do much more."
Battles on this scale can be devastating—without protection, she could get caught in the crossfire easily!"
As Shisui started to refuse, Aozora cut in, "Don't forget—she treated your wounds back then. I'll be careful."
Shisui remembered how gently Shizune had smiled as she healed him. Seeing Aozora's confident grin, he nodded slightly.
Tsunade looked over at Shizune kneeling nearby and gave a quiet nod.
Earlier, while tending to Shisui's injuries, she had checked his condition. His chakra was almost completely drained, and his body showed signs of severe depletion—it was unclear if he could fight again.
Besides, their opponents now were only Orochimaru and a half-incapacitated Danzo.
As one of the Sannin, she feared Orochimaru not at all.
And with what Aozora has already shown, handling a crippled Danzo shouldn't be an issue either.
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