Ten Cloud Shinobi surrounded Miyamoto and his group.
Yuzu, the Wooden Golem, entered a partial tailed beast state, her chakra cloak roaring to life. Like a phantom in an empty space, she bulldozed through the battlefield, her eyes locked on Sasuke.
She wanted to end this quickly and decisively.
"Don't even think about touching my friend!"
Naruto roared, charging at her with a kunai in hand, like a charging knight. He was immediately swatted away, but the distraction gave Sasuke just enough time to form hand seals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flame Formation!"
Hundreds of fireballs erupted from Sasuke's mouth, each wrapped in subtle ripples of power. The flames darted through the air like guided missiles, weaving in unpredictable arcs and crashing in from all sides.
Boom! Boom!
Yuzu couldn't dodge in time and took several direct hits. Yet, instead of being deterred, her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"This is Ripple Energy! It takes a child's basic jutsu and multiplies its power several times!"
She burst through the flames and lunged, claws outstretched.
Sasuke didn't flinch. He unsheathed the long sword at his waist. Ripple energy flowed into the blade, sharpening it with a nearly invisible edge.
The Wooden Golem narrowed her eyes. Didn't he know she'd grab him before he could strike?
Just then—a sharp humming sound sliced through the air.
A whip, covered in tiny blades, lashed out and coiled tightly around her wrist.
Yuzu snapped her head around. It was Xiao Tao, one hand holding her whip, the other gripping a telephone pole.
Her claw attack paused.
And in that moment—
Too late!
Sasuke's eyes focused like lasers.
"Nujunu Nullification—Activate!"
The tailed beast cloak around Yuzu shattered into sparks of blue light, leaving her completely exposed to Sasuke's blade.
She was a powerful shinobi, a Jinchūriki—but as Sasuke raised his sword, she felt a chill crawl down her spine. He was just a child, not even ten, but his gaze was terrifying.
The sword came down.
Clang!
Dozens of Lion Majesties burst from the ground, intercepting the blade at the last moment. It sliced through several of them before stopping.
The wooden creatures hit the ground in halves.
Yuzu was panting.
That... was too close.
This is the power of nullification. Ninjutsu itself, erased.
From the intel she had, Sasuke couldn't use this ability frequently. But even one strike was nearly fatal.
She summoned her chakra again. The tailed beast cloak reformed around her.
"This ends now," she growled and lunged.
"I said—DON'T TOUCH—MY—FRIEND!"
A sudden pulse of chakra shook the air. Yuzu's eyes widened.
That chakra!
She turned to see a figure roaring toward her—orange, blazing, a fox-shaped shadow rising behind him.
One... two... three...
Nine tails.
Naruto struck her chest with full force.
Yuzu reeled in shock.
The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki?!
Is Konoha insane? Sending their Jinchūriki into another village?
Naruto's transformation stunned her. And in that opening, an ice mirror bloomed behind Sasuke. Bai extended a hand and pulled him inside.
"Ice Release: Demonic Ice Mirror Crystals!"
Sasuke, Pink, Bai, Naruto—four tiny warriors against a Jinchūriki.
Yuzu knew that given enough time, she could overpower them.
But time was the one thing she didn't have.
---
Inside a nearby house, Kanbara Hayato, still in a velvet bathrobe, was rummaging through drawers.
"Damn it! Where did I put it?"
He glanced out the window. The battlefield raged on. Naruto in Nine-Tails mode, Sasuke using ripple and nullification, and Miyamoto holding the line.
But Hayato saw what others didn't.
This balance won't last. They're outclassed.
"We need backup—now!"
"Found it!"
He yanked open a scroll, bit his finger, and slapped his palm down.
Summoning Jutsu!
Three ninja mice appeared in a puff of smoke.
"Go! Spread the word! Cloud Shinobi are here—trying to kidnap children!"
The mice saluted and vanished.
---
Outside Kirigakure, ninja mice sprinted through sewers, relaying the message.
Ten minutes later, the sleeping Hidden Mist was wide awake.
Terumi Mei, still in Strawberry Bear pajamas, stood before the barrier.
"Ninjutsu Corps! Prepare joint jutsu!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Dozens of Mist ninjas lined up, forming seals in perfect sync. Their chakra merged, twisting like braided rope.
"Water Style: Super Water Cannon Jutsu!"
A two-meter-wide water jet, like a missile, slammed into the invisible barrier.
CRACK!
The protective dome rippled. Hairline fractures formed.
"Again!" shouted Terumi Mei.
---
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Asuma, Guy, and Ebisu watched the chaos.
"Should we step in?" Asuma asked.
Ebisu shook his head. "This is a conflict between Kirigakure and the Cloud. As outsiders, we shouldn't intervene. We focus on extracting Naruto, then get out."
Asuma nodded reluctantly—but Guy took a step forward.
"I'm not smart like you," he said, turning. "I don't know politics or big-picture strategy. But the people of Kirigakure—"
He clenched his fists.
"—they've welcomed us, fed us, laughed with us. They treated us not as diplomats... but as friends."
He turned toward the battle.
"If you can't help a friend in trouble, what kind of youth are you?!"
And with that, Guy dashed into the fight, yelling.
---
Inside the barrier, the two Snake Princesses exchanged worried glances.
Ichikishima-hime shouted, "No more holding back! Use full force! Forget secrecy!"
What began as a covert mission had escalated into full-blown war.
Yuzu, the Wooden Golem, glanced at the flickering barrier.
They were out of time.
She inhaled deeply and roared—
ROAR!!!
From the explosion of chakra, a massive feline figure emerged. Dozens of meters tall, burning with blue flame, two tails whipping behind her, and gleaming yellow-green eyes.
Two-Tails Matatabi—fully unleashed!
Matatabi opened her mouth, condensing a searing fireball.
Boom!
The heat wave vaporized Bai's ice mirrors instantly.
The makeshift defense collapsed in one strike.
CRACK!
The barrier shattered.
Matatabi reared back to fire again—but then:
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
A massive foot slammed into Matatabi's snout, sending a shockwave through her skull.
She reeled in pain, claws swiping. But Might Guy moved like an acrobat, dodging every strike.
The battlefield had changed.
Terumi Mei, Zabuza, Ao, and Mist Shinobi appeared.
Might Guy, Asuma, and other Konoha ninjas joined in.
And more were on their way.
This was turning into a full war.
Yuzu's eyes narrowed. If I don't leave now... I never will.
She shouted to the Snake Princesses above:
"Target me—use Heaven's Sent Technique!"
Then she dove toward Sasuke—not to attack, but to envelop him in tailed beast chakra.
Terumi Mei's eyes widened.
"She's trying to wrap Sasuke in her chakra and teleport away! Stop her!"
But how do you stop a berserker Jinchūriki who's no longer afraid of getting hurt?
Yuzu tanked every blow. She was bleeding, but she didn't care.
Nothing mattered—except getting Sasuke out.
The chakra cloak swept over Sasuke.
Kohaku, Momo, Naruto—everyone charged in to stop it.
"It's done!" Yuzu shouted.
The Snake Princesses arrived, unrolling a sealing scroll.
Heaven's Sent Technique—activate!
The scroll glowed.
Two snakes and a cat—along with Sasuke, Kohaku, and a tiny ninja mouse—began to flicker.
Just then—
Boom!
A green blur streaked through the air.
Might Guy!
"Daytime Peacock!"
A whirlwind of punches erupted, peacock-like trails of air bursting outward.
At the same time, Amber and the ninja mouse dove toward Sasuke, grabbing his hand—
Too late.
The technique triggered.
"Catch!"
Mayuri hurled a glowing disc—Orochimaru's ninjutsu module.
Amber caught it.
And then—
Flash!
The two snakes, the cat, Sasuke, Kohaku, and the mouse vanished in a burst of light.
Silence fell.
---
"Did we fail?" Terumi Mei whispered.
She wasn't sure how to face Logan when he returned.
"We haven't failed yet!" shouted Hayato from a second-floor window.
"My ninja mouse had the summoning scroll! At the last moment, it used a jutsu to scramble their destination! They didn't make it to Cloud Village!"
Zabuza scratched his head. "But... the enemy doesn't know where they went. Neither do we. How do we find them?"
Terumi Mei's eyes lit up.
"Logan! That strange little vine he carries—he can trace them. The problem now is contacting him."
Guy, still catching his breath, nodded.
"He already knows. I messaged Kakashi through his ninja dogs—Pakkun should've passed it on."
Terumi Mei exhaled.
"We can't rely on Logan alone," she said. "He's still in the Land of Hot Springs. Even if he knows, it'll take time for him to get here."
---
Meanwhile, in a jungle clearing far away...
The Wooden Golem fell to the ground, battered and bleeding.
The tailed beast cloak flickered.
Sasuke, Kohaku, and the ninja mouse tumbled beside her.
Yuzu released her transformation, breathing heavily.
She had withstood the Morning Peacock.
But the mission was far from over.
To be continued...
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)