At this moment, the situation on the battlefield was delicate. Konoha's forces had retreated completely, abandoning the outpost and suffering significant casualties.
Onoki had successfully executed his risky plan to scatter the Konoha forces, but Jiraiya's arrival disrupted his full control.
If it were just Orochimaru, Onoki could have calmly re-sealed the Five-Tails. He even had the new Jinchuriki vessel ready—a boy named Han whose physique was perfectly compatible with the beast.
But now, both sides were forced to keep their distance in a standoff. The injured Five-Tails had no desire to fight anymore; it just wanted to escape the battlefield and find a safe place to hide.
Onoki couldn't let his village's ultimate weapon be lost. He frequently used Earth Style to block its path, but with the two Sannin watching him like hawks, he was stretched thin.
Sometimes, he wondered why Konoha was so blessed. First, they had the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju and the Asura of the Ninja World Madara Uchiha. Even after their deaths, Konoha was brimming with talent, producing Kage-level powerhouses one after another.
In contrast, the Stone Village seemed to have a generational gap. Onoki was holding the fort alone, and none of his successors truly satisfied him.
Annoyed by Onoki's constant interference, the Five-Tails emitted scorching steam again. Although it didn't charge up another Unrivaled Strength, it was clearly on the verge of berserk rage.
Seeing the beast nearing the edge of the battlefield, Onoki knew that if this continued, the Five-Tails might actually escape.
He stopped hesitating and formed hand seals rapidly.
"Earth Style: Mountain Jutsu!"
With Onoki's shout, two massive rock hemispheres rose from the ground, clamping toward the Five-Tails from both sides! If caught, the beast wouldn't escape easily.
"Heh. Onoki, time for you to taste some trouble."
Orochimaru, waiting for this moment, signaled Jiraiya. They attacked simultaneously to disrupt him.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" x2
Two volleys of intense fire rained down on Onoki. Although he dodged, the casting of his jutsu was affected, causing a slight delay in the Mountain Jutsu.
"Unrivaled Strength!"
The Five-Tails seized the fleeting opportunity. Its steam exploded outward, blasting through the closing rock hemispheres. It sprinted wildly toward the path previously cleared by its Tailed Beast Bomb!
Slash!
Another hidden Stone ninja fell silently.
Night Namikaze was covered in blood. The viscous liquid dyed him red, making him look like an Asura stepping out of a sea of blood.
Behind him, Nawaki and Shibi were battered and bruised. Their strength was insufficient for this level of warfare, and they had barely survived several encounters.
Night split his focus to sense the kunai carried by the kikaichu. It was almost out of the battlefield. He felt a bit of relief.
But they couldn't stay here. Since Night had been forced to kill the Stone ninjas, their position was exposed. At the first sign of combat, Stone ninjas swarmed like sharks smelling blood.
He couldn't pin all his hopes on the bug plan succeeding. He had to keep leading the two through the edge of the battlefield, constantly moving and breaking through encirclements.
Gradually, Night found himself immersed in the killing atmosphere of the battlefield. He wasn't just trying to escape anymore; he felt a thrill, dancing on the edge of a blade.
"Here they come again!" Night's mind sharpened. His Mind's Eye of the Kagura picked up another Stone squad charging straight at them!
Looking at his teammates, their expressions were determined, but their hands gripping their kunai were shaking uncontrollably from exhaustion. They were at their limit.
"Eight Gates Released Formation! Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain — OPEN!"
Green energy erupted again. Even with his physique, opening the gates repeatedly was taking a toll.
Without wasting time, he turned into a green flash and charged into the enemy formation. Relying purely on the speed of the Eight Gates and the sharpness of the Hokage's sword, he used brute force to overwhelm them. Every slash brought a spray of blood as he aimed to annihilate the enemy as quickly as possible.
But this Stone squad acted strangely. They didn't seem interested in fighting or encircling the trio. It looked more like they were... fleeing in panic.
Amidst the flashes of his blade, Night moved like a reaper. But one Stone ninja, willing to take a fatal slash, threw a handful of kunai at Nawaki and Shibi.
Night saw it clearly. Hidden among the kunai was one with an explosive tag attached to the handle.
He couldn't turn back in time. Even though he spun around and decapitated the ninja instantly, the kunai was already in the air.
Nawaki and Shibi were exhausted. Shibi desperately released a swarm of bugs to shield them. The kunai hit the dense wall of insects and fell harmlessly.
But the explosive tag ignited and detonated right in front of the bug shield!
Fire swallowed the two of them.
Luckily, Night sensed their chakra hadn't disappeared. In the panic, Nawaki had managed to erect a Water Wall, barely blocking the lethal blast.
When the smoke cleared, the two were revealed, coughing up blood. The shockwave had damaged their internal organs.
Even more despairing was their location. They had chosen to break out through the forest next to the "blank zone" created by the earlier Tailed Beast Bomb.
It was based on the future logic that "lightning never strikes the same place twice."
But who knew that instead of a second bomb, the "cannon" itself would come charging down the path?
Night sensed the Stone ninjas scattering in terror. In the distance, the white behemoth was sprinting down the cleared path, visible to the naked eye.
Looking at his two incapacitated teammates, Night felt cornered.
Nawaki looked at Night and said weakly, "Night-nii, leave us... If you carry us, none of us will make it."
Shibi nodded, unwilling to be a burden.
The footsteps of the giant beast grew louder, each stomp hitting their hearts.
Suddenly, Night's face lit up with joy. He grabbed the two of them, and they vanished instantly.
The bug plan had worked! The kikaichu had carried the kunai far enough away. Plus, the Five-Tails' charge had broken the Stone army's formation, creating a gap in their chakra interference.
Before they could celebrate their escape, they looked back.
A blinding beam of white light cut across the sky, slamming viciously into the Five-Tails.
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
The terrifying energy tore into the Five-Tails. As a mass of chakra, it didn't bleed, but the massive impact sent the beast flying backward...
Directly toward the three of them.
"Is this never going to end?! Are you targeting me specifically?!"
Night had only one thought: I really should have sewn Nawaki's mouth shut back at the village gates.