A ship sailed into Cloudhouse Port.
The sea was rough, waves crashing against the bow as if trying to stop the vessel from moving forward.
"Is something wrong, Lady Ryuuren?"
Several Kumo-nin glanced over as Ryuuren quickly walked to the prow, staring toward the distant Cloudhouse Port beyond the churning waters.
She had long golden hair, her curvaceous figure outlined beneath a tight mesh bodysuit, with a blue skirt swaying in the wind over it.
Staring toward the docks, she said, "My heart's racing. The Big Cat inside is trying to warn me of something."
The Kumo-nin guards were secretly thrilled.
Lady Ryuuren's control over the Tailed Beast had grown so precise that it was now warning her ahead of time.
But who would dare come all the way to the northeast coast of the Land of Lightning… to target her?
From a distance, the port appeared calm—dockworkers unloading cargo, mercenary guards cracking their whips.
Everything seemed normal.
Then, Ryuuren leapt onto the ship's rail.
The sea breeze whipped her blue skirt around her legs.
"I trust you… Matatabi," she whispered.
And with that, she jumped—landing on the rolling sea surface and sprinting across the water.
Her four Kumo guards quickly followed, leaping down after her.
—
On the shore, Yamashiroji muttered, "Sakumo, I think we've been spotted!"
"Ryuuren must have some unique sensory ability," Hatake Sakumo said calmly.
"The Two-Tails is a special fire-type beast. Fighting on the ocean gives us the edge. Let's go meet the Two-Tails Jinchūriki."
Shirakumo asked, "Sakumo-sama, what about the ANBU and Root operatives?"
"Ignore them."
Sakumo hadn't made contact with Fox the entire way. To protect Fox, he wouldn't act openly in front of the Root ninja.
The five members of Sakumo's squad left the abandoned warehouse and dashed across the waves, meeting the whitecaps head-on.
—
From the mountainside next to the port, Yako and T both unrolled scrolls, recording data on the Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
The higher-ups were cautious—too cautious. To prevent any deception, every high-level intel mission had to be witnessed and recorded by at least two parties.
Hiruzen didn't trust Sakumo, so he sent ANBU.
Danzo didn't trust ANBU, so he sent Root.
That's how the system bloated—like the overlapping ministries of old times: secret police, internal affairs, external surveillance. Layers upon layers.
—
Ryuuren saw the five charging toward her from shore.
After a few quick hand signs, she spat out a blue-flame-encased rat from her mouth.
Yako immediately noted it down.
Fire Rat — A special Fire Release technique used by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki since the First Shinobi War.
The rat split in mid-air into more than twenty smaller fire rats, each locking onto a target and diving toward Sakumo's group.
Yamashiroji stepped forward, forming hand signs, and cast a massive Water Release: Water Formation Wall, blocking all twenty fire rats.
Yako quickly scribbled:
"Fire Rat Bomb has auto-tracking, but its destructive power is inferior to standard high-level Fire Release. Can be countered with large-scale water defenses."
As the wall collapsed, Ryuuren's eyes widened—one of her opponents had vanished.
The White Fang was gone.
Only his four subordinates remained!
She snapped her gaze upward—just in time to see a blinding white blade falling from the sky, radiating searing heat.
The air around them seemed to freeze. Inside her, the Two-Tails stirred in alarm.
If that blade hit her… she would die.
The crescent slash fell like moonlight and struck the ocean surface.
But she was gone.
Ryuuren had activated a semi-transparent chakra cloak—two chakra tails flicked behind her. One tail slammed the water just in time, propelling her out of the blade's path.
From Yako's vantage point, he noted:
"Unlike other Tailed Beasts, the Two-Tails cloak is dual-colored—red and blue. The steam rising around her indicates high temperature—imbued with a special flame trait."
"Her chakra tail was able to physically swat the sea and deflect White Fang's strike. Meaning… the Two-Tails reacts faster than Ryuuren herself."
The four Kumo guards charged in, determined to protect their Jinchūriki even at the cost of their lives.
Sakumo's team moved in as well.
Yamashiroji's water and fire techniques, Moonlight Kento's Crescent Moon Dance, Shirakumo's single-handed Vacuum Blade, and Shinma's fire-infused taijutsu—each of them held their own.
Within seconds, they pushed the Kumo guards to the brink.
If Ryuuren didn't step in, her guards wouldn't last ten seconds.
Realizing this, she slammed her palms to the water's surface. Chakra erupted from her body like waves, flattening the nearby ocean.
Sakumo surged forward.
The translucent chakra cloak around Ryuuren condensed, becoming a solid, dark red Tailed Beast Coat.
Two fully formed chakra tails whipped behind her, and her body took on the shape of a sleek, muscular feline.
Sakumo stopped in his tracks.
Ryuuren had begun charging a Tailed Beast Bomb.
She fired it.
Sakumo dodged instantly.
But a second… then a third bomb launched.
Yako quickly recorded:
"With two tails manifested, Ryuuren can instantly condense multiple Tailed Beast Bombs."
"She maintains full consciousness. Not a single shot was directed at the port or civilian ships. She avoids collateral damage."
"Conclusion: Even in this state, her mind remains fully intact."
The ocean exploded in the distance, massive mushroom-shaped water clouds rising where each bomb hit.
The sheer force…
If any of those landed in Konoha…
It would be catastrophic.
Amidst the chaos, one Tailed Beast Bomb flew straight toward Moonlight Kento's back.
He was unaware—he'd just taken down one of Ryuuren's guards.
Then—
A brilliant white arc of chakra cut through the sea.
Sakumo's blade met the Tailed Beast Bomb.
A massive explosion.
Yako kept writing.
"Sakumo is capable of directly neutralizing a Tailed Beast Bomb. Human-sized bombs have no effect against him."
What would the higher-ups think when they saw this?
Too strong.
Cutting a Tailed Beast Bomb in half with a sword—who does that?!
Sakumo's refined Lightning Release blade had become devastating.
Combined with his top-tier taijutsu and Shunshin mastery, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kage-class.
Just then—
T, who'd been silent the entire battle, suddenly leapt from the cliff and rushed toward the ocean.
What's he doing?
Yako turned his gaze toward the port.
Dozens of Kumo-nin had appeared—rushing into the sea under the orders of senior jonin.
Their time was running out.
Sakumo's squad would have to retreat soon.
But T…
He had a different mission.