On the other side, seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen's signal, Shigaraki, who had been hiding together with Sarutobi's Ryunosuke, suddenly grew excited.
"HAHAHA! It's time, it's our turn!"
He immediately took out a scroll and had Ryunosuke help him unseal it.
He pulled out something like an iron rod.
"You each take one and stick them into the ground at these positions."
Shigaraki took out a map and explained the locations to the ANBU beside him.
"That's roughly the placement, that should do it."
"Ryunosuke, you, Fujimaru, and Yuji take these and go hide underground here. If the energy attaches to any one of you, consider yourselves lucky."
Ryunosuke distributed the items with some puzzlement.
He didn't really know what experiment Shigaraki was conducting, but Sarutobi had assigned quite a few people to assist Shigaraki.
In Ryunosuke's pack was a Petri dish with a sphere inside.
"Be careful yourself."
Although the Sarutobi clan members weren't the strongest, they were very determined.
All the Sarutobi people took their items and went to carry out their tasks.
Shigaraki looked at the ground littered with corpses and showed an excited expression.
So the Hokage had expected someone to attack the convoy?
———
Hiruko saw that Gamaken could so easily deal with his fused summoning beast and his vision went dark.
But they had already tied down enough people.
Now it was up to him.
The Third Hokage in front of him was protected in layers, it seemed the most they could do was kill their way to him.
Hiruko formed a hand seal.
His body instantly moved toward the civilians' side.
Hiruzen looked at Hiruko's speed and said to the others, "You ten come with me to pin Hiruko down; the rest go deal with Shukaku."
———
"Jiraiya, why are you looking so bedraggled?"
Jiraiya had just been fighting three at once and was simply tired from chasing.
Fukusaku immediately teased him, making Jiraiya give an awkward smile.
"How's Onee-chan's injury?", Jiraiya asked, concerned.
"ROAR!", The fused summoning beast that Fukusaku had pinned let out a mighty cry and sent him staggering.
Fukusaku, pipe in mouth, drew his short blade and slashed.
Gray sticky fluid sprayed from the fused beast as it was struck and it was flung far away.
At that moment Gamaken, twin blades in hand, instant-stepped over.
The toad twin-blade slash.
The fused beast gave a heart-wrenching roar, collapsed, and kept coughing up blood.
Fukusaku praised, "Not bad, Gamaken."
Only then did he turn back toward Jiraiya and say with some reluctance, "Shima's severely burned, she just woke up now."
Jiraiya felt a bit embarrassed, in truth his status at Mount Myoboku wasn't great.
He was called an heir of Myoboku, but in reality he'd always played small and humble in order to win the frogs' support.
Last time they ambushed Rengoku, Shima almost lost her life, Fukusaku naturally still held that against him.
After Fukusaku's one slash sent the fused beast flying, Shukaku had already noticed him.
"Wind Release, Air Cannon!"
A massive wind cannon in the sky fired toward Fukusaku.
Fukusaku leapt into the air and dodged that shot.
"Why is Shukaku from the Sand Village here?"
Jiraiya, standing on Fukusaku's head, said, "Probably trying to loot the flames."
Fukusaku frowned, "Why does Shukaku's chakra look off?"
Jiraiya had noticed it too, Shukaku's chakra was fluctuating oddly, not steady.
Shukaku didn't continue to target Fukusaku. After Fukusaku drove the beast back, Shukaku controlled the sand and swept it toward Hiruzen's shinobi.
Ordinary shinobi in front of a tailed beast are basically like straw.
They all cried out as they were sent into the sky.
Right at that moment, more shinobi rushed over to Jiraiya's side.
Jiraiya had been on many battlefields and could command troops properly.
"Those good with water release, you stand here. Those good with earth release, stand here. Speedy ones use tools and explosive tags for support."
The people below organized quickly, and Jiraiya jumped down to rapidly issue tactics.
At that time Gamaken also came closer, "Jiraiya, looks like you've got quite a problem."
Jiraiya awkwardly replied, "I need your help, otherwise I can't handle Shukaku."
Gamaken folded his arms and grunted assent.
Jiraiya knew Gamaken had already agreed.
The two of them leapt and landed atop Gamabunta's head.
"Bunta, we'll be asking for your help this time too."
Bunta, pipe in mouth and looking extremely unwilling, said, "You really gave me a tough one."
"Just this once, okay?", Jiraiya laughed nervously, "Thanks, thanks."
"Let's go up!"
Bunta wasn't just speaking to Jiraiya, he was also greeting Gamaken.
Gamaken swung his arms and Bunta clenched his short blade.
Both toads leapt.
Shukaku let out a howl and whipped his tail.
Three blade-like lights flashed.
Shukaku's tail was sliced into two pieces and fell to the ground.
With a rumble, the huge tail turned to sand.
Shukaku didn't feel pain, because the current Shukaku was still under Shosuke's control.
"Damn it, there's no time!"
His control over Shukaku relied entirely on the seal on his body.
That seal would allow him to suppress Shukaku briefly before it burned out.
But the cost was his lifespan.
He already felt waves of weakness surging through him.
If this continued, he wouldn't stand a chance against two toads.
His figure rose from atop Shukaku's head.
Shosuke formed a hand seal, "Eternal Sleep Technique!"
A violent chakra fluctuation erupted from Shosuke.
Then Shosuke sank down into the sand as if plunging into water.
A sharp, delighted voice then echoed over the battlefield:
"Hee hee hee! HAHAHAHA!"
"I'm out now!"
"I'm finally out!"
Gamabunta took a sharp breath, "Eternal Sleep Technique, isn't that the False Slumber Technique?"
Jiraiya's knowledge about tailed beasts wasn't as much as Bunta's, so he asked curiously, "Bunta, what do you mean, how is Eternal Sleep different?"
Bunta's face turned serious, "Both hand over control to Shukaku, but Eternal Sleep is using your own body as nourishment for Shukaku."
"After using this jutsu, the jinchuriki is already dead, now inside Shukaku's body is only a living corpse, nothing more."
While Bunta spoke, Shukaku emitted an ear-piercing shriek.
At the same time, he waved his hands and a huge volume of sand shot up from the ground.
His severed tail quickly regenerated as well.
"Heh heh heh haha! Coming out and finding people to kill is just wonderful!"
Wind Release, Air Cannon!
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.