Shukaku puffed up his belly and blasted wind straight toward Gamabunta.
A massive gust swept through the area, and Gamabunta leapt up just in time to dodge the Air Bullet.
Then he clapped his hands together, "Water Style, Iron Cannonball!"
Opening his mouth wide, Gamabunta spat out a huge blast of water straight at Shukaku.
Shukaku opened his mouth again, sending yet another Air Bullet flying over.
Since he had already used the Eternal Sleep Technique, Shukaku was undoubtedly stronger than Gamabunta.
He blasted through the water cannonball directly and kept charging forward.
Gamabunta hurriedly raised his blade to block, but the tremendous force blew the sword right out of his hands.
Gamaken leapt toward Shukaku and slashed twice—one diagonal cut, one vertical chop.
But Shukaku swung his hand, raising a wall of sand.
"Sand Shower Bullets!"
The sand wall blocking Gamaken shot out countless sand bullets. Gamaken kept swinging his two blades wildly, but still couldn't avoid getting grazed and injured all over his body.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Air Bullet!"
"Air Bullet!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Shukaku was like a long-restrained lunatic finally set free.
He kept firing Air Bullets like mad, or controlling the sand to swirl into massive storms.
Rather than a battle, it was more like Shukaku was venting his emotions in a frenzy, like a hysterical patient who had finally escaped from the asylum.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Ever since Gaara had been sealed by Rengoku, Shukaku hadn't spoken a single word to anyone for more than two years.
He had always been locked within the Four Symbols Seal.
Even when he was sent back to Sunagakure, he remained sealed; the few times he was released were brief before being sealed again.
Now that he finally had plenty of time outside, of course he'd go wild.
The only bit of good news was that Shukaku was fighting like a stationary artillery cannon, he wasn't moving around much.
That allowed Jiraiya to quickly organize and deploy Konoha's forces around him.
———
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shigaraki Tanuki's team carried six metal rods to the designated location.
Then they drove them into the ground.
Once the rods were in place, they began to emit energy, forming an array beneath the earth where no one could see.
The blood of the dead started seeping into the soil.
Sarutobi Ryunosuke and the others arrived at the central zone as well. Using Earth Style jutsu, they sank themselves into the ground and waited patiently.
The energy from the underground formation began to converge toward the petri dish in Ryunosuke's hands.
Inside the container, a round sphere began growing rapidly.
It started to throb like a heartbeat.
Crack!
The creature inside soon broke the container apart.
A being with the face of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the limbs of a tiger, and the tail of a snake gradually took shape.
The energy from the formation kept gathering, and behind Sarutobi Ryunosuke, a red marking began to appear.
———
At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still pursuing Hiruko.
By combining several Kekkei Genkai, Hiruko's current body recovered chakra at an incredible speed.
Though he lacked combat experience, it didn't matter. Ordinary shinobi couldn't even break through his defenses.
Hiruzen and his men couldn't catch up to a fully escaping Hiruko either; all they could do was try to pin him down.
"Hahahahaha! So even Konoha's shinobi end up like this!"
Hiruko laughed triumphantly, venting all the frustration he'd felt under the Uchiha's control.
He was the perfect shinobi.
Clasping his hands together again, he gathered more chakra.
"Storm Release Secret Art, Storm Demon Dragon!"
The sky instantly darkened, with thick, black storm clouds swelling above.
Zzzzz!
Using chakra, Hiruko generated and fed the thunderclouds, lightning crashing down one after another.
BOOM!
Anyone struck by lightning was instantly turned to charcoal.
While pursuing him, Hiruzen asked sharply, "How many casualties have we taken?"
An ANBU beside him replied, "The civilians are completely scattered. Conservative estimates say over three hundred dead."
"Jiraiya's side hasn't finished yet?"
"Lord Hokage, that side is still in a deadlock."
Hiruzen hesitated. The plan had deviated.
But given that no Uchiha had shown up, and enough people had already died, it was time.
He pulled out a scroll and unfurled it on the ground.
In the center were the words [Sarutobi Clan].
His hands flashed through hand seals, "Summoning Technique!"
BOOM!
The Sarutobi Ishishu, which was supposed to be under Uchiha surveillance, appeared instantly before Hiruzen.
"Lord Hokage, has the plan gone off course?"
Hiruzen nodded, "Didn't expect that the Uchiha wouldn't show up at all, instead it's Hiruko and the Sand who came."
"There's no defense from the Uchiha at all?"
"They're heavily fortified. Fugaku and Itachi are personally guarding me, keeping me locked in the house, not allowing me to go anywhere."
"Though I haven't been able to gather intel, I've now mastered half-beast transformation."
Hiruzen exhaled in relief, 'That, at least, is some good news.'
"Then I'll leave Hiruko to you."
Sarutobi Ishishu responded, and red chakra surged all over his body like a cloak.
With a flash, he rushed toward Hiruko.
Ishishu was already fast, but with the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak, his speed jumped to another level.
Hiruko's eyes widened in shock.
"What is this, don't tell me, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Although the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was one of Konoha's strategic weapons, apart from Kushina's rampage over two years ago, no outsiders had seen it.
So even Hiruko wasn't sure.
Wasn't the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki supposed to be under Konoha's control?
As that question flashed through his mind, several Sarutobi clan members nearby threw out chains aimed directly at him.
Hiruko tapped his foot and leapt into the air. His skin darkened and hardened, and several whip-like kicks smashed into the chains.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Several dull impacts in a row.
With his Mangekyo Sharingan active, Hiruko easily shattered the surrounding chains.
But then Sarutobi Ishishu's chakra cloak suddenly swelled.
It formed into a massive hand that lunged toward Hiruko.
Hiruko thrust out his own hand.
"Absorption Seal!"
But as the fiery red chakra entered his body, searing pain shot through him.
An overwhelming, savage will also began to invade his mind.
"Damn it! So this is the Nine-Tails' chakra?"
Hiruko immediately stopped using Yin Release to absorb it and switched to offense, punching forward.
But the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak expanded again, seizing Hiruko and flinging him aside.
Hiruko flew through the air, and Ishishu drew his blade, slashing straight at him.
Hiruko spat out a breath and used Steel Release to harden his body, directly taking the blow head-on.
Having finally closed the distance, Ishishu slashed again and again with his short blade, hacking away at Hiruko.
Hiruko had little combat experience, and facing a master like Ishishu, he could only take the hits defensively.
If it weren't for his Steel Release hardening his body, making him nearly invulnerable, he would've already been sliced to pieces.
Just as the battle there heated up, changes began to occur on Jiraiya's side as well.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[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.