In the northwest corner of the Hidden Mist Village stood a tightly guarded cluster of buildings, a place reserved for the Jinchuriki.
Calling it a place where they were kept felt too gentle. A more honest word would be imprisoned.
Like the other hidden villages, Kirigakure confined its Jinchuriki under strict watch. No one questioned it, this was simply how things were done across the ninja world.
The fear surrounding Jinchuriki had deep roots.
The Tailed Beasts had existed for thousands of years, yet humans had only begun sealing them within hosts a few decades ago. Compared to the beasts' near endless lifespans, that span of time was insignificant.
Over generations, fear of these creatures had settled into something instinctive.
Even the concept of a perfect Jinchuriki remained out of reach. Uzumaki Mito had been the first to establish the system, yet even she had not fully mastered the power of a Tailed Beast.
If someone like her could not achieve it, the other villages concluded that such control might simply be impossible.
Worse still, most villages were already on their second or third Jinchuriki. Sunagakure, due to special circumstances, had reached its fourth. Throughout these transitions, nearly every village except Konoha had suffered devastating Tailed Beast rampages.
Under such conditions, strict confinement was inevitable.
At that moment, near the edge of the compound, a unit of thirty Mist ninja moved swiftly, escorting the Six Tails Jinchuriki.
The group maintained perfect spacing and synchronization, their movements precise and disciplined.
Leading them was Kusunoki, a Mist ninja who was, in truth, a White Zetsu in disguise.
Even with the village under attack, thirty operatives were already pushing the limit. Any larger force risked attracting the attention of Konoha's feared Yellow Flash.
They had not traveled far when Kusunoki abruptly halted. Before even the sensor ninja could react, he let out a faint, helpless smile.
Through the drifting mist, a lone figure appeared.
A man dressed in black stood calmly in the path ahead, his lips curved in a faint, unreadable smile.
The Six Tails was central to this entire operation. Long before the war began, Konoha had already gathered intelligence on the Jinchuriki's location. That was why Hayashi's Shadow Clone had arrived so quickly.
He stepped forward at an unhurried pace.
Despite that, the Mist ninja felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them. Weapons were drawn instantly, kunai raised and ready.
White Zetsu cursed silently.
To seize control of the village, Uchiha Fugaku had eliminated several high ranking jonin and replaced them with White Zetsu using a substitution technique. While effective in times of peace, the flaw became obvious in moments like this.
There was not enough real strength.
If the real Kusunoki had been present, supported by these Mist ninja, they might have been able to delay Hayashi. Unfortunately, the one standing here was only an imitation.
White Zetsu could perfectly replicate chakra and even mimic certain abilities, enough to deceive most observers.
But compared to the original, the difference was undeniable.
At this stage, White Zetsu was little more than expendable.
The situation was slipping out of its control.
Still, it had to maintain appearances.
"Prepare!"
At the command, every ninja snapped into action.
"Earth Release, Chaotic Spike!"
"Lightning Release, Claw Fang!"
"Water Release, Water Dragon Bullet!"
A barrage of ninjutsu surged forward, accompanied by a storm of thrown weapons.
Hayashi's Sharingan spun slowly, capturing every movement with calm precision. His hands moved through a sequence of seals with practiced ease.
Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Sheep.
Summoning Technique, Rashomon Gate.
A massive iron gate slammed into place before him. Its surface bore the face of a snarling demon, chains rattling as it absorbed the incoming attacks without yielding.
Even as a Shadow Clone, Hayashi possessed immense chakra reserves. Casting a technique like Rashomon posed no difficulty.
The assault subsided.
"Earth Release, Mudslide River."
The ground beneath the Mist ninja softened instantly, transforming into a churning swamp. Several of them were dragged down before they could react, their formation collapsing.
Hayashi moved without hesitation.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."
Several massive serpents shot forward from his sleeves, weaving through the battlefield with terrifying speed. Some struck directly, others coiled around their targets, restricting movement and creating openings.
As the snakes scattered among the enemy, Hayashi formed another seal.
"Release."
White smoke burst from within the serpents.
The remains of the snakes shifted, revealing concealed sealing scrolls.
A surge of chakra erupted.
At the center, a brilliant sphere formed and expanded rapidly.
The Super Giant Ball Rasengan.
Within moments, it grew into a massive orb, towering several meters high. The sheer force crushed everything within its radius, flattening the remaining Mist ninja without mercy.
Hayashi watched calmly.
A Shadow Clone was more fragile than the original body. Using large scale techniques to overwhelm opponents was simply the most efficient approach.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the chaos, White Zetsu fled with the Six Tails Jinchuriki.
Hayashi moved to pursue, but suddenly stopped.
His gaze shifted slightly.
"Stop hiding," he said coldly. "Come out, or I'll release the snakes."
◇ I'll drop one bonus chapter for every 10 reviews
(Leave a review/comment)
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100
Power Stones.
◇ Read 80 | 100 chapters ahead on [email protected]/_Zeph