Chapter 58: Encounter with Yugito Nii
After entering the territory of the Land of Rice Fields, Ryuya and Pakura increased their pace even further.
After traveling for another half day, both of them suddenly came to a halt.
Gazing into the distance, their expressions turned solemn.
Moments later, Pakura said in a low voice,
"We might be in trouble."
Ryuya nodded.
"Get ready to fight."
Both of them had sensed four individuals rapidly approaching their position. Each possessed a considerable amount of chakra—especially the one at the front. Her chakra reserves far exceeded anyone Ryuya had encountered before, including even the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage.
In an instant, Ryuya judged that the leader was most likely a jinchūriki.
Swish—
Swish—
After several breaths, four figures landed atop a large tree in front of Ryuya and Pakura, looking down at them from above while releasing their pressure without restraint.
Ryuya and Pakura also examined the four carefully.
There were four of them in total—three men and one woman. Leading them was a beautiful kunoichi around the same age as Pakura.
Based on memories from his previous life, Ryuya recognized her at once.
She was Yugito Nii of Kumogakure—the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails.
Behind Yugito were three male shinobi, all dressed in Kumogakure uniforms. Judging by their chakra levels, each of them was at least at the level of a Special Jōnin, likely her personal guard unit.
After clearly seeing their lineup, Ryuya couldn't help but curse his bad luck internally.
An elite squad like this would be a formidable force anywhere in the shinobi world.
Standing on the tree branch, Yugito looked down at them coldly and asked,
"Who are you? Are you spies from Konoha?"
Yugito was extremely arrogant by nature and had absolute confidence in her own strength. She clearly did not take Ryuya and Pakura seriously.
Hearing her question, Ryuya's expression darkened slightly, but he did not respond.
The situation was extremely unfavorable for him and Pakura.
It wasn't that Ryuya feared they couldn't escape from Yugito's squad—it was that once a real fight broke out, their identities would inevitably be exposed.
Yugito was a jinchūriki capable of skillfully controlling her Tailed Beast's power, and with three elite guards backing her up, there was no way for Ryuya and Pakura to hold back.
Once they used the Akimichi Clan's secret techniques or Pakura's Scorch Release, their true identities—especially Pakura's—would be revealed.
If that drew another pursuit from Sunagakure, it would deal a devastating blow to Ryuya's plans.
Even if his own identity were exposed, Pakura's could not be.
"Don't move!"
With that thought, Ryuya warned Pakura while his hands swiftly formed seals.
"Attack!"
Seeing Ryuya forming hand seals, Yugito's expression turned cold as she shouted.
Mouse Hairball!
As she spoke, Yugito activated her jutsu. A massive pale-blue chakra cloak enveloped her body, while seven or eight chakra orbs spun under her control and shot toward Ryuya and Pakura.
At the same time, the three guards behind her launched their attacks.
Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!
Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!
Earth Release: Mud Dragon Barrage!
In an instant, four powerful jutsu surged toward them with terrifying force.
Seeing this, Pakura's face changed dramatically, and she was about to act—
—but Ryuya had already finished forming his seals.
Slamming both hands onto the ground, black sealing patterns spread outward.
Bang!
Summoning Jutsu!
A cloud of white smoke erupted as a massive green serpent appeared.
Rumble—!
Immediately after, a chain of explosions rang out.
Amid the successive blasts, thick clouds of dust were thrown into the air, completely obscuring vision.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gigantic snake tail whipped out from the dust, sweeping toward Yugito and her squad.
"Not good—retreat!"
Yugito's expression changed as she instantly withdrew with her guards.
The snake tail did not pursue further after missing its strike.
As the dust settled, a colossal green serpent—over thirty meters tall—stood proudly in place, with Ryuya and Pakura standing atop its head.
The earlier barrage of explosions had not caused the serpent any damage at all.
Standing on the serpent's head, Ryuya stared intently at the retreating Yugito squad, while Pakura's face was filled with undisguised shock.
The size and presence of the serpent were overwhelming. Anyone seeing it for the first time would immediately think of one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin—Orochimaru.
In the shinobi world, the name of Manda was no less infamous than Orochimaru's.
Sure enough, Yugito asked grimly,
"This isn't Manda. What is your relationship with Orochimaru?"
Ryuya did not respond, standing silently atop the serpent.
In truth, amid the chaos earlier, Ryuya had an opportunity to order the serpent to flee with them.
However, this area was far too close to the battlefield between Konoha and Kumogakure. If Yugito's squad wasn't forced back, even with the serpent's help, shaking off Kumogakure's pursuit would be extremely difficult.
Moreover, the appearance of the giant serpent had already all but exposed Ryuya's identity.
If he couldn't escape quickly, once Konoha's shinobi were also drawn here, there would be no chance of retreat.
Thus, Ryuya decided to go all out from the very start.
"Green Serpent!"
With a shout, Ryuya began forming seals once more:
Tiger – Ox – Monkey – Rabbit – Rat – Boar – Rooster – Ox – Horse – Dog – Tiger – Dog – Tiger – Snake – Ox – Monkey – Rabbit
Understanding his intent, the giant serpent immediately responded. Powerful streams of natural energy surged from its body, flowing through its head and into Ryuya.
As the natural energy poured in, Ryuya's chakra fused with it, forming Sage Chakra.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
The moment Sage Chakra formed, Ryuya unleashed the jutsu.
The Great Waterfall Technique was originally an A-rank Water Release ninjutsu capable of altering terrain—something Ryuya had only barely mastered not long ago.
Now, empowered by Sage Chakra, its destructive power increased dramatically.
Instantly, torrential water surged forth, forming a water wall nearly ten meters high as it roared toward Yugito and her group.
Seeing the raging flood, Yugito's expression turned extremely ugly. Massive amounts of blue chakra burst forth as overwhelming Tailed Beast chakra gathered around her, forming the shape of the Two-Tails, Matatabi.
Scalding Tailed Beast chakra vapor split the rushing water apart, shielding the three Kumogakure shinobi behind her.
Faced with Ryuya's Sage-enhanced A-rank Water Release, Yugito directly entered a state of full Tailed Beast transformation.
"Go!"
Ryuya had no intention of clashing head-on with a fully transformed jinchūriki.
After unleashing the Great Waterfall Technique, he immediately took advantage of the terrain-altering flood, commanding the serpent to ride the water and flee rapidly toward the west.
That single jutsu had completely drained his chakra.
Ever since trading with Orochimaru for the method to cultivate Sage Mode, Ryuya had spent a long time theorizing about it, but today was the first time he had actually used it in battle.
Because it was his first attempt, his control over natural energy was still extremely poor. With his chakra exhausted, the residual natural energy within his body had already begun to petrify his arms.
If not for the assistance of the biological chip, Ryuya would never have dared to attempt this.
By the time the water receded, Ryuya and Pakura were nowhere to be seen.
"Return."
Yugito's expression was grim, but she did not pursue further. Instead, she turned and led her squad back the way they came.
Behind them, Kumogakure's logistical supply forces were stationed within the Land of Rice Fields, and Yugito feared she had fallen into a Konoha trap.
Half a day later, dozens of kilometers away from the battlefield, within Konoha's main military camp.
Swish—
"My lord."
A Konoha shinobi appeared in a flash inside Orochimaru's command tent.
"What did you find?"
Orochimaru asked calmly, setting down the scroll in his hand.
"My lord, it was Kumogakure's Two-Tails jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, who engaged someone in battle,"
the shinobi reported while kneeling on one knee.
"Oh?"
A glint of surprise flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
"Have you identified who fought her?"
Although Yugito was not yet on his level, she was far from weak.
Moreover, she was one of Kumogakure's commanding officers. Who would dare venture deep behind enemy lines to fight her?
According to sensory reports, Yugito had even been forced into full Tailed Beast transformation.
Orochimaru was extremely interested in the identity of her opponent.
"My lord, we have not yet confirmed the individual's identity.
However, based on the traces left on the battlefield, the opponent possessed a massive summoning beast. There were also remnants of Sage Chakra, and the terrain was drastically altered. That person should have used an extremely powerful Sage Technique."
"I see. That will be all. You may leave."
A sharp light flashed through Orochimaru's eyes as he waved the shinobi away.
"Yes."
After the report concluded, Orochimaru extended his tongue—long and snake-like—to lick the corner of his mouth, murmuring excitedly to himself.
Based on the gathered intelligence, he had already guessed Ryuya's identity.
Someone capable of wielding a giant summoning beast and using Sage Techniques to battle Yugito Nii—within the shinobi world, the only people who fit that description were Jiraiya and Ryuya.
Jiraiya was currently stationed with the army and could not possibly have gone alone into enemy territory.
That left only one answer.
It had been barely two months since Orochimaru taught Ryuya the method to cultivate Sage Mode, yet he was already capable of using it in combat.
"Ryuya-kun… your rate of growth is truly astonishing."
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