Boom… Boom…
Dazzling light flashed. Deafening explosions rang out. A massive explosion appeared in the forest. Even many people in the town several kilometers away who had already returned home to rest were startled awake. They looked in horror toward the direction outside the town where a small mushroom cloud had risen, flames shooting into the sky.
"Ah la…"
Tsunade arrived here. Looking at the ground in front of her that had been blasted into a mess of wreckage, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. "He escaped?"
Sensing that the Six-Tails Jinchuriki had no intention of fighting and was fleeing into the distance, she couldn't help but frown. She had no intention of chasing after him.
"Cough cough…"
Terumi Mei's figure was disheveled, but she was unharmed. Ao and the other Mist Anbu members were also somewhat disheveled, but none were seriously injured. However, their expressions were all unpleasant, filled with vigilance.
They stared at the newly arrived Tsunade, Shizune, and the others as if facing a great enemy, their nerves taut and ready for battle.
"Mei-sama, that guy Utakata has escaped!" Sensing the Six-Tails Jinchuriki's chakra signature that was already constantly moving farther away and was most likely impossible to catch, Ao's expression turned ugly. Gritting his teeth, he reminded Terumi Mei.
But looking at Tsunade standing there, who gave him immense pressure just by existing, he couldn't help but swallow hard. He inevitably felt nervous.
At the same time, he looked at Akira Ren beside Tsunade with some suspicion.
In his sensing and even through the Byakugan's observation, there had only been three people coming, so why had there become four?
Moreover, aside from ordinary eyesight, his Byakugan, which he had always regarded as a precious trophy and took pride in, had been completely unable to detect the existence of that boy from the very beginning until now.
It was simply unbelievable.
What exactly was going on?
"You are the legendary Sannin, Konoha's Princess Tsunade, right?"
Terumi Mei frowned, her expression somewhat displeased. She stared directly at Tsunade with hostility and questioned, "Why are you interfering with our Mist Anbu's capture of a village rogue ninja?"
"Don't make baseless accusations. I didn't interfere with you…"
Tsunade crossed her arms. Looking down at these unfriendly Mist Anbu members, her expression was relaxed, showing no pressure at all.
Her gaze lingered on the leader, Terumi Mei, whose beautiful face and figure were no less than her own. She mocked unceremoniously, "It's you who are too incompetent and let the Six-Tails Jinchuriki escape!"
That hidden but unfathomable terrifying aura made Ao and the other Mist Anbu members break out in cold sweat. Only when facing her directly did they realize that this legendary Sannin was possibly even more terrifying than the legends said.
"…"
Akira Ren's mouth twitched. This was because the Six-Tails Jinchuriki had escaped. So she directly targeted the future Fifth Mizukage?
"Then, may I ask Princess Tsunade, what is your purpose in bringing people here late at night?" Terumi Mei's expression stiffened. She clenched her little fist and glared at Tsunade while gritting her teeth.
"This isn't your Land of Water. Where I want to go is none of your business!"
Tsunade's tone was very rude, filled with contempt.
Since the founding of Konoha decades ago, after the death of the First Hokage, the various great nations, which had been suppressed and unable to move by the "God of Shinobi" Senju Hashirama, began to stir. They constantly clashed with Konoha, eventually escalating into large-scale wars.
They constantly coveted the rich land and various resources of the Land of Fire, not hesitating to start one tragic Ninja World War after another.
As ninjas of Konoha Hidden Village, they could almost be said to have deep blood feuds with the other four of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Tsunade naturally found it difficult to have any good feelings toward Mist Village ninjas.
Especially the bloody and cruel "Bloody Mist Policy" that the Mist Village had implemented in recent years.
It was extremely uncomfortable and instinctively repulsive.
"Damn it…"
"How dare you look down on our Mist Village!"
The Mist Anbu members present were all filled with indignation, glaring angrily at Tsunade with killing intent.
The atmosphere became tense and confrontational.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Shizune and Karin also arrived beside Tsunade. They drew their kunai and stayed vigilant.
Akira Ren, like Tsunade, crossed his arms and leaned relaxedly against a large tree.
He observed the leader — the stunning beauty Terumi Mei, who was clenching her little fist in some anger while glaring at Tsunade.
He glanced at Ao, who was looking at him with some suspicion.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
At this moment—
Several kilometers away.
Utakata, who was panting heavily and fleeing in a sorry state toward the distance, suddenly stiffened.
His right arm was a bloody, horrifying mess.
Frowning, he was urgently bandaging it…
Looking at the figure that had appeared in front of him, his pupils shrank violently.
"Six-Tails Jinchuriki!"
A not particularly tall figure slowly rose from the ground, blocking his path.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?"
Utakata became vigilant and spoke in a deep voice.
He was certain that the person in front of him was most likely not from the Mist Anbu.
"Let me see the power of the Six-Tails!" For some reason, Akira Ren, who had appeared here, said with a smile.
But before Utakata could respond, in the next moment—
Akira Ren's entire body moved as fast as lightning. With a single Body Flicker, he appeared directly in front of him.
"What?!" In Utakata's horrified gaze as he barely reacted and instinctively tried to retreat to create distance, a pair of scarlet Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan bloomed there.
"That is…" Utakata, whose nerves were taut, instinctively retreated. His pupils shrank violently as he cried out, "The Uchiha clan's Sharingan?"
In an instant, he felt that dazzling Mangekyō pattern growing larger and larger, extremely eye-catching.
The next moment, everything before his eyes turned black as he fell into endless darkness.
"Roar——"
In the blink of an eye, a massive monster appeared deep in the forest. Several huge tails waved wildly.
Boom… Boom…
Dust billowed. The ground shook and rumbled nonstop. Rocks and plants flew everywhere. Wherever the exaggeratedly massive creature went, everything was mercilessly destroyed.
Its target was clearly the direction where Terumi Mei and Tsunade's group were located.
That terrifyingly powerful and violent chakra signature made the tense and confrontational Tsunade, Karin, Shizune, Ao, and the others all narrow their eyes.
They all looked over at once. "That chakra…"
"Not good, the Six-Tails has gone berserk!"
Because his attention had been focused on Tsunade and the others, Ao, who hadn't noticed the previous scene at all, sensed the massive and violent chakra in the distance.
His expression changed drastically as he cried out in alarm.
"What?!"
Soon—
Everyone present couldn't help but have their pupils shrink dramatically.
From afar, under the silvery moonlight, they vaguely saw a massive black shadow.
It was charging straight toward their location.
...
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