"Roar——" The beast's roar shook the heavens. Accompanied by violent wind pressure, an incomparably ferocious aura poured forth. A giant slug with an exaggerated size and a milky-white body continuously waved its six tails, smashing wildly and destroying everything around it. Dust billowed as the ground was ravaged into a mess, rumbling and shaking. The terrifyingly powerful chakra signature made one involuntarily tremble.
"Is this… a Tailed Beast?"
Watching the massive creature rampaging toward them from afar, Karin was filled with shock. But in the end, she added with disgust, "So ugly!"
"Indeed. Although it's also a slug, it's much uglier than Lord Katsuyu!"
Observing the giant slug waving its six tails, Shizune nodded seriously. In her opinion, compared to this, the blue-bodied Lord Katsuyu without tails was much more pleasing to the eye.
"Konoha people, is this the time to talk about such things?"
Ao gritted his teeth. At the same time, he was filled with fear and unease. The number of personnel they had brought from the village this time was too few. With the rampaging Six-Tails, he wasn't sure if Terumi Mei — the future Fifth Mizukage — could suppress it.
"Lady Tsunade, if you really were just passing by, then you can leave now…"
Seeing the Six-Tails Jinchuriki go berserk for no reason, Terumi Mei couldn't help but frown, her expression uncertain. She stared directly at Tsunade and said in a deep, unfriendly voice, "This is our village's Six-Tails. It should be handled by our Mist Village!"
"I believe Konoha Village wouldn't want to start a war either, right?"
After all, due to the long-standing Bloody Mist Policy, the Land of Water had remained closed off for years. As one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, the Mist Village still had to clean up the mess left after the death of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura. With everything in ruins and needing reconstruction, they had no time or energy to deal with other matters.
Currently, they had not formed any alliances on paper with any other powers. Especially since, even after the end of the Third Ninja World War, during the reign of the Fourth Mizukage, the Mist Village had clashed with Konoha multiple times.
Terumi Mei, who was extremely confident in her own strength, believed she should be able to deal with the rampaging Six-Tails. But with one of Konoha's Sannin here, she inevitably felt some apprehension. She couldn't fully let loose and was somewhat wary.
Who knew whether the other party would take advantage of the situation?
This was a Tailed Beast — an important strategic weapon for every nation!
Although Konoha still claimed to be the head of the Five Great Ninja Villages, it no longer possessed the military power and boldness of the First Hokage's era when he distributed Tailed Beasts to the various nations.
"That won't do…"
Watching the Six-Tails continuously charging toward them from afar, Tsunade couldn't help but frown. Facing Terumi Mei's veiled warning, she paid it no mind and spoke calmly, "There's a town not far from here. If we let this guy run wild, it will harm innocent people…"
"As a medical ninja, I cannot sit idly by!"
Just as Terumi Mei, Ao, and the others' expressions changed and their hearts sank to the bottom, Tsunade suddenly changed her tone and pointed at the rampaging Six-Tails. "However, if you can suppress it and prevent it from affecting other towns…"
"I swear on the name of the Sannin that I will not interfere!"
Akira Ren smiled lightly. He naturally understood that Tsunade said this because she didn't believe the other party's strength alone was enough to deal with the rampaging Six-Tails.
After all, suppressing a rampaging Six-Tails Jinchuriki without involving other innocent people or causing too many casualties was no easy task. Especially when it involved a Tailed Beast. And in a place like the Land of Hot Springs. If it dragged on too long, unexpected complications could arise.
"Fine!"
Terumi Mei's gaze sharpened. She stared deeply at Tsunade and forced a smile. "We trust in Lady Tsunade's reputation!"
"Don't worry. Unlike the people of your Mist Village, I won't take advantage of others' misfortune or kick them while they're down!" Tsunade mocked.
During the successive Ninja World Wars, the Mist Village had repeatedly broken faith. They had torn up the non-aggression peace agreements signed with Konoha and openly sent Mist Village ninja forces to invade and attack Konoha.
Such incidents were commonplace.
"Damn it…"
"How dare you look down on our Mist Village!"
The Mist Anbu members present were all filled with rage, glaring angrily at Tsunade.
The atmosphere grew even more tense.
"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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