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"Uchiha Kochou! If I call your name, do you dare to answer?!"
Clutching a massive jar in his arms, Kinkaku attempted to draw the woman's attention.
How ugly.
Uchiha Kochou frowned slightly, completely unwilling to acknowledge the unsightly blond man.
Before setting out, the Hokage had shared some confidential intelligence, specifically highlighting the existence of the Six Paths' Treasured Tools.
Among them, the one that required the greatest caution was this Kohaku no Jōhei—the Amber Purifying Jar.
Since the battle had begun, more than ten shinobi had already been sealed inside.
Amber Purifying Jar: A jar-like vessel that seals anyone who responds to its wielder's call.
The pink-hued Susanoo raised its massive naginata. Ignoring the Raikage's Hell Stab, it swung down in a single, merciless strike toward Kinkaku.
"Damn woman! To think you can resist the great me's charm. No wonder you lead an entire legion—your willpower is truly exceptional."
Dodging swiftly while clutching the jar, Kinkaku's face momentarily flashed with a trace of admiration.
Not far behind, Ginkaku brandished his Bashō Fan, slicing through the verbal trigger of a certain Konoha shinobi.
"You fool! Taste the power of the Shichiseiken!"
Shichiseiken: A blade that severs and curses an opponent's words.
"W-What?! What the hell did you just do to me?!"
The male shinobi's face twisted in terror, completely unable to comprehend what had just been cut away from his speech.
"Heh."
Ginkaku did not answer. He had no interest in wasting breath on a dead man.
He had heard the same question hundreds—if not thousands—of times before. Explaining it to each victim would be utterly pointless.
Slowly turning the silver sword in his hand, he revealed the words 'Bastard' engraved upon its surface.
"You've lost."
A sudden force erupted from the Benihisago (Crimson Gourd) in his left hand. Before the shinobi could even resist, he was sucked inside.
Benihisago: Absorbs severed words and marks the opponent's most frequently spoken phrase onto the Shichiseiken. If the person says that word, remains silent for too long, or even utters something phonetically similar, they will be sealed within the gourd.
"Everyone, be careful! Don't let that bastard's rope touch you!"
Someone had finally grasped the true nature of the Six Paths' Treasured Tools.
Kōkinjō (Golden Canopy Rope): When touched, it forces a person to unconsciously reveal their most frequently used word or phrase.
Once someone was touched by it, there was no escaping the Benihisago's seal.
But what exactly was one's most frequently used phrase?
It was that instinctive response—those words that slipped from the tongue at a moment's emotion or urgency.
Staying completely silent sounded simple, but the moment one let their guard down, it was easy to forget.
Armed with the Six Paths' Treasured Tools, Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and the remaining members of the Raikage's Shadow Guard had managed to hold their ground against Konoha's army.
Time slipped by, and the battle raged for hours.
Utilizing the third stage of her Susanoo, Uchiha Kochou had successfully stalled until reinforcements arrived.
Meanwhile, the First Raikage, though still fighting fiercely, had already begun contemplating retreat.
No matter how powerful he was, eliminating every enemy alone was impossible. His strength was not the issue—his chakra simply wouldn't last.
Moreover, his Shadow Guard was struggling as well.
Aside from Kinkaku and Ginkaku, only one other rather unremarkable male shinobi remained.
—SWOOSH!
A flaming arrow streaked through the air, cutting off the enemy's escape route.
Uchiha Izuna, clad in a deep emerald Susanoo, relentlessly pursued the scattered and retreating Kumo forces.
"Boss, we need to retreat!"
Kinkaku and Ginkaku, too, were beginning to falter.
At this moment, neither of them had obtained the Nine-Tails' chakra, making their reserves relatively limited. Sustaining a prolonged, high-intensity battle was becoming increasingly difficult.
"You think you can escape?"
Izuna's Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed with an eerie brilliance—the unique radiance of an Uchiha pushing his ocular powers to the absolute limit.
The enemy commander had recklessly charged deep into hostile territory.
If he could be eliminated here, the war—barely underway—would end immediately.
Such an opportunity could not be missed.
Just as Izuna prepared to unveil his new dojutsu, a sudden surge of foreign chakra disrupted his concentration.
From the distance, an ominous energy began to rise.
It was a strange, blue chakra, rippling with feline patterns, enveloping the figure of that seemingly unremarkable shinobi.
"This is…"
While others may not recognize it, Izuna certainly did.
That ominous chakra was eerily similar to the one radiating from his elder brother's Nine-Tails.
Of course, it was noticeably weaker, but there was no mistaking its nature—it belonged to a Tailed Beast.
Or rather, a Tailed Beast sealed within a human body.
What had Kyōsuke called such individuals again…?
Jinchūriki?
In hindsight, both he and Uchiha Kochou had severely underestimated the Raikage.
Beneath his brutish exterior lay a cunning and calculating mind.
It seemed reckless for him to charge deep into enemy territory, but in reality, he had come well-prepared.
As long as the Tailed Beast was driven into a rampage, its sheer, overwhelming power would be enough to annihilate Konoha's First Army Division.
Konoha had aimed for a swift, decisive strike to catch their enemy off guard—
—but Kumo had the same idea.
If they could shatter the enemy's defenses, their seven-thousand-strong army could surge forward, driving straight into the Land of Fire and bringing the war to Konoha's doorstep.
Before launching this operation, the First Raikage had even discussed the plan with that short-statured bastard from the Land of Earth.
If they could truly push into the Land of Fire, Iwagakure would immediately deploy forces in support.
After all, the reason Iwagakure had yet to officially declare its establishment was because they were waiting for the perfect opportunity to invade the Land of Fire.
That fertile land…
There was no way the Tsuchikage would not covet it.
ROOOAR!!!
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the battlefield as the fully transformed Two-Tails, Matatabi, appeared.
Kumogakure was never skilled in sealing techniques, and the man could not control the Tailed Beast as completely as "Nii Yugito" could.
To unleash its full combat potential, he had to pay the price with his life.
If not for Uchiha Madara's precedent, Kumogakure might never have even thought of the crazy idea of sealing a Tailed Beast inside a human body.
Now, with the Jinchūriki completely losing control, the Two-Tails had fully taken over. The two chakras within the body merged in a strange harmony, creating a unique form of pseudo-perfect Jinchūriki.
In this state, illusions were ineffective, and a third-stage Susanoo was hardly enough to deal with a fully transformed Tailed Beast.
ROOOOAR!!!
With another furious roar, a pitch-black Tailed Beast Bomb began forming in front of Matatabi.
The sheer destructive force of such an attack could easily level mountains and split the earth apart. Only a Complete Body Susanoo could stand against it head-on.
"Evacuate!!"
Uchiha Kochou's voice rang out, filled with urgency. At the same time, she threw herself in front of the Tailed Beast Bomb.
At that moment, she deeply regretted not having learned Kyōsuke-sama's Flying Thunder God Technique.
Unfortunately, space-time ninjutsu was heavily dependent on innate talent. Many members of the legion had attempted it, but even the most gifted among them required multiple users working together just to achieve the most basic teleportation.
It was useful for transporting supplies—but utterly impractical for combat.
BOOOOM!!!
The immense impact of the Tailed Beast Bomb shattered the layers of Tengu Armor, exposing Uchiha Kochou underneath. The residual force of the explosion inevitably struck her.
Fortunately, her "good luck" had kicked in—the Tailed Beast's chakra passed through her body without hitting any vital points.
Otherwise, Kyōsuke would have no choice but to call upon a Follower of the Afterlife member to retrieve her soul.
With the Raikage's forces retreating and Uchiha Kochou losing her ability to fight, this surprise attack had officially come to an end.
However, the rampaging Two-Tails was far from finished—the second Tailed Beast Bomb was already forming.
"...No choice, then."
Kochou let out a bitter chuckle as she reached for the protective charm she had been keeping close to her heart.
..
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[IMAGE]
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[Chapter End's]
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