Within the Land of Grass.
In the damp, shadowy forest, countless ninja silhouettes darted and leaped swiftly. At last, a ray of blinding sunlight appeared before them.
"Heaven and Earth Bridge is up ahead."
As they emerged from the damp forest, the Konoha Shinobi saw a broad reinforced concrete bridge.
The vermilion bridge pillars bore the three large characters: "Heaven and Earth Bridge."
The vast gorge was hundreds of meters deep, with rushing water roaring below and gusts of wind howling up from the turbulent current.
"Stay alert!"
At Jiraiya's grave command, the thirty Konoha Shinobi behind him immediately went on guard.
This kind of terrain was perfect for an ambush.
Byakugan—activate!
Without the slightest hesitation, the Hyuga Clan members in the group formed hand seals and activated their Byakugan. Veins bulged at their temples as they surveyed their surroundings vigilantly.
Then, as if he had discovered something, Hizashi Hyuga urgently shouted, "Everyone, be careful! There are Exploding Tag traps on the bridge!"
"There are a large number of Chakra signatures in the forest across from us!"
At once, the Hyuga ninja in the group shouted a warning. Everyone immediately drew their kunai and ninja swords, taking up defensive positions.
Yet Jiraiya, the white-haired man at the front, suddenly burst into hearty laughter in the midst of the tense atmosphere. At the same time, his hands formed seals and struck the ground with a Summoning Jutsu formula.
As the white smoke dispersed, a gigantic crimson toad covered in long black markings appeared.
Standing on the toad's back, Jiraiya spread his arms grandly and laughed.
"Ha ha, the Great Toad Sage from Mount Myōboku has already found you!"
His ridiculous, goofy manner left everyone speechless. Understanding his intention, Uchiha Yoru and the other ninja coldly shouted.
"Direction!"
Hizashi Hyuga immediately pointed toward one part of the forest and shouted, "The greatest number is at ten o'clock!"
Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique
In an instant, after forming hand seals, Uchiha Yoru spat out one massive fireball after another. They streaked through the air toward the distant forest in every direction.
At the same time, the Konoha Shinobi around him shouted and launched Fire Style jutsu or hurled kunai carrying Exploding Tags.
"Not good, we've been discovered!"
"Damn it, it's Konoha's Byakugan again!"
Under the sudden bombardment of jutsu and Exploding Tags, the ninja in the forest cursed inwardly and began to dodge or defend themselves.
Rumble!
In an instant, the forest across from them was engulfed in flames. Yet the moment those ninja leaped out, murderous intent flashed through Jiraiya's eyes. The hand seals in his hands had long since been completed.
"Oh no! It's Konoha's Elite Jonin, Jiraiya!"
One of the people across from them had clearly spotted Jiraiya among the Konoha Shinobi and cried out in alarm. But Jiraiya's prepared jutsu had already been unleashed.
Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet
The toad beneath his feet spat oil, while Jiraiya spat fire. Their combined jutsu struck in an instant.
The terrifying power of the flaming oil mixture came with explosive adhesion and temperatures even more horrifying than ordinary Fire Style jutsu.
From the very beginning, the commotion caused by these ninja had been preparation for the small toad Jiraiya had summoned and this jutsu.
The direction in which the ninja dodged happened to fall within the area of the large-scale attack.
Screams instantly rang out from the forest, while the enemy also began to prepare their counterattack.
Rumble!
After the Exploding Tags fired by both sides detonated, countless clouds of dust rose on either side of the bridge.
As the dust settled and the ninja across the bridge were revealed, the Konoha side collectively sucked in a cold breath.
"Lord Jiraiya, this is the infamous Mercenary Ninja corps of the Land of Lightning."
Upon seeing the muscular, dark-skinned ninja across from them, as well as the character "Plunder" engraved on their forehead protectors, a jonin cried out in alarm.
There were simply too many enemy ninja—more than eighty figures in all.
Seeing the grim expressions among his own men, Jiraiya laughed heartily.
"So they're the infamous bandit Mercenary Ninja of the Land of Lightning. But why have you brought so much trash with you this time?"
Among the more than eighty ninja, only a little over thirty wore forehead protectors that marked their identities. The rest were clearly temporarily hired rogue ninja or missing-nin.
"Kushina!"
Suddenly, Minato Namikaze cried out from their side. Uzumaki Kushina's pupils had widened, her eyes bloodshot as she stared fixedly at a figure in the distance.
"I know them! They were the ones who invaded my hometown and killed my family!"
The instant she saw the figures across from her, Uzumaki Kushina displayed unprecedented fury. The tragedy of the Land of Whirlpools' destruction replayed endlessly in her mind.
"Everyone, be careful! I've already called for reinforcements!"
Jiraiya's shout seemed to give the Konoha Shinobi confidence, but the enemy ninja wore bloodthirsty smiles.
However, the Mercenary Ninja across from them only sneered and mocked him. Reinforcements? Even if they truly came, the time it took for them to answer the call would be enough for a fierce battle.
"Kill them! Kill the Konoha ninja and collect the bounty!"
"This time, they're all big fish. These brats are all descendants of Konoha's great clans."
"Attack!"
In an instant, more than eighty black shadows charged from the other side, and the ninja war began.
"Kushina! Since they're your enemies, kill all these Black Demons."
Uchiha Yoru drew his Sword. At the same time, a single tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eye sockets.
In an instant, the scenery around him slowed down. The countless kunai that had looked like mere black dots became clear beneath the Sharingan, allowing him to see their flight paths distinctly.
"Attack!"
Rumble!
Amid the clash of every kind of jutsu and taijutsu, Heaven and Earth Bridge instantly became a battlefield.
With the coordination of jutsu, strategy, and taijutsu between ninja, a melee involving more than a hundred ninja was utterly incomparable to a one-on-one fight or even a battle between small squads.
Because in a melee, you could be struck at any moment by kunai, Shuriken, or even jutsu coming from an unexpected direction.
"Give me back my parents!" A low, hoarse voice came from Uzumaki Kushina. The instant she raised her head, her eyes had become blood-red demonic eyes filled with brutality.
"Oh no!"
"This is—!"
With their heightened senses, everyone instantly detected a terrifying Chakra filled with disaster and ill omen.
The Nine-Tails Chakra was so terrifying that even those who were not Sensory Ninja could sense it.
The instant that aura leaked out, the animals in the distant forest began to flee in panic. Birds scattered into the sky, while fish frantically darted through the water.
"It's already leaking out at a time like this!"
Jiraiya, who was entangled in battle with two enemy ninja, abruptly narrowed his eyes. From the corner of his vision, he naturally saw the figure behind him leaking red Chakra.
"Parents! Family!"
Visible, tangible red Chakra now emanated from Uzumaki Kushina's body. The instant she raised her head, her eyes were crimson, her pupils had turned demonic, and a pair of sharp canine teeth showed from her mouth.
Uzumaki Kushina stared at the dark-skinned ninja in the distance, her gaze filled with naked killing intent and fury as she roared.
"Give me back my family!"
Her furious roar resounded through the forest, sending ripples echoing outward.
Having personally experienced the terror of a Jinchuriki, Uchiha Yoru revealed a shocked expression.
So this was a Jinchuriki!
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