Full Tailed Beast Transformation

Watching faint chains appear in the hands of the three ANBU, Yugito knew she could not delay any longer.

It was a pity she did not know how Kaminari was doing. Otherwise, she would have wanted to retreat now.

Speak of the devil.

A rumbling crash suddenly sounded by everyone's ears, followed by the roar of raging torrents surging downward like a stampede of ten thousand horses.

Following the sound, they saw a towering wave rushing down from the mountain.

The immense wave cascaded from above, becoming a torrent that surged down the mountain path, smashing trees and carrying rolling boulders with it.

The flood was beyond human resistance. Everyone hurriedly scattered in search of higher ground to avoid being swept away.

"Great Waterfall Technique!"

Standing on a tree branch, Kakashi looked toward the mountainside. "Looks like Aizawa Jonin won!"

As a powerful B-Rank Water Release offensive ninjutsu, aside from its slow casting speed, the Great Waterfall Technique ranked among the best in Water Release in both destructive power and range.

Among ninjas of the same rank, if a Water Release ninja managed to cast this technique first, the outcome was basically decided.

Sure enough, before long, they saw Kaminari being swept down by the torrent, along with the members of Team 1 riding the waves toward them.

The four of them were covered in wounds. Aizawa Konan and Hyūga Yō were covered in sword cuts, bleeding profusely, while Kurama Saki was slung over the shoulder of the disheveled Yagyū Ichirō.

Even so, they had indeed won. They had defeated their opponents.

Yugito made two light leaps and pulled Kaminari out of the waves.

"Cough—cough—"

After coughing out filthy water and clotted blood, Kaminari barely managed to stand. He said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I lost!"

"It was my fault. I should have taken your advice!"

Yugito glanced at the Konoha Shinobi slowly closing in, then crouched down. "Get on. We'll kill our way out together!"

Kaminari looked at the Konoha Shinobi, then at Yugito crouching before him, and smiled.

"No need. From the day I became a ninja, I had already prepared myself to die."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gathered the last of his Chakra in his right hand.

"Squelch—"

The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out. Yugito turned around and saw that Kaminari's right hand had already pierced through his own heart.

"Yugito, live!"

As soon as he spoke, the burly man fell straight backward.

The blood flowing continuously from his chest rapidly drained away what little life force he had left.

Yugito did not know Medical Ninjutsu. Even if she did, she would not have stepped forward to treat him now. She respected Kaminari's final choice.

This burly man possessed a sensitivity others lacked, as well as a decisiveness and courage others lacked.

She hated herself for being arrogant and complacent. She hated herself for refusing good advice.

"Aah—meow—roar—"

After that strange cry, even more Chakra surged from Yugito's body.

Materialized Chakra wrapped around her, completely concealing her figure.

Before them was no longer Yugito clad in a Tailed Beast Cloak, but a Two-Tailed Demon Cat from the underworld.

"Full Tailed Beast Transformation!"

Kakashi, Aizawa Konan, and Aburame Shibi cried out in alarm.

In this form, a Jinchūriki was practically no different from a Tailed Beast apart from size.

Her body lowered close to the ground as Chakra continuously spewed from her mouth. Eight parts yang and two parts yin formed a dark blue Chakra sphere before her.

"Tailed Beast Ball!"

Aozora spotted the danger at first glance and immediately turned to run.

This was not one of the little balls Naruto kneaded together. Every Tailed Beast Ball unleashed by a Tailed Beast possessed immense power capable of collapsing mountains and splitting the earth. Forget taking it head-on—even a grazing hit meant death or severe injury.

Aizawa Konan immediately used Water Shockwave to alter the current, sending the three members of Team 1 rushing back up the mountain against the flow.

But she herself kept her eyes fixed firmly on Yugito in her Tailed Beast Transformation.

Likewise, neither the injured Aburame Shibi nor Kakashi and the other four ANBU who had arrived as reinforcements retreated.

As Jonin, they understood the immense strategic value of a Jinchūriki.

If they could keep Yugito Nii here, then even paying with their lives would be worth it.

"Boom!"

The dark blue Chakra sphere suddenly exploded, turning into a powerful beam of light that shot toward them.

The beam was overwhelmingly powerful, plowing a deep trench through the earth. The forest and rocks in its path were instantly melted away.

"Secret Technique—Insect Wall Technique!"

"Earth Release—Earth Wall Jutsu!"

"Water Release—Water Wall!"

The three ninjutsu were unleashed in an instant, but the defensive techniques that could normally withstand powerful attacks were like paper before the beam, pierced and melted through in moments.

Yet that brief instant of resistance still served its purpose, giving everyone time to react and escape the path of the Tailed Beast Ball's shockwave.

Aozora had already been far from the center of the battlefield and was the first to react, so he narrowly avoided the Tailed Beast Ball's blast.

Looking at the trench hundreds of meters long carved out by the Tailed Beast Ball, Aozora sucked in a cold breath. "That's terrifying!"

"No wonder they're called weapons of war! On the battlefield, it's basically a laser cannon! Who could withstand that?!"

Of course, someone could withstand it. While Aozora was marveling, someone was already thinking of turning the tables.

Before the smoke had even cleared, Aizawa Konan, Aburame Shibi, and Kakashi launched their counterattack.

"Water Release—Water Whip!"

Aizawa Konan attacked first, spraying a wide expanse of water infused with Chakra and rendered extremely viscous, hoping to restrict Yugito Nii's speed.

"Secret Technique—Insect Cocoon!"

Aburame Shibi also began fighting desperately. Swallowing a Soldier Pill, he started squeezing out every last bit of Chakra.

The Chakra stimulated the tiny insect eggs within his body. Insects hatched one after another in an emergency, flying from his mouth and nose.

After the swarm flew toward Yugito, Aburame Shibi did not stop. He bit his finger, formed Hand Seals with both hands, and said, "Summoning Technique!"

"Poof!"

A Poison Bee the size of a yellow ox flew out of the smoke, then charged Yugito without fear of death.

Not only was this Poison Bee abnormally large, it was also extremely fast. Coupled with its sharp stinger, it actually managed to entangle Yugito for a time.

At the same time, Kakashi crouched halfway on a tree, his scarlet left eye fixed on Yugito while the lightning in his right hand grew increasingly brilliant.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

"..."

Shrill, rapid bursts of sound rang out continuously from the lightning in Kakashi's right hand.

No one needed to experience it firsthand to know what kind of destructive force lay within that dazzling blue light.

Without exchanging a word, the three worked together in perfect understanding. Aizawa Konan provided support, Aburame Shibi restrained Yugito head-on, and Kakashi was responsible for the final killing blow.

They knew that to injure Yugito in her Tailed Beast Transformation, they needed at least an A-Rank ninjutsu. Fortunately, Kakashi possessed that capability.

Kakashi lowered the hand holding lightning. Explosive arcs of electricity struck the ground, directly shearing away a patch of earth.

The instant dust rose, a massive amount of Chakra erupted from beneath Kakashi's feet.

His afterimage remained where he had stood, but he had already shot toward Yugito like a bolt of lightning.

Though he was some distance away, with the enhancement of his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Aozora could still clearly see Kakashi's Hand Seals, the eruption of Chakra beneath his feet, and the ferocious gleam in Yugito's eyes.

Chidori could indeed pierce a Tailed Beast Cloak, but once he got close, who would be in greater danger?

Yugito, protected by a Tailed Beast Cloak, or Kakashi, with nothing but a mortal body?