A Life-for-Life Strike

Facing the formidable Chidori, Yugito Nii showed no fear whatsoever.

"Cat Claw!"

Without any fancy moves, her right hand, wrapped in Tailed Beast Chakra, shot out directly. A massive cat claw slammed toward Kakashi.

"Boom!"

Lightning scattered in every direction as blue flames surged.

Kakashi's slender body was undoubtedly sent flying.

But Yugito gained nothing from the exchange either. The Tailed Beast Cloak around her had been torn apart, blood streaming from her left chest and exposing several stark white ribs.

The Two-Tails' Chakra quickly wrapped around the wound, but everyone knew it was not something that could heal in a short time.

After crashing to the ground and rolling several times, Kakashi struggled to his feet. His right arm hung limply at his side, blood pouring from his mouth, yet he still laughed.

"Ha, so you can be hurt too? It seems Cloud's Jinchūriki will be staying here today!"

Just then, the chains in the hands of the three ANBU ninja, who had been concealed for some time, finally solidified. They slowly converged above Yugito's head, as if placing a lid over the sky and building a cage upon the ground.

"Great Fireball!"

A dark-blue fireball condensed from Tailed Beast Chakra crashed into the chains. The chains swayed, but continued steadily closing in toward the center.

A trace of wariness flashed through Yugito's eyes. "I don't believe a Sealing Squad just happened to be stationed in this remote Lianyun City."

Though she said that, her body was far more honest as she lunged at one of the ANBU ninja.

"Whoosh!"

The explosive whistle by her ear forced Yugito to veer off course.

A short spike flashed before her eyes and plunged deeply into the ground.

The spike on the tail of Aburame Shibi's Poison Bee had vanished. He said flatly, "Tell me, if I knew I was no match for you, why did I still try so desperately to hold you back?"

"The instant I saw you, I sent your information out."

Though she had doubts about whether the Sealing Squad was real, Yugito had no doubt that Aburame Shibi had sent out her information. With his Summoning Technique, Aburame Shibi indeed had a chance to transmit it.

Yugito continued charging left and right, repeatedly attacking the three ANBU ninja.

However, the three ANBU ninja were already quite powerful. With Kakashi and the others covering them, they remained safe despite the danger.

Yugito grew increasingly anxious.

She wanted to slaughter every Konoha Ninja before her, but she knew that under the siege of three Jonin—especially with elite Jōnin such as Aburame Shibi and Hatake Kakashi among them—it would be difficult for her to kill everyone quickly.

In the Land of Fire, if her movements were delayed, she would sooner or later be surrounded.

It was time to leave.

She was a Jinchūriki, and she had to shoulder a Jinchūriki's responsibilities.

Her village had granted her a freedom no other Jinchūriki possessed. She could not betray that trust and let herself die here out of recklessness.

Her pale, pupil-less eyes glanced back at Kaminari, and the dark-blue flames around Yugito surged once more.

Dark-blue flames billowed behind her, while her pale eyes brimmed with murderous intent.

Provoked by that killing intent, the Konoha Shinobi each unleashed their own presence.

Aozora quietly played the bystander on the outskirts, forcefully spectating as masters of the Shinobi World clashed in aura.

Judging by their positions, the Konoha Shinobi had clearly surrounded Yugito.

But judging by their presence, it seemed Yugito had surrounded the Konoha Shinobi instead.

The immense and malevolent Chakra of a Tailed Beast possessed the power to stir the winds and clouds, naturally carrying an aura buff.

Their auras collided across the distance, seemingly stirring up gusts of wind.

Neither side retreated, yet neither dared to strike first.

Konoha was a band of wounded, defeated soldiers, waiting for the Sealing Jutsu to take shape and for allied reinforcements.

Yugito, meanwhile, was still unwilling to accept the failure of this mission.

In the end, Yugito was the first to move.

Because she did not have much time left.

"Mouse Tail Fireball!"

Unlike during her partial Tailed Beast transformation, dozens of dark-blue fireballs spewed from her mouth at once. Though they were no longer controlled by Chakra threads, their coverage far surpassed before.

Beyond their greater number, the fireballs were also far hotter now, and their explosions covered a wider range. They were absolutely ideal for clearing the field with a group attack.

Kakashi, Aizawa Konan, and Aburame Shibi made their decisions instantly, each positioning themselves behind one ANBU ninja.

"Secret Technique—Insect Wall Technique!"

"Earth Release—Earth Wall Jutsu!"

"Water Release—Water Wall!"

The three chose to protect the three ANBU ninja completing the Sealing Jutsu.

Boom—!

Fireballs, water walls, earthen walls, and clouds of insects!

For a moment, the entire foot of the mountain shook as dust and smoke billowed everywhere!

Aozora was watching the magnificent scene and was just about to compose a poem when his heart jolted. An immense and malevolent Chakra rushed straight at him.

"Fuck! I'm just a bystander!"

The thought flashed through his mind as Aozora desperately erupted with Chakra in his feet, hoping to evade Yugito's attack.

The Two Tomoe in his scarlet eyes spun madly.

Both Yugito's incoming attack and his own movements slowed dramatically. Aozora instantly knew he did not have time to use the Body Flicker Technique.

I can't dodge it!

Knowing this desperate truth, Aozora did not collapse. Instead, he became extraordinarily calm.

Then let's die together!

His eyes split wide, and the Flying Dagger hidden in Aozora's sleeve shot out like a blue dragon emerging from its sheath, flying toward Yugito's throat.

The features of the insect before her gradually came into focus. A chill flashed through Yugito's eyes, and the dark-blue flames on her cat claw flickered.

It was this insect that had caused Ishida's death.

Since she could not slaughter all the Konoha Ninja today, she would collect some interest first.

Suddenly, she saw a streak of blue light fly from the insect's sleeve.

That blue light was not dazzling, but she felt fatal danger from it, just as she had when Kakashi charged at her with lightning in hand.

A faint pain throbbed in her chest. Yugito knew that streak of blue light was aimed at the spot where she had just been wounded.

The previous injury had nearly reached her heart. If she suffered another wound, it would surely affect her movements.

Instinctively, she twisted her body slightly.

It seemed like a long time, but only an instant had passed.

The next moment, the blue light pierced through Yugito's Tailed Beast Cloak. The blood that sprayed out was instantly evaporated into vapor by the searing heat.

At the same time, after the cat claw struck Aozora, it paused briefly before slicing through his afterimage.

After watching Aozora crash heavily down before the Konoha Shinobi, Yugito fixed him with a hard stare. Only after etching him firmly into her memory did she turn and leave without hesitation.

That blade had come within a hair's breadth of piercing her heart.

This was the closest Yugito had ever come to death. She would remember this moment forever, remember the injury inflicted upon her by this inconspicuous insect.

She knew that if she had not twisted aside, her heart would have been split in two, and she would already be lying on the ground.

Even so, the sharp Wind Release Chakra had still left a deep wound on her heart.

Full Tailed Beast Transformation placed too great a burden on the body, especially the heart.

To support her body's immense power, her heart beat far faster than an ordinary person's. Though it was only a single wound now, if she continued fighting, it would rapidly worsen, perhaps even causing her heart to rupture.

Leaving Aizawa Konan behind to guard the area, Kakashi and the others chased after Yugito for some distance before stopping.

The three ANBU released their technique, and the chains in their hands vanished instantly.

This was indeed Sealing Jutsu, but only ordinary Sealing Jutsu. Its sole advantage was that it was sturdy.

Even in Konoha, only a few people could master techniques capable of sealing Tailed Beasts.