Cold Cicada's Sorrowful Cry

An endless torrent of blades surged like a dragon in flight, grinding several clusters of lava fireballs into nothingness.

Where the torrent passed, the earth was plowed into a deep trench.

The blade stream's momentum did not wane, trapping the crimson figure within a storm.

For hundreds of meters, soil and rock were blasted to powder, and massive trees turned to ash!

"W-What is this?"

Shibi and the others, witnessing this technique for the first time, couldn't help but exclaim.

"Wind Release? No, there's no feeling of Wind Release chakra!"

"A technique like this is practically a forbidden jutsu! Just how many trump cards does he have left!"

"He's a monster!"

Fugaku's eyes were wide, straining to grasp the principle behind this jutsu.

"Slash Release, this is Kagami's special secret technique. It shouldn't count as a Kekkei Genkai."

The gale made Minato's voice somewhat indistinct, but everyone present was a jonin with sharp hearing.

"This is an ultra-high-frequency slash formed from Spiritual Energy... As far as I know, when it comes to Spiritual Energy..."

"There might only be one being who can compare to Kagami."

The being he referred to was not human.

"Pure spiritual slashes!" Nara Suzaku, a user of Yin Release himself, could hardly believe it.

"Is it a variation of the Spirit Transformation Technique? Should we protect Kagami's body?"

"Though I feel he doesn't really need it..."

Minato pressed his fingers to the ground and continued, "This presence... the Five-Tails is approaching with a squad."

"Xuanhuo, Shibi, stay and assist Kagami. The rest of you, follow me to intercept them!"

"Understood!"

Within the blade storm, Roshi felt nothing but misery.

His appearance was no longer human; his skin was lava, and a massive tail extended behind him, like a so-called Lava Demon.

This was the Lava Release Chakra Mode he had developed.

Lava Release was the Four-Tails' signature ability. Through years of training, he had mastered this Kekkei Genkai himself, enabling this form.

In this state, both attack and defense were greatly enhanced. In terms of strength, he surpassed even Han of the Five-Tails.

Among the Iwagakure squad Kagami had killed, one was Roshi's nephew—a posthumous child of his brother, more important to him than his own son.

When they lost contact, the enraged Roshi ignored his comrades' dissuasion and charged in alone.

He thought this new form would burn the bastard invading the Land of Earth to ashes, but the moment he appeared, he was caught in the grinding storm.

These fine blade streams couldn't inflict fatal damage for now, but if he didn't do something...

Gurgle, gurgle...

More and more Tailed Beast Chakra seeped out, responding to Roshi's raging emotions.

ROAR!!!!

The earth-shaking roar and violent blazing chakra forcibly blasted an opening in the blade storm!

Entering Tailed Beast Transformation mode this quickly...

Watching Roshi, now revealing three tails, Kagami Uchiha voluntarily stopped the Thousand Blade Flow Scenery of Severity and summoned his Giant Eagle.

The Uchiha had several cooperative Summoning Clans, the most well-known being the Ninja Cat Clan.

Some clan members inclined toward Genjutsu chose the Crow Contract.

This Giant Eagle was subdued by Kagami Uchiha alone, specifically to perfect his own Combat System.

Flight was a massive advantage; against ordinary ninja, he could remain undefeated.

Bringing Xuanhuo and Shibi along, Kagami Uchiha felt a bit troubled.

Conventional jonin, without means to deal with Large Creatures, were useless against Tailed Beasts.

Aburame Shibi's Insect Secret Technique was strong, but his Kikaichū couldn't even get close to Roshi.

Shibi was an experienced ninja; with a single glance, Kagami Uchiha could tell he was looking down on him, so he quickly spoke.

"I've already hidden a large number of Kikaichū beneath the battlefield. The moment he cancels his Tailed Beast Transformation, I can have them erode his chakra!"

"Have you ever used Kikaichū to drain Tailed Beast Chakra before?"

"...No."

"I'll try to knock some of his chakra down. If you can manage it, support me in the fight."

"If you can't, then flee on your own. Don't hold me back."

I'm a jonin at least, you know...

Their exchange took only a few seconds. Below, Roshi stabilized his Tailed Beast Chakra, his Pure Black pupils looking up at the Giant Eagle.

Terrifying chakra gathered before him, visible particles condensing into a high-density black Energy Bomb.

A Tailed Beast Ball.

A suffocating pressure filled the entire space. Facing a Tailed Beast Ball for the first time, Xuanhuo's hands couldn't help but tremble.

This was a Natural Disaster, a Weapon of Destruction no human could contend with.

"What are you afraid of?"

A calm voice pulled Xuanhuo back to his senses. He looked at Kagami Uchiha's stern profile.

"A mere Tailed Beast is nothing but livestock of my Uchiha Clan. How could you fear a beast?"

Kagami Uchiha's absolute confidence infected Xuanhuo, and even Shibi was affected, their blood gradually heating up.

"Use all your chakra. Release Great Fire Annihilation. Leave the rest to me."

"Understood!"

Xuanhuo formed Hand Seals quickly, expending his chakra without reserve.

From his mouth erupted a ferocious blaze, flames surging violently as if they could devour everything in a Sea of Fire.

Facing the raging Sea of Fire, the Tailed Beast-transformed Roshi paid it no mind. The temperature of those flames was too cold even for his bath.

Kachi!

He swallowed the black energy sphere in one gulp. Just as he was about to release it—

The vast Sea of Fire seemed to come alive, forming a giant dragon.

The Secret Technique of Yin Release lay in creating form from nothing.

Kagami Uchiha couldn't create forms that didn't exist, but constructing something that did exist with Yin Release was within his ability.

The crimson fire dragon was dyed blue-purple, coiling around the Tailed Beast-transformed Roshi in rings.

Compound Ninjutsu—Yin Dragon Fire Prison!

Boom!!!

A massive explosion, like a blazing sun rising from the earth.

Kagami Uchiha steered the Giant Eagle higher, his gaze piercing through the vast explosion to monitor Roshi's condition.

When the blast subsided, a huge crater had appeared near Kannabi Bridge, the terrain completely altered.

Within the gaps of the giant pit, Gurgling Water surged forth.

At the center, the Tailed Beast-transformed body showed no visible damage. He simply began condensing another Tailed Beast Ball.

"Tailed Beasts... what strange monsters. Brat, you're in trouble now."

Sukuna's taunting voice rang out. Since their last conversation, his resentment toward Kagami Uchiha had grown considerably.

"Trouble?"

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Kagami Uchiha's mouth.

If he were facing a Kage-level opponent of equal rank, he might indeed fall short.

But Tailed Beasts? He truly wasn't afraid of them.

It was like...

a game of Rock Paper Scissors.

The Kagami Uchiha atop the Giant Eagle silently dissipated, turning into a wisp of Blue Smoke.

Shibi and Xuanhuo only heard a faint Cicada Chirp at their ears.

Below, Roshi's movements froze. The Tailed Beast Ball forming before him shattered before it could take shape.

"Slash Release—One Blade: Cicada's Chill"

Kagami Uchiha appeared in the Mental Space sealing the Four-Tails.

He looked up. A massive Four-Tails, a Red-Haired Ape, was bound by chains.

ROAR!!!

The Four-Tails let out a furious roar, whipping up a gale in the Mental Space.

Kagami Uchiha's black hair whipped wildly, his crimson Sharingan staring straight at the monster.

"For something like you to be called Sun Wukong... isn't that a bit of an insult?"