On the high cliff.
Shinji watched the battle below, quietly weighing his options.
He urgently needed to confirm the mysterious figure's condition. Only then could he make plans for what came next.
After all, if the mysterious figure had truly been reduced to a mindless, unconscious lump of flesh, there was no need for him to risk his life fighting the mutated creature.
Whoosh.
Just then, a figure landed beside Shinji.
It was Shion, who had come with him. Rather than rush into the battle, she had carefully skirted the fighting and made her way to his side.
Shinji asked, "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, then asked curiously, "How can both of them use Wood Release? And..."
For some reason, the masked figure wearing a hooded Red Cloud outfit looked very familiar to Shion. She already had a vague suspicion.
"This isn't the time to talk about that." After a brief pause, Shinji said, "Get ready. The moment the lump is broken, watch for my signal and be ready to use the Sealing Technique!"
"Understood!"
Shion nodded firmly.
She knew this wasn't a sparring match at the Ninja Academy. The slightest mistake could put the entire Shinobi World at risk, so she didn't dare let her guard down.
On the battlefield.
The lump was immensely powerful, but the Wood Release wielded together by Karin and Yakumo was nothing to scoff at, either. Their surging forest quickly took control of the field. Every one of the lump's terrifying tentacles was caught in Wood Release vines, leaving them no room to thrash or maneuver!
With Karin and Yakumo's Wood Release barely restraining the tentacles, the others finally had a chance to prepare attacks against the lump itself.
Zzt, zzt, zzt.
The first sound to ring out was the sharp, piercing