Six-Tails. Capture!

The needle on the Hunting Fang detector swung violently for a time before finally stabilizing, pointing toward a sinister region within the Land of Water—the Acid Mist Swamp, a place perpetually shrouded in thick fog and riddled with swamps and acidic hot springs. The environment here was harsh and difficult for ordinary people to penetrate, making it an excellent location for concealing one's tracks.

"Target locked. Six-Tails Jinchuriki, codename 'Hong'. High probability of hiding here," reported Shen of the Ghost branch, who was responsible for operating the detector. The screen displayed a blurry map of the energy reaction zone.

Uchiha Sakuya stood before a massive strategic sand table, his cold gaze sweeping over the swampy area marked in red.

"The target this time specializes in Acid Release and bubbles; the environment is extremely favorable to her. We must finish this quickly to avoid a war of attrition and terrain destruction," he commanded. "Mirror, Akatsuki, Scale, Feather, and Ghost—the first five branches, move out. Shen, you are responsible for environmental concealment and genjutsu interference. Haku and Fu, you are responsible for frontal containment and elemental opposition. Obito, provide support and prevent the target from escaping. I will handle the capture personally."

The strongest five-man squad of the Ten Branches was formed in an instant.

Deep within the Acid Mist Swamp.

The fog, so thick it could not be dispersed, not only obstructed vision but was also laced with a faint, irritating acidic scent that corroded clothing and skin. Beneath their feet lay soft, viscous mud that bubbled up from time to time; upon bursting, these bubbles released even denser acid mist.

Shen formed hand seals, a faint light flickering in his ice-blue eyes: "Genjutsu: Mirage!" The surrounding fog seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand, becoming even more blurred and distorted, cleverly masking most of the squad members' tracks and chakra fluctuations as if they were draped in optical camouflage.

Relying on the final guidance of the Hunting Fang and the cover of Shen's genjutsu, the five-man squad moved like ghosts into the heart of the swamp.

Finally, beside a relatively open area featuring a massive hot spring lake where colorful acidic bubbles constantly churned, they spotted their target.

A figure sat on a rock by the lake, possessing striking, rainbow-gradient long hair (shifting from deep purple to orange-red). She appeared to be resting, yet transparent bubbles faintly formed and popped around her, indicating a high level of vigilance. It was indeed the Six-Tails Jinchuriki—Hong.

Almost the moment they discovered her, Hong jerked her head up! Her animal-like intuition allowed her to sense a lethal threat!

"Who's there?!" she barked, springing to her feet and waving her hands!

"Acid Release: Acid Rain Cloud!"

In an instant, the fog above her condensed into a dense, pungent acid cloud, and drizzling acidic raindrops fell like arrows, covering the general direction of Sakuya's squad! The range was so vast that complete evasion was impossible!

"Water Release: Water Wall!" Haku immediately formed seals, raising a massive wall of water in an attempt to block, but the acidic raindrops landed on the wall with a hissing sound, rapidly corroding and piercing through it! "Scale Powder Concealment Technique!" Fu scattered scale powder with neutralizing effects, but it could only barely block a portion.

"Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome!" Haku changed tactics, and a massive wall of ice rose from the ground, temporarily blocking the acid rain, but the ice wall was also being corroded and melted at a speed visible to the naked eye!

"Found you!" Hong sneered, using the acid rain to probe the enemies' approximate positions, and quickly formed hand seals: "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!" (A Kekkei Genkai combining acid and heat.)

She spat out a mist that was even more acidic and hotter than before, sweeping forward like a tsunami! Wherever it passed, rocks dissolved and the swamp boiled!

"Troublesome technique," Obito frowned, preparing to use Kamui to absorb it.

But Sakuya stopped him: "Save your ocular power for emergencies."

He looked at Fu and Haku: "Suppress her!"

Fu took a deep breath, and the phantom of the Seven-Tails appeared behind her: "Scale Powder Concealment Technique: Scatter!" Denser scale powder with strong paralyzing and chakra-disrupting effects surged toward the high-temperature acid mist like a storm. The two collided violently in the air with a hissing sound, and a massive amount of white steam billowed out, resulting in a temporary stalemate!

Haku pressed her hands to the ground: "Ice Release: Nine-Dragon Ice Seal!" Nine massive ice dragons soared from the swamp, roaring toward Hong from different directions!

Hong retreated rapidly, waving her hands simultaneously: "Bubble Release: Bubble Wave!" Countless colorful bubbles, yet containing terrifying acidity and explosive power, surged from the lake to meet the ice dragons!

Boom! Boom! Boom! The bubbles exploded the moment they touched the ice dragons, acidic liquid splattering everywhere, leaving the ice dragons riddled with holes and rapidly corroding them into nothingness!

The battle fell into an intense elemental clash and war of attrition from the very start! Hong held the geographical advantage, and her Acid Release and Bubble Release were powerful and difficult to deal with, leaving her locked in a stalemate with Haku and Fu for a time!

Shen continuously cast genjutsu, attempting to interfere with Hong's judgment, but Hong's will seemed exceptionally firm, and she possessed a certain resistance to genjutsu, rendering the effects minimal.

"Her chakra is connected to the acidic lake beneath the swamp; it's nearly inexhaustible!" Shen reported anxiously.

Sakuya observed calmly, the Eighty Gods Mirror continuously analyzing every one of Hong's movements, her chakra flow patterns, and the weaknesses of her techniques.

"Obito, thirty degrees to the left, use space distortion to interfere for three seconds." "Haku, ice spike assault on the right flank, force her to move half a step to the right." "Fu, concentrate the scale powder coverage above, block her vision for one second." "Shen, cast your strongest Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes three meters directly in front of her; no need to hit, just distract her for 0.5 seconds."

A series of precise instructions were instantly transmitted to the four people's minds!

The four did not hesitate and executed them immediately!

Obito's Kamui distortion appeared instantly to Hong's left, making her subconsciously wary and evasive! Haku's ice spikes whistled in from the right! Fu's scale powder covered the area like a curtain! The light of Shen's powerful genjutsu erupted directly in front of Hong!

Hong's reaction was extremely fast, and she made a judgment in an instant: the space on the left was weird and couldn't be touched, the ice spikes on the right could be defended against, the scale powder above needed to be blocked, and the genjutsu directly in front needed to be broken! Subconsciously, she followed the most rational response, moving half a step to the right-rear while preparing to block the ice spikes and blow away the scale powder!

However, this fell exactly into Sakuya's calculations! That position, half a step to the right-rear, was the exact moment where her energy connection to the acidic lake beneath her feet was most frequent, yet also where it produced a minute fluctuation!

Now!

Sakuya moved!

The Eighty Gods Mirror had predicted everything! His speed was extreme, even leaving afterimages! He drew his "handgun" with his left hand instantly! He did not aim at Hong herself, but at the swamp beneath her feet!

Bang! A specialized projectile engraved with a powerful Earth Release hardening rune was fired, instantly hardening that area of the swamp beneath her!

Hong felt the ground beneath her feet solidify, and her energy connection stalled for an instant!

In this split second, as her old force had vanished and her new force had yet to be born! Sakuya's right-hand "handgun" rang out again!

Bang! This time, it was a projectile engraved with a powerful sealing technique, aimed directly at the seal on Hong's abdomen!

Hong was terrified and twisted her body with all her might to dodge!

Puchi! The sealing projectile failed to hit the core on her abdomen, but it struck her right shoulder hard! The powerful sealing force invaded instantly, and the chakra in her entire right arm was sealed, rendering it unable to move!

"Ugh!" Hong groaned in pain, her movements distorted!

But Sakuya's attack was not over! He closed in like a maggot on a rotting bone! A third "handgun" slid from his sleeve!

Bang! A projectile containing Yin Release chakra, specifically designed to interfere with mental consciousness, was fired at Hong's head at close range!

At such a close distance, and while already severely wounded, Hong could no longer fully evade!

She felt as if her head had been struck by a heavy hammer; with a buzzing sound, her consciousness blurred instantly, and the scene before her eyes began to twist and overlap!

"Bubble Style..." She still wanted to struggle, but the technique could no longer fully coalesce.

Shuoyue's fourth "Handgun" was already pressed against her forehead.

"Quiet." The cold voice came through the mask.

Hong's movements froze completely; she felt the icy touch of metal against her brow, along with the terrifying chakra contained within it, enough to destroy her brain in an instant. She did not doubt that if she moved even a fraction more, her brains would be splattered in the next moment.

Despair instantly overwhelmed her.

Haku and Fu stepped forward immediately, using specially crafted chakra chains to bind the incapacitated Hong tightly.

Obito confirmed the surroundings were secure.

Shuoyue put away the Handgun, looked at the subdued Hong, and said indifferently to Shen, "Notify Orochimaru to prepare to receive the Six-Tails jinchuriki."

A battle that should have been incredibly difficult, utilizing the environmental advantages, ultimately ended with high efficiency under Shuoyue's precise command, the ultimate insight of the Eighty Gods Mirror, and the novel tactical application of the "Handgun."

The Sasuga organization had taken another city. The Six-Tails was secured.