Bang!
After Shadow Clone No. 1, Shadow Clone No. 2, summoned by Ruohuo while Kokuō was fully breaking free, was also stomped into the ground...
Flying in the air, Ruohuo stared intently at Kokuō and suddenly felt the situation was getting tricky.
He was already running low on chakra. Shadow Clone No. 2 had only enough to cast Sharingan Genjutsu once, but its effect...
"Could it be because I haven't awakened the Mangekyo yet?"
Ruohuo furrowed his brow, then abruptly raised all five fingers to the sky and silently thought:
"I'm willing to join Konoha's Root. From now on, I'll serve Lord Danzo alone."
No use.
"I'm willing to join the Anbu and dedicate myself to Konoha from now on."
All right, that didn't work either...
Temporarily awakening the Mangekyo was clearly out of the question. If Orochimaru were here, he might be able to try something, but would Kokuō wait around for him?
"Human, how do you know my true name?"
Just as Ruohuo was debating whether to go all in, Kokuō suddenly turned and looked up at him.
At that moment, one Tailed Beast and one human met eyes.
This was the perfect opportunity.
Ruohuo had always wanted to use Sharingan Genjutsu to control Kokuō, and now Kokuō had given him the chance.
But Ruohuo didn't take it.
Don't ask. Indra simply disdained it!
"It seems the power I've awakened so far is too weak..."
"Look into my eyes, Kokuō..."
Ruohuo folded his arms and looked down from above, maintaining the haughty air that Indra ought to have.
"Have you really not remembered anything at all?"
"..."
Kokuō didn't respond.
Nor did he fire a Tailed Beast Bomb.
He stared intently into Ruohuo's eyes, his gaze tinged with confusion, as if trying to confirm something...
Ruohuo simply waited.
No one knew a Tailed Beast's name unless a human earned its recognition and was told the name by the beast itself.
That was what he'd assumed earlier. He'd thought that once Kokuō was freed, he'd give him some face.
He hadn't expected Shadow Clone No. 2 to be smashed into the ground...
But it seemed that knowing Kokuō's name was useful after all.
Just then,
Rumble!!!
The commotion in the distance was drawing closer.
From destroying Kanabi Bridge to freeing Kokuō completely, not much time had passed, but it was enough for Orochimaru to break through the blockade and reach them.
Seeing that Kokuō was still lost in thought, Ruohuo decided he needed to give him a hint.
"I recognized your chakra, Kokuō... I never thought people in this era would steal your power this way."
"Heh... how pitiful."
At those words, Kokuō's eyes finally softened.
Those distant memories were finally stirring. As he looked into the human boy's eyes, that familiar feeling grew clearer and clearer.
"You're... Indra?"
That's right!
Ruohuo stopped himself from giving Five-Tails Kokuō a thumbs-up. He was about to say something when Kokuō asked, sounding puzzled:
"But why... haven't you grown up?"
Ruohuo's expression darkened.
"No... I remember you grew up. We all grew up, but you... you..."
As Kokuō spoke, searching his memories, Ruohuo's expression grew increasingly odd.
Kokuō's memories seemed a little muddled.
Was it because he'd only just been unsealed?
It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he recognized Indra's chakra.
"Kokuō! Look into my eyes!"
Ruohuo shouted, and his Three Tomoe spun at full power!
Three Tomoe appeared in Kokuō's eyes as well. Sharingan Genjutsu had taken hold!
"I am Indra, awakened from the cycle of reincarnation. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Kokuō, you and I come from the same era. I freed you, so you should join me in establishing a new order for this world!"
"Asura was wrong... His weakness will only plunge the world into chaos. I alone can bring light to it!"
"Until I regain my strength, stay by my side and keep my secret... Do you understand?"
Taking advantage of Kokuō's confusion just after being unsealed, Ruohuo used his silver tongue, bolstered by Indra's chakra and Sharingan Genjutsu. Together, they formed Kotoamatsukuchi-Talk, and the effect was remarkable.
"You're Indra, the Sage of Six Paths' son..."
"I remember now. I remember everything... You've awakened from the cycle of reincarnation, Indra."
"You're the one who freed me..."
Kokuō seemed much clearer-headed now, especially after sensing the ocular power of Ruohuo's Sharingan.
This was Indra's chakra, personally verified. The real thing, no doubt about it!
Ruohuo breathed a sigh of relief.
Next, all he had to do was slowly persuade Kokuō to serve the Uchiha willingly...
Using the Sharingan to control him would certainly be more convenient.
But a Perfect Jinchuriki was definitely stronger than a rampaging Tailed Beast.
He just didn't know what Konoha's higher-ups would think once Kokuō returned there...
Who cared what they thought?
It was wartime. Did those people dare to start a war with the Uchiha?
"By the way..."
Ruohuo suddenly thought of something and continued using Kotoamatsukuchi-Talk.
"Kokuō, after observing this world for a while, I've found the locations of the other eight Tailed Beasts."
"Most of them are sealed inside humans. The Jinchuriki who holds Kurama is the strongest of them all."
"While I'm away, there are some people you need to watch out for, especially the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki..."
"She's a descendant of Asura and is skilled in sealing techniques. Don't provoke her for now."
At that moment,
Orochimaru was still on his way to Kanabi Bridge...
Ruohuo could fly and cross most terrain.
Manda could burrow underground, but the closer they got to their destination, the harder the rocks became, making it much more difficult for him to dig.
And these damn humans—couldn't they line up and obediently walk into Lord Manda's mouth?
Boom!
Another Explosive Tag. Why did these damn humans keep throwing them at his nostrils?!
"The sounds over there seem to have stopped..."
Orochimaru gazed into the distance, concern faintly showing in his eyes.
Sakumo's distress signal had been sent two days earlier. With help so long in coming, he should have left by now.
Orochimaru didn't know what that boy was doing, but he was sure those tremendous noises had something to do with him.
The Iwagakure Ninja had heard the noises too, yet they showed no intention of going back to defend the bridge...
Were they so confident in Kanabi Bridge's defenses?
Or had Iwagakure's higher-ups ordered them to stop him?
"We can't afford to delay any longer..."
Orochimaru made up his mind.
That boy could fly, so escaping shouldn't be difficult.
But Orochimaru couldn't be sure whether Iwagakure had some way to counter him.
At the very least, according to the intelligence Orochimaru had, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure also knew a technique that allowed him to fly.
"Lord Manda, I'll leave things here to you for now."
Holding the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked his cheek.
The Cold Lord of Konoha was ready to slaughter them all!
"You only need to hold out for ten minutes. Next time we meet, I'll give you twice the... Hmm?"
Orochimaru hadn't finished speaking when a colossal figure appeared atop a distant rocky mountain and charged toward them, its five tails swinging behind it!
"That size... The Five-Tails?!"
Orochimaru's pupils contracted!
So the commotion earlier had been caused by the Five-Tails Jinchuriki?
A Tailed Beast Bomb?
Orochimaru's heart raced, and his mind instinctively came up with more than thirty escape plans!
At the same time, he realized something.
The Five-Tails Jinchuriki had appeared. Then what about Ruohuo...
"Look! It's the Five-Tails! Lord Han is here!"
"The Lord Third actually sent Lord Han to reinforce us!"
"Leave two squads with me to hold Orochimaru back! Everyone else, scatter!"
"We can leave the battlefield to Lord Han!"
Manda had also noticed the enormous figure.
"That's... the Five-Tails Jinchuriki?"
The Five-Tails' charge was simply too astonishing. He was enormous, yet incredibly fast, kicking up sand and stones behind him, with white steam billowing from his nostrils.
And his chakra was incomparable. It was impossible not to notice him!
"Though I didn't get to eat what I wanted most, I've had enough offerings for today, Orochimaru..."
Manda's tone was cruel.
Orochimaru immediately realized that the evil Summoning beast was preparing to run away.
And he was right.
After charging all the way here and having to dig through hard rock along the way, Manda had already used up a good deal of chakra.
Then the Iwagakure Ninja had surrounded and attacked him for so long that he was close to his limit.
In this state, expecting him to fight the Five-Tails was clearly unrealistic.
Still, Manda had some professional principles.
"Before I release the Summoning Technique, I can try to get you out of the battlefield..."
"But next time we meet, you'll need to prepare five hundred—no, a thousand people as sacrifices for me. How does that sound?"
He had principles, but not many.
Orochimaru didn't have time to consider it anyway.
The Five-Tails Jinchuriki had joined the battle, and he had achieved such a high level of synchronization with the Five-Tails.
Orochimaru had no choice but to retreat.
"Not good!"
Manda suddenly roared and, without a word, charged toward the tunnel he'd just dug, taking Orochimaru with him!
Orochimaru's heart lurched. The Five-Tails had stopped halfway up the mountainside, opened his enormous mouth toward the sky, and begun madly gathering chakra!
"Hey, Orochimaru! These people and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki are on the same side, right?"
Even as Manda fled at full speed, he didn't forget to ask.
"They are," Orochimaru replied, finding the situation ridiculous. If the Five-Tails was going to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb, shouldn't he at least wait until the Iwagakure Ninja had evacuated?
Was he really going to blow Orochimaru up at the cost of his own comrades? What was the point?
Boom!!!!
The Tailed Beast Bomb finally fired and landed on the battlefield, shredding Iwagakure's fortifications along with the Iwagakure Ninja!
Manda didn't dare stop. He raced toward the tunnel he'd used to burrow in. Those tunnels had become an escape route for him and Orochimaru!
But Manda was still too slow.
He'd been running for a long time and was already exhausted. Besides, Five-Tails Kokuō excelled at charging and chasing!
"Looks like I'll need a new summoner, Orochimaru..."
Looking at the Five-Tails as he crashed down in front of them, blocking the way, Manda spoke cruelly.
But before he could release the Summoning Technique—
"Teacher, I finally caught up with you."
A familiar, detestable voice rang out.
Ruohuo sprang up from the Five-Tails' neck and stood atop his head. He rested one hand on Kokuō's horn and held a corpse dressed in red armor in the other.
"Teacher, let me introduce you. This is my new partner, the Five-Tails."
Before you continue