Teacher, this is my new partner, Five-Tails.

Bang!

Following Shadow Clone No. 1, Shadow Clone No. 2, which Ruohuo had summoned while Kokuō was in the midst of fully unsealing, was also stomped into the dirt...

Ruohuo hovered in the sky, staring fixedly at Kokuō, suddenly feeling that things were getting tricky.

His chakra was already running low, and Shadow Clone No. 2 only possessed enough to trigger a Sharingan genjutsu once, but the effect...

Could it be because I haven't awakened the Mangekyo yet?

Ruohuo furrowed his brows, suddenly pointing his five fingers toward the sky, silently chanting in his heart:

"I am willing to join the Konoha Root, and from this day forward, I shall serve only Lord Danzo."

It was useless.

"I am willing to join the Anbu, and from this day forward, I shall shine and burn for Konoha."

Alright, that was useless too...

Clearly, there was no hope of temporarily awakening the Mangekyo. If Orochimaru were present, he might have been able to attempt it, but would Kokuō wait for him?

"Human, how do you know my true name?"

Just as Ruohuo was hesitating over whether to go all-in, Kokuō suddenly turned around and looked up at Ruohuo in the sky.

In that moment, the eyes of the one tailed beast and the one human locked.

This was a perfect opportunity.

Ruohuo had been wanting to trigger a Sharingan genjutsu to control Kokuō, and right now, Kokuō had given him that chance.

But Ruohuo didn't take it.

Don't ask, because this Indra disdains such tactics!

"It seems the power I have awakened now is simply too weak..."

"Look into my eyes, Kokuō..."

Ruohuo crossed his arms over his chest, looking down from above, maintaining the arrogance befitting an Indra.

"Can you truly not recall a single memory?"

"..."

Kokuō did not respond.

Of course, it didn't fire a Tailed Beast Bomb either.

It stared fixedly into Ruohuo's eyes, its gaze filled with doubt, as if it were confirming something...

Ruohuo waited just like that.

Unless a human could earn the recognition of a tailed beast and be told personally, no one would know a tailed beast's name.

That was what he had thought earlier, assuming Kokuō might show some respect after being unsealed.

He hadn't expected Shadow Clone No. 2 to be swatted directly into the dirt...

However, it now appeared that being able to call out Kokuō's name was clearly still useful.

At this moment.

BOOM!!!

The commotion in the distance was drawing ever closer.

From the moment he destroyed Kanabi Bridge to the moment he allowed Kokuō to fully unseal, although it hadn't taken much time in total, it was enough for Orochimaru to break through the blockade and arrive.

Seeing that Kokuō still wore a contemplative expression, Ruohuo felt it was necessary to provide a hint.

"I recognized your chakra, Kokuō... I never imagined that the people of this era would actually use such methods to steal your power."

"Heh... how pathetic."

Upon hearing this, Kokuō's gaze finally wavered.

Those long-lost memories were finally being awakened; looking into the eyes of this human youth, that familiar feeling became increasingly clear.

"Are you... Indra?"

Indeed, it is I!

Ruohuo resisted the urge to give the Five-Tails Kokuō a thumbs-up, and just as he was about to say something, he heard Kokuō ask with some confusion:

"But why... have you not grown up?"

Ruohuo's face darkened.

"No... I remember you grew up, we all grew up, but you... you..."

Kokuō spoke as it recalled, and Ruohuo's expression gradually turned rather strange.

Kokuō's memory... seemed a bit chaotic?

Was it because it had just been unsealed?

It doesn't matter; recognizing Indra's chakra is enough.

"Kokuō! Look into my eyes!"

Ruohuo shouted, his Three Tomoe Sharingan spinning at full power!

Three tomoe instantly appeared in Kokuō's eyes as well; the Sharingan genjutsu was successfully established!

"I am Indra, awakened from the cycle of reincarnation. You must listen carefully to what I say next."

"Kokuō, you and I both hail from the same era. I have liberated you, and you shall join me in re-establishing order for this world!"

"Asura is wrong... his weakness will only plunge the world into chaos. Only I can bring light to this world!"

"Until I recover my strength, you will stay by my side and keep my secret... do you understand?"

Taking advantage of the fact that Kokuō had just been unsealed and remained in a state of confusion, Ruohuo seized the opportunity to unleash his Kotoamatsukuchi-Talk. Supplemented by Indra's chakra and the Sharingan genjutsu, the combination proved remarkably effective.

"You are Indra, the child of the Sage of Six Paths..."

"I remember now, I remember everything... Have you truly awakened from the cycle, Indra?"

"It was you who saved me..."

Kokuō seemed to have cleared its head significantly, especially after sensing the ocular power of Ruohuo's Sharingan.

This was personally verified by Indra's chakra—it was the genuine article!

Ruohuo breathed a sigh of relief.

The next step was to slowly persuade Kokuō to serve the Uchiha willingly.

Although using the Sharingan to control it would be more convenient, a perfect Jinchuriki was undoubtedly stronger than a rampaging Tailed Beast.

He just wondered what the higher-ups would think once Kokuō returned to Konoha...

Let them think whatever they wanted.

It was wartime, after all; would those guys dare to start a war with the Uchiha?

"Right..."

Ruohuo suddenly thought of something and continued to deploy his Kotoamatsukuchi-Talk:

"Kokuō, through my observations of this world over this period, I have already located the other eight Tailed Beasts."

"Most of them are sealed within human bodies. Among them, the Jinchuriki who holds Kurama possesses the greatest strength."

"When I am not by your side in the future, there are some people you must watch out for, especially the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki..."

"She is a descendant of Asura and excels in sealing techniques; do not provoke her for the time being."

At this moment.

Orochimaru was still on his way to Kanabi Bridge...

Ruohuo could fly and traverse most terrain.

Although Manda could burrow, the ground grew increasingly rocky as they neared their destination, causing great inconvenience to Manda's tunneling ability.

And these damned humans—couldn't they just line up and obediently crawl into Lord Manda's mouth?

BOOM!

Another Explosive Tag. Why did these damned humans always insist on throwing them at its nostrils!

"The sounds over there seem to have stopped..."

Orochimaru looked into the distance, his gaze tinged with faint concern.

Sakumo's distress signal had been sent two days ago. With reinforcements delayed, he should have already left by now.

He wasn't sure what that child was doing, but he was certain that those massive explosions were definitely related to him.

The Iwagakure forces had heard those sounds too, yet they showed no intention of falling back to defend...

Were they that confident in their defenses at Kanabi Bridge?

Or had the Iwagakure high command ordered them to intercept him at all costs?

"I can't drag this out any longer..."

Orochimaru made his decision.

Although the child had the ability to fly and shouldn't find it difficult to escape, Orochimaru wasn't certain if Iwagakure possessed any countermeasures.

At the very least, according to the intelligence Orochimaru possessed, the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure also mastered a technique that allowed for flight.

"Lord Manda, I will leave this to you for now."

Orochimaru gripped his Kusanagi Sword, his long tongue flicking out to lick his cheek.

The Cold Lord of Konoha is ready to start a massacre!

"You only need to hold out for ten minutes. Next time we meet, I will personally offer you double the... hm?"

Before Orochimaru could finish his sentence, a colossal figure suddenly appeared on the rocky mountain in the distance, charging toward them with five tails thrashing behind it!

"This size... the Five-Tails!?"

Orochimaru's pupils constricted!

So, the commotion from earlier was caused by the Five-Tails Jinchuriki?

A Tailed Beast Bomb?

Orochimaru's heart rate spiked, and instinctively, over thirty escape plans flashed through his mind!

At the same time, he immediately realized a problem.

If the Five-Tails Jinchuriki has appeared, then what about Ruohuo...

"Look! It's the Five-Tails! Lord Han has arrived!"

"To think the Third would send Lord Han to support us!"

"Two squads, stay with me to pin down Orochimaru! Everyone else! Disperse!!"

"Leave the battlefield to Lord Han!!"

Manda also noticed the massive figure.

"That is... the Five-Tails Jinchuriki?"

The sight of the Five-Tails charging was simply too shocking; it was so massive, yet moved with incredible speed, kicking up sand and stone while white steam billowed from its nostrils.

And that unparalleled chakra—it was impossible not to notice!

"Although I didn't get to eat what I wanted most, I've had enough offerings today, Orochimaru..."

Manda's tone was cruel.

Orochimaru realized immediately that this evil summon was preparing to flee.

And indeed, it was.

Having charged all the way here and frequently burrowing through solid rock, Manda had already consumed a significant amount of chakra.

After being besieged by these Iwagakure ninja for so long, Manda was nearing its limit.

In this state, expecting it to take on the Five-Tails was clearly unrealistic.

But Manda still had a sense of professional ethics.

"Before I dispel the summoning technique, I can try to get you out of the battlefield..."

"But next time we meet, you need to prepare 500, no... 1,000 human sacrifices for me. How about it?"

It had ethics, but not many.

Moreover, Orochimaru had no time to consider.

The Iwagakure Five-Tails Jinchuriki had joined the fray, and he was capable of achieving such a high level of synchronization with the beast.

Other than retreating, he had no other choice.

"Not good!"

Manda suddenly roared, and without another word, it carried Orochimaru and lunged toward the tunnel it had just burrowed through!

Orochimaru was also startled; he saw the Five-Tails suddenly stop halfway up the mountain, open its gaping maw toward the sky, and frantically condense chakra!

"Hey! Orochimaru! These humans are on the same side as the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, right?"

Manda asked while frantically making its escape.

"Indeed." Orochimaru also found it absurd. If one were to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb, shouldn't they at least wait for the Iwagakure ninja to retreat first?

To disregard the lives of their own village's ninja just to blow him to bits? How could they go this far!

BOOM!!!!

The Tailed Beast Bomb was finally fired, landing on the battlefield and obliterating the Iwagakure fortifications along with the Iwagakure ninja themselves!

Manda dared not linger, sprinting along the tunnel it had burrowed earlier; these tunnels had now become its and Orochimaru's escape route!

But Manda's speed was still a bit slow.

Having charged all the way here, it was already exhausted, and besides, Kokuō the Five-Tails was naturally adept at charging and sprinting.

"It seems I will have to change contractors, Orochimaru..."

Watching the Five-Tails land with a crash and block their path forward, Manda said in a cruel tone.

But before it could dispel the summoning:

"Teacher, I've finally caught up to you."

A familiar and detestable voice rang out.

Ruohuo hopped off the neck of the Five-Tails, stood atop its head, and while holding onto one of the beast's horns with one hand, he dangled a corpse clad in red armor with the other.

"Teacher, let me introduce you. This is my new partner, the Five-Tails."