Seizing the Two-Tails!

"But, Lady Yugito, aren't you underestimating me a little?"

The fireball was already right in front of him, yet Uchiha Ye made no effort to block it. In fact, he deliberately threw himself into its flames. "Fire Release is the least harmful kind of ninjutsu to me!"

The fireball swallowed him, but in his lava form, he wasn't burned or injured in the slightest.

The next moment, Uchiha Ye swelled up and burst through the fireball.

Terrifying lava erupted in every direction!

"Great Eruption!"

The whole world turned red!

His blazing fist, wrapped in overwhelming force, made the surrounding forest wither in an instant as it slammed toward the Two-Tails, who was preparing to turn and carry Kamui away.

"Not good!"

Inside the Two-Tails, Yugito's pupils contracted at the sight.

How could she have known that this kind of Fire Release wouldn't hurt Uchiha Ye at all?

She had no choice but to halt and spread her two tails to block the attack.

Boom!

An astonishing sight unfolded!

The Two-Tails' huge body was blasted dozens of meters backward by Uchiha Ye.

The earth shattered in its wake, and rocks and soil piled up.

Giving her no time to catch her breath, Uchiha Ye appeared in front of the Two-Tails with a whoosh.

Looking at Yugito inside, he flashed a bright smile, baring his white teeth. "Miss Yugito, it's over!"

His right arm crackled, and his dazzling, scorching fist struck out again. "Dog-Biting Crimson Lotus!"

It was fast and had tremendous piercing power!

Perfect for breaking through the Two-Tails' chakra body and capturing its Jinchuriki, Yugito.

"Don't even think about it!!!"

The Two-Tails roared furiously. The chakra in front of her surged several times over, forming a barrier to protect Yugito.

But!

Just as the two were about to collide,

the lava hound head deftly swerved upward, then plunged down like a divine punishment from the heavens.

Before the Two-Tails could react, it pierced through her chakra body and went straight for Yugito!

"Gah!!!"

Yugito's pupils shrank to pinpricks. For the first time, a trace of terror and dread welled up inside her.

Her body grew so heavy, as if it were filled with lead, that she couldn't even try to dodge.

Am I... going to die?

Faced with lava so hot it seemed capable of destroying anything, Yugito couldn't believe her mortal body would survive.

But at that critical moment, a huge blue-violet chakra hand thrust out and blocked the attack.

"How can I... let you hurt Yugito?!"

The Two-Tails' icy roar rang out across the battlefield.

There was no doubt she had saved Yugito from imminent danger.

But clearly,

it had taken a lot out of her!

"Boom!"

The Two-Tails was blasted backward again!

But her enormous chakra form quickly dissipated, reverting to a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.

The Two-Tails had evidently realized that her massive size made her an easy target.

"Whoosh!"

Yugito suddenly accelerated and vanished from Uchiha Ye's sight.

"Think you can avoid me... just like that?"

Uchiha Ye's voice dropped, a demonic murmur that sent a shiver through the air. "Aren't you underestimating me a little?"

His Observation Haki locked on to her, and his Sharingan saw through her movements. Yugito's location became clear at once.

"Boom!"

Scorching air burst from his body, propelling him forward with tremendous force as he lunged toward a spot ahead.

His heavy fist slammed forward, making the air vibrate violently.

The next instant!

Yugito, moving at high speed, had only just appeared when Uchiha Ye rapidly grew larger in her field of vision.

As her eyes shrank in terror,

Uchiha Ye's powerful chakra-wreathed fist crashed into her chest.

"Pfft!"

Yugito clearly heard her ribs breaking. Blood poured uncontrollably from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Her body flew helplessly like an arrow loosed from a bow, crashing into the forest.

Boom!

Dust billowed, and the trees toppled.

After the ground shuddered violently, everything finally fell still.

Uchiha Ye was already gone from where he'd stood.

In the forest!

Before Yugito could free herself from the shattered boulders,

Uchiha Ye was already upon her like a burr clinging to a bone. One heavy punch knocked her unconscious.

He didn't kill Yugito. He only knocked her out.

Uchiha Ye's aim was simple!

He wanted to add another fighter to the ninja village he planned to establish.

Uchiha Ye wasn't surprised that he could defeat Yugito.

Yugito was only at Kage Level.

He had managed to deal with Impure World Reincarnation Tobirama Senju back when he had Two-Tomoe.

Now, defeating Yugito, who was as strong as Impure World Reincarnation Tobirama Senju, with Three Tomoe was only to be expected, wasn't it?

"Store!"

After putting the unconscious Yugito into the System Space, he deliberately made a huge commotion.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Scorching lava rampaged through the forest, blasting the surrounding land apart.

He kept going until the entire area within a hundred meters had become a scorched wasteland.

He had also expended so much chakra that his face had grown pale and he felt completely drained.

Only then did he stop attacking and walk over to meet up with Sasori of the Red Sands.

As for whether Zetsu was secretly watching?

If he weren't absolutely confident, how would he dare to take Yugito and make such a scene?

Two minutes later!

By the time Uchiha Ye emerged from the forest and met up with Sasori of the Red Sands, Kamui and the other two had just died from the poison.

"She's dead?"

Seeing that not even Yugito's corpse remained, Sasori of the Red Sands couldn't help asking.

Uchiha Ye spread his hands helplessly. "I wanted to capture her too. That way, I could've completed a Tailed Beast capture mission ahead of time!"

"But I couldn't help it. She'd rather die than be captured!"

Mm!

He lied without batting an eye.

That was basic practice.

Sasori of the Red Sands nodded at his answer, seeing nothing wrong with it.

After turning in the mission to the people who had hired them from the Land of Cedar, the two set off for home.

Three days later!

"The Two-Tails Jinchuriki is dead? What a pity!"

After hearing Uchiha Ye recount the mission, Pain sighed. "If we'd managed to capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, then this mission would have been even more complete!"

He didn't think Uchiha Ye would dare deceive him.

Besides,

if Uchiha Ye had captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and hidden her away, he couldn't have escaped the Tailed Beast sensing ability of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

But Uchiha Ye stood before the statue without anything unusual happening!

That, too, confirmed that what he'd said was true.

"Still, will the 'death' of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki draw the Raikage's attention to us? Could he condemn us and interfere with the organization's plans to develop in secret and build up its strength?"

Uchiha Ye asked with a 'sincere' expression.

Deva Path Pain replied calmly, "It doesn't matter!"

He glanced around at everyone and revealed a bombshell. "In fact, even without the matter of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, I was already planning to start the Tailed Beast Capture Plan!"

Everyone present looked surprised at that.

"Then... where do we start?"

Uchiha Ye put on an exaggerated expression as he asked.

He already had an answer in mind.

But after experiencing the butterfly effect caused by time travelers several times,

he no longer dared to rely entirely on his knowledge of the plot.

"Hello, everyone~"