The Tide Had Turned

"Still trying to ambush me?"

Yugito had been cutting through them like vegetables, killing with gusto, when a different figure suddenly attacked her. Without a second thought, she materialized a cat claw from Chakra and swiped at him.

The long blade coated in Wind Style Chakra slammed hard against the cat claw, producing a sound like metal striking metal.

Danzo felt no reaction when his first strike was blocked. He had never intended to kill her in one blow.

He swung several more times in quick succession, and nearly every strike was blocked.

Fortunately, the final strike triggered the Critical Hit passive, unleashing 20% of its power. It severed Yugito's cat claw and sent her entire body flying.

"Jonin!"

Yugito's brow tightened. Protected by the Tailed Beast Cloak, the strike had been powerful, but the cat claw had absorbed much of it, so it had not caused her much injury.

The Konoha ninja around her were mostly Genin or Chunin, each one like a death squad member unafraid of dying. She had not expected there to be a Jonin among them.

Was he the captain of this unit?

She guessed inwardly.

"Is this all Kumogakure's ninja can do?"

Before Yugito could react, Danzo had already flashed before her again. As he spoke, he swung his blade once more.

Clang—

The long blade struck the cat claw Yugito had reformed with Chakra.

"Do Kumogakure's people only know how to take a beating?" Rather than pressing his attack, Danzo smiled and stepped closer to Yugito, taunting her.

"Do Konoha's people always talk this much?" Yugito's expression remained calm, as though Danzo's words had not affected her at all.

Unfortunately, the movements of her hands exposed that she was not as indifferent as she seemed. She gradually shifted from defense to offense, repeatedly swiping at Danzo with her cat claws.

Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of metal striking metal rang out without pause. Then, as Danzo relaxed slightly, he was sent flying.

Seeing Danzo hurtling backward, delight flashed through Yugito's eyes. Her hands quickly formed seals, and she spat several pale blue fireballs from her mouth.

Mouse Ball Jade!

The blue flames transformed into nimble, agile little mice in midair and charged toward Danzo in erratic patterns.

Danzo flipped in midair and landed steadily, but he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale.

Facing the fire mice rushing at him, Danzo dragged his heavy body aside and fled into the grass.

"Don't run!"

Having finally caught a high-ranking Konoha ninja, Yugito would not let him escape so easily. Pale blue flames surfaced over her body as she rapidly pursued Danzo in the direction he had fled.

"Don't chase him!"

Darui, who had been at the center of the battle, turned anxious and wanted to rush out to stop Yugito, but the others blocked him.

Though he had been fighting the entire time, part of his attention had always remained on Yugito.

As Kumogakure's Jinchuriki, Yugito was the most valuable treasure in the entire unit. Even if Darui died, he absolutely could not allow the Tailed Beast to leave Kumogakure.

But the more anxious Darui became, the more fiercely the surrounding Konoha ninja entangled him, using their lives to restrict his movements.

"Get lost!"

After roaring and forcing back several Konoha ninja, Darui shouted to the others, "Everyone, withdraw from the battle and bring Yugito back!"

He had a faintly bad feeling about both the Konoha ninja around them, who were throwing away their lives without hesitation, and the Konoha Jonin who had just fled.

Focused entirely on catching a higher-ranking ninja like Danzo, Yugito paid no attention to the other sounds. She did not even hear Darui trying to stop her.

Danzo's expression remained calm as he maintained his speed and ran silently ahead.

He could clearly sense Yugito's speed gradually increasing as she slowly closed in on him.

A hundred steps.

Ten steps.

One step!

Feeling her breathing and footsteps growing ever clearer behind him, Danzo suddenly stopped. He stepped back, his eyes filled with endless Killing Intent, then spun around and slashed with his blade.

The strike was wrapped in dense Wind Style Chakra and carried the will to sever everything. It was the strongest blow in the Blade Technique left behind by the original owner of this body.

"I was waiting for you to turn around!"

Delight appeared on Yugito's face. She had been waiting for this man to turn back.

Injured and unable to run quickly, the Konoha Jonin before her could only turn around and make a desperate final stand.

Already prepared, Yugito lightly leaped aside like an agile cat, dodging the fierce slash. But before she could reach out and grab Danzo—

An indescribable will emanated from the blade, instantly causing Yugito's mind to blank for a moment. By the time the pain jolted her back to her senses, the blade had already stabbed viciously into her body.

The sharp Wind Style Chakra churned within her, destroying her internal organs.

Danzo watched Yugito's disbelieving gaze calmly. This strike was not merely astonishing in power and speed; it also employed an exceedingly intricate genjutsu capable of trapping anyone facing it in an illusion.

Anyone facing this strike for the first time would most likely fall for it.

The original owner had rarely used this strike when he was young, but every time he did, he had to kill his enemy to erase the secret. As time passed and Danzo grew old, his body could no longer keep up, and the strike disappeared along with all those who had died.

But now, with his physical fitness improved once again and his control over his body raised another level, Danzo had recreated this strike.

Yugito stared at Danzo in disbelief, not only because of that strike, but because his face was rosy. He looked nothing like the pale, injured man from moments ago.

I was tricked!

That was Yugito's only thought. Dense Tailed Beast Chakra instantly surged within her body as Two-Tails Matatabi continuously poured Chakra into her.

Though the blade had pierced through her body, such a minor wound was nothing to a Jinchuriki.

What Yugito feared was that, since Danzo had lured her here, he surely had another move prepared.

Although she had not fully mastered Tailed Beast Transformation, she could no longer worry about losing control. She had to undergo a complete Tailed Beast Transformation and return to Kumogakure's unit.

The surging Tailed Beast Chakra formed tangible pressure that spread outward. All reason had vanished from Yugito's crimson beast eyes, replaced by madness and brutality.

Roar!

Completely covered in Chakra and no longer recognizable as human, Yugito opened her enormous maw and let out a roar that echoed throughout the entire area.

Her eyes, filled with nothing but madness, stared directly at Danzo as he gripped his long blade.

Danzo frowned and urged, "Hurry up. Kumogakure's people will be here soon."

As soon as his words fell, an immense force descended from above and effortlessly pinned Yugito to the ground.

Wrapped within a pale violet giant like armor, Fugaku slowly emerged from the grass and said somewhat awkwardly, "It's my first time using this ability, so I'm still a little rusty."