The third Wood Dragon lunged at Raiga Kurosuki. His Thunder Swords struck its body, sending up a wisp of smoke, but the Wood Dragon refused to let go. Instead, it tightened its bite and dragged him out of the sea of trees.
The fourth Wood Dragon lunged at Munashi Jinpachi. The Explosive Blade detonated against its body, blasting several holes through it, but the Wood Dragon regenerated faster than the blade could destroy it. Within seconds, it was as good as new.
Then it clamped its jaws around Munashi Jinpachi's leg and dragged him out.
Four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were flung to the ground, where they lay motionless.
Their weapons lay scattered nearby. Nuibari, Kabutowari, Shibuki, and the Thunder Swords-four blades stood neatly embedded in the ground. Mirai walked over, took a sealing scroll out of his ninja tool pouch, and sealed them away one by one, as casually as collecting deliveries.
"That's four." He put the sealing scroll away and looked up at the last three men.
Suikazan Fuguki, Juzo Biwa, and Munashi Jinpachi stood at the edge of the sea of trees, their expressions shifting from terror to despair.
Their teammates had all been taken down in seconds, and the sea of trees was still spreading toward them.
"Run!" Juzo Biwa turned and fled. Suikazan Fuguki and Munashi Jinpachi also dashed off, the three of them heading in different directions.
"How could a sparrow ever escape the Buddha's palm?"
Golden light flashed over Mirai, and Nine-Tails Chakra Mode instantly enveloped his entire body.
He moved so fast that Juzo Biwa had no time to react-
A huge golden claw reached out from behind him, seized the handle of the Kubikiribōchō, and yanked Juzo Biwa back out of midair.
Another golden claw wrapped