Uchiha Girl

"It seemed my tactics were quite successful, Lord Yayoi."

Kakuzu looked with satisfaction at the destruction he had caused. Even the Seven-Tails' defenses had been broken.

Then, he silently moved to shield Yayoi from the front.

Things like Tailed-Beast Bombs were still far too terrifying.

He would leave this to Lord Yayoi.

"Indeed, it was very effective."

Yayoi was equally pleased with the result. The Seven-Tails had lost its reason and was in poor condition, making it much easier to deal with.

"Die, human!"

The Seven-Tails finished condensing the chakra sphere in its mouth—the Tailed-Beast Bomb. Its head tilted slightly back as it prepared to fire.

Yayoi tilted his head slightly and curled his fingers. Irori flashed in front of him, the hem of her blue kimono fluttering to reveal a stretch of jade-white calf. She pressed her palms together, her violet eyes glowing.

Ice Release: Ice Banquet Corridor!

Crack, crack.

The sound of freezing cold spread through the air.

A pale, freezing wind swept across the land. The earth, air, trees, rivers, and sky were all frozen in an instant into enormous blocks of ice as vast as mountains.

The Seven-Tails and its Tailed-Beast Bomb were likewise trapped within the frozen ice.

The Tailed-Beast Bomb's violent aura did not fade. It faintly reached its critical point.

Then came a thunderous boom as the Tailed-Beast Bomb exploded point-blank before the Seven-Tails.

The mountain-sized ice shattered and scattered in all directions, shooting deep into the forest, knocking down rows of trees and smashing countless enormous craters into the ground.

The Seven-Tails' aura was somewhat weak and listless, but it bore no obvious injuries.

Yayoi also let out a light breath. Controlling a puppet while releasing such a powerful ninjutsu all at once was taxing even for him.

Although the Seven-Tails ranked third among the Tailed Beasts in strength, behind only the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails, it was not at full strength in the end.

Remembering Madara Uchiha's battle from several months ago, where he had utterly overwhelmed the Seven-Tails, Yayoi knew he still had a long road ahead of him.

Because it was not at full strength, the Seven-Tails could not continuously use a technique like the Tailed-Beast Bomb for the time being.

Yayoi had seized upon that point. He immediately curled his fingers, sending Irori racing toward the Seven-Tails.

The Seven-Tails was wary. It could tell that the human controlling the puppet was no ordinary ninja.

Though he was far inferior to the Uchiha Red Eye who had nearly beaten it to death several months ago, he was certainly no pushover.

Thus, it beat the six cicada wings on its body, intending to fly into the sky and seize aerial superiority.

Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!

The Seven-Tails felt the ground beneath it soften. Before it could react, its body had sunk into a muddy swamp.

After casting the ninjutsu, Kakuzu did not hesitate. He immediately retreated, leaving wet footprints beneath his feet as he used the Water Body Flicker Technique to flee beyond the Seven-Tails' attack range.

Kakuzu's Earth Release could not truly restrain the Seven-Tails, but it could delay it for a moment.

Irori flashed above the Seven-Tails' head.

Like a fairy, Irori spun through the air. Her blue kimono swirled around her, while astonishing cold gathered beneath her feet and emitted a silvery-white radiance. She swung her leg at the Seven-Tails.

Ice Release: One-Slash Ice Burial!

Boom!

A blade-shaped block of ice crashed down from the sky and slashed heavily against the Seven-Tails' hard shell.

The Seven-Tails howled in pain, as though it might vomit up all the bitterness in its stomach. Its head swam with pain, and it bared its teeth in agony.

Thin ice sheets, light as paper, appeared beneath Irori's black wooden sandals. Using them as footholds, she ran nimbly through the air.

At every landing point, thin yet tough sheets of ice appeared in the air, allowing her to step on them.

Yayoi moved along with Irori, shifting his position.

The Seven-Tails roared furiously and opened its massive mouth. A small black sphere filled with destructive power shot directly toward Yayoi.

This was a Tailed-Beast Bullet.

It was essentially an infinitely weakened version of the Tailed-Beast Bomb. Its disadvantage was that it was far less powerful, while its advantage was that it could be fired instantly without charging.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

Yayoi formed seals one-handed with his free right hand, calmly responding.

One thick, towering earthen wall after another rose from the ground.

With him supplying vast amounts of chakra, the many earth walls created this time far surpassed the usual scale in both size and hardness.

Boom!

The Tailed-Beast Bullet's blast was blocked directly by the earthen walls. Rubble and dust scattered everywhere, revealing Yayoi behind them, completely unharmed.

Yayoi was not surprised by this at all. Though the strength his real body could display was inferior to Irori's puppet body, he was no weakling either.

He could not block a Tailed-Beast Bomb, but stopping a Tailed-Beast Bullet with power comparable to a high-level Fire Release technique was no problem.

Besides, not only ninjutsu—he was also deeply proficient in taijutsu.

It was just that if he rushed forward to fight a Tailed Beast in taijutsu, he would definitely be beaten to death.

Otherwise, coordinating with Irori in a joint assault would end this battle much faster.

Frosty stars soon illuminated the sky once more.

Countless ice spears once again streaked toward the earth like meteors.

The Seven-Tails fought back desperately, throwing back its head and howling as it used its body to withstand the meteor-like barrage of ice spears.

At the same time, Irori spread her hands. Pale cold air formed a raging torrent that poured toward the ground like a tsunami.

Ice Release: Snow Frost Slaughter!

A thick layer of white frost quickly formed over the Seven-Tails' body.

The freezing current raged, dyeing the forest with the deathly pallor of winter.

The earth and trees seemed to be stripped of all life in an instant.

The Seven-Tails' aura grew increasingly feeble, yet its struggles became more violent. The cold air did not hold for long before cracks sounded through the thick frost.

Yayoi's expression remained calm. Naturally, he knew the Seven-Tails would not be brought down so easily.

Fortunately, Irori's capabilities were best suited to capturing and restraining creatures of such enormous size.

Blades and spears made of ice, fueled by chakra, shot toward the Seven-Tails like white meteors tearing through the sky.

Cold air like a frigid current continued reinforcing the frost covering the Seven-Tails.

Kakuzu also occasionally stepped in, using his Earth Release to heap more earth over the Seven-Tails or long-range Water Release techniques to wear down its strength.

He also tossed out a few shuriken and kunai along the way. The damage was low, but the humiliation was immense, keeping the Seven-Tails enraged and irrational.

Only when the Seven-Tails' aura had completely withered did Yayoi stop Irori's assault.

Looking at the Seven-Tails, now transformed into a gigantic ice sculpture, Yayoi recalled Irori, drew a heavy breath, and sighed.

As expected of a Tailed Beast. Even weakened, it was not so easily subdued.

Although he was uninjured and could be said to have taken down the Seven-Tails without a scratch, he was exhausted.

Moreover, this was only because Irori countered the Seven-Tails' ability to fly and had frozen that ability with Ice Release from the very beginning. If the Seven-Tails had taken to the air, he could only have stared helplessly.

Though Irori possessed aerial combat capabilities as well, she was ultimately not as agile as the Seven-Tails.

The Seven-Tails was not particularly strong among the Tailed Beasts, but its unique mobility and aerial advantage allowed it to remain unbeaten in many situations.

Yayoi took two soldier pills from his ninja tool pouch and stuffed them into his mouth.

Kakuzu also walked over with a weary expression. Assisting in suppressing the Seven-Tails had consumed quite a bit of his chakra as well.

"Next..."

Just as Yayoi was about to approach the Seven-Tails, a black shadow flashed past him, and a ninja blade entered his field of vision.

Kakuzu's expression changed.

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

Kakuzu used the Body Flicker Technique to meet the attacker head-on, raising his blackened arm to block the incoming ninja blade.

Clang!

The ninja blade struck Kakuzu's arm with force, throwing off fierce sparks, yet it failed to even cut through his skin.

The attacker looked stunned, then quickly retreated with a slight change in expression.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Irori flashed ghostlike to the attacker's side and lightly touched her with a slender, jade-white finger.

A layer of white frost immediately formed over the attacker's body. From head to toe, only her head remained able to move.

Yayoi looked over the attacker. She was a young girl, perhaps twelve or thirteen years old, her childishness not yet gone.

She had long, straight black hair, snow-white skin, delicate features, and especially striking scarlet eyes bearing Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

"Sharingan... Are you from the Uchiha Clan?"

She wore a tight black ninja outfit beneath the layered armor unique to the Warring States Era, resembling a young female warrior.

Judging from her skilled fighting style, she had likely grown used to cutting people down, perhaps even become numb to it.

This was also a common failing of ninjas in the Warring States Era. Even children of four or five had to grow accustomed to killing, or they would be killed themselves.

Yayoi looked directly into the girl's Two-Tomoe Sharingan without fearing her genjutsu.

His chakra activity far exceeded that of ordinary ninjas, which meant genjutsu's control over him would be greatly weakened.

Even the Sharingan would find it difficult to hypnotize him with genjutsu, even at the Three Tomoe level.

The only thing he feared was the Mangekyō Sharingan, which surpassed the Three Tomoe.

The girl realized that even after she activated her Sharingan, the other party had not fallen for her genjutsu. She understood that her illusion techniques could not control him and clenched her teeth.

"Lord Yayoi, should I kill her?"

Kakuzu walked over, killing intent showing in his dark green eyes.

"You're thieves! The Seven-Tails was subdued by Lord Madara. It belongs to the Uchiha Clan!"

The girl shouted loudly. Though she was a prisoner, her red Sharingan showed not the slightest fear of death.

"..."

The girl's answer brought back unpleasant memories for Yayoi, making the corner of his mouth twitch.

Whenever he heard that name, he instinctively recalled his own useless self that night, pathetic as a lackey.

"That Lord Madara you speak of has no interest in a mere Seven-Tails."

Yayoi let out a soft breath and had Irori release the girl from her restraints.

From the girl's answer, the Uchiha Clan likely knew about the Seven-Tails. This girl had most likely come here on a mission from the Uchiha Clan.

That meant the Uchiha Clan was constantly aware of her whereabouts. If she died here, it would be troublesome.

Especially now that the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan had formed an alliance, it was better not to provoke them.

The girl frowned, seemingly not understanding what Yayoi meant.

Yayoi had no need to explain. After Madara Uchiha returned several months ago, he had probably only casually mentioned the Seven-Tails' whereabouts, which had stirred the interest of the other Uchiha ninja.

But the truth was that Madara Uchiha had no interest in the Seven-Tails. After beating it up, he had simply left.

The claim that the Seven-Tails belonged to the Uchiha Clan was merely wishful thinking on the part of the other Uchiha ninja.

If Madara Uchiha had left any mark on the Seven-Tails back then, Yayoi would never have dared set his sights on it. He would have sought out another Tailed Beast instead.

No longer paying attention to the Uchiha girl, Yayoi walked up to the Seven-Tails and controlled Irori to remove the frost covering it.

Cold air spilled outward, making Kakuzu and the Uchiha girl, who had followed over, shudder uncontrollably. Their teeth even clicked together a few times.

The Seven-Tails was barely alive, lying motionless on the ground without strength.

"You may leave now, little Uchiha girl."

Yayoi swept his gaze toward the Uchiha girl, signaling for her to leave.

What came next could not be witnessed by outsiders.

"This belongs to the Uchiha Clan. Why can't I stay?"

The Uchiha girl's Sharingan faded back into black-and-white eyes, yet her tone remained thoroughly impolite.

Kakuzu raised a brow, seemingly wanting to teach her a lesson about how to respect her elders.

Yayoi raised a hand to stop him and looked toward the girl.

"This is a crucial time for the Senju Clan and your Uchiha Clan's alliance. As a ninja of the Uchiha Clan, is it really all right for you not to return?"

"What did you say? An alliance with the Senju Clan!?"

The girl's eyes widened as if she had heard something unbelievable.

"Then it seems you have been out of touch with the outside world for some time. Half a month ago, the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan ceased hostilities and formally formed an alliance."

Yayoi gave the girl a strange look. She genuinely seemed to know nothing about it.

The girl's face turned livid, fury flashing in her eyes.

"Hey, even if you're making things up, at least make it believable! How could the Uchiha Clan possibly form an alliance with the Senju Clan?"

Her parents, younger brother, older sister, older brother, and countless clan members had all died at the hands of Senju Clan ninja.

If they had formed an alliance with the Senju Clan, what would happen to the blood-deep hatred she carried?

The feud between the two clans could only end when one of them was completely destroyed!

"This is common knowledge now."

Yayoi calmly replied, unconcerned by the girl's doubts.

Seeing how certain Yayoi sounded, the girl forced down her inner impulse and calmed herself.

She immediately turned around, preparing to return to her clan and verify whether Yayoi's news was true.

"Hey, little girl, what's your name?"

Yayoi's voice came from behind her.

The girl paused briefly, then ran away without looking back. Yet her voice still drifted over from afar.

"Izayoi. Uchiha Izayoi."

Watching the girl's departing figure, Yayoi turned his gaze back to the Seven-Tails.

"Lord Yayoi, are you interested in that Uchiha brat?"

Kakuzu was rather curious.

"Opening the Sharingan at her age means that, barring any accidents, she will at least become a high-ranking member of the Uchiha Clan in the future. There's no harm in getting acquainted early."

Yayoi answered.

He did not know whether this connection would prove useful in the future, but the more friends one had, the more paths opened up.

Especially in the years to come, Konoha, founded by the Senju and Uchiha, would become the center of the entire Ninja World. If the Land of Night wished to develop further in the future, contact with Konoha would be inevitable.

This great tide brought about by the march of the times would not shift according to any individual's will.

Kakuzu nodded. This was indeed Yayoi's style.

So long as it was not an irreconcilable blood feud, he would make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible.

He had followed Yayoi for nearly a decade. With his own eyes, he had watched Yayoi rise step by step from a lowly mercenary, eventually seize sovereignty over two countries, and become the final victor.

Besides the necessary use of force, uniting every external force that could be united was also indispensable support.

Otherwise, he would remain nothing more than an insignificant mercenary.

"Now we can begin."

At Yayoi's beckoning finger, Irori, dressed in a blue kimono, stepped closer to his side like a faithful servant.