Boom!
The giant tree was cleaved straight in two!
Dust billowed into the sky!
"Kurotsuchi!"
Two figures raced toward the base of the giant tree.
Kitsuchi's eyes nearly split with anguish. My precious daughter, you have to be all right!
The other man was, of course, Akatsuchi, who was close to Kurotsuchi.
His face was also filled with worry.
An attack like that was not something flesh and blood could withstand.
By the time they reached the base of the giant tree, Gamabunta had just withdrawn his blade.
The two began searching for Kurotsuchi.
Nothing?
Had she been crushed to a pulp?
Impossible!
There wasn't even any blood!
"Dad! Akatsuchi!"
"I'm here!"
The two turned toward her voice.
They found Kurotsuchi's entire body buried underground, with only her head showing!
"I used Earth Release to escape underground!"
"Trying to kill me? Hmph!"
Kurotsuchi looked smug.
Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi both breathed deep sighs of relief.
She was safe. That was all that mattered!
But a voice reached their ears a moment later.
"You think that makes you safe?"
"Cut them down!"
The three looked up to see a massive blade descending on them.
The wind it stirred up distorted their faces.
"Get out of the way!"
Kitsuchi shoved Akatsuchi aside and told Kurotsuchi to burrow deeper underground.
By the time he had done all that, it was too late for him to dodge.
"Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique!"
Kitsuchi's fist transformed into a massive rock fist, and he slammed it into the edge of the huge blade.
The blade failed to cut through Kitsuchi's rock fist.
Instead, a notch was left in the blade.
The massive blade bounced back, and Gamabunta let out a surprised grunt.
Clearly, he had not expected this human to be capable of that.
"Haha, Gamabunta, you're