The atmosphere in the Hokage's Office was tenser than ever. An emergency intelligence scroll from Kirigakure lay open before Tsunade, bearing images recorded by sensory ninja-a vast, mountainlike mass of dark purple flesh moved slowly across an ink-green sea, countless tentacles writhing over its surface. Wherever it passed, the seawater turned murky and viscous, fish rolled belly-up and died, and even birds in the sky were twisted by an invisible force and fell.
"We've confirmed that it's the main body of the 'Aberrant Tumor Core' that escaped control at the laboratory in the Land of Rice Fields," Tsunade said gravely. "It's larger than the reports described, and its energy readings are stronger. Mei Terumi estimates that, at its current speed and heading, it will reach the densely populated coastal regions of the Land of Water in three days at most."
She looked at Ling, Kakashi, Yamato, and Neji, who had swiftly assembled. "The situation is critical. Kirigakure has requested immediate assistance. Their ninja are helpless against this contamination. The Purifying Karma unit must depart at once. Your objective is... to intercept that thing at sea and destroy as much of it as possible!"
"Understood!" Ling agreed without hesitation. Through the residual energy signature on the scroll, he could sense the suffocating pressure emanating from that distant monstrosity.
"There's one more piece of news," Tsunade said, her tone softening slightly as she looked out the window. "Naruto has just returned from Mount Myōboku."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the office door flew open, and Naruto burst in excitedly. "Granny! Ling! Kakashi-sensei! I'm back! Look, this is the power of Senjutsu!"
The orange markings around his eyes were clearly visible, and the aura surrounding him was harmonious and powerful. He seemed like an entirely different person from when he had