Black Wolf had just witnessed Jing Xiu slaughter Uzumaki Changshou and the others.
Although Uzumaki Changshou was a jōnin, faced with Jing Xiu's unparalleled speed and Light Thunder's tremendous offensive power,
there was little difference between a jōnin and a genin.
Had Black Wolf ever fought the future Second Hokage, he would have understood just how powerful Jing Xiu's "Lightning Release: Light Thunder" was.
Over short distances, "Lightning Release: Light Thunder" was almost indistinguishable from the Flying Thunder God Slash.
The Flying Thunder God Slash required a mark to be placed before it could be used, while "Lightning Release: Light Thunder" was more like a Flying Thunder God Slash enhanced by a Flying Thunder God barrier.
But "Lightning Release: Light Thunder" had a limited range. With Jing Xiu's current stamina and explosive power, he could cut down almost any enemy within a hundred meters in an instant.
Beyond a hundred meters, "Light Thunder Flash" could not even touch an enemy's clothes, let alone kill them in one strike.
Jing Xiu raced onward, yet his senses told him that the distance between him and Madara was growing rather than shrinking.
Two hours later, the Land of Whirlpools' most treacherous region, the Uzumaki Sea, appeared before Jing Xiu.
On the sea's surface, enormous whirlpools churned around Whirlpool Island.
He saw Izuna lying unconscious on the ground, his fate unknown, and Madara, drenched in blood but still struggling to hold on.
He also saw Mito Uzumaki and Tobirama Senju sheltering behind Uzumaki Ashina, along with Kurama Natsuki, slumped in a wheelchair.
When Madara saw Jing Xiu, worry filled his heart, only to give way to acceptance a moment later.
Now that Jing Xiu is here, at worst, the three of us brothers will die together today. Even in the underworld, I can still protect them!
Jing Xiu looked at Madara, then at Uzumaki Ashina.
With Light Thunder in hand, he swept past Uzumaki Ashina at a speed the naked eye could barely follow, his blade driving straight toward Tobirama Senju's neck.
Mito Uzumaki truly deserved her reputation as the person with the purest Uzumaki bloodline in centuries. Although neither she nor Uzumaki Ashina could clearly see Jing Xiu's movements,
he had charged in from several hundred meters away, and her Mind's Eye of the Kagura could still sense his approximate trajectory.
Without hesitation, she shot out several Adamantine Sealing Chains, weaving them into a net in front of Tobirama Senju.
But Jing Xiu's Light Thunder was far too sharp. Even Uzumaki Changshou, who was considerably stronger than Mito,
had been unable to stop him with Adamantine Sealing Chains, much less Mito as she was now.
Still, the chains delayed Jing Xiu for a few moments. Tobirama Senju seized the opening to unleash the ninjutsu he was proudest of-and considered his most impressive-"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet."
A roaring water dragon descended from above as though subjugating every demon, swallowing Jing Xiu whole.
But Jing Xiu was like a demon that slew dragons. His raging lightning release chakra became a dragon-slaying blade, gutting the water dragon and splitting it in two.
Seeing the terrifying gleam of Jing Xiu's blade, Mito dared not let him get close.
Several Adamantine Sealing Chains bound the limbs of Tobirama, who still wanted to fight, as well as Izuna, who lay on the ground with his fate unknown, and carried them toward the depths of Whirlpool Island.
"Let me go, Mito Uzumaki! I haven't used my ultimate move yet! That damned Uchiha is no match for me!"
Mito's speed was nowhere near Jing Xiu's, even though she was considerably older and possessed reserves of chakra he could not begin to match.
Light Thunder swept past, and Tobirama Senju, who had been shouting nonstop a moment before, fell silent.
Mito's heart sank. Did the Senju Clan's second young master die under the protection of so many of us from the Uzumaki Clan?
Is this to be the Uzumaki Clan's ultimate fate?
We answered the Senju Clan's call and helped them surround and kill Uchiha Izuna. That was our vow of allegiance.
Now we've made mortal enemies of the Uchiha Clan. If we failed to protect the Senju Clan's second young master, wouldn't we have lost everything and gained nothing?
She wanted to turn back and check Tobirama Senju's condition, but she did not dare.
Jing Xiu smiled in satisfaction. Tobirama Senju was not dead, of course. His slash had merely severed the Adamantine Sealing Chains binding Tobirama's arms-and sliced off a piece of his scalp.
The Second Hokage, whose name would go down in the history of the Shinobi World, now hung upside down in midair. His silver hair had been reduced to a bald-crowned fringe, like that of a man in his seventies or eighties.
After staring blankly for a long moment, Tobirama Senju looked at the dripping blood and finally realized what had just happened.
He pulled a kunai from his ninja tool pouch and plunged it without hesitation into Kurama Natsuki's left breast. "Uchiha Jing Xiu! How dare you do this to me!"
"This is your woman, isn't she? From now on, whenever you're with her, I'll make sure you remember me!"
As he roared, he pulled out the kunai and aimed for her right breast.
Although Tobirama Senju's kunai strikes were not fatal, wounds like these would surely leave unspeakably ugly scars on a part of her body a girl cherished most.
Mito Uzumaki frowned at the nearly deranged Tobirama Senju. She could not condone his treatment of a young girl.
Although the girl was their captive, Tobirama Senju's twisted abuse of a helpless prisoner was difficult to justify.
As a young girl herself, Mito immediately bound the wild-eyed Tobirama Senju into a tightly wrapped bundle. "Young Master Tobirama, Uchiha Jing Xiu's blade is too fast."
"This is the only way I can protect you!"
Tobirama Senju, who had been hysterical only moments before, suddenly fell silent, reverting to the calculating second young master of the Senju Clan who had plotted against Uchiha Izuna.
"Uchiha Jing Xiu, I originally prepared two grand gifts for you. Unfortunately, that damned Akimichi ruined my plans."
"But it hardly matters now. Your younger brother and your woman are both in my hands."
"I can take their lives whenever I please!"
Hearing this, Jing Xiu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Tobirama Senju's words proved that Izuna was still alive.
Jing Xiu slowly approached the pair, each step weighing on their hearts.
Neither Mito nor Tobirama knew whether Jing Xiu's next step would unleash that astonishingly fast nintaijutsu.
Tobirama suddenly seemed to realize something. "Those ninja squads that have gone missing in the Land of Whirlpools lately-you had something to do with that, didn't you?"
Jing Xiu said nothing. As he drew closer, more and more sweat beaded on Tobirama's and Mito's foreheads.
Tobirama spoke faster. "Take another step, and I'll kill her!"
Although Mito had wrapped him up tightly, killing the immobile Kurama Natsuki or Izuna would not be difficult.
Only when Jing Xiu stopped did Tobirama Senju breathe a sigh of relief.
He glanced at Madara Uchiha, whose injuries were growing increasingly severe, knowing that time was on his side.
"Let's make a deal, Uchiha Jing Xiu. Cut off one of your arms, and I'll release one of them."
"Of course, if you cut off both your arms, I'll return them both to you!"
Jing Xiu understood his intentions perfectly. His figure vanished in a flash.
Mito Uzumaki did not hesitate either. The tips of two chains stabbed straight toward Kurama Natsuki and Izuna.
No matter what, she could not let Jing Xiu rescue them both.
Blue-white lightning flashed, and Jing Xiu returned to the spot where he had just stood.
The unconscious Natsuki was already on his back, while he held Izuna, whose fate remained unknown, in one hand.
Mito Uzumaki panicked a little. Even burdened by two people, Jing Xiu was still more than she and Tobirama Senju could handle together.
Yet, while neither Mito nor Jing Xiu was watching, an enigmatic smile curled the corners of Tobirama Senju's mouth!