Combination Ninjutsu Shows Its Might!

"Of course, Sensei!"

Uchiha Yuan knew that although he had not seen Orochimaru for a week, the man definitely knew how his training was progressing.

Of course, that was the progress he had deliberately allowed others to see.

In reality, after rapidly mastering the Spiritualisation Technique and Phantom Lotus Kill, Uchiha Yuan had already reached the point where he could easily keep his soul out of his body for three hours.

And under those conditions, he could use Phantom Lotus Kill around ten times.

If Orochimaru knew his student was capable of this, his jaw would probably drop to the floor in shock.

"Yuan-kun, before you demonstrate your training progress, I must remind you that this concerns your life. Please be especially cautious."

Orochimaru's Chakra suddenly turned cold and sinister. Only after Uchiha Yuan demonstrated ninjutsu training that met the requirements did it return to normal.

"Not bad!"

"Shion! Bring Yuan-kun with me. Ryo-kun and Anko will join you later. Your task for the rest of the mission is to protect Yuan-kun."

At dawn, when the first ray of sunlight danced across the sea, Kurama Shion and Uchiha Yuan finally met Hyuga Ryo and Mitarashi Anko.

After just one day apart, both female ninja were wrapped in bandages from head to toe. They had clearly gone through a fierce battle the night before.

Anko looked considerably better than Hyuga Ryo.

The three female ninja exchanged glances, and even Anko could not help envying Uchiha Yuan.

This guy had not suffered a single injury, yet wounded people had to protect him!

It was simply outrageous—more infuriating than someone living off a woman!

Uchiha Yuan could only shake his head with a bitter smile.

Soon, he would face the Three-Tails head-on. At that point, getting injured would be the least of his concerns. One careless mistake, and he would lose his life.

Fortunately, the silent, awkward atmosphere did not last long. A Root ninja at Danzo's side led Uchiha Yuan and the others to an open area atop the mountain.

Protected by dozens of Root ninja, Danzo stood gazing into the distance.

At the edge of his vision, Isobu exhaled a thin mist to hinder the approaching human ninja.

"Lord Danzo, the ninja arranged by Lord Orochimaru have arrived."

Danzo looked over the four members of the Orochimaru Squad and said coldly, "From now on, you are under my command. Just follow orders."

Naturally, the four of them did not dare disobey.

However, Uchiha Yuan gained a new understanding of Danzo, one of the Hidden Leaf Village Higher-Ups.

Setting aside this man's shameless and despicable attempt on his life not long ago, his composure as he commanded the Hidden Leaf Village ninja against the Hidden Mist Village, despite victory already being within his grasp, was a rare kind of presence even across the ninja world.

Thinking of how the Uchiha Clan would be destroyed in the coming years, with Danzo surely involved behind the scenes, Uchiha Yuan instinctively became wary.

By late morning, the battle of attrition between the Hidden Mist Village, the Hidden Leaf Village, and Isobu came to a temporary halt.

Danzo, burdened with thoughts, shifted his gaze toward Uchiha Yuan.

"Use the Spiritualisation Technique. Try to sense the Three-Tails' Chakra. I know you need a mark."

Danzo's order came suddenly, but Uchiha Yuan knew it was his turn to act.

He swiftly formed Hand Seals and guided his soul out of his body.

From more than ten kilometers away, Uchiha Yuan immediately sensed a gigantic creature in the lake at the foot of the mountain, half-heartedly dealing with the ninja attacks.

Like a bored cat batting at butterflies for amusement.

That was Isobu, the Three-Tails.

Through his soul's perception, Isobu's Chakra composition was very similar to the Nine-Tails Chakra he had encountered before, but its Chakra nature was completely different.

Wind, water, and the Kekkei Genkai of ice.

Steady, nimble, ethereal—countless strange sensations blended together within it.

Uchiha Yuan could feel the intense yearning of the Demonic Statue Fragment, and he felt the same way himself.

It was a greedy urge to feed.

"Enough. Make your move! Don't let the Hidden Mist Village's Sealing Master gain the upper hand!"

Looking down from the mountain, the powerful, agile ninja moved across the water like ants.

Yet in the next breath, Uchiha Yuan could see Isobu's empty left eye socket below him, its ugly scar especially hideous.

With Isobu's enormous body as the dividing line, ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hidden Mist Village attacked furiously.

Before they had fully exhausted the Three-Tails' strength, they had temporarily forgotten the conflict between their villages.

But this was Sea Country, and the Hidden Mist Village ninja skilled in Water Release held the advantage of terrain.

Under ANBU cover, the Hidden Leaf Village's Sealing Team could only helplessly withdraw farther and farther away.

At that very moment, after being worn down for so long, Isobu began to show signs of fatigue.

Among the composed Hidden Mist Village ninja, an old man with two long strands of beard and round-framed glasses strode over the waves.

Compared to the young faces of the Hidden Leaf Village's Sealing Team, the old man was unhurried and composed, every movement carrying calm certainty.

Harusame! The Hidden Mist Village's only—and strongest—sealing ninja.

The instant he touched the Three-Tails, his ant-like body erupted with immense sealing Chakra.

He only needed to restrain and claim the Three-Tails for the moment. With the Hidden Leaf Village interfering, this was not the right time to seal Isobu into a Jinchuriki's body.

Harusame's plan was clear, but his Hand Seals abruptly stopped.

When he looked up, a young ninja wearing a Hidden Leaf Village Forehead Protector was crouching atop Isobu's head, grinning down at him.

"Old man, keeping busy? You don't mind if this junior makes things a little harder for you, do you?"

Though he spoke with a grin, Uchiha Yuan had already completed the Hand Seals for Phantom Lotus Kill.

At full power, the sensations of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch all seemed to be dragged into a vortex.

Harusame was horrified. Ninja skilled in Sealing Techniques feared nothing more than interference.

Although the Three-Tails was already exhausted, he absolutely could not perform the sealing without first dealing with this Hidden Leaf Village ninja using the Spiritualisation Technique.

Come to think of it, this was Harusame's first time encountering such a situation.

When he had sealed the Six-Tails before, the Hidden Mist Village ninja had worn it down to the brink before he acted.

Faced with this bizarre turn of events, he immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat.

Uchiha Yuan secretly laughed. The old man had missed his best chance to seal it.

Just as his teacher Orochimaru had said, Tailed Beasts had extremely poor resistance to genjutsu.

Uchiha Yuan merely created an illusion of extreme pain and fed it back to the Three-Tails through its five senses.

That foolish turtle, which had willingly accepted sealing, immediately became enraged.

Its mountain-like body twisted, sending towering waves surging as enormous whirlpools appeared and vanished.

The sky darkened. Gale-force winds howled, rain poured down, and the temperature dropped uncontrollably as icy crystals flashed through the air.

Under the effects of the genjutsu, Isobu's full strength could briefly change the very face of heaven and earth!

Seeing the Hidden Mist Village ninja rapidly flee and Sealing Master Harusame temporarily retreat, Uchiha Yuan finally let out a long breath and instantly returned to his body.

That was the convenience of the Spiritualisation Technique. As long as he could sense Chakra, he could arrive in an instant—even at his own body.

When Uchiha Yuan opened his eyes, Shion and Ryo could not hide their delight, while Anko merely curled her lips.

Uchiha Yuan was stealing far too much of the spotlight.

"Well done!"

Danzo rarely offered praise.

"Get ready. Isobu will break free of the genjutsu soon, and you will need to act again."

Uchiha Yuan felt that this Hidden Leaf Village elder might secretly possess the power of a cursed crow.

The moment Danzo finished speaking, the phenomenon that had changed heaven and earth vanished.

Under Harusame's desperate efforts after returning, Isobu successfully broke free of the genjutsu.

But after regaining its senses, that foolish turtle showed no intention of resisting at all, simply lying there as though it would let the Hidden Mist Village seal it without a care.

Through intelligence relayed by Sensor Ninja, Danzo learned of this immediately.

Thus, several breaths later, Uchiha Yuan appeared atop Isobu's head once more.

Facing old Harusame, who had arrived in an instant, Uchiha Yuan formed Hand Seals and spoke with a grin.

"Old man, didn't expect that, did you? I'm back so soon!"

"You wouldn't want to hit me, would you?"

Still grinning, he completed the Hand Seals for Phantom Lotus Kill once again.

This time, Uchiha Yuan deliberately designated Isobu as the target. With all his strength, he produced Yin-natured Chakra that bewildered the five senses and poured it wholesale into Isobu's body.