The moment Menma saw Urashiki appear, his heart sank.
Almost instantly, Menma activated his Mind's Eye of Kagura. His sensory perception spread out silently like ripples.
Sure enough, in the shadows of the dense forest not far behind Naruto, he clearly captured three familiar Chakra Signatures. The Anbu squad consisting of Young Sasuke, Sai, and Uzuki Yugao was lurking nearby.
Not only that, but towards the coastline of the Land of Waves, three Chakra Signatures had just landed on the island. They were Jiraiya, Adult Sasuke, and Boruto.
'Trouble!' Alarm bells rang in Menma's mind.
Young Sasuke's Anbu squad was nearby, and Jiraiya along with Adult Sasuke and Boruto were also rushing over.
If a battle broke out with Urashiki, should he continue pretending to be a Konoha's Genin, or would he have to use Shura's power?
How could he hide himself in this battle while still causing this troublesome Urashiki some losses?
In the space of a spark, countless thoughts churned in his mind, but his body had already reacted instinctively.
He had to muddy the waters first!
"Idiot! This guy is obviously bad news! Run!" Menma shouted at Naruto, who was still looking up in confusion. At the same time, his right hand pulled a kunai from his thigh pouch and, without even looking, he hurled it at the white figure in the air!
The movement was clean and crisp. The kunai sliced through the air with a sharp hiss.
Urashiki, floating in the air, didn't even bother to look directly at it. He simply tilted his head gracefully, and the kunai flew past his hair.
However, the moment the kunai passed his ear, a huge explosion boomed as the exploding tag tied to its tail detonated!
Although the scorching flames and shockwave didn't harm Urashiki in the slightest, they made his white robe flutter slightly, and his form in the air swayed a bit awkwardly.
"Oh?" Urashiki uttered a light exclamation of surprise, seemingly interested in this sudden, somewhat clever attack.
But his gaze remained fixed on Naruto.
By now, Naruto had been jolted awake by Menma's shout. Although he didn't fully understand the situation, his intuition and trust in Menma made him turn without hesitation and run towards Tazuna's house.
"Trying to run? Not so easy." A playful smile curved at the corner of Urashiki's mouth. He flicked the strange red fishing rod in his hand, and a red fishing line shot out instantly, wrapping around Naruto's waist and binding him tightly.
"Wah! What is this?! Let me go!" Naruto felt a tremendous force from the fishing line, squeezing him until he could barely breathe. His feet left the ground as he was dragged towards Urashiki.
He struggled desperately, but like an insect caught in a web, it was futile.
"You bastard! Who are you?!" Naruto was hoisted in front of Urashiki by the fishing rod, his eyes filled with anger and the unwillingness of being suppressed, as he shouted.
Urashiki stroked his chin with his free hand, appraising Naruto like an admiring a soon-to-be-captured prey, clicking his tongue in wonder: "Indeed, you're much easier to catch at this age. Saves a lot of trouble. Uzumaki Naruto, just behave and..."
Before he could finish, a black figure charged in at high speed!
It was Menma!
He held another kunai tightly in his hand, his eyes sharp, targeting Urashiki's back!
The thrust was extremely fast.
However, Urashiki didn't even turn his head. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he casually raised his right foot and, with a seemingly effortless side kick, precisely struck Menma's hastily raised arm in a blocking motion!
Bang!
With a dull thud, Menma was sent flying backwards like he'd been hit by a speeding carriage, his body out of control. He crashed heavily into the trunk of a thick mangrove tree in the distance, then slid limply to the ground, kicking up dust, seemingly knocked unconscious.
"Hmm?" Urashiki frowned slightly, retracting his foot, and looked with some confusion at Menma lying on the ground.
"Strange... that moment just now, your Chakra felt... very unfamiliar, yet somewhat..." He sensed a slight anomaly from Menma, but it was fleeting, and with Naruto, his main target, right in front of him, he didn't investigate further.
To Urashiki, who had lived for millennia, he had seen too many occasionally 'special' bugs like this.
The moment Urashiki's attention was drawn by Menma…
"Strike!"
With a cool, low shout, three figures burst out from three different directions!
"Konoha-Style Swordsmanship!" Yugao moved like lightning, her Ninja Sword tracing a cold arc, aiming directly for Urashiki's right arm holding the rod.
On the other side, Young Sasuke's Sharingan activated instantly, his two tomoes spinning slowly, trying to catch Urashiki's movements. At the same time, his Ninja Sword swung with a shrill wind sound, slashing at Urashiki's lower body!
Their attacks were fast and ruthless, their coordination tacit, sealing off most of Urashiki's escape routes.
Urashiki's brow furrowed slightly, seemingly displeased with the interference of these 'bugs'.
He simply tapped his toe on the air, and his body floated upwards, perfectly evading the pincer attack from Yugao and Sasuke.
However, this seemed to be within Sai's calculations!
"Super Beast Imitating Drawing!"
A giant ink-colored eagle screeched as it shot up from the scroll beneath his feet. Just as Urashiki's body floated up, its sharp talons fiercely grasped Urashiki's right hand holding the fishing rod!
With a sharp tug…
"Ss-ah! Damn it!" Urashiki cried out in pain, and the fishing line released its hold on Naruto.
Naruto cried out in surprise as he fell from mid-air, but was steadily caught by the ink eagle, which quickly carried him away from Urashiki.
Failing their attack, Yugao and Sasuke didn't linger. They immediately retreated and regrouped with Sai, who had rescued Naruto, forming a triangular formation to protect Naruto in the center.
"I-I'm saved!" Naruto patted his chest, still shaken, then pointed at the Anbu's member wearing a white cat mask, whose build and feeling were intensely familiar. He thought for a moment before shouting, "You! You're Sasuke! Right! I knew it was you, you stuck-up jerk!"
The masked Young Sasuke turned his head, giving Naruto a cold glance through the eyeholes of his mask. His voice came through the mask, carrying suppressed annoyance: "Idiot! Be quiet!"
Although his tone was unfriendly, that familiar tone instantly reassured Naruto.
He didn't understand why Sasuke was wearing a mask and acting with two other strangers, but since it was Sasuke, he was definitely on their side!
Menma also clutched his chest, pretending to barely hold himself up as he returned to Naruto's side. A trace of blood hung from the corner of his mouth. His gaze swept cautiously over the three masked figures, deliberately using a panting, confused tone: "Are you... Anbu? Who is this guy anyway?"
Young Sasuke shook his head, his Sharingan fixed on Urashiki, who had regained his balance in the air and looked somewhat annoyed by Sai's attack. "I don't know. But from that brief exchange, he's very strong, and... very strange."
Sai pointed at Urashiki's eyes, which had turned an ice-clear white, his tone carrying a hint of gravity: "Look at his eyes... they seem to be... Byakugan."
Having come from Root, he had a far greater understanding of various Kekkei Genkai and Dojutsu than most.
As captain, Yugao quickly made a decision: "Menma, you immediately protect Naruto and retreat to Tazuna's house, rendezvous with Kakashi-senpai! Sasuke, Sai, stay with me and hold him off! Buy time for the retreat!"
"Yes!" Sasuke and Sai answered in unison.
Before the words faded, Yugao had already become a purple afterimage, charging at Urashiki with her Ninja Sword!
Sasuke quickly thrust his Ninja Sword into the ground, formed hand seals rapidly before his chest, his chest swelled, and scorching Chakra coalesced.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A massive flame dragon, radiating terrifyingly high heat, roared from Sasuke's mouth, its claws extended as it lunged at Urashiki in the air!
Facing the onrushing fire dragon, Urashiki simply curled his lip disdainfully, raised his right hand, palm forward, and uttered a single word lightly: "Begone."
An invisible wave of overwhelming repulsive force erupted from the center of his palm!
As if an invisible wall had appeared out of thin air, the powerful Fire Dragon Flame Bullet collided with this 'wall' and, like waves hitting a reef, was instantly repelled, shattering into countless sparks that dissipated in the air!
It didn't even touch Urashiki's clothes!
"What?!" Young Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply, his face showing disbelief.
'My full-powered Fire Dragon Flame Bullet... had been deflected so easily?!'
"Several troublesome brats. It seems I need to clean up a bit." Urashiki seemed to lose his patience for play. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he swung his red fishing rod again!
This time, the fishing hook moved like lightning, even surpassing the capturing limit of the Sharingan!
"Careful!" Yugao only had time to shout a warning before she felt a chill in her chest!
That red fishing hook seemed to ignore her Ninja Sword block and evasive movement, penetrating her defense and 'hooking' directly into her chest!
There was no physical wound, but an indescribable cold instantly spread through her body!
The Chakra within her, like a breached dam, was frantically being drained away along that red fishing line, uncontrollably!
"Ugh!" Yugao let out a pained groan. All the strength in her body seemed to be drained in an instant. Her legs gave way, and she knelt on one knee, her Ninja Sword clattering to the ground. Her body trembled violently, and her face turned as pale as paper.
In a single blow, this experienced Anbu Captain was incapacitated!
"Captain Yugao!" Seeing this, Sai didn't hesitate. He performed Super Beast Imitating Drawing again. An ink-colored Kirin charged at Urashiki with a roar, trying to distract him, while another ink bird dove down, grasped the weakened Yugao with its claws, and quickly carried her from the danger zone.
Urashiki easily sidestepped the charging ink Kirin. Looking at Sai's technique, he showed a hint of appreciation instead: "Oh? Turning Chakra into solid ink for attack and creation? That's a rather unique technique among you natives."
Meanwhile, Menma had grabbed Naruto and was quickly retreating towards Tazuna's house.
"Trying to run? Not so easy." Urashiki's lips curled in a cat-and-mouse smile, ignoring Sai's harassment.
He casually traced a line in the air, and a Yomotsu Hirasaka, its edges flickering with black, abruptly appeared directly in front of Menma and Naruto's retreat path!
The moment the portal opened, Urashiki stepped out from within, perfectly blocking Menma and Naruto!
Menma, seemingly caught off guard, appeared to try to protect Naruto, but was casually kicked in the abdomen again by Urashiki!
"Pff!" Menma spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backwards like a broken kite. This time, he even snapped a bowl-thick tree before crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up dust, and falling completely silent.
"Menma-nii!!!" Naruto watched helplessly as Menma was critically injured again trying to shield him, his life unknown. An unprecedented rage instantly shattered his reason!
His eyes bloodshot, he roared at Urashiki: "You bastard! I'll never forgive you!!"
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof poof poof poof poof—!
Hundreds of Naruto's shadow clones appeared instantly, like an orange tide, roaring as they surged at Urashiki from all directions!
Some held kunai, some were empty-handed, but every face had a desperate determination!