"Lightning Style: Roaring Thunder!"
"Lightning Style: Swift Thunder Arrow!"
"Lightning Style: Thunder Bullet!"
"Cloud Style: Flying Bird!"
In an instant, a barrage of brilliant lightning strikes surged toward the group. Orochimaru pressed both hands against the ground, and three massive, ornate gates erupted from the earth.
[Summoning: Triple Rashomon]!
Since the First Hokage, Orochimaru was the only one in the Hidden Leaf capable of this specific summoning jutsu. It served as a nearly impenetrable shield against ninjutsu. While even a complete [Fivefold Rashomon] could only barely deflect a Tailed Beast Bomb from the Nine-Tails, the Triple version was more than enough to withstand the combined Lightning Style of these Cloud ninjas.
Seeing the gates rise, Kiyoshi immediately grabbed Natsu Hyuga with his left hand and Kurenai with his right, pulling them behind the cover.
Inside Yugito, the Two-Tails Matatabi was the smallest of all Tailed Beasts, and consequently, its Tailed Beast Bomb was the smallest as well. Orochimaru's defense might actually hold. Of course, only Kiyoshi possessed this specific intelligence.
Sensing the massive chakra being refined by Yugito Nii, Orochimaru's expression darkened. He bit his fingertip, smeared blood across his palm, and slammed it down.
*Poof!*
As the white smoke cleared, a colossal purple serpent appeared behind the Rashomon gates.
"Deal with them for me, Manda," Orochimaru rasped.
"Hmph, Orochimaru. If you're short by even one sacrifice after this, I won't forgive you," Manda hissed in human speech, his massive body coiling forward.
"Kiyoshi, take the others and leave first," Orochimaru commanded, turning his head. The others were nothing but baggage here. Alone, Orochimaru had countless ways to escape.
"Understood," Kiyoshi nodded. The Cloud might be here for him, but he had no intention of going back so soon. He hadn't yet learned powerful techniques like [Izanagi] or [Izanami]; returning to the Cloud Village now would sever his path to Sage Art, as no one there understood it.
Kiyoshi led the group away immediately, and the others followed without hesitation.
"The Sannin indeed have some skill."
Yugito Nii, who had only recently completed her secluded training in the mountains to communicate with her Tailed Beast, was powerful but lacked experience.
Against a battle-hardened veteran like Orochimaru, her flaws in chakra control and combat finesse began to show. Because she possessed a Tailed Beast, she often relied on raw power to crush opponents, neglecting her individual refinement.
Two minutes later.
Yugito's body was wreathed in ghostly blue chakra patterned with black flames, roaring into the air.
*Boom!*
A terrifying, cat-like beast materialized on the field. Manda was beaten back step by step. A jet-black Tailed Beast Bomb erupted from Matatabi's mouth, instantly leveling the surrounding area.
"Damn it, Orochimaru! The sacrifice count must be raised! Just what kind of monster are you fighting!" Manda roared before vanishing in a cloud of smoke, retreating back to Ryuchi Cave.
Orochimaru didn't answer. His legs turned fluid, and he slithered across the ground like a snake, rapidly retreating from the blast zone.
...
"Kiyoshi, what should we do?" Tekka Uchiha's face was slick with sweat. He had never seen a battle of this scale. Even at this distance, the earth-shaking explosions were terrifying. The sudden violence left everyone in the group panicked.
This was completely beyond their grade. If even a Jonin couldn't handle this, wouldn't a group of Chunin and Genin be walking into their graves?
Except for Kiyoshi. His expression remained unchanged throughout. He had his own trump card. The Sharingan was naturally restrictive toward Tailed Beasts—almost as if it were a countermeasure specifically designed to handle them.
*Roar!*
The group hadn't traveled far before the roar of the Tailed Beast echoed from behind. Kiyoshi stopped in his tracks. If they kept running, they wouldn't escape. The only way was to stall Yugito. And there was only one way to stall her fast enough to buy escape time.
"Kiyoshi Uchiha, surrender. I won't kill you, and I'll spare your companions," Yugito Nii said, catching up and taking a breath. Tailed Beast chakra ultimately belonged to the beast; using it for extended periods took a toll on the host's body.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
The remaining Cloud ninjas gathered behind her, their numbers significantly thinned from the initial encounter.
"Is that so?" Kiyoshi stepped forward with a light smile.
"Caught up again," Orochimaru noted from a tree a hundred meters away, his eyes fixed on the scene. He swallowed a forbidden medicine he had developed, and his chakra began to recover rapidly.
He intended to stall them again once he was ready. A little further ahead was the scouting range of the Hyuga clan. Once they reached that, reinforcements from both the Uchiha and Hyuga would arrive, and the crisis would be resolved.
As Orochimaru prepared to move in, he saw Kiyoshi walking toward Yugito step by step.
"Kiyoshi, don't go!" Kurenai tried to grab him, but Natsu Hyuga was faster, pressing a hand onto Kurenai's shoulder. Natsu knew Kiyoshi always acted with purpose; he wasn't the type to show off recklessly.
"What now? Is Kiyoshi surrendering?" Tetsu Hyuga looked on in disbelief, yet felt helpless. Deep down, he felt a faint sense of relief—if Kiyoshi surrendered, perhaps the rest of them would be safe.
"Surrendering doesn't mean they'll let us go," Tekka Uchiha said, much more level-headed. He knew that given the Cloud's "bandit" nature, they wouldn't let other Bloodline users walk away.
"I believe Kiyoshi-kun knows what he's doing," Natsu said firmly.
Asuma Sarutobi and the others watched Kiyoshi intensely. If it wasn't a surrender, then what was it? Did Kiyoshi actually have a way to solve this predicament?
"Good. Just keep coming," Yugito said. Tailed Beast chakra still flickered around her, and a fluffy chakra tail had manifested at her waist.
Kiyoshi continued walking until he reached the optimal range. The Sharingan has its limits; Genjutsu is most effective at a specific distance.
In a split second, a red light flashed in Kiyoshi's eyes. His ocular power invaded Yugito's body.
"!"
Yugito was struck by a sudden jolt of horror. She tried to look away, but it was too late. Being aware of something at the speed of an electromagnetic wave is one thing, but dodging it is another; it requires pure prediction.
The world of lush green forests in Yugito's eyes instantly transformed. She found herself standing in a dark, damp, and cavernous space.