"Black Coffin!"
Chakra transformed into an unknown black substance, rapidly condensing and accumulating with Yugito at the center.
The surrounding space seemed to warp under immense power, and light itself was swallowed, creating a dark, oppressive zone that enveloped most of the Cloud ninjas.
Within seconds, a massive black cube fully materialized. Countless jagged, menacing crosses sprouted from its top, and its surface radiated an eerie, profound black glow—a mysterious object seemingly from another dimension, descending upon the ninja world with overwhelming pressure.
"Damn it, what is that thing?"
"This feeling... is this really a ninjutsu?"
"Lady Yugito is trapped! Everyone, destroy this technique immediately!"
The few Cloud ninjas standing further away were pale with shock. A terror akin to the apocalypse gripped their hearts. Forcing down the primal urge to turn and flee, they unleashed their ninjutsu against the ominous black wall.
Flames, water currents, wind blades... before the techniques could even strike the surface of the Black Coffin, they were dispersed by the terrifying fluctuations of chakra.
"It's completely ineffective!"
"Who is the enemy?"
"Don't panic! If we take down the caster, we can save Lady Yugito!" shouted one of the oldest-looking ninjas.
He patted the shoulder of a young ninja beside him and pulled out all the explosive tags he had, holding them out. "Go take out the caster. We'll provide cover."
"Me?" the young ninja stammered, startled.
Then, with a look of determination, he took the explosive tags. "Understood! I won't let you down!"
The Cloud ninjas' minds raced as they quickly coordinated their tactics.
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the sharp, grating sound of rubble falling from the outpost's outer wall.
Through the cracks in the outpost's wall, the Konoha defenders looked up at the sky, seeing only a white figure standing high above.
Blinding sunlight poured down from the horizon. To the Konoha ninjas, the brilliant sun seemed to hang right behind Makiya, bathing his white haori in a layer of golden light.
The scene was so surreal that many ninjas rubbed their eyes, checking to see if they were dreaming.
"It seems I'm not too late," a light chuckle drifted down from the sky, snapping the Konoha ninjas out of their daze.
"Lord Makiya!" Hamaki Mimura's eyes filled with tears. Thank goodness. With Lord Makiya here, they wouldn't have to die.
Come to think of it, this was the second time Lord Makiya had saved him!
Unable to repay such a debt of gratitude, Hamaki Mimura could only silently resolve to follow Lord Makiya to the death.
Several veterans reassigned from the Stone front were equally thrilled. They took the initiative to operate the outpost's mechanisms, swinging the heavy gates open to welcome Makiya.
Under everyone's gaze, Makiya descended from the sky step by step.
Behind him, the background shifted from the sun to the azure sky and the endless forest. Finally, the horrific Black Coffin came into view, its purple-black light reflecting off Makiya's white haori, adding a touch of sinister beauty to his presence.
'Is this Lord Makiya's secret sealing technique? It's terrifying.' Hamaki Mimura's eyelids twitched. As the backdrop changed, the messenger born from the sun transformed into a demon from hell. The stark contrast only made... him more worthy of worship!
Makiya stepped into the outpost and stood before the group. His eyes quickly swept over them, noting that fewer than ten ninjas had died, while there were less than twenty seriously wounded. The rest were lightly injured.
To maintain such a low casualty rate while securing the outpost and sending out a distress signal against a surprise attack led by a Jinchuriki—these defenders were quite capable.
War was a trial. Those who failed met only death. Under the constant pressure of life-and-death crises, those who survived were all battle-hardened veterans or geniuses.
Makiya nodded. "You all did well."
"It's all thanks to Captain Hamaki's leadership," a nearby ninja added.
Hamaki Mimura scratched his head, thinking of his former comrades. He said regretfully, "My experience was all bought with the blood of my friends. If only...
"
"There are no 'ifs.' One must always look forward," Makiya interrupted, then commanded, "Now, gather the wounded and begin medical treatment. Your battle is over."
"Look out, Lord Makiya! The enemy is attacking!" a ninja suddenly shouted.
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw the remaining Cloud ninjas swiftly bypassing the Black Coffin. They moved into formation, forming hand signs and charging toward Makiya with murderous intent.
"My Lord, let us handle them. Save your chakra to maintain the Jinchuriki's seal." Hamaki Mimura led a few men forward.
"It's fine. Let them come. Go tend to the wounded," Makiya stopped them.
Every Konoha ninja who had been about to strike immediately froze, obeying Makiya's order to begin treating their comrades—a perfect display of discipline.
Man, they really are obedient.
Makiya glanced at them, truly feeling the influence on his status that came with increased strength.
"Wind Style: Obscuring Smoke Sand!"
The lead Cloud ninja released a sandstorm, obscuring everyone's vision. His companions immediately followed up with hand signs.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Blade..."
"Fire Style: Fire Blade..."
"Combination Jutsu: Thunder-Fire Blade!!!"
Red and white hues brewed within the dust as lightning and fire intertwined, emitting terrifying energy.
Makiya snapped his fingers. A golden line of fire extended across the ground, forming a semicircle in front of everyone. Simultaneously, the top of the Black Coffin began to collapse and dissipate.
"It's working!" The young Cloud ninja's face lit up with joy. He immediately increased his chakra output, making the obscuring dust even thicker.
"That strange barrier is disappearing! Give it your all!"
"Kill him!"
The Thunder-Fire Blade sliced through the air. The Cloud ninjas maintaining the combined jutsu leaped over the golden fire line on the ground, with the others following close behind, charging with a roar.
Just as they crossed the line of fire, extreme heat rose from the ground. Golden flames instantly transformed into a wall of fire, engulfing the Cloud ninjas.
"What kind of fire is this?"
"Aaaargh!"
Only two people had time to utter a final cry; most didn't even have a chance to react. The golden flames swept through them like a reaper's scythe.
The sandstorm was disrupted by a sudden burst of air. The ninja maintaining it had already been reduced to a charred husk. The explosive tags on him were ruined by the heat before they could be used, his face still frozen in the joy of imminent success.
The twin blades of thunder and fire continued their flight, intertwining to form a spiral drill that surged toward Makiya.
Golden flames and the thunder-fire drill collided violently, grinding against each other until they both dissipated, leaving deep gouges in the earth from the resulting shockwaves.
Ultimately, Makiya proved superior. The combined ninjutsu vanished completely, leaving only a light breeze that reached him, ruffling his hair.
"What gave you the illusion that you could even get close to me?"
Makiya brushed the dust off his shoulder.
"How is this possible..." The Cloud ninja who had unleashed the fire blade stared at Makiya in disbelief until the flames consumed him entirely.
"What a pity."
The old Cloud ninja who had used the lightning blade collapsed. Gold flames scorched his body, reducing everything to ash. Curiously, the fire had deliberately spared his head.
'He wants me to witness the deaths of my subordinates?' the old ninja thought with a cold sneer. The death of his group was expected, but their goal had been achieved. As long as Lady Yugito was freed from the seal, it was all worth it.
"Lady Yugito will avenge us!" The old ninja's neck snapped, his head rolling onto the ground. In the final two seconds before his consciousness faded, Yugito, in whom he had placed all his hopes, appeared in his field of vision.
The pitch-black substance slowly vanished. Blood sprayed from Yugito's body as she slumped to the ground under the old ninja's disbelieving gaze.
The other Cloud elites hadn't been spared either. They lay scattered, their flesh torn and skin mangled. Not a single patch of skin remained intact. A pungent stench of blood filled the air as the ground was dyed red.
The main elite force—wiped out!
The Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii—status unknown.
"How... can... this..." The old ninja's final thought flickered as his eyes remained wide, unable to rest in peace.
"Hmm?" Makiya looked back in confusion, finding the group of Konoha ninjas frozen in place.
"What are you all staring at?" Makiya's voice snapped them out of it. "A minor nuisance is easily dealt with. Don't make a fuss; get back to your duties."
"...Yes, Lord Makiya." Everyone knelt on one knee, their respect deepening as they dutifully followed his orders to clean up the outpost.
Makiya extended his senses but found no trace of the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B. He felt a hint of regret.
The Cloud's Raikage, Ay, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, were a powerful duo rising to fame in the ninja world, known as the A-B combo.
If B dared to show his face, Makiya wouldn't mind turning them into the A-Dead-B combo.
However, the Two-Tails was also good. They were both fire users, and Makiya was quite interested in the Two-Tails' flames. He planned to study them.
He pulled out a sealing scroll he had prepared beforehand and stepped through the sticky blood to crouch beside Yugito.
He flipped Yugito over with one hand so she lay face-up. Fragments of her torn clothes slid away, and her auburn hair, matted with blood, happened to cover the vital areas.
Hostile allegiances and ninja identities aside, Yugito was quite a beauty. Unfortunately, on the battlefield, it was kill or be killed—there was no room for mercy.
To collect Tailed Beast chakra, Makiya had deliberately beaten her to the brink of death. If a Jinchuriki died, the Tailed Beast died with them, only to be reborn elsewhere many years later.
Flames dried the blood. Makiya spread the sealing scroll before him and placed his right hand on Yugito's flat abdomen.
A complex formula emerged on the surface of her skin.
This was the Cloud's exclusive formula for sealing Tailed Beasts, but its basic structure and logic were very familiar to Makiya. It closely resembled several sealing techniques from the Land of Whirlpools he had studied.
Or rather, many of the sealing techniques used by the Great Nations today were essentially variants of the Land of Whirlpools' techniques.
When Uzushiogakure was destroyed, a vast amount of precious data and documents were looted. The Great Nations took the largest shares, and it was hard to say whether the Foundation had a hand in it as well.
After studying it for a while, Makiya deciphered part of the seal's structure.
He formed a hand sign with one hand, coated his palm in chakra, and pressed down firmly against Yugito's abdomen.
"Seal, Release!"
>
Sign
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