"Sakura, Ino, retreat to the shore. Neji, activate your Byakugan and keep an eye on the entire battlefield. Be ready to provide support at any time. Shino, Kiba, Tenten, and Lee, the four of you keep an eye on the injured. If anyone can't hold on or gets hurt, provide immediate assistance. Let Ino and Sakura take care of the healing. The rest of us will deal with the Three-Tails. It would be best if we defeat it and seal it away." Kakashi calmly gave instructions, pretending as if he hadn't noticed that the Three-Tails was being controlled.
"Behold my Leaf Gale!" Rock Lee launched a powerful upper kick, rotating at high speed, directly hitting the Three-Tails' back. Unfortunately, the back was one of the hardest parts of the Three-Tails' body. Despite Lee's well-trained physique, the kick only managed to push the Three-Tails back slightly, while Lee himself was sent flying back from the recoil.
"What a tough turtle shell. If I can't break it, I won't give up! With my effort, I will break through!" Lee's passionate demeanor ignited the fiery spirit within his teacher, Guy. The two of them launched a series of explosive kicks on the Three-Tails, with the assistance of Yamato, Kakashi, and Naruto. Yamato focused on defense and support, while Tenten, Kiba, and others were responsible for containment.
"Boom!"
Under Ryoha's control, the Three-Tails displayed its formidable combat instincts. Even against so many attackers, the Tailed Beast didn't show any signs of being at a disadvantage. Instead, it pushed Kakashi and the others back, forcing them to retreat.
"Naruto, let's use Fire Release," Gamabunta jumped into the air. Unfortunately, while his jump was high, it was still a considerable distance from where Ryoha and Shizune were hiding their presence. Gamabunta and Naruto were completely unaware of their presence above their heads.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!" Ever since the interference from the Nine-Tails had been removed, Naruto had regained all the ninjutsu he couldn't do or didn't want to learn at Myoboku Mountain. He no longer needed to use explosive tags to create oil explosions with the toad oil. These lower-level ninjutsu didn't require any elemental transformation, and Naruto had mastered them.
"What a powerful Fire Release. However, have you all forgotten that Tailed Beasts, besides using Tailed Beast Bombs, can also use ninjutsu?" Ryoha's mouth curled up slightly. Even the weakest Tailed Beast, Shukaku, could use Wind Release - Drilling Air Bullet. It was only natural for the stronger Three-Tails, Isobu, to use Water Release.
"Water Release: Waterfall Jutsu!" As expected of a Tailed Beast, any ninjutsu they used relied on their immense chakra. If Kakashi's Waterfall Jutsu was the impact of a waterfall, then Isobu's Waterfall Jutsu was like a wave after wave of tsunami.
"Fssshhh…."
The clash between the flames and water flow occurred once again. The flames burned the water, creating steam, while the water extinguished the flames, continuously suppressing them. However, after a brief stalemate, the chakra and ninjutsu of the Tailed Beast were far more powerful than those of ordinary human ninjas. Moreover, Isobu had the advantage of being in the sea, which amplified the power of Water Release jutsu several times over.
Gamabunta's Toad Oil Fireball couldn't escape being extinguished. Taking advantage of the steam as cover, Yamato used the Wood Release: Great Forest Technique. Although they were just made of wood, it still hindered the Three-Tails' movements, providing Kakashi with a good opportunity.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Hound!" Kakashi unleashed a canine-shaped lightning attack directly on the Three-Tails. With the sea beneath its feet, the Three-Tails couldn't dodge this time. It was paralyzed by the electric shock. After all, this was not an ordinary Lightning Release jutsu; it was an S-rank supreme-level secret technique. Moreover, it was being used in the middle of the sea, increasing its power even further.
"Naruto, finish it off!" Kakashi knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Regardless of whether Ryoha was controlling the Three-Tails or not, it couldn't change the fact that the Three-Tails was currently paralyzed.
"I got it. Sage Mode, activate! Witness my ultimate move, Sage Art: Wind Release - Rasenshuriken!" Naruto wouldn't miss this opportunity. He immediately threw the Rasenshuriken, which expanded into a vortex upon hitting the Three-Tails' body. Countless chakra blades, impossible to see even for the Sharingan, relentlessly attacked Isobu, causing the formidable Tailed Beast to howl in pain.
"Hehe, how interesting. Today, I not only had a clash of dojutsu with Tobi, injuring him, but also engaged in a battle of controlling Tailed Beasts. This is truly exhilarating. As a puppeteer, I control puppets, and now I'm controlling Tailed Beasts. It's quite cool," Ryoha couldn't help but burst into laughter. On the other side, Shizune saw Ryoha's suppressed laughter and couldn't help but chuckle, her crisp and pleasant laughter rejuvenating the spirits.
"Give me back Yukimaru," Naruto saw that the Three-Tails seemed to have fallen into a state of unconsciousness, so he immediately rushed forward. Guren remained vigilant, even though she was sure Ryoha was nearby, she didn't let her guard down.
"We absolutely cannot let Yukimaru fall into your hands. If the people of Konoha gain control of Yukimaru, it won't be a good thing for Lord Orochimaru. However, considering the strength of the Konoha group this time, not to mention Kakashi and Guy, just Naruto's Sage Mode alone guarantees my defeat. It's impossible to retrieve Yukimaru,"
Kabuto's expression turned grim. Although he was extremely intelligent and cunning, it didn't mean he knew everything. Even Kakashi had only learned a bit about the advanced use of the Mangekyou Sharingan to control Tailed Beasts through Minato. Kabuto could only speculate about Ryoha's actions based on the eye of the Three-Tails. He had to remain hidden and avoid being discovered by the Konoha group.
It was a joke. With the strength of the Konoha group, just Naruto alone could easily kill him. If he was discovered, it would be certain death. Therefore, he hid well, keeping his distance and unable to clearly see the changes in the Three-Tails' eyes. He thought Yukimaru's abilities had improved, but it turned out that he only needed to emit chakra once to control the Three-Tails for such a long time.
This idea made him more determined not to let Yukimaru fall into the hands of the people of Konoha. Since he couldn't retrieve Yukimaru, there's no way they could either. The self-serving Kabuto had already prepared for the worst when he witnessed Naruto and Guren fighting, realizing that his strength at this time couldn't match the original story's him at such a powerful moment.
That meant that if Yukimaru was taken away, it would also be something Lord Orochimaru couldn't accept, and he definitely couldn't allow Konoha to have him. After all, in his view, allowing Konoha to control Yukimaru, who could manipulate the Three-Tails, would increase the threat to him and Lord Orochimaru. Therefore, when he treated Yukimaru and secretly fed him medicine, he made a few subtle moves—moves that weren't mentioned in the original story—leaving behind a hidden trump card.