"Wake up, Kushina."
Uchiha Sogetsu's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
Buzz!
Suddenly, Kushina, who had been half-asleep, seemed to rouse a little.
She looked up blankly, her innocent eyes fixed on the Konoha Anbu wearing an 'Owl' mask in front of her. "Who are you?"
"I am the Anbu Squad Captain of Konoha, Owl."
Uchiha Sogetsu spoke in a low, magnetic voice, slowly and clearly: "Leave it to me from now on. You're very tired; take a nap."
"I'm sorry."
Kushina felt her eyelids growing heavy, as if her soul was drifting away, and she closed her eyes groggily.
Kushina, who had almost transformed into a tailed beast, was suddenly pulled back. The blood-red chakra enveloping her body vanished in an instant, leaving no trace.
"The transformation into a tailed beast has stopped?"
Kurabi watched the scene, secretly surprised: "Is this Konoha's secret technique, or is this guy's special ability?"
But none of that mattered right now.
Kurabi's nervousness eased, replaced by a contemptuous smile: "Haha, what a foolish move. Without the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in tailed beast form, with just a few of you, I'm curious how you plan to escape our encirclement."
"We won't escape, nor do we need to, because there's no need."
Uchiha Sogetsu lifted Kushina, turned, and stared calmly at the approaching Cloud Ninjas: "Because... whether it's one piece of dust, two pieces, or dozens, they're difficult to distinguish with the naked eye."
Treat them as dust?
Kurabi's smile faded, his expression darkening: "Then we'll see if you have what it takes!"
With that, he waved his hand, and dozens of Cloud Ninjas began to close in.
Even though the Anbu are elite, they specialize in single combat, assassination, and espionage.
"Sir, what should we do now?"
Crane swallowed hard, internally cursing the new Anbu leader for putting them in such a dire situation! He had never seen an Anbu member openly infiltrate an enemy's encirclement like this!
Who are they?
Anbu!
What are they known for?
Assassination, intelligence gathering, special tactics—not direct confrontation!
Now they were surrounded by dozens of Cloud ninjas. Unless Minato Namikaze arrived, they were doomed!
"Squad Captain, we'll stay behind to cover our retreat!" In the face of imminent danger, even if Crane was reluctant, he had to step up, whispering, "Please get the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki back to Konoha!"
"Crane, have you ever heard the saying..."
Uchiha Sogetsu remained calm, standing there with no apparent intention of escaping, and said, "Since we're here, let's make the most of it."
Crane was taken aback for a moment, and when he saw that Sogetsu still showed no sign of moving, he was nearly enraged and shouted in frustration, "Owl, look at the situation! Take the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and run away quickly! Don't... don't say things I can't understand right now!"
"That's what this means."
Uchiha Sogetsu spoke slowly, "Since you are here, let us bury you here."
The scarlet Sharingan spun slowly behind the white mask.
"Everyone, be careful not to look into the Sharingan's eyes!"
Kurabi, experienced and knowledgeable about dealing with the Sharingan, shouted, "Always be aware of your teammates' conditions. If you find anyone trapped in an illusion, disrupt their chakra immediately!"
"Protect the Jinchūriki."
Uchiha Sogetsu handed Kushina over to Crane and then walked towards the dozens of Cloud ninjas alone.
The Cloud Ninjas were initially stunned by his bold move, but their shock quickly turned to fury.
He actually wanted to take on dozens of them alone? Wasn't this guy too arrogant?!
"Go, kill him!!!"
Someone shouted, and dozens of Cloud Ninjas began to flee in all directions.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Extinguishment!"
Uchiha Sogetsu formed a seal and unleashed a massive wave of fire.
Boom!!!
A tremendous flame, over ten meters wide and several meters high, surged forth like a colossal tsunami, its intense heat enveloping and advancing toward the group of Cloud Ninjas.
"What a formidable Fire Style technique! Truly the prowess of the Uchiha clan's elite!"
Kurabi's expression shifted slightly, but he remained composed. He leaped down and swiftly performed hand seals: "Earth Style: Earth Barrier Wall!"
Boom!
A thick earthen wall erupted from the ground. Though the barrier was not extensive, its substantial thickness was enough to withstand the fire.
The Cloud Ninjas took cover behind the earthen wall, waiting for the searing flames to subside before proceeding toward their target.
However, at that moment!
Swish!
A flash of cold light cut through the earth wall, and it crumbled with a resounding crash.
Before Kurabi could react, a figure plunged directly into their ranks.
In an instant, it was like a tiger among sheep. The cold light flashed repeatedly, and the Cloud Ninjas who tried to block the way were severed one by one. No one could halt his progress, even for a moment.
Within just a few breaths, more than a dozen Cloud Ninjas lay slain.
"Quick, capture him!"
Kurabi was now completely flustered. He had anticipated many things, but he had overlooked one critical detail.
That is, this Uchiha who had suddenly appeared was so overpowering that he could single-handedly defeat an elite force of Cloud Ninjas!
"Let's dance—!"
Uchiha Sogetsu darted through the crowd like a phantom.
His instantaneous body movement technique was so swift it was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.
It cut through the crowd with deadly precision, leaving trails of blood, piercing screams, and severed limbs. Blood surged like a river, reminiscent of the Asura Hell.
One, two, ten.
The screams of his comrades echoed around, each one falling to their deaths, beheaded in a ghastly display.
Finally, morale shattered!
"Run!"
"This guy isn't human!"
"Ghost! Ghost!"
The remaining dozen or so Cloud Ninjas could no longer endure the horrific sight of their comrades being cut down. They fled in a state of utter panic.
"Fools, don't run!" Kurabi shouted angrily, trying to halt their retreat.
But no one heeded his command.
Swish, swish, swish!
The fleeing Cloud Ninjas halted abruptly in their tracks.
Slowly, they turned their heads, their eyes wide with fear, as if clinging to the last vestiges of life. Their mouths opened as if they wanted to scream, but...
In a heartbeat, they were sliced in half.
The battlefield was filled with the howling wind and the gushing of blood.
Kurabi felt a chill spread through him as he stared in shock at the bodies of those who had been alive moments ago, now reduced to lifeless piles of severed limbs.
Suddenly!
A figure in a white owl mask and a black cloak appeared before Kurabi's eyes.
"Is it my turn?"
Kurabi felt a deep sense of bitterness and hopelessness, seemingly having lost the will to resist.
Yet, the anticipated death did not come.
Uchiha Sogetsu patted his shoulder, walked past the dazed Kurabi, and left a nonchalant remark: "Go back and tell the Raikage to prepare his neck and wait for Konoha's retribution!"
The distraught Kurabi collapsed onto the ground, his eyes empty.
Uchiha Sogetsu, with the stunned gazes of Crane and the remaining Anbu upon him, approached and cast a glance at them. Frowning, he said, "Don't just stand there. Take Kushina with you. We still have a mission to complete, so don't waste any more time!"
"Yes! Squad Captain!"
The three of them were trembling in fear.
Carrying Kushina, they followed behind Uchiha Sogetsu. After a moment's hesitation, Crane couldn't help but speak up nervously: "Um, Squad Captain, I might have spoken a bit loudly just now. You didn't take it to heart, did you?"
"Do I look that petty?"
Uchiha Sogetsu gave a slight smile and said, "Don't worry. If I hold a grudge, I'll settle it on the spot. After all, I like to keep things fair."
Crane's mouth twitched.
Fair?
Is he referring to the fact that he killed dozens of Cloud ninjas over a mere disagreement?
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