A ship sailed into Unoya Port.
The sea was restless; waves crashed against the bow as if trying to bar the vessel's progress.
"What is it, Lady Ryujin?"
Several Cloud Ninja noticed Ryujin walking quickly to the bow, staring across the spray toward Unoya Port. She had blonde hair and wore a form-fitting mesh suit that accentuated her curves, topped with a short blue skirt.
"My heart is racing," Ryujin muttered, gazing at the docks. "The big cat inside me is warning me about something."
The Cloud guards were secretly pleased. Lady Ryujin's control over the Tailed Beast was growing stronger; the beast was actually providing an early warning. Who would dare strike at Lady Ryujin in a port so deep within the northeast of the Land of Lightning?
The port ahead looked peaceful. Stevedores hauled sacks of cargo while samurai hired by the captain cracked whips over them. Everything seemed normal.
Ryujin leapt onto the railing, the sea breeze snapping against her blue skirt. "I trust you, big cat..."
With that, she dove from the bow, landing on the heaving surface of the sea and sprinting forward. The four Cloud guards followed suit, leaping onto the water behind her.
...
On the shore, Yamashiro-Ji said, "Sakumo, they've spotted us!"
"Ryujin seems to have a peculiar sensory ability," Hatake Sakumo observed. "The Two-Tails is a beast that masters unique flames. Fighting on the sea is to our advantage. Let's go meet the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."
Shirakumo Mai asked, "Lord Sakumo, what about the ANBU and Root ninjas?"
"Ignore them."
Throughout the journey, Fox had not contacted him. To protect Fox's identity, Sakumo would not take risks in front of the Root operative. The five members of the Sakumo team left their warehouse cover and leapt onto the white-capped waves.
...
On a peak overlooking the port, Yagami and D simultaneously unfurled scrolls to record intelligence on the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. The high-ranking officials were extremely cautious; to avoid being deceived, they assigned two people to special missions for an added layer of verification.
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't trust Sakumo's report, so he sent the ANBU. Danzo didn't trust the ANBU's report on Sakumo, so he sent Root to watch the ANBU. This was how bureaucracies became bloated, the layers just kept growing.
Ryujin saw the five figures rushing from the shore. She formed hand signs and spat a mouse wrapped in blue flames from her mouth.
Yagami immediately recorded: 'Fire Rat Ball. A unique Fire Style of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki seen since the First Great Ninja War.'
The Fire Rat Ball split into over twenty smaller flaming mice in mid-air, automatically tracking the five targets. Yamashiro-Ji stepped forward, weaving signs for a massive Water Style: Water Encampment Wall, intercepting all twenty fire rats.
Yagami noted on his scroll: 'Aside from its automatic tracking capability, the Fire Rat Ball's power is not significantly greater than ordinary Fire Style; it can be blocked by a standard Water Encampment Wall.'
As the wall of water collapsed, Ryujin was shocked to find one person missing. The White Fang of the Leaf had vanished, leaving only his four subordinates!
She looked up instinctively. A figure was descending from the sky, a brilliant white blade-light radiating a scorching aura. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the Two-Tails inside her throbbed with trepidation.
'If I'm hit by this, I'll definitely die!'
The White Fang's blade-light carved through the air like a crescent moon, slamming into the sea. Sakumo was momentarily stunned.
A translucent chakra cloak had appeared on Ryujin, and a tail had sprouted behind her. At the final microsecond, the chakra tail had slapped the water, propelling her out of harm's way.
Yagami watched the translucent red-and-blue chakra cloak and recorded:
[The Two-Tails chakra cloak differs from other Jinchuriki; it is not dark red, but red and blue. Judging by the steam rising from her feet, the cloak's temperature is extremely high, carrying a unique fire attribute.]
[Furthermore, Ryujin's chakra cloak can manifest physically; the tail struck the sea to dodge the White Fang's strike. This proves the Two-Tails' reaction speed is faster than the Jinchuriki herself.]
Ryujin's four guards rushed forward. Even knowing they faced the top-tier combat power of the Hidden Leaf, they fought fearlessly to create an opening for her. Yamashiro-Ji and the others met them head-on.
Between Yamashiro-Ji's Fire and Water Styles, Gekko Munen's Dance of the Crescent Moon, Shirakumo Mai's one-handed Vacuum Sword, and Shinma's Fire-Blade Nintaijutsu, the four were incredibly powerful, forcing the Cloud guards back instantly. If Ryujin didn't intervene, her guards would be dead within ten seconds.
Ryujin stopped testing the waters. She slammed both hands onto the sea, her chakra erupting in a tidal wave of pressure that flattened the rolling waves around her. Sakumo lunged.
The translucent cloak condensed into a solid, dark-red Version 2 Tailed Beast Cloak. Two physical chakra tails swayed behind her, her form resembling a slender mountain cat. Sakumo was forced to halt his advance halfway.
In her Version 2 form, Ryujin fired a Tailed Beast Bomb directly at him. Sakumo flickered to the side, dodging the blast. But it wasn't just one—a second and a third Tailed Beast Bomb followed in rapid succession.
Yagami noted the trajectory of the bombs:
[Ryujin has entered Version 2 state with two tails. Her control over the Tailed Beast chakra is mature; she can condense multiple Tailed Beast Bombs instantly.]
[Moreover, she remains conscious. Not a single bomb was aimed toward the port; she even avoided the ships anchored offshore. Conclusion: Ryujin maintains full consciousness under the Tailed Beast Cloak.]
The bombs exploded in the open sea, creating terrifying mushroom clouds of steam and water. Their power was immense; if such bombs detonated inside the Hidden Leaf Village, the consequences would be catastrophic.
In the chaos, one Tailed Beast Bomb sped toward Gekko Munen's back! Munen, having just killed one of Ryujin's guards, was completely unaware.
Suddenly, a brilliant white streak slashed across the water. The Tailed Beast Bomb was struck by the White Fang's blade! After a violent explosion, the bomb was detonated mid-air. Hatake Sakumo's figure recoiled in the shockwave before standing firmly on the sea.
Yagami hurriedly recorded: [Hatake Sakumo possesses the strength to confront Tailed Beast Bombs head-on. A bomb the size of a human head is ineffective against him.]
Yagami wondered what the high-ranking officials would think of this record.
'Too strong. Cutting a Tailed Beast Bomb—is that even human?' Sakumo's Lightning-refined blade-light was simply too destructive. Combined with his top-tier Taijutsu and Body Flicker, he was not weak even among Kage-level ninjas.
Just then, D—who had been quiet until now—suddenly leaped from the peak toward the sea. What was he doing?
Yagami looked toward the shore. Cloud ninjas from the docks and Unoya City, organized by their Jonin, were swarming onto the water. With large numbers of reinforcements arriving, the time for intelligence gathering was nearly up. The Sakumo team had to retreat immediately.
Looking at D's movements, Yagami realized D must have had another order—one that went beyond merely recording the battle between Ryujin and Sakumo.
Soon, Yagami understood exactly what D intended to do.