chapter 98 part 2
"Flame Bullet. That's already a B-rank Fire Release jutsu," Tsukasa Kaede secretly nodded.
There were no S-rank Fire Release ninjutsu in this world; the highest was A-rank, which was the Great Flame Bullet.
Toka Senju immediately used Wind Release, further enhancing the power of the Fire Release jutsu, directly engulfing the Five-Tails.
The Five-Tails' enormous body was instantly assailed by ninjutsu from all directions, but this, of course, couldn't defeat the colossal beast. It charged furiously like a rapidly moving small mountain, ignoring all obstacles in its path. Even as wounds constantly appeared on its body, its eyes were fixed solely on Hidan.
"Does it want revenge for the Four-Tails? No, rather than shared hatred, it's more like its pride has been wounded, and it wants to kill us all."
Tsukasa Kaede offered no comment. Tailed Beasts, after all, were merely intermediaries on the path to the ultimate form; similarly, they represented power he was determined to obtain.
"Alright, the probing ends here. Everyone, help me restrain it."
Tsukasa Kaede raised his hand.
Araki of the Sand, along with over a dozen Zombies, crouched simultaneously.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall! A thick wall rose before the Five-Tails. Tsukasa Kaede, of course, didn't expect this thing to stop the Five-Tails. In fact, no one present could stop a rampaging Five-Tails.
Tsukasa Kaede only needed a fleeting moment to get close.
*Boom!*
The Earth Release wall was smashed through, but it had successfully obstructed the Five-Tails for an instant.
There were no weaklings among those participating in the siege of the Five-Tails. Tsukasa Kaede gestured with his eyes.
Jiraiya slammed his hand on the ground.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld! The ground abruptly turned into a mire, trapping the Five-Tails and further restricting its movements.
Toka Senju unleashed all her chakra; her entire being resembled a swirling storm.
Wind Release: Infinite Great Breakthrough! Endless gales fiercely resisted the Five-Tails' movements.
Troy flung out countless Card Shuriken, densely packed as far as the eye could see. For this high-intensity output, his body even visibly fractured, with numerous muscles tearing.
Araki of the Sand also kicked up endless sand, engulfing the Five-Tails.
"Finally, there's Terai, who specializes in solo infiltrations."
Tsukasa Kaede's heart stirred. Terai, who had been prepared for a long time, gazed directly at the struggling Five-Tails with his lifeless eyes, his weapon already coated with a layer of chakra.
Under Tsukasa Kaede's command, Terai seized the moment, lunged forward with a single thrust, and with lightning speed, severed half of the Five-Tails' tail. Several Zombies grabbed the tail, and Tsukasa Kaede immediately used Summoning Jutsu to summon all these Zombies to his side. He then swiftly pulled out a scroll he had prepared earlier and sealed the tail within it.
The series of actions was performed seamlessly.
"The Five-Tails' chakra is also acquired," Tsukasa Kaede said, pleased.
A sharp roar echoed as the Five-Tails twisted its body in pain, its eyes filled with savagery. It swung a tail, smashing several Zombies into a pulpy mess.
But no one present cared about this loss.
"Five-Tails, do you really want revenge for your kin? But it's best not to self-righteously burden yourself with meaningless emotions."
Tsukasa Kaede chuckled and shook his head, watching as the Five-Tails aimed the sharp horn on its head at him.
He turned to glance at the panting Jiraiya and Toka Senju. "Thank you all. Without your help, I couldn't have dealt with a Tailed Beast like this alone."
"My point is, why don't we take this opportunity to retreat? If we truly killed both Tailed Beasts in one go, Hidden Stone Village would go berserk, a new war would break out, and it would disrupt the village's recuperation policy," Jiraiya panted.
Tsukasa Kaede fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Toka Senju, finding a hint of agreement on the Senju Clan Head's face.
Were they serious, these two...? If there was a chance, they should definitely kill the Five-Tails. Hidden Stone Village had the confidence to contend with Hidden Leaf Village precisely because of its Tailed Beasts. If both Tailed Beasts were gone, then it would truly lose its deterrence...
But never mind, he wasn't really surprised by some of the Hokage Faction's ideas.
If Orochimaru were here instead, he would kill the Five-Tails even at a terrible cost. "Then I'll send you off to retreat. With your will to fight gone, you'll easily become a burden to me."
Tsukasa Kaede said bluntly, "But let's be clear first. I will keep an eye on the Five-Tails' movements. Once it releases its Full Tailed Beast Transformation, I will immediately return to kill the Five-Tails Jinchuriki. This is where our philosophies diverge. If you can inflict greater damage on an enemy in one go, why stop for some inexplicable reason?"
Tsukasa Kaede shook his head, ignoring Jiraiya and the others' expressions, and immediately formed a hand sign with one hand.
Seeing this, Minato also immediately formed a hand sign.
Spatial Rift Jutsu/Flying Raijin Jutsu! The group vanished from their spot, causing the Five-Tails' charge to completely miss its target. It merely carved out a large indentation in the ground, and apart from kicking up some topsoil, it achieved nothing.
Faced with an assault from multiple Kage-level and Elite Jonin, with various large-scale ninjutsu raining down, even the mighty Five-Tails was tied down. Delayed for only a very brief moment, it had already missed its last chance.
The Five-Tails completely overheated. The Hidan it wanted to kill was gone, Tsukasa Kaede was gone, and it was left utterly lost, having had a portion of its chakra stolen.
The Tailed Beast's pride and arrogance were severely wounded at this moment.
It instinctively looked beside itself, only to find that Roshi's corpse had vanished at some point.
Tsukasa Kaede and his group appeared somewhere in the Forest of Konoha.