Chapter 114: 110: Escape From Konoha (1)
"Today's work is finally done."
In the afternoon, after finishing the work at the ninja school, Shiraishi let out a long sigh and rubbed his slightly sore shoulders.
"Are you heading back now?" Tsunade, who had gone to the side to pour herself a cup of hot tea, asked him.
"Why, Tsunade-sensei, aren't you planning to leave now?" Shiraishi turned to look at her.
"I still have some things to take care of." she replied.
"I see. Then, goodbye."
With that, Shiraishi paused for a moment, turned away, and left the office.
"Alright, see you tomorrow." came Tsunade's words from behind.
On the other hand, Shizune watched Shiraishi's retreating figure and remarked, "I can't help but feel that something's a bit off with Shiraishi-senpai today."
"What's strange? Isn't he acting the same as usual? You're overthinking it, Shizune." Tsunade said as she sat there sipping her tea, not paying much attention to Shizune's words.
"Is that so?" Shizune tilted her head, realizing that she might indeed be overthinking things.
A few minutes later, Shiraishi was already walking on the streets of Konoha, just like yesterday, aimlessly strolling along. He also bought some snacks he enjoyed to avoid arousing suspicion.
Earlier in the morning, Konoha's second ninja brigade had departed for the Land of Fire's border to fend off the Sunagakure's aggression. At this moment, Konoha's internal strength was considerably weakened. Shiraishi chose this time for the escape plan to ensure its success.
Before the plan goes into effect at eleven o'clock tonight, they needed to recheck Konoha's personnel defense to prevent any unexpected issues. Even with a large number of ninjas dispatched to the front lines, there were still many stationed within village, and there could be no room for complacency.
Especially in some important areas, there were often sightings of Anbu members lurking nearby to prevent any issues in those critical locations.
Very well, there were no significant changes, he thought after the customary inspection. The patrols in Konoha, the locations of Anbu activities, were pretty much the same as during the previous surveys, with no major alterations.
This meant that there was no need for any last-minute changes to the evacuation route, avoiding any unnecessary surprises.
Next, all that remained was to wait for eleven o'clock at night to arrive, at which point they could officially begin the Escape From Konoha plan.
...
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a gentle and radiant light. The evening breeze rustled through the forest, swaying the branches and leaves gently. Beyond Konoha's borders, the forest was tranquil.
Four Konoha ninjas patrolled the area nearby, led by a Jounin, with a Chunin and two Genin in the team.
"Let's go over there next. While this area is near the village and generally not a target for attacks, we can't afford to let our guard down completely." the Jounin squad leader signaled with his eyes towards the dark, shrouded forest ahead.
"Understood."
The three team members nodded in response and followed the Jounin squad leader towards the dark forest. The forest, shrouded in darkness, could only be seen clearly with the help of moonlight.
As the four carefully surveyed the area, finding no issues, they prepared to start patrolling the other side. Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept in from the darkness of the forest.
"Wind?" The Jounin squad leader squinted his eyes, sensing that this breeze was different from the natural rustling of the wind in the forest.
"Be careful, retreat!"
Without overthinking, the Jounin immediately shouted and looked for a thick tree as cover to protect himself. The Chunin and two Genin also hid behind sturdy trees.
A fierce gust of wind suddenly swept in from the darkness, and wind blades, emitting a faint white light, left claw marks on the ground, as if a wild beast had rampaged through.
"Suna ninjas? This powerful Wind Release..."
The Jounin, hidden behind the tree, grimaced in pain. He had been struck by a wind blade on his arm, and blood flowed from the wound.
While he used his hand to cover the wound, preventing the blood from flowing too freely, he cautiously looked towards the dark forest, trying to locate the person using Wind Release ninjutsu to attack them.
"It's not."
A light, soundless figure landed lightly on the Jounin squad leader's shoulder.
The voice appeared suddenly, and the Jounin's face changed drastically. He turned to look and met a pair of eyes surrounded by lightning.
His entire body erupted with electricity. The Jounin squad leader let out a painful groan.
His body retreated hastily, completely paralyzed, and he staggered to his feet from the ground.
This time, he clearly saw who had attacked him.
No, it wasn't a person at all.
It was just a small, dark creature the size of a pet cat, covered in roaming lightning. Its tiny body exuded an extremely dangerous aura.
The Jounin's face was covered in cold sweat.
This black beast was incredibly fast, and its Lightning Release ninjutsu was extremely dangerous.
If he hadn't been alert enough, that attack just now could have easily been the end of him.
Then, he caught a whiff of a faint scent of blood in the air, looking to the side.
His three subordinates had fallen in a pool of blood, lifeless.
A girl dressed in a shrine maiden outfit was floating about a meter above the ground, surrounded by a visible wind field with countless white glimmers gathering within it.
"Those two..." The captain's thoughts were cut short.
His body shattered, falling to the ground, his blood staining the earth.
The dark creature hopped onto the shrine maiden's shoulder, gazing at Konoha in the distance. However, it spoke to the surrounding air, saying, "Come out, all the patrol members here have already been taken care of. It's your turn now."
"Yes."
In the darkness of the forest, dozens of figures emerged.
"Let's go, Sister Ameyu. Father must be getting impatient."
After Raimei Maru said this, Ameyu only nodded silently.
Their bodies ascended higher and higher from the ground, stopping in mid-air at an altitude of over a thousand meters. From this height, the buildings in Konoha looked like tiny ants.
.......
Ten minutes to eleven at night.
The night sky was pitch black, like ink spreading on parchment. The moon appeared half-hidden behind the clouds.
In Konohagakure, it was a serene and peaceful evening.
At this time, most villagers had already fallen into a deep sleep, ending their busy day.
Some shop doors remained open with lights on, illuminating the streets. Occasionally, a few drunken individuals staggered past the shops, their shadows filling the road.
Kakashi, at the window of his home, looked at the moon rising high in the sky, his eyes deep and silent, as if he had already understood what would happen next.
The Third Hokage had just finished work at this late hour. During the war, his workload had become increasingly demanding. Walking alone on the road back home, there was not a soul in sight, except for a squad of Anbu secretly following to protect him.
Tsunade's residence.
"Tsunade-sama... it's already this late. Aren't you going to sleep?"
Shizune, half-asleep and holding a pillow, wearing pink pajamas, came to the study. She saw Tsunade under the desk lamp, seemingly taking notes for tomorrow's classes. She rubbed her eyes and asked.
"If you're tired, go ahead and sleep, Shizune. I still have some work to finish here." Tsunade replied, turning her head to Shizune with a gentle smile.
Shizune nodded and, following Tsunade's words, returned to her room to rest. She had to get up early the next day.
—Hyuga residence.
"Ten fifty-seven... it's already this late."
Ayane checked the time and complained as if annoyed.
Fuyuma, a Jōnin, responded, "Just a bit more patience. I can take a break in about an hour. It's our responsibility to oversee the first half of the night's duties tonight."
"I'm not the least bit tired, Fuyuma-senpai. I have plenty of energy tonight"
Ayane replied, her gaze fixed on her alarm clock.
"Is that so?" Fuyuma muttered to himself, unable to gauge Ayane's thoughts but knowing that he just needed to watch over her.
This was not only for the sake of safety but also at the request of the village elders.
Ayane held an alarm clock she had brought from home and stared at it without blinking.
"What are you doing?" Winter asked.
"Checking the time. Don't worry, Fuyuma-senpai, it won't interfere with our work."
Ayane replied without lifting her head.
Fuyuma didn't say anything more, because he knew that even if he did, Ayane might not listen.
Ayane watched the minute and second hands on the clock move, her gaze becoming even calmer as the hour hand approached '11.'
The moment the hour hand pointed at '11,' Ayane put away the alarm clock.
"Aren't you going to check the time anymore?" Winter asked, turning his head.
"No need. It's time."
Time? Time for what? Fuyuma was momentarily puzzled.
Suddenly, the sky brightened.nIt was fireworks blooming in the sky above Konoha.
Fuyuma looked at the fireworks over the village and showed a surprised expression.
Fireworks? Was there a festival today? And why were they setting off fireworks at this hour...
"Ayane."
Fuyuma looked toward where the fireworks had burst, calling out to Ayane.
However, he received no response.
Fuyuma's face changed, realizing something. He turned to where Ayane had been standing just moments ago, but it was now empty, leaving behind only a chilling emptiness.
"Byakugan!"
He decisively activated his Byakugan and quickly located Ayane's figure, preparing to pursue her—
Yet the dazzling light in the sky drew his attention once more.
Those were no ordinary fireworks; they were lightning.
Charged with immensely powerful Chakra, the lightning bolts streaked through the atmosphere, bearing an unstoppable force as they descended upon a specific part of Konoha.
Boom!
The deafening explosion marked the beginning of a turbulent night in Konohagakure.
...
In the moment when the flames shot up into the sky, far away from that location, both Shiraishi and Ruri could feel the ground trembling.
The location they presently occupied was the residential area situated to the northeast of the Hokage Building.
This was an exceptionally unique residential area.
This was no ordinary residential area, for it housed a person of immense importance to Konoha—Kushina Uzumaki.
Kushina was a remnant of the Uzumaki clan, one of the few remaining members of this clan in the ninja world. She was considered the prime vessel for sealing tailed beasts, in other words, she was Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Her residence was strategically positioned close to Konoha's largest training ground, the Death Forest. This was a precautionary measure to swiftly lure the rampaging Nine-Tails into the forest if the need arose, preventing any potential disasters in the village. The Konoha leadership had thus placed the Kyuubi Jinchuriki here.
Within this residential area, many ordinary civilians lived alongside the families of Shinobi to maintain the facade of a normal life for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
In the shadows, a team of four Anbu ninjas were tasked with her round-the-clock protection. During the current wartime crisis, an additional four Anbu had been dispatched to reinforce the security, forming two elite Anbu squads.
This information was what Shiraishi had gleaned using sensory ninjutsu.
"Ameyu and Raimei already succeeded in their mission. It's time for us to move as well."
Shiraishi said as Ameyu and Raimei had successfully drawn the attention of Konoha's Ninjas towards the initial chaos, diverting their focus from their true objective - inciting the Nine Tails to go berserk.
Ruri didn't object and followed Shiraishi as they both used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear from the residential area and head towards their target's location.
"What's happening over there?" Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, with her long red hair, had been awakened from her sleep by the distant explosions. She rushed to the window, pulled the curtains aside, and opened the window, letting the chaotic breeze flow in.
To the southeast, a large area was engulfed in flames. A towering pillar of fire, accompanied by billowing black smoke, was visible. She could vaguely see figures flying in the air, and bolts of lightning crashing down from the sky.
"Please don't worry; the disturbance over there will be resolved soon." an Anbu operative said as she infiltrated the room.
Judging by her voice, it was a female Anbu.
A bit bewildered, Kushina inquired, "Aren't you supposed to help?"
"The other Anbu operatives will handle it, and the village's ninjas will join the fight as well. Our duty is to protect you." the female Anbu replied.
Kushina nodded, about to say something, when suddenly, the ground beneath her feet started to feel soft, like quicksand.
"What's happening?" Kushina exclaimed, jumping away from the spot. The female Anbu acted swiftly, positioning herself protectively in front of Kushina and unsheathing her sword.
From the soft, swampy ground, a humanoid creature made of mud emerged.
"This guy is..." The female Anbu sounded surprised, as if she recognized the identity of this mud figure.
This mud figure was none other than the General Tu.
After taking on a humanoid form from the swampy ground, its dark, hollow eyes emitted a faint golden light as it stared directly at Kushina, who was behind the female Anbu.
After pausing for a moment, as if contemplating something, it charged straight towards them from the front without any hesitation.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Three Anbu operatives leaped out from the shadows, and their three ninja blades impaled the General Tu's body from different angles, pinning it to the ground less than two meters away from Kushina.
Four additional Anbu operatives appeared at the four corners of the room, forming a protective barrier around Kushina.
"Now, things should calm down a bit. No one can cross our defense line, no matter who they are." one of the Anbu said confidently.
"￥...&*...%￥#￥%..." General Tu mumbled incomprehensibly, and then its mouth opened, releasing an intense beam of light, accompanied by a strong scent of gunpowder that filled the air.
Boom!
Without warning, the house was instantly leveled, enveloping Kushina and the eight Anbu operatives in the explosion's fiery aftermath.
The eight Anbu operatives lay charred and unconscious amid the debris. The shards of their broken masks still smoldered with faint flames.
Dark chunks of earth scattered around the area, slowly coalescing as they gathered to reform into the Earth General's original form.
It began moving toward its "target."
At this moment, Kushina lay amidst the ruins, her body covered in wounds, extensive burns, and her consciousness barely holding on. She moaned in pain.
General Tu briefly glanced at the severely injured Kushina before noticing something else.
Shiraishi and Ruri's figures appeared simultaneously. They scanned their surroundings, finding all the Anbu who were supposed to protect the Jinchuriki lying defeated, and even the Jinchuriki herself was gravely injured, lying motionless.
Seeing Shiraishi and Ruri arrive at the scene, the Earth General silently descended into the earth, disappearing from view.
"You... why... are you doing this..." Kushina managed to open her eyes, and her red chakra began to seep slowly from her skin. This chakra exuded an unnaturally cold and evil aura.
This chakra gave off an eerily cold and malevolent aura.
Nine-Tails Chakra.
This feeling of malice was similar to the chakra of the One-Tails'.
Shiraishi crouched beside Kushina, leaning down and softly spoke to her, "You don't need to know."
Without further delay, Shiraishi immediately lifted the corner of Kushina's shirt, exposing her abdomen, where the seal to contain the Nine-Tails was inscribed. Using her navel as the center point, the seal bore the intricate patterns of the Nine-Tails' seal.
"What... What are you going to do... Please, don't..." Kushina realized Shiraishi's intentions as he uncovered her seal.
The Nine-Tails... This person's objective was the Nine-Tails...
As Shiraishi revealed her seal, Kushina understood what Shiraishi intended to do.
However, she was barely able to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra within her at this moment, and she was in no condition to resist Shiraishi.
Shiraishi remained silent, believing there was no need to explain anything to Kushina.
He began to form hand seals, and once completed, he placed one of his palms on the seal at Kushina's abdomen, channeling chakra into it.
"Release!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kushina's agonized screams echoed through the night.
These screams broke through the limits of what a human voice could reach. It was likely that everyone in Konoha could hear her horrifying scream.
At the location of the seal on her abdomen, it immediately surged with an abundance of red chakra. This erupting red chakra, like a torrent, carried an eerie and malevolent presence. It then dispersed into several streams of chakra in the air, dancing chaotically without any pattern.
Forming into several crimson tails.
Creating an immensely powerful and ferocious flow of chakra.
Following this, some of the overflowing red chakra solidified into an enormous, menacing red fox head before Shiraishi. This colossal visage leered at Shiraishi and Ruri, its eyes gleaming with nothing but cruelty and malice.
Its roar shook the very ground beneath them
The four massive tails undulated like waves, conjuring a formidable storm that swept across the surrounding landscape, tearing through both earth and debris.
Stepping back, Shiraishi gazed at the transforming Kushina and her uncontrollable Nine-Tails chakra. Kushina's body was continuously contorting and distorting, and Shiraishi couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Is it this terrifying with only four tails? How could the One Tail he witnessed back then compare to this?
A monstrous beast capable of natural disasters, with its radiant, piercing eyes, its fangs honed through countless battles seemed to thirst for blood, staining everything before it a deep crimson.
"I didn't expect this level of power to be unleashed with just a partial release. How about it, Ruri? Can your Sharingan control it?" Shiraishi asked.
"At this level, it shouldn't be a problem." Ruri ignored the raging torrents of red chakra surrounding them and calmly took a step forward. Her Sharingan, adorned with crimson, three-pointed tomoe, began to shine brightly as she focused her genjutsu chakra.
Outside, the crimson chakra cloak enveloping the beast-like figure's exterior suddenly quivered, and its four massive tails stopped their earth-shaking movements as soon as they locked onto Ruri's Sharingan.
The pattern of the three tomoe Sharingan appeared in the beast's eyes.
Fueled by Sage Mode, the Sharingan genjutsu was successfully unleashed.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Shouts rang out through the air.
Shiraishi remained unsurprised. He had anticipated that Konoha's ninja reinforcements would likely arrive around this time.
Sure enough, a large number of Konoha ninja rushed in from the distance.
Fireballs and water dragons came soaring through the air, heading in the direction of Shiraishi and Ruri.
It seemed like they were trying to stop the Nine-Tails' advance.
However, the Four-Tails version of the Nine-Tails wagged its tails, leaping directly in front of Shiraishi and Ruri. Its limbs braced against the ground like a wild beast, emitting deafening roars.
The shockwaves from its roars caused the earth ahead to crack, and the fireballs and water dragons dissipated into thin air.
With the screams of the Konoha ninja, they were all sent flying by the shockwaves generated by the Nine-Tails' roars, falling to the ground in various states of injury, their bodies covered in grievous cuts.
"Damn it! What are you two doing? Why are you doing this?" One Konoha ninja angrily shouted.
The Nine-Tails, now in its Four-Tails form, had eyes as ruthless and frigid as Ruri's own Three Tomoe Sharingan.
It was evident that someone among the Konoha ninja was controlling the Nine Tails. It was just that the controller was a former comrade.
Shiraishi and Ruri had no intention of explaining anything. They considered it pointless.
"Stop them!"
A Konoha ninja charged forward, defying the immense pressure from the Nine-Tails. Some of them had switched their focus from the Nine-Tails to Ruri and Shiraishi.
The situation had escalated suddenly, and their first priority was to quell the chaos.
The Nine-Tails bared its teeth and glared at these reckless Konoha ninja who dared to oppose it, charging straight at them.
Just then, a specialized kunai flew down from the sky, aiming directly at Ruri. It had three blades, an unusual kunai.
Ruri furrowed her brow.
Was this kunai an underestimation of her abilities?
A golden light emerged, and a figure suddenly appeared in front of Ruri, holding a chakra ball and dropping it without hesitation.
Boom!
The ground shattered, forming a vortex-like crater.
Minato appeared here, his face icy cold as he watched Ruri tumble out of the attack range. He chose to give up and picked up another identical three-bladed kunai in his other hand, aiming it at Shiraishi.
Ding!
The kunai clashed with an attack from Shiraishi's Shadow Blades, emitting a metallic clash before stopping Minato's assault.
Minato was incredibly surprised. What was this?
Then, without further thought, his figure disappeared from where he stood, allowing the oncoming Shadow Blades to miss their target.
Minato reappeared in an empty space about ten meters away from Shiraishi. Another standard three-bladed kunai was planted nearby.
Minato looked at Shiraishi and Ruri in disbelief. He hadn't expected his ninja techniques to be completely useless against them.
Seeing Minato's swift movements, Shiraishi was momentarily surprised, then smiled.
"You have impressive speed, Minato. That's not the Body Flicker Technique; it's a Space-Time ninjutsu, isn't it?"
Although he questioned, Shiraishi spoke with certainty.
"What are you two doing?" Minato's tone was icy, and it was clear he was genuinely angry.
These were the friends he had been laughing and joking with just a while ago. Now they had become so cold, showing no mercy towards their comrades and using the power of kf the Nine-Tails' to harm the village.
It was unforgivable!.
Shiraishi fell silent and looked around at the devastated streets caused by the power of the Nine-Tails.
"Sorry, but for me, this village has become tiresome. Besides, the person you knew as Chiba Shiraishi never existed from the beginning."
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