It wasn't just that many shinobi were aware of the Tailed Beast Bomb's existence, even those who had never encountered it could immediately sense the terrifying energy radiating from it, understanding just how deadly it was.
And yet, this devastating attack had been effortlessly caught by Ye Zi. Not only that, he had turned it against them, leading to the instant annihilation of nearly a hundred Kumogakure shinobi without even lifting a finger.
A shinobi duel was often decided in one of two ways: either a single decisive blow or a long, drawn-out exchange.
If ninjutsu was the determining factor, then choosing the right moment to use a technique was crucial.
For example, if an opponent used a high-chakra-cost B-rank jutsu, but you dodged with a low-cost Substitution Jutsu, you would gain a significant advantage. In such battles, resource management often determined victory.
If two shinobi were equal in strength, the one who optimized their jutsu usage and conserved chakra would be the one to win.
For Nii Yugito, the Tailed Beast Bomb was her most powerful attack.
When she fired it, an opponent could either:
Dodge (if they were fast enough). Die (if they couldn't react in time). Expend a massive amount of chakra to defend against it.
Even an elite jōnin who could withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb would lose nearly half their chakra in the process. But for Yugito, launching one was practically effortless.
That was the power gap between her and a standard jōnin, an insurmountable difference.
But now, her strongest attack had been negated with almost no effort, and worse, it had been used against her own allies.
When Yugito witnessed this, her heart instantly sank.
"There is no chance."
Proud as she was, in that moment, she had to acknowledge the truth, Ye Zi was an absolute monster.
This wasn't brute force overpowering her, no, this was elegant, effortless domination.
It felt as though her pride had been delicately crushed, not by overwhelming strength, but as if a delicate flower had been plucked and ground to dust with just a flick of the fingers.
This nonchalant display of power hit far harder than any brute-force defeat ever could.
All the shinobi who witnessed it were stunned into silence.
Ye Zi's gaze remained locked onto Matatabi, the Two-Tails, whose flaming blue body burned with both rage and despair.
Then, he smirked coldly.
"Wood Release: Sealing Gate!"
His hands flashed through seals, and an immense surge of Senjutsu chakra erupted from him.
Above Matatabi, a massive wooden torii gate materialized in midair, plunging directly toward its neck.
Matatabi, however, was alert.
At the last second, it warned Yugito, prompting her to leap backward, narrowly avoiding the falling Sealing Gate.
Boom!
The gate slammed into the ground, its pillars embedding deep into the rocky terrain.
Dark sealing inscriptions covered the structure, radiating a powerful suppressive force.
Realizing how dangerous the technique was, Yugito immediately retaliated, spewing a stream of scorching blue fire at Ye Zi.
However, Ye Zi didn't even break his stance.
Effortlessly sidestepping, he evaded the flames with perfect precision, his hands still forming seals.
Then, a second Sealing Gate fell.
Then a third.
Then a fourth.
The timing was perfect, he launched his attack exactly as Yugito counterattacked, forcing her into a desperate defense.
She glanced up and saw even more gates forming above her.
Her heart pounded, she had no idea what these markings did, but she knew she couldn't afford to let them touch her.
She tried dodging again, but…
The moment the second gate appeared, ten more followed instantly.
Too many. Too fast.
In full Tailed Beast form, she had initially been able to maneuver nimbly.
But her enormous size made precise movement difficult, even the smallest miscalculation could spell disaster.
And then, she slipped.
As she tried to evade the ninth gate, she failed.
It slammed down onto her back.
She barely had time to react before the tenth gate crashed onto her neck.
Boom!
The immense weight of the Sealing Gates pinned Yugito's massive feline form to the ground.
The moment she was trapped, she began thrashing violently.
But it was useless.
Ye Zi's Sealing Gate technique was a combination of Wood Release, Sealing Jutsu, and Senjutsu chakra.
Even in full Tailed Beast form, Yugito couldn't budge it an inch.
"ROOOAAARR!!" Yugito let out an earth-shaking roar, only now realizing the true power of the black inscriptions.
But Ye Zi ignored her.
Instead, wooden roots rapidly extended from the trees, latching onto her massive body.
They began absorbing her chakra.
From the moment Ye Zi had grabbed and redirected her Tailed Beast Bomb to the moment he sealed her, only ten seconds had passed.
By the time nearby Kumogakure shinobi arrived, it was already too late.
Over 200 shinobi, including over 100 jōnin, had managed to reach the battlefield.
They were faster than the Ino-Shika-Chō team and even the Third Raikage and A, who had started running from farther away.
But their speed only meant they were the first to die.
Horrified at Yugito's capture, the 200 Kumogakure shinobi unleashed a barrage of kunai, shuriken, and ninjutsu in an attempt to save her.
Ye Zi, however, remained unfazed.
The wooden roots had already connected to Yugito, chakra consumption was no longer a concern.
With a mere thought, he sent massive tree trunks surging forward, blocking every single attack, kunai, shuriken, jutsu—all of it was rendered useless.
And it didn't stop there.
The wooden branches expanded at an astonishing rate, slamming into the 200 shinobi, crushing them like insects.
The trees devoured them, overwhelming their defenses in an instant.
From afar, the Third Raikage and A could see the unfolding massacre...
And in that moment, they knew.
This wasn't just an intruder.
This was a catastrophe.
This was not a true Deep Forest Emergence Technique infused with Senjutsu chakra. Instead, Ye Zi exploited the nature of Wood Release, draining chakra from the sealed Yugito and redirecting it, using her own chakra to fuel a fake version of the technique.
Not only did this method block the numerous attacks from the Kumogakure shinobi, but it also allowed Ye Zi to counterattack.
Ye Zi's original plan was simple:
Drain Yugito's chakra until she passed out. Hand her over to White Zetsu. Then immediately head to Cloud Lightning Gorge to capture the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
But before he could fully drain her chakra, he had to eliminate the immediate threats.
And now, the chakra stolen from Yugito had a new purpose.
The rampaging tree trunks that were now slaughtering the Kumogakure shinobi, they were not powered by Ye Zi's chakra.
They were powered by Yugito's.
From the outside, it appeared as though Ye Zi was using her chakra to perform Jukai Kōtan, but in reality, it was simply a transfer of power.
By absorbing Yugito's Tailed Beast Chakra and redirecting it into Wood Release, the trees grew wildly and aggressively, just like the true Nativity of a World of Trees Technique.
The key difference? This technique contained no Senjutsu chakra.
It was purely fueled by the immense energy of the Two-Tails' chakra.
Despite it being a "fake" Deep Forest Emergence, the technique was still terrifyingly effective.
Tailed Beast Chakra was not only incredibly powerful, it was absurdly abundant.
As a result, the Wood Release trees powered by it became just as overwhelming, instantly turning the battlefield into a death trap.
The 200 Kumogakure shinobi immediately found themselves in grave danger.
The moment the massive trees surged forward, over a dozen shinobi were instantly strangled to death, their bodies crushed by the monstrous growth of tree limbs.
From within her sealed, immobilized body, Yugito could feel her own chakra being drained, and then being used against her comrades.
After all, it was her chakra.
She could sense it, could recognize it being manipulated.
And she realized, this wasn't the first time Ye Zi had used her power against her allies.
Just minutes earlier, he had caught her Tailed Beast Bomb and thrown it back like a baseball, wiping out nearly 100 Kumogakure shinobi.
Now, he was turning her own chakra into a weapon, forcing her to slaughter her own comrades.
Her rage boiled, but beneath it, a creeping sense of horror spread through her mind.
The rate at which Ye Zi was draining her chakra was simply too fast.
At this rate…
She wouldn't last much longer.
If this continued, she would be completely drained, and then it would be over.
If you want to read more...
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 551 - The Snake, The Toad and The Slug