Danger was imminent. Tōshirō entered his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation state, his body covered in dark red Tailed Beast chakra, and five tails rapidly extended from behind him, fanning out in an encircling manner.
With keen insight, he dealt with the threats from the three ninja swords accordingly, using one, two, and three tails respectively to counter Kabutowari, Shibuki, and the chakra sphere shockwave produced by Hiramekarei.
"Boom."
A dark red figure burst out of the explosion smoke.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, each wielding their respective weapons, relentlessly pursued him.
On the other side, among the Iwa ninja, someone suggested to the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, "Should we go help?"
The Four-Tails Jinchuriki stood with his arms crossed, an arrogant and disdainful expression on his face. "Ganging up on someone is not my style. Let the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist handle it themselves."
The Iwa ninja nodded slightly.
He inwardly hoped that both sides would fight to the death.
Kirigakure and Iwagakure had only temporarily formed an alliance on this issue; behind the scenes, they would do as they pleased.
The Four-Tails Jinchuriki narrowed his eyes, looking at Tōshirō, who was surrounded by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. As a fellow Jinchuriki, if it weren't for the mission, he would have liked to truly compete with this rising star.
Tōshirō needed to conserve chakra. After rescuing Tsunade, he planned to fully transform into the Five-Tails and break through the encirclement, so every step of his chakra usage had to be meticulously calculated.
In contrast, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist clearly had no such concerns. They seized every opportunity to attack Tōshirō with ninjutsu.
The user of Kiba, Raikiri, raised his twin swords high. An arc of lightning connected the crossed sword tips, crackling, and shot out a wave of lightning.
The enemy had clearly studied his abilities carefully, knowing that his Ice Release naturally countered their favored Water Release. So, they deliberately avoided using Water Release for offense, opting instead for the highly destructive and penetrating Lightning Release as their main attack.
And the lightning-wielding user of Raikiri was undoubtedly the ideal main attacker this time.
Tōshirō concentrated chakra in his left and right hands. Then, extending his right hand upwards and his left hand downwards, he dramatically swept them, creating a vertical crescent-shaped ice blade that shot straight forward.
Ice Release: Vertical Guillotine.
The ice blade and lightning collided, causing an explosion. Enemies, who had been waiting for this opportunity, immediately rushed forward, brandishing their swords to strike Tōshirō.
A flash of a blade passed by his face. Tōshirō hastily dodged, his hands rapidly forming seals. He couldn't keep this up.
He had to find a way to force the enemy to use Water Release; only then would he have a chance to get rid of these annoying flies.
The moment he landed, Tōshirō made a clear crouching motion, anticipating the enemy's horizontal sword slash. He instantly squatted down, and a few strands of his hair were cut off. Fortunately, he managed to dodge without serious injury.
Soon after, two other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist swung their weapons and rapidly cleaved towards him.
In this critical moment, Tōshirō's hand seals were ready. His cheeks puffed out, and he spat out a cloud of high-temperature dust, which exploded upon landing. Accompanied by flames, thick black smoke rolled outwards, rapidly spreading to obscure the enemy's vision and slow down their attack rhythm.
Seizing this opportunity, Tōshirō leaped, breaking free from the smoke's cover. With a dazzling series of hand seals, he finally settled on the "Horse" sign, formed by extending both elbows and bringing his index fingers together to form a triangle.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation.
He channeled a massive amount of fire-natured chakra into his throat, then expelled it in a huge fireball, its surging momentum like a falling meteor.
The fireball landed on the ground, setting off a fiery inferno that instantly created a sea of flames. Waves of fire surged forward, sweeping across the ground like a landslide.
Madara Uchiha, hidden within the crowd, his eyes profound, a smile playing on his lips.
The attack range of this Fire Release reminded him of his own style back in the day.
As this wide-ranging Fire Release appeared before everyone, the surrounding air seemed to instantly heat up.
The Kirigakure ninja were on high alert. Over a dozen of them stood in front of the fire wolf, their movements synchronized. They each fired a stream of water from their mouths, which converged on the ground to form a wave of water no less powerful than the fire wave.
Tōshirō had been waiting for this moment. Seizing the opportunity when the fire sea and water wave violently collided, creating a large amount of white smoke that enveloped everyone, he quickly formed hand seals, summoned an ice dragon, stepped onto its head, and flew into the air.
"You won't get away with it!"
Several members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist realized that Tōshirō intended to escape the canyon and head towards Tsunade on the cliff top. They reacted very quickly, using Wall Walking to keep pace with the ice dragon's movement, and unleashed Lightning Release ninjutsu. A flash of lightning erupted, and a thick pillar of lightning shattered the ice dragon.
The ice dragon was destroyed, unable to continue flying. Tōshirō lost his balance, and his body, along with the shattered ice remnants, plummeted towards the ground.
At the same time, the user of Shibuki pressed his advantage, leaping up to Tōshirō's head and striking down fiercely.
Tōshirō twisted his waist and flipped over. An arm-blade condensed on his right wrist. He used it to parry the slash while extending his left hand, palm facing the rock wall.
Seeing his slash parried, the user of Shibuki curled his lips into a sinister smile. The explosion tags covering the blade of his sword emitted a white glow.
This was a sign of impending explosion.
It was the ability of Shibuki; if the enemy blocked the slash, the ensuing explosion would also cause severe damage.
In addition, this sword had a hidden ability: if the sword itself was sacrificed, it could unleash destructive power capable of leveling the earth.
With a "boom," the blade exploded, creating smoke that enveloped Tōshirō.
Tsunade, held as a hostage, cried out Tōshirō's name in a voice filled with despair.
"Tōshirō—!"
As if to deliberately dispel her worries, an ice chain burst through the smoke, stretching rapidly across the sky. Ninja on the ground looked up in stunned silence as the pointed tip of the chain firmly embedded itself in the sheer rock face.
Just then, someone shouted, "What are you standing around for? Shoot him down!"
Everyone then snapped back to reality, firing countless water bullets from their mouths.
Water Release: Hail.
If they allowed a guy who wasn't even at full strength to slip away from under their noses, where would the Hidden Mist Village's pride go?
The Iwa ninja watched on, taking a passive stance and choosing not to intervene.
Tōshirō, using the centrifugal force from the end of the chain, glided along an inclined trajectory at a height of a hundred meters.
Facing attacks like a rain of bullets, Tōshirō didn't display the common "human body outline master" scenario often seen in anime.
Many times, Tōshirō had already been hit. He was currently gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, pushing through forcefully.
Tōshirō desperately endured the pain of being hit. Wounds of this level were not yet enough for him to activate his Tailed Beast Cloak.
The chain swung, and his feet landed on the cliff face.
"Tsunade, wait for me..."
Tōshirō murmured softly to himself. His eyes were fixed on Tsunade at the cliff top, seeing nothing else.
He hunched his upper body, leaning forward, and began to run. His strides weren't large, but his leg movements were incredibly fast, propelling his body forward in a series of arrow-like sprints, one after another.
The pursuing ninja behind him could barely keep sight of his taillights.
Seeing that he was about to reach the cliff top, Tōshirō summoned all his strength, entered his Steam Armor state, powerfully pushed off with his feet, and leaped to the top of the cliff.
Finally, one step closer...
A glimmer of hope had just welled up in his heart, but in the next second, Tōshirō was deeply shocked by the sight before him.
There were countless enemies standing in front of him.
He had thought a few hundred ninja in the canyon were already exaggerated, but he hadn't realized this was just the tip of the iceberg. The enemies awaiting him likely numbered in the thousands.
It was only then that he truly understood why the Iwa ninja had chosen to watch from the sidelines; an even more severe challenge awaited him at the top of the cliff.
Just as Tōshirō was somewhat disheartened by the cruel reality, the man standing in front of Tsunade, as if to deliberately twist the knife, said, "Heh heh... Why bother? If you had just stayed down there and let us kill you, you wouldn't have discovered this despair-inducing scene."
The "Madara Uchiha" disguised as this man conveyed a mocking tone.
He seemed intent on completely shattering Tōshirō's will to fight, then watching with interest as Tōshirō's face twisted in despair.
However, he seemed to have miscalculated.
Everything he said seemed utterly insignificant to Tōshirō's still unyielding expression.
Indeed, Tōshirō had been momentarily lost.
But as long as his hands could still form seals and his legs could still run, there was still a glimmer of hope.
Those blood-red eyes were filled with determination, speaking volumes...
Madara Uchiha's lips curved slightly, unfazed.
Heh heh~Keep that high fighting spirit.
The moment of despair is often the beginning of hope...
"I see, so you still won't give up. Well, I'd like to see how long you can last."
Madara Uchiha gave the order to attack to the ninja behind him. The ninja charged towards Tōshirō, while he himself retreated into the crowd, holding Tsunade.
Tōshirō took a deep breath.
At this moment, he had resolved to fight to the death.
Orange chakra, distinct from the usual blue, continuously surged from his body, forming a Tailed Beast Cloak around him. Immediately after, Tōshirō used Ice Release to create an ice sword for combat, which could effectively increase his killing efficiency and also serve as defense.
In this state, most ninjutsu could not effectively strike him, which could effectively avoid unforeseen accidents from being overwhelmed.
Full Tailed Beast Transformation, while powerful, also had many drawbacks, the most significant being its obvious purpose. Tōshirō still had to hide it to deceive the enemy.
On the other side, inside the canyon, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and the forces led by the Four-Tails Jinchuriki had already charged over, joining the battle.
Enemies assailed him from all directions. Tōshirō wove through the attacks while retaliating.
However, these were all feints. Tōshirō's real goal was to use this opportunity to slowly approach Tsunade. Once he entered the range of Body Flicker Jutsu, Tōshirō would use the explosive power of Boil Release to rush to Tsunade and rescue her.
As he did so, ninja after ninja were cut down by his ice sword. In the rapidly changing battlefield, any gaps in the encirclement were immediately filled by others, rushing forward.
"Damn it, this guy is incredible."
A member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was utterly stunned. The more he fought Tōshirō, the more he realized his immense power.
As the battle deepened, this guy seemed to become like a machine, tireless, his speed showing no signs of slowing down.
Furthermore, he possessed abnormal defensive capabilities. Even when they managed to hit him, the effect was negligible. When they used powerful ninjutsu, this guy would use his Sharingan to anticipate and prepare, making it impossible to land a hit.
The current Tōshirō was truly a grim reaper, growing stronger with every fight.
Madara Uchiha watched this scene unfold from beginning to end. He smiled at Tsunade, "This guy is really amazing, isn't he?"
Others might not be able to tell, but Madara Uchiha knew very well that Tōshirō wasn't inexhaustible.
On the contrary, Tōshirō's stamina was gradually declining. The fact that he could maintain this momentum now was because he was forcing himself, preventing himself from showing any weaknesses. He was purely relying on a burst of spirit. Once that spirit was gone, Tōshirō would quickly show signs of decline.
Tsunade bit her lip until it bled, her clenched fists so tight that her knuckles turned white.
Her heart was already filled with profound regret.
She shouldn't have come here, or at least she should have discussed it with Tōshirō.
That way, Tōshirō wouldn't have risked his life to rescue her.
This went on for an unknown duration. Tōshirō's ice sword was stained with the enemy's blood, having become a blood-red blade.
A flash of the blade, Tōshirō escaped the Kubikiribōchō's slash. His eyes constantly monitored Tsunade's position. After a long period of continuous, deliberate approaching, his distance from Tsunade had reached a relatively close point.
Any closer, and the enemy would become alert.
But unfortunately, this distance was not the optimal range for Body Flicker Jutsu. Rashly using it might have a certain chance of rescuing her, but there was also a risk of failure.
Tōshirō dared not gamble recklessly. If he lost the gamble, the consequences would be unimaginable.
For this, he had to be careful, even more careful.
Just then, the user of Hiramekarei charged towards him. The two weapons in his hand merged into one, a sign that this weapon was about to use its ability.
Tōshirō's gaze sharpened.
This position, this attack direction, was perfectly timed.
His thoughts raced. Tōshirō seized the opportunity to intentionally expose a weakness.
At the same time, the Tailed Beast within him began to undergo further transformation. His body was enveloped in dark red chakra, and he entered both Sage Mode (State Two) and Steam Armor state, making final preparations for his subsequent actions.
Hiramekarei burst with brilliant blue light, forming a giant hammer that directly smashed Tōshirō, and the direction of the smash was precisely Tsunade's location.
Mid-air, Tōshirō gritted his back teeth, forcefully straightening his hunched back, and repeatedly dug his feet into the air, finally arresting his body's decline.
In a flash, his body unleashed an unprecedented amount of chakra.
"Nani!!!"
Everyone was stunned by the chakra Tōshirō unleashed.
After fighting for so long, this monster still had such a massive amount of chakra.
Subconsciously, they thought this chakra was aimed at them, and they even prepared themselves early, bracing for an attack.
Clearly, they had vastly overestimated him.
Tōshirō vanished from his spot, instantly appearing in front of Tsunade.
"So fast—!"
By the time Madara Uchiha reacted, Tōshirō had already snatched the person right in front of him.
At this moment, even Madara Uchiha's wide eyes showed an expression of extreme surprise. He couldn't help but want to let out a cheer, to say: Well done, Tōshirō!
But...
The one who did the best was still me, Madara Uchiha—!
After a brief surprise, Madara Uchiha laughed, his smile insidious and wicked.
He glanced at the middle-aged ninja beside him, his gaze profound, giving him a look.
Make your move—!
This ninja was a Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai ninja.
The man understood Madara Uchiha's meaning. He slowly raised his right hand, formed a single hand seal, and shouted: "Ha—!"
Meanwhile, A Few Seconds Earlier.
Tōshirō's legs folded as he landed steadily, holding Tsunade in a princess carry. His perpetually tense expression finally softened slightly.
I did it, I did it...
Tsunade's face was streaked with tears. "You idiot, why did you come..."
"Other things can wait. I'll get you out of here first."
Now was not the time to lower his guard; strong enemies still surrounded them.
Fortunately, Tōshirō still had enough chakra left to transform into the Five-Tails and escape.
Although Tsunade seemed unable to use chakra in her current state, Tōshirō was still confident he could get her away.
After transforming into the Five-Tails, Tōshirō intended to place Tsunade in his mouth.
Seeing Tōshirō snatch Tsunade right in front of them was undoubtedly a loud slap in everyone's face. The Kirigakure and Iwagakure ninja charged forward like madmen.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
Countless kunai and shuriken ripped through the air.
Tōshirō first dodged the attack while holding Tsunade, landing in an open space. "Get ready. I'm going to transform into my Tailed Beast form and take you out of this place of trouble."
"Boom—!"
With almost no warning, a massive explosion answered him.
Immediately after, a searing liquid painted his entire face, making it intensely hot.
For a moment, Tōshirō's mind went completely blank, like a normally functioning computer suddenly crashing and freezing due to a virus.
Even after a few moments, as he slowly came back to his senses, Tōshirō's mind remained in a state of chaos.
He licked the liquid from his lips.
It tasted metallic, the taste of blood...
This was Tsunade's blood...
Tōshirō's pupils trembled. He slowly, shakily, lowered his head.
At this moment, Tsunade's abdomen had a gaping hole, bloody and unbearable to look at. It was certain that all her internal organs had been blasted to smithereens, and there was even a faint scent of charring...
Presumably, the explosion just now had come from inside her abdomen...
The warmth of life was rapidly fading from her body. Tsunade's face was deathly pale, and she said in a very weak voice, "I'm... sorry..."
Having sustained such a fatal injury, even someone with the vibrant life force of the Senju clan was completely beyond saving.
Rather, the fact that Tsunade didn't die immediately and could still speak a few words was remarkable, even among the Senju clan.
Tōshirō: "..."
Tsunade offered her final apology: "I'm... really... so sorry... I... I shouldn't have..."
Tōshirō: "..."
"Cough... cough cough..."
Tsunade's memories began to flash before her eyes like a revolving lantern.
From being born into a prestigious ninja clan, entering the Ninja Academy, meeting Tōshirō, becoming a student of the Third Hokage, forming a contract with Shikkotsu Forest, and then falling in love with Tōshirō...
These deeply etched memories remained unforgettable to her.
"So... this is... what it feels like to die, it's... truly... so sad... cough cough... Tōshirō, do... do you... know? I, I... I'm not sad because I'm about to die, but because... because... I'll never be able to let you touch... my... body again... and that makes me... sad..."
After speaking these words, Tsunade slowly closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually faded from weak to intermittent, then finally ceased...
After Tsunade's death, Tōshirō didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, or even...
When he came to, he realized he seemed to be shouting loudly. He didn't know what he was shouting, but it felt as if continuously screaming until he coughed out his soul would make him feel better.
At the same time, vast, dark chakra was converging in the neural nexus of his brain.
(End of Chapter)
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