Their opponent was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.
At this moment, Naruto's entire body was engulfed in a ferocious red chakra, with five tails swaying violently behind him.
In addition to this, he had activated the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates Formation.
Green chakra steam billowed from his body like a raging furnace.
Lava Release: Ash Stone Sealing Technique!
Kurotsuchi formed hand seals and spat out a stream of cement-like lava, aiming to trap Naruto. However, Naruto's speed was too fast, and he easily dodged it.
Leaf Hurricane!
Naruto spun his body, and a vortex of red and green chakra blasted toward Kurotsuchi.
"Watch out!"
Kitsuchi slammed his hands together.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
A wall of earth rose from the ground to block the attack.
However, the chakra vortex shattered the wall within seconds, barely slowing it down.
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!
Gritting her teeth, Kurotsuchi charged forward, her fist covered in a thick layer of rock, and clashed directly with Naruto's spinning heel.
Her expression shifted drastically as the force sent her sliding backward, leaving deep gouges in the ground.
The rock covering her fist crumbled into dust, and her arm went numb for a moment.
"Come on! Let's go at it again!" Naruto shouted excitedly, his voice filled with unrestrained energy.
What a monster!
Kurotsuchi's heart sank.
She and Kitsuchi had originally been tasked with stopping the three-headed snake but had unexpectedly run into Kakashi and Naruto.
They were familiar with Kakashi, but Naruto was an unknown to them.
Now, having experienced it firsthand, they realized the terrifying truth, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki trained in the Eight Gates was an unstoppable force.
Naruto alone was overpowering both of them, leaving them no room to counterattack.
Even Kakashi, who was supposed to be assisting, had become a mere spectator.
The one enjoying this the most was Naruto himself, thrilled to have such an opportunity to unleash his full strength.
…
North of the Iwagakure camp;
"Tsunade-sama?!"
Sakura, who had been observing the intense battle between Sasuke and the Four-Tails, suddenly noticed the awe-inspiring scene in the sky.
She had no idea Tsunade could use Wood Release, and given its profound significance, the sight left her utterly stunned.
"It looks like it's about time!"
Karin's eyes lit up.
"What do you mean, 'about time'?"
Sakura blinked in confusion, her face a mix of bewilderment and curiosity.
"Sasuke!" Karin shouted, forming hand seals as golden chains shot out from her body at incredible speed, wrapping around the Four-Tails, Son Gokū.
"What is this?!"
Son Gokū roared in fury, grabbing at the chains and trying to tear them apart.
Despite its immense strength, the chains didn't budge an inch.
Sasuke raised his head.
The time for playing around was over, it was time for the next phase of the plan.
The struggling Son Gokū suddenly froze, its vision filled with a massive, crimson Sharingan.
While perfect Jinchūriki were immune to genjutsu, Roshi was not.
Sasuke easily took control of him.
Son Gokū stood motionless for a moment.
In the next second, under Sasuke's command, the Four-Tails charged at the Five-Tails, Kokuō.
Thus, a tailed beast battle erupted.
Boom!
A deafening explosion tore through the sky.
The forest that Tsunade had forcefully summoned was quickly disintegrated by Ōnoki's Dust Release: Limitless Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, shattering into an enormous blast.
However, before Ōnoki could celebrate, he saw the Four-Tails, as if gone mad, grappling with the Five-Tails in brutal combat.
"Sharingan?!"
Ōnoki immediately noticed the Sharingan pattern in Son Gokū's eyes.
Although it wasn't a typical Sharingan, the pattern and aura unmistakably tied it to the legendary dojutsu.
"This… this is the second step."
Tsunade's calm voice echoed from a distance.
She had retreated well before the explosion and remained unharmed.
"Damn it!"
Ōnoki's face twisted with fury.
The tide of battle, once in their favor, had taken a disastrous turn.
With both Jinchūriki incapacitated, Iwagakure had lost its greatest assets.
While they still had eight thousand shinobi, fighting against four monstrous snake constructs would result in devastating casualties.
"No!"
Ōnoki's eyes widened in despair, his voice trembling.
Son Gokū opened its mouth, forming a massive Tailed Beast Ball.
Kokuō, cornered, had no choice but to form its own Tailed Beast Ball in retaliation.
The two spheres collided, creating a cataclysmic explosion that sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
Nearby Iwa-nin were caught in the blast, their bodies strewn like crushed ants, leaving the ground littered with corpses.
Ōnoki had no time to grieve as another Tailed Beast Ball began forming.
Heart pounding, he shot toward Son Gokū without hesitation.
If he didn't stop them, the two tailed beasts could wipe out all the Iwa-nin on the field.
"Trying to escape?"
Tsunade snorted, her wings flaring as she intercepted Ōnoki.
"Get out of my way!"
Ōnoki clasped his hands together, forming another cubic Dust Release barrier.
Tsunade responded by summoning the remaining trees from the ground.
Ōnoki's bloodshot eyes reflected his frustration.
There was no way to quickly deal with Tsunade.
Even if he bypassed her and reached Son Gokū, what could he do?
Sasuke, the one controlling the tailed beast, was still waiting for him.
Ōnoki's heart sank into despair.
Compared to Konoha, Iwagakure simply lacked enough top-tier combatants.
When he counted, there were only three: himself and the two Jinchūriki.
The second tier consisted of people like Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi.
While strong enough for most battles, they were utterly outmatched against opponents like Naruto.
"Tsuchikage, aren't you curious about the third step?"
Tsunade asked with a dazzling smile.
Ōnoki's body trembled uncontrollably.
Tsunade casually pulled out a signal flare and tossed it into the air.
Brilliant smoke exploded above her, illuminating the battlefield.
In the next second, the northern side of the Iwagakure camp was suddenly swarmed with countless figures, like a meteor shower descending upon the earth.
It was the three thousand Konoha ninjas who had been lying in wait.
This is bad!
Ōnoki's expression twisted in a mixture of anger and panic.
But what happened next sent an even greater chill down his spine.
At the forefront of the Konoha forces, approximately fifty shinobi began to undergo horrifying transformations.
Some of their skin turned black, others sprouted horns, and a few grew additional limbs.
Not only did their appearances change, but their chakra levels skyrocketed as well.
Chūnin and jōnin level ninjas were suddenly elevated to elite jōnin status.
They charged into the Iwagakure camp like an unstoppable tide, cutting through the ranks with terrifying ease.
In a matter of seconds, over a hundred Iwa-nin lay dead.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
They were even more formidable than she had expected.
The Curse Marks were truly remarkable.
But on further thought, it made sense.
Shinho had once explained that the Curse Mark was essentially a weaker version of Sage Mode.
"You've already lost. Surrender now," Tsunade said, fully at ease.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of irony.
This was the first time she'd fought such a well-resourced battle.
During the Second Shinobi World War, she, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had faced Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure.
The Konoha shinobi they led had been completely wiped out, leaving only the three of them to survive with the hollow title of the Legendary Sannin as their "victory."
The Third Shinobi World War was even more disastrous.
Despite Minato's heroic efforts, Konoha had suffered devastating losses.
But now, in the Fourth Shinobi World War, Konoha was facing the entire ninja world alone, and it was effortless.
The reason for this was Shinho.
He had established the Summoning Corps and the Curse Mark Corps and had empowered Tsunade herself beyond imagination.
Of course, the contributions of Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin couldn't be overlooked either.
But all three of them were closely tied to Shinho.
"Impossible!"
Ōnoki gritted his teeth in fury.
Watching so many Iwa-nin die had already ignited a burning rage within him.
Surrender now? What face would he have left as the Tsuchikage?
Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!
Earth Release: Ultra-Added Weight Rock Technique!
Not only did his fist become encased in rock, but his entire arm as well.
Ōnoki leapt into the air, charging directly at Tsunade.
The fierce wind whipped against him, making his white beard and eyebrows flutter as the diminutive elder unleashed a terrifying aura.
Tsunade, however, was unphased.
She clenched her fist tightly.
An immense surge of chakra erupted from her body, materializing into a tangible whirlwind around her hand.
super strength!
Tsunade swung her fist.
With the triple amplification from Djinn Transformation and her all-out effort, it became the strongest punch she had ever thrown.
The air seemed to warp.
The chakra whirlwind enveloped the two of them like a tornado.
Boom!
Ōnoki's body was sent flying backward.
Tsunade waved her hand casually.
The trees on the ground immediately responded, countless branches surging forward to bind Ōnoki tightly.
She landed gracefully, looking down at him with calm eyes.
"It's over, Ōnoki," she declared.
As for the title of Tsuchikage, it might as well be discarded into the trash.
From now on, there would only be the Hokage.
"Argh!"
Ōnoki struggled in frustration, but it was futile.
"Tsunade-sama," a voice called out.
Might Guy approached them, his expression solemn.
He had been watching the battle from nearby all along.
Shinho's orders were clear: protect Tsunade.
He had intended to step in if the situation turned dire, but it never came to that.
Tsunade's strength had far exceeded his expectations.
But he recognized the Djinn Transformation as Shinho had used it before.
Might Guy could only marvel at the greatness of the Sixth Hokage.
After all, every change in Konoha could be traced back to him.
…
West of the Iwagakure camp;
Kurotsuchi glanced at the fierce battle between the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails, her heart sinking further into despair.
The situation for Iwagakure was growing increasingly grim.
Could this be the day they suffered an unprecedented defeat?
She pushed her worries aside and turned to look at Naruto, letting out a bitter laugh.
After fighting for so long, the guy was still bursting with energy, like an unrelenting monster.
Meanwhile, both she and her father, Kitsuchi, were already injured.
At that moment, a voice rang out nearby.
"Naruto, stop."
It was Tsunade.
Naruto reluctantly halted, looking slightly disappointed.
"Grandfather?!"
Kurotsuchi froze in shock, her eyes wide.
Behind Tsunade was Ōnoki, bound and defeated.
Kitsuchi's face stiffened, unsure of what to say.
"Do you still want to fight?"
Tsunade's voice was calm. "If this continues, the two tailed beasts will wipe out every Iwagakure ninja."
Kurotsuchi remained silent.
There were eight thousand Iwagakure shinobi here.
If they all perished, the village's strength would be reduced by ninety-nine percent, leaving only the old, the weak, and children behind.
"Are you not going to surrender?"
Tsunade's expression turned cold. "Then I'll kill them all."
"Wait!"
Kurotsuchi's heart leaped in alarm, and she quickly shouted, "We surrender!"
Kitsuchi opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.
Ōnoki, hearing this, closed his eyes in pain.
He understood it was the most rational choice.
If they fought to the bitter end, Iwagakure would have no future.
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