[Forest of Death]
Rengoku himself in the central tower had already detected Sasuke's distress signal flare on the monitors.
Because their team was special, the flares were custom-made.
Kakashi and Anko instantly stood up.
After all, an attack on the Nine-Tails wasn't something small.
They both looked at Rengoku, and only then did Rengoku slowly stand, "Anko, today I'll let you see the darkness of Konoha."
"You two follow me. Do not strike."
Anko paused for a moment, and already had a guess.
Rengoku leapt out the window with Kakashi and Anko.
Before their figures hit the ground, a large volley of shuriken came at them head-on.
Rengoku drew the long blade at his waist and knocked all the shuriken aside.
Kakashi and Anko certainly wouldn't die from shuriken alone.
The two drew kunai and kept blocking.
The three of them landed on the ground together.
A crowd had already surrounded them, and more and more people kept coming.
Kakashi and Anko were very surprised, because those surrounding them were ANBU, and the number had already reached hundreds, and was still increasing.
Rengoku's expression was icy as he watched someone slowly walk out from among the crowd.
Jiraiya.
Surprise flashed across Rengoku's face, but that surprise passed in an instant.
After all, he was the one who had truly set the trap.
"Jiraiya, how dare you openly attack me, an advisory elder, are you trying to rebel against the village?"
Putting aside everything else, Rengoku first slammed down a big accusation.
Jiraiya, having already decided to change jinchuriki, faced Rengoku's reproach without fear.
"Rengoku, just wait here a moment. We won't trouble you."
Rengoku sneered coldly, then turned and said, "Kakashi, Anko, fall back."
The two exchanged a look, their eyes grave, and they slowly retreated toward the tower.
The ANBU did not block them but instead proactively opened a path.
Seeing Kakashi and Anko retreat back into the tower and close the door, it was clear. Sarutobi Hiruzen had really gone all out: there were over three hundred ANBU present.
Remember, Rengoku's identity was the village's advisory elder.
These ANBU surrounded Rengoku without hesitation; they were clearly Hiruzen's staunch loyalists.
And they were led by Jiraiya, obviously they didn't just want to stop Rengoku.
They intended to try to encircle and kill Rengoku.
But Rengoku did not fear encirclement.
How strong Rengoku was, even with chakra near his body's limit, these people could not imagine.
It just so happened they hadn't moved in these past two years, and these people had forgotten how powerful he really was.
A chilling, cruel smile appeared on Rengoku's face.
"The Nine-Tails' jinchuriki is in danger. I'm going to save them now. Whoever dares stop me will be killed without mercy."
With those cold words, he charged at Jiraiya.
Rengoku's figure flashed and he was already in front of Jiraiya.
A vicious slash was already aimed at Jiraiya's neck.
Jiraiya knew Rengoku was not someone who would sit and wait to die; he had already been on guard. Now, with his hair bristling and long fur stiffening, he used Needle Jizo.
With a sharp sound, Rengoku's weapon was caught by the bristling fur.
Rengoku kicked the bristling fur that was about to launch, his whole body bouncing into the air.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Rengoku's chest heaved; BOOM!
A huge sea of fire erupted onto the ground.
Immediately the surroundings became a blaze; all the ANBU scattered and panicked.
Rengoku seized the opportunity and flew off toward Naruto's direction.
Jiraiya merely waved a hand, "Stop him!"
A large number of nets were thrown out at once.
They directly covered Rengoku.
Kah! Kah! Kah! Kah!
Rengoku spat with a bang and became countless crows.
The next moment his figure reappeared; with a flash of blade, the ANBU in front of him's head flew off.
He had beheaded him with one stroke.
Jiraiya's eye twitched; he pursued from behind, raising a Rasengan and slamming it toward Rengoku.
Susanoo!
Rengoku's Sharingan flashed; the skeletal form of Susanoo appeared, and a punch struck Jiraiya's side.
Although Jiraiya used the Rasengan to offset some kinetic energy and assumed a defensive posture, he was still punched away.
Rengoku snorted coldly; with a sweep he flung three ANBU aside.
The three ANBU's bodies twisted oddly, clearly dead.
BOOM! BOOM!
The Susanoo on the ANBU Rengoku had flung away had been stuck with explosive tags.
Rengoku felt his pupil power and chakra drop a little.
He didn't want to waste pupil power on these small calamities.
With so many people and a war of attrition, wasting pupil power wasn't worth it.
He instantly canceled Susanoo, drew the weapon at his waist, and charged into the crowd.
Rengoku's combat experience was so rich, how could these ANBU be his match?
Continuous, miserable screams rose; wherever Rengoku went, ANBU fell one after another.
He weaved among three people, raising his hand and bringing the blade down; with the other hand he twisted and snapped an ANBU's neck.
He exchanged a glance with another ANBU; that man immediately lost consciousness and fell.
Rengoku sidestepped to block an enemy's kick with his blade, then spun his body and slashed.
His Sharingan spun rapidly, making his movements graceful and agile, as if dancing among blades.
In just a few minutes, over thirty people lay on the ground. On average one person died every few seconds.
This was Rengoku's first time opening a mass slaughter, and yet he was killing Konoha's people, an irony hard to ignore.
"Everyone clear out!", with Jiraiya's roar, all the ANBU scattered.
Jiraiya, with two toads perched on his shoulders, had already activated Sage Mode.
Like a train, he charged at Rengoku.
Rengoku, facing the surging Jiraiya, only sneered; his clan's clones dispersed.
A massive amount of sage chakra immediately filled his body.
Sage Mode, activated!
Rengoku's pupils became horizontal; the sage markings also appeared on his face.
BANG!
The two crossed hands; the ground instantly caved in.
Jiraiya and the two toads stared at Rengoku in shock, "How is this possible?"
Shimazu stuck out his tongue to entangle Rengoku; Shinsaku sprayed a powerful water column to cut through.
Rengoku's pupil power erupted; he summoned Susanoo to defend against the water column while locking his gaze on Shimazu.
Amaterasu!
The pitch-black, ominous flames struck Shimazu.
"Ah! Ribbit!…"
Shimazu let out a hoarse frog cry, then with a bang escaped.
"Honey!"
"Big sis!"
Jiraiya and Shinsaku shouted angrily; white fur on their bodies shot out at Rengoku in a crazy hail.
It was sage technique, Thousand Needle Fur.
"Hmph!"
Rengoku snorted coldly and canceled Susanoo.
His body suddenly became a ball of flame and rolled toward Jiraiya.
Sage technique, Fire Release: Demon Lantern!
Jiraiya, rolled into by the flames, hurriedly burrowed underground.
The earth churned; Jiraiya burst out from the ground over ten meters away.
Rengoku also changed back from flame to human form.
Jiraiya was now covered in scorch marks, his clothes full of holes, some white hair singed and blackened, he looked utterly battered.
Rengoku's entire body radiated thick sage chakra, looking down on the whole scene.
"Still going to stop me? Jiraiya?"
He cast a sideways glance over the ANBU; all the ANBU involuntarily took a step back.
Up to now, Rengoku showed no redness or panting; neither his chakra nor his sage chakra had shown any signs of attenuation.
Jiraiya's heart was bitter, how had Rengoku become so strong?
And that encirclement, how many ANBU would survive wasn't even certain.
'Why hasn't the other side been handled yet? If this isn't settled soon, I'll have to hand this over here.'
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