As they spoke, Obito and Hiruko vanished from their spot.
After scanning for a moment and not spotting them, Uchiha Hikari calmly withdrew her gaze, turning her attention to the distance.
There, a towering wave of bloodlust practically solidified into a tangible force. A massive, purple-black form writhed and churned, devouring heaps of flesh and blood. With each gulp, its already overwhelming presence grew stronger, its aura turning even more ferocious and oppressive. Even from miles away, the sensation was unmistakable.
Esdeath caught sight of it too.
"Finally face-to-face with this thing…" she muttered. "I've been waiting for you—time to die!"
Before her words even settled, Esdeath shot forward like a whirlwind. In mere seconds, she reached the district where Moryo loomed, raising a massive ice-forged sword and slashing down with ferocious force.
"Die!"
Moryo met the incoming blow with dozens of tentacles, weaving them into a dense shield. The tentacles snapped under the strike, but the beast absorbed the blow, then retaliated, its countless limbs whipping through the air with howling gusts.
Everything in their path—houses, streets—was smashed into dust, leaving nothing but a smoky ruin!
The air roared with deafening booms, chaotic currents swirling wildly.
Esdeath, sizing up her opponent's strength, felt a fiery battle lust ignite in her eyes. "Not bad for a super-dangerous beast from another world. I respect that power… Now, don't disappoint me!"
In that moment, a true monster from another world clashed with a demonic creature that had once brought ruin to the Land of Demons and half the ninja world. Their battle was like a collision of planets, shaking the very heavens!
Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikari's main group finally encountered their own enemies.
"…Those must be the priestess of the Land of Demons and the people she hired, right?"
On a cliff, several Yellow Springs Cult members spied on the distant group through binoculars, their expressions grim.
"There are three women in priestess robes. Which one is the 'Miroku' Lord Moryo mentioned?"
Indeed, the group had three priestesses. Kikyo was a traditional shrine maiden from the Sengoku era, while Eri, though only nominally the "Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto," wore the classic red-and-white priestess attire. Combined with Miroku, the trio could easily confuse onlookers.
But with a bit of scrutiny, it wasn't hard to figure out.
"It's probably the older one," said Meido, the cult leader. "Miroku took the throne over a decade ago and married a few years back, even having a daughter. She shouldn't be too young. Plus, she's got black hair. The redhead looks like she might be from the Uzumaki clan… but that girl who looks barely twelve or thirteen? She's a mystery."
Though Meido didn't know Hikari, his years of roaming the ninja world and surviving its dangers made him wary of the girl who didn't quite fit the picture.
And then there was…
"Who's that blonde woman in the dark green robe? She looks a bit like that legendary Sannin…"
Earlier, Obito, under the guise of cooperation, had shared intel on the ninja teams sent by Konoha and other villages. Kakashi from Konoha and Yugito from Kumo were confirmed.
But the problem was… why were there extra people?
Despite the confusion, there was no turning back now. Meido waved a hand. "They're getting closer… Move!"
Minutes later, as Hikari's group entered a narrow valley, the ground suddenly sank beneath them. A barrage of kunai and shuriken, rigged with explosive tags, rained down from all sides, erupting in bursts of fire.
"Earth Style: Yellow Springs Marsh!"
"Earth Style: Mud River!"
The Yellow Springs Cult members sprang from their hiding spots.
Faced with the ambush, Hikari casually floated into the air with her Sky Dance Technique, pulling Eri and Kikyo along. Kakashi and the others snapped into battle mode, forming a protective circle around Miroku.
"It's the Yellow Springs Cult!"
"Form up! Protect the priestess at all costs!"
The chaos was brief. Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan, and charged forward with a kunai, clashing with Meido, the cult leader.
Hayate, Genma, and the Kumo ninjas paired off against their own opponents. In moments, over a dozen figures darted and clashed, sparks flying from kunai and short blades, shockwaves from jutsu collisions rippling outward.
At the center of the battlefield, Hikari activated her Blood Jade Barrier, keeping it small to enclose just a few meters around herself, Eri, Kikyo, and Miroku. She leaned back, watching the show with a relaxed air.
Gotta say, Kakashi at this point was still pretty green. Barely in his early twenties, he was nowhere near his Shippuden peak or even his strength when Team 7 first formed. He was a solid jonin, but not elite. His signature Chidori could only be used a few times a day, limited by his meager chakra reserves.
Meido, on the other hand, was already stronger than Kakashi. Enhanced by Moryo's power, he was close to Kage-level, with freakish durability. Even a direct hit from a lightning-infused kunai barely fazed him. Combined with speed rivaling Might Guy's, he quickly overwhelmed Kakashi.
Even with Hayate and Genma jumping in, they couldn't turn the tide.
Yugito, however, was having an easier time. Though not at her full potential due to her age, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki was a solid elite jonin, easily handling the cultists a tier below Meido.
The sight made Tsunade's face twitch. She didn't care much for Konoha's affairs, but watching her village's younger generation get schooled—especially in front of Kumo, who she wasn't exactly fond of—stung her pride.
"Miss Hikari, Shizune, take care of Lady Miroku," Tsunade said, rolling up her sleeves. "I'm gonna show these kids how it's done!"
Despite her high heels, Tsunade's steps quickened, then exploded into a sprint. She leaped, twisting mid-air, and unleashed a devastating punch.
"Take this!"
Her signature Super Strength Fist roared through the air. Meido, caught up fighting Kakashi's group, raised his arms to block, but the force sent him flying!
Boom!
Tsunade pressed the advantage, launching a high kick that split the ground, carving a ten-meter-long trench.
"Round two!"
She kept up the onslaught. In terms of raw taijutsu, Tsunade was among the ninja world's elite, even if she hadn't trained in years. Fueled by grit and having overcome her hemophobia, she single-handedly pushed Meido back. Each swing of her fist whipped up a fierce gust, forcing him to struggle.
Seizing the moment, Kakashi pressed his hand down, purple lightning crackling in his palm.
"Chidori!"
After a brief charge, he dashed forward, exploiting Tsunade's opening. He struck from the side, driving the Chidori clean through Meido's right arm!
"Agh!"
Moryo's power was strong, but it had limits. Tsunade's relentless punches and Kakashi's Chidori pushed Meido beyond his breaking point. His arm severed at the shoulder, his body began to crumble under the strain.
Just as Tsunade and Kakashi moved to finish him off, a swift figure darted in like a gust of wind. With a single punch, Kakashi was sent flying—not just knocked back, but pierced through his palm and shoulder by countless white bone spikes erupting from the attacker's body. Tsunade yanked him back just in time to save his chest from being skewered.
With Kakashi out, it was Tsunade versus the newcomer. But her Super Strength Fists, so effective against Meido, barely dented this opponent. His body, beyond the Kaguya clan's Bone Pulse, seemed to have a metalizing ability stronger than Earth Style: Hardening Technique, shrugging off even her punches.
Worse, his speed was blinding, nearly impossible to track. Mid-battle, he formed hand signs, summoning dark storm clouds that rained spear-like lightning bolts.
"Storm Style: Thundercloud Wave!"
In the blur of combat, Tsunade squinted at the lean, white-haired man, a flicker of recognition crossing her face.
"…Hiruko?!"
The realization slowed her for a split second, and Hiruko seized the chance, sending her flying with a brutal strike.
It was indeed Hiruko. He'd shed his black-and-red Akatsuki robe—too iconic for the organization, which wasn't ready to reveal itself to the great nations. He'd left it with Obito before coming here.
Not that he had a choice. His new Kaguya clan Bone Pulse ability shredded his clothes when activated, so it was better to ditch the robe anyway.
In the fight, Hiruko had already unleashed four Bloodline Limits: Bone Pulse, Steel Style, Swift Style, and Storm Style, each at a high level. And then, as he raised his eyes, three black tomoe spun in his crimson pupils.
The fifth Bloodline Limit: the Sharingan.
"Impossible… What's with those eyes?!" Tsunade gasped, stunned.
She and Hiruko had been classmates at the ninja academy. She didn't know him well, but she knew he'd defected in pursuit of power. Yet the Hiruko standing before her now felt like a stranger.
"Heh," Hiruko sneered. "Even the great Tsunade can make that face? You, Orochimaru, Jiraiya—born into great clans or blessed as prodigies. How could you understand the struggles of a commoner ninja like me? But times have changed.
What you see now is the fruit of my years of research. As an old friend, surrender, and I'll grant you a dignified death."
"Like hell!" Tsunade snapped, her face hardening.
Hiruko wasn't surprised. "Fine. I'll make you see reality the hard way."
In an instant, his figure split—one afterimage fading while his real body flashed to Tsunade's side. A massive spiral bone sword thrust forward.
"Bone Pulse: Dance of the Larch!"
"Steel Style: Iron Fist!"
Faced with the sharp bone spikes, Tsunade didn't dare meet them head-on and dodged back. But Hiruko's speed, boosted by Swift Style, was beyond her expectations. He stuck to her like a shadow, landing a punch on her blocking arms. Blood sprayed instantly.
Had Tsunade not recently overcome her hemophobia, that hit alone might've knocked her out. Even so, she was on the ropes, barely holding up against Hiruko's relentless assault with her Kage-level durability, unable to counter effectively.
"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune cried out.
Hiruko's gaze flicked over, locking onto Miroku in the center of Hikari's group.
"So, you're the priestess?" he said. "Your life is mine!"
With that, he split again, moving at a speed so fast even most Kage-level ninja couldn't react. But just as he reached for Miroku, a pale, delicate hand shot out, gently seizing his wrist.
"You seem… pretty confident in your speed, huh?"