After hearing Uncle Shinku's words, I shook my head. My patience was limited, and I had already reached that limit. I couldn't waste any more time here. The Nine-Tails was getting closer and closer to my house with every passing moment. Even if it wasn't moving directly toward my home, the aftermath of its battle certainly was. The ground trembled from distant impacts, and faint rumbles echoed through the forest. I couldn't just stay here while my parents were still there. Shaking my head again, I said, "Well, you also leave me no choice."
The moment those words left my mouth, I moved. My right hand gripped the sheath of Shusui while my left hand wrapped around the hilt. Chakra immediately flared around my body, swirling like a visible aura. Then I stamped my left foot outward. Boom! The ground beneath my feet shattered, cracks spreading across the surface.
" One Sword Style: Sword Drawing Technique," I declared.
As soon as I finished speaking, I moved in one fluid motion. Shing! Shusui left its sheath. At the same instant, I swung. A powerful green-colored flying sword slash burst forward from the blade and shot ahead at tremendous speed, tearing through the air. The pressure generated by the attack kicked up dust and leaves in its wake as it raced toward the group.
The moment the slash appeared, Uncle Shinku and the other adult ninjas immediately sensed the danger, their expressions changing instantly. Uncle Shinku channeled chakra into his sword and raised it to defend himself, while the others reacted just as quickly, drawing kunai and other weapons while reinforcing their bodies and equipment with chakra. But it wasn't enough. Boom! The green flying slash collided with their defenses. Uncle Shinku's sword shook violently as the impact overwhelmed his basic defense, blowing him backward and carrying him away by the force of the attack.
The other adult ninjas weren't any better off. One after another, they were pushed back despite their efforts; some were sent tumbling across the ground, while others crashed directly into the trees behind them. Boom! Boom! Two large trees shattered under the impact. Only after plowing through the group and causing a path of destruction did the flying sword slash finally lose its power and dissipate into the air.
The forest became silent for a brief moment. Using Observation Haki, I immediately sensed their conditions. As expected, none of them had suffered serious injuries; they had been pushed back and knocked around, but their injuries were minor. At most, they would need a few minutes to recover completely. I had deliberately held back. After all, these weren't enemies.
As soon as the attack struck Uncle Shinku and the other adult ninjas behind him, Kurenai's expression changed. Seeing her father get hit by the flying sword slash and smash into a tree made her heart skip a beat. "Father!" she shouted anxiously. The other children also looked toward the fallen adults with worried expressions. I immediately turned toward Kurenai and said in a calm tone, "Don't worry. Uncle Shinku is fine. It's just that he won't be able to move for the next few minutes, and he won't be coming in my way."
Hearing my words, Kurenai visibly paused, though the concern on her face didn't disappear completely. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of staying any longer; every second mattered. I slid Shusui back into its sheath. Click. Without another word, I leaned forward and exploded into motion. The ground cracked beneath my feet as I dashed away at high speed, leaving everyone behind. My destination was clear: my house. My parents were still there, and until I saw them with my own eyes, I wasn't going to stop.
…
Hiruzen was doing everything he could to stop the rampage of the Nine-Tails. Around him were Konoha's elite forces: ANBU operatives, Special Jonins, Jonins, and even some of the most capable Chunins available. Under normal circumstances, this was a force capable of handling almost any threat the village could face, but the Nine-Tails was not a normal threat. Every movement of the gigantic beast carried overwhelming destructive power. A casual swipe of one of its claws could crush buildings and send multiple ninjas flying, while a single swing of one of its nine massive tails could flatten entire sections of the battlefield. Again and again, elite ninjas were either severely injured or killed outright. The difference in power was simply too great.
Dust filled the air as explosions echoed throughout the battlefield. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and pointed his Adamantine Staff toward the Nine-Tails. "Extend!" The moment his voice fell, the Adamantine Staff instantly grew at tremendous speed. Boom! The rapidly extending staff struck the Nine-Tails directly in the chest. The enormous beast was pushed backward, sliding across the ground and tearing a long trail through the earth before being sent nearly fifty to sixty meters away.
For a brief moment, the attack seemed successful. However, the Nine-Tails quickly dug its claws into the ground, stabilized its massive body, and let out a furious roar.
"ROOOAAARRR!"
The very air trembled. Then, without hesitation, it pounced forward once again.
"Defensive formation!" Hiruzen shouted. Under his command, multiple Earth-style users immediately slammed their hands onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
Rumble!
One massive wall rose, then another, and another. Layer after layer of thick earth walls emerged between the charging Nine-Tails and the defending ninjas.
Unfortunately, they barely slowed it down. The Nine-Tails swung one claw. Boom! The first wall shattered, the second followed immediately after, and the third didn't even last a second. Chunks of stone exploded in every direction as the beast tore through the defenses as if they were made of paper. The ninjas could only retreat while continuing to launch attacks to slow it down.
As Hiruzen continued directing the battle, he suddenly turned toward an ANBU ninja standing nearby, who was continuously launching long-range Ninjutsu toward the Nine-Tails while awaiting orders. Hiruzen asked sternly, "Why haven't all the civilians been rescued yet? The evacuation process should have been much faster than this. Why is it being delayed?"
The ANBU ninja immediately replied, "Lord Third, we are trying to evacuate as many people as possible. However, many ninjas are unable to focus entirely on the evacuation." The ANBU glanced toward the distant Nine-Tails before continuing. "They are afraid. Every time the Nine-Tails roars or attacks, they fear the next strike will reach them. Because of that fear, the evacuation process is slowing down."
Hiruzen's expression darkened. The situation was already bad enough; fear spreading among the rescue forces would only make things worse. He immediately reprimanded the ANBU ninja in a harsh tone. "Tell them to let go of their fear." His voice was filled with authority. "If they continue behaving like this, then countless civilians will die, and those deaths will be on their hands. It is the duty of every shinobi of Konoha to protect the civilians of this village. If necessary, use drastic measures. The civilians must be protected at all costs."
The ANBU ninja immediately straightened. "Yes, Lord Third. I will implement it immediately." Without wasting another second, the ANBU disappeared in a Body Flicker. Hiruzen then turned back toward the battlefield, once again focusing on the raging Nine-Tails.
Meanwhile, the orders spread rapidly among the evacuation teams. Not long afterward, Daiki and Haruto, who were among the ninjas assigned to rescue civilians from residential areas, continued moving toward their designated location. Their mission was simple: search every assigned house, rescue anyone still inside, and escort them to safety.
However, despite moving forward, both of them were terrified. Every few moments, the ground would shake violently. Boom! Boom! The sounds of destruction continuously echoed through the village, and from time to time they could even hear the roar of the Nine-Tails. Each roar sent a chill down their spines. Their hands trembled, and their faces were pale. Several times, the instinct to turn around and run flashed through their minds, but neither of them dared.
The Third Hokage's orders had already been delivered. This was no longer a simple mission; it was effectively a death order. If they intentionally delayed the evacuation, tried to avoid their duties, or wasted time out of fear, the consequences would be severe. In a situation like this, abandoning civilians was considered an unforgivable crime. So, despite their fear, they gritted their teeth and continued forward step by step, following orders exactly as they had been given.
Eventually, they arrived in front of the house assigned to them. According to the Yamanaka clan's sensory ninja, there were still two people inside: both civilians were alive, and both still needed to be evacuated. Daiki and Haruto exchanged nervous glances before looking toward the house. Neither of them knew who lived there; to them, it was simply another rescue target: a house containing two civilians who needed saving.
However, if they had known the identity of those people, they would have been surprised. Because the house standing before them belonged to none other than Ryuma, and the two civilians they had been ordered to rescue were none other than Ryuma's parents.
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