Anya wiped the blood off her blade. Within just a few minutes, ten Iwa ninja lay dead at her feet. Anyone weaker than her stood practically no chance against Anya, who had survived three attacks from the White Fang.
After finishing them off, Anya used a scroll to summon a flying hawk puppet. Ten chakra threads extended from her fingers, controlling the mechanical bird as it lifted into the air. In the distance, beyond the mountain peak where the Sannin had been, a path had already been cleared—large numbers of Konoha reinforcements had arrived.
As soon as both sides clashed, battle erupted violently. The mountain peak was completely flattened. A dazzling array of ninjutsu rained down in chaotic bombardments. Once the jutsu stopped, brutal close-quarters combat erupted—the fiercest yet.
Anya glanced quickly and confirmed that the Sannin were safe. She then manipulated the hawk to leave at full speed. This wasn't her fight anymore. She needed to hurry and see if her squad's ambush had succeeded.
She controlled the Puppet Technique with great skill. Combined with this flying puppet, her speed rivaled that of a real hawk. After a short burst of rapid flight, the enemy supply stronghold appeared clearly ahead.
"Rumbling..."
Just arriving above the location, Anya immediately noticed thick smoke billowing everywhere, flames bursting toward the heavens. Below, chaos reigned; everything was obscured, impossible to make out clearly. She could only see shinobi launching various jutsu all over the battlefield. Most notably, a massive tailed beast stood in the center. Its roar shook the sky like a speeding train as it barreled forward, sending both allies and enemies alike flying through the air.
As it ran, this tailed beast form raised its chakra to boiling point, shrouding its entire body in a cloud of steam. Wherever it passed, shinobi either fell dead or gravely wounded.
This...was the Five-Tails jinchuriki. It was guarding this supply base? Dammit.
Anya knew exactly where she stood. Trying to defeat such a tailed beast jinchuriki was pure fantasy—especially now, fully transformed. In raw power and destructive capability, it surpassed even most Kage-level opponents.
What should she do?
Anya circled overhead, frowning beneath her mask, unsure of what to do next. At this moment, the wisest decision would be to turn back.
But somehow, thinking about these past days of fighting side by side, she ultimately descended anyway. Finding a hidden spot, she quickly formed hand seals and muttered, [Spirit Transformation Technique].
Using the Spirit Transformation Technique, Anya quickly located her five teammates through spiritual perception. One had already lost all life force entirely. Of the remaining four, only one still showed strength, while the other three lay motionless on the ground, barely clinging to life.
Once she identified their positions, Anya immediately ended the technique. She maneuvered the hawk to fly low, recalling her memories precisely, and activated her chakra threads to pull the four survivors up beside her.
With more passengers, Anya had to intensify her Chakra Control for the puppet, which slowed the flight speed somewhat. Fortunately, the tailed beast seemed to have lost all reason and didn't attack them directly.
Anya quickly activated [Summoning Jutsu] to bring forth Katsuyu and, at the same time, started using her Medical Ninjutsu on the most critically injured. As the healing chakra flowed into their body, a sinking feeling settled in Anya's gut—their injuries were far too severe. With her hastily learned Medical Ninjutsu skills, she couldn't fully heal them. Now it all depended on how effective Katsuyu's abilities would be.
Anya looked at it with a hopeful gaze.
Katsuyu clearly understood Anya's expectations. In a solemn tone, it spoke, "My ability can only reach its full potential when combined with Lady Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal Technique. Right now, I can't save them all."
Damn it, Anya felt irritation rise. With an unpleasant tone, she questioned one of the still combat-capable Anbu members, "What exactly happened? Why did this jinchuriki suddenly go berserk? Didn't I clearly say before that survival comes first when facing unavoidable danger?"
"Cough… cough…" The Anbu officer coughed several times, blood dripping from his mask—clearly suffering from internal injuries as well. He struggled to catch his breath before speaking, "It was my on-the-spot decision, Captain. You were right. After this battle, Konoha will surely win."
"?" A wave of confusion swept over Anya as she struggled to grasp the hidden meaning behind his words.
Another Anbu member added, "This is Iwagakure's largest logistical stronghold. By destroying it, we've deprived them of the ability to wage a prolonged war against us."
Anya quickly caught on, "So you mean, that jinchuriki going berserk was intentional?"
"That's right," the first Anbu responded with a hoarse voice. "This stronghold was too vast. With only our small team, we could destroy a small portion—most of it would have remained intact. Therefore, I used my Dojutsu to trigger the jinchuriki's rampage. The power that burst out was really something. If only my ocular abilities were stronger, perhaps I could have controlled the tailed beast entirely. Then everyone could have survived."
Though aware there was a member of the Uchiha Clan in her squad, she hadn't expected him to be so bold—to actually use the Sharingan to control a tailed beast. Such a feat required an incredibly advanced Dojutsu. Still, the mere fact he managed to induce the beast's rage suggested his ocular power wasn't weak by any means.
"They're here! Everyone converge!"
Unfortunately, the group flying low had been spotted by the Iwa ninja. Upon hearing someone shout, dozens of whooshing sounds rapidly approached from behind.
Anya's expression turned grim instantly.
"Captain, drop us off—we won't escape like this, and none of us will make it."
"Yes… I already feel I'm nearing my limit. Don't waste your chakra trying to heal us anymore."
"You know, Captain, you're a very rational ninja. This moment has become the time for the final decision."
Fully aware of the possibility of death, several Anbu members attempted to reason with her, urging her to leave them behind.
The more they pleaded, the harder it became for Anya to let go. For a moment, she even doubted herself—when had she become so hesitant? Wasn't she supposed to be cold-blooded and indifferent? They were just NPCs after all—surely not worth risking her own life for. Besides, reincarnated with a second chance, how could she possibly stay here risking everything for people who were already as good as dead anyway?
Anya desperately tried to convince himself inwardly, but his healing hands never stopped for a moment.
Eventually, one still-fit Anbu member rose and leapt down from the Eagle Puppet. Even through the mask, Anya could sense him smiling.
He gasped, "Completing such an important mission this time—no regrets. Captain, I've got your back."
Watching the retreating figure of this Anbu member, Anya's heart turned cold, suddenly feeling hollow inside.
"We're done for! Give up! Captain, kill us! Don't let us fall into enemy hands!" Several other Anbu members shouted in unison, their voices rising with emotion.
Anya felt as though his heart had been condemned—knives, whips, and blades tearing at his chest, wrenching his lungs, piercing his liver, his very organs writhing in torment.
Finally, Anya's gaze sharpened, icy and merciless. He hardened, slipping back into a cold, razor-sharp state of mind. He released the Summoning jutsu, handed each person an Explosive Tag, and said urgently, "Alright. I will remember you. Now I'm going to teach you a Kinjutsu. Listen carefully."
[Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags] was essentially a self-sacrificial explosive technique—one that really only worked in combination with the Impure World Reincarnation. Given the current situation, this was the only Ninjutsu that made sense for them.
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