บท 177: Chapter 175
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Taking a deep breath, Toshiro felt completely drained. After summoning the Fivefold Rashomon, the sheer exhaustion that washed over him was undeniable—it was a jutsu that demanded a heavy toll on the body.
"It's no wonder the First Hokage was able to suppress Madara."
With a deep, earth-shaking rumble, five enormous gates—each towering almost as tall as the Tailed Beasts themselves—burst through layers of rock and soil, standing firm between Toshiro, Shiromari, and the oncoming threat.
He couldn't help but silently thank Orochimaru. The deal they struck in the Land of Water was clearly worth it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As violent explosions rang out, one Rashomon gate still stood intact, shielding them. The Eight-Tails, though frustrated, couldn't help but feel the sting of annoyance.
"Rashomon! It's been a long time since I've seen this jutsu!" The Eight-Tails muttered with a slight sigh.
The massive beast didn't give much weight to this well-known jutsu. After all, as long as the one casting it wasn't Hashirama Senju, there was no need for the Eight-Tails to be overly concerned.
Without hesitation, the creature opened its enormous mouth and began condensing a blue-black chakra sphere, swallowing it down.
In the simplistic logic of the Eight-Tails, if the smaller Tailed Beast Bombs couldn't do the job, then a bigger one surely would. For the beast, there was hardly a problem the Tailed Beast Bomb couldn't solve—except for that one man.
Boom!!
A deafening explosion reverberated through the night, far louder than before. A blinding white light followed, illuminating the sky for miles around, making the darkness of night as bright as day.
As the night once again draped itself over the battlefield and the smoke and dust began to settle, the towering shadow of Rashomon still stood, but the area around it was eerily empty. Even the figures of Toshiro and Shiromari had vanished.
"Did I kill them? That was easier than expected," the Eight-Tails mused, puzzled.
While its Tailed Beast Bomb was immensely powerful, it shouldn't have been enough to completely wipe the enemy off the map.
"They must have disengaged."
The explosion of the Tailed Beast Bomb had created such a blinding flash of light and kicked up so much debris that the Eight-Tails couldn't see what had happened behind Rashomon.
Still, it wasn't so naïve as to believe that a single blast had turned the enemy into dust. More likely, the summoning jutsu had been canceled, and the smaller stature of the enemy had allowed them to slip into hiding amidst the chaos.
However, this outcome wasn't surprising. After all, they were facing the Eight-Tails, so such a result was to be expected.
Whoosh!
Just as the Eight-Tails squinted, preparing to track down Toshiro's hidden form, a low, ominous sound, like the air being violently displaced, reached its ears.
Startled, the Eight-Tails glanced toward the source of the noise, only to find... nothing.
'What the—'
Before it could finish its thought, a sharp, searing pain exploded across its face. The next thing it knew, it was flying through the air—no, more accurately, it was being smacked away.
For a moment, it felt like it had been punched by the Wood Golem Jutsu from the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, all over again. Disoriented and dazed, the Eight-Tails couldn't quite grasp what had just happened.
"Could this Uchiha have caught me in a genjutsu?" it wondered, still struggling to process the situation.
"I heard the Nine-Tails once fell for this kind of trick and ended up in a sorry state! Could I be trapped in the illusion of the Sharingan? But... this pain feels real!"
Before the Eight-Tails could determine if it was caught in an illusion, it broke free from the grip of gravity, now plummeting toward the ground. As it fell, it noticed a faint, barely discernible figure running toward it.
'Wait... were they hiding underground? No..'
Focusing its gaze, the Eight-Tails finally pieced it together. Shiromari had been concealing itself using it's skill as a Chameleon, blending into the environment, almost invisible unless observed carefully.
However, such camouflage was useless now. Even with such vast terrain to hide in, Gyuuki's sharp senses couldn't be fooled for long. As its eyes locked onto the approaching form, the hazy figure of Toshiro and the Shiromari emerged from the concealment of light and shadow, reappearing from where they had vanished moments before.
Since their positions were already compromised, Toshiro and Shiromari saw no point in continuing to hide. Without hesitation, they launched their attack on the Eight-Tails.
From high above, the scene was clear: Shiromari, coiled into a tight circle, began to spin rapidly, using centrifugal force to hurl its tail outward with immense power, targeting the Eight-Tails as it descended.
Caught off guard and mid-fall, the Eight-Tails had little recourse. The attack had been perfectly timed to strike just as it was off-balance and unable to stabilize its landing. Upon realizing the imminent threat, the Eight-Tails instinctively attempted to prepare a Tailed Beast Bomb, but it was far too late.
With no other option, it curled its body into a protective ball, wrapping itself tightly with its own tails, hoping to withstand the impact of the next onslaught.
—
Konoha at night was peaceful and serene, a stark contrast to the bustling activity within the brightly lit Hokage Building. Even in the dead of night, ninjas could be seen hurrying in and out, carrying news from the front lines or delivering orders from Hokage-sama to the village's forces.
Surveying the quiet nightscape of Konoha, the Third Hokage let out a heavy sigh. His face bore the weight of his thoughts as he stepped out of his office and made his way toward a secluded place in the village.
This courtyard, isolated and distant from any nearby homes, carried an air of solitude and alienation, heightened by the biting chill of the winter wind.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
After a moment of hesitation, the Third Hokage finally knocked on the door, the sound echoing in the stillness of the night.
Squeak!
The door creaked open, the sound, harsh against the stillness of the winter night, and the figure of the homeowner came into view.
In the dim light spilling from the house, it was just possible to make out the silhouette of a shapely woman with long, flowing hair draped over her shoulders.
"Kushina... Sorry for the intrusion!"
The Third Hokage hesitated for a moment, as if searching for the right words as he addressed the red-haired beauty standing before him.
"Oh, it's Lord Hokage. Please, come in."
Kushina, recognizing the visitor, showed no surprise. Her expression remained calm and composed, despite the late-night visit from the Third Hokage.
It felt as if she wasn't standing before the leader of Konoha, but rather a gentle, ordinary old man.
Upon stepping inside, a cozy living room welcomed him. A soft sofa with pillows embroidered with fox faces, a thick carpet, and the rounded edges of the coffee table all gave the space a warm, inviting feel.
In one corner, a charming children's play area was filled with toys that any child would adore. A colorful tent resembling a tiny castle provided a private little space for imaginative play.
On the opposite side, a comfortable rocking chair faced a bookshelf brimming with children's books and stories. A warm floor lamp cast a gentle glow, making the corner feel like an inviting nook for reading and storytelling.
This home was a snug little world, filled with maternal warmth and the simple rhythms of daily life.
"How's Naruto? Is he asleep already?"
Sitting on the sofa, holding the cup of hot tea Kushina had brewed, the Third Hokage didn't immediately dive into the topic at hand. Instead, he opened with a gentle question about the child.
"Hmmm! I just finished telling him a story, and now he's asleep!" Kushina's face softened with a tender smile as she spoke about Naruto.
"Kushina... you've really grown," the Third Hokage murmured, a bit taken aback by her expression. For a moment, he seemed lost in memories of the past.
"People have to grow," Kushina replied after a brief pause. "And now... I'm Naruto's mother. I need to set a good example." She spoke softly, her tone steady yet filled with quiet determination.
Kushina's tone was calm, and her demeanor was indifferent, giving little away—even to the Third Hokage, who found himself unable to discern anything more from her expression.
Was this really the same girl who once wore her emotions on her sleeve, impulsive and rebellious? Her transformation was... remarkable.
"It's surprising to see you here, Lord Third. With all the responsibilities in the village, how did you find the time to visit my humble home?" She asked, her voice steady, as though their encounter was simply routine.
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