The next second, Thena burst through the flames, now clad in platinum armor.
With her shield raised in her left hand and her spear poised in her right, she charged directly at Akebino Jinin, striking downward.
Boom!
Akebino had no choice but to raise his explosive blade to block, but the force of the impact sent him flying.
He tumbled across the ground, only stopping when he crashed into a car on the roadside.
Swish!
Swish!
Jinpachi Munashi and Kuriarare Kushimaru instantly appeared in front of Akebino, positioning themselves defensively to face Thena.
Kuriarare asked, "Akebino, are you alright?"
Suppressing his internal injuries, Akebino responded, "She's strong, but I'm fine."
At that moment, Gilgamesh approached them, saying, "Can you help me restrain Thena?"
"If you can hold her off, I have a way to bring her back to her senses."
Kuriarare was about to refuse, but then Gilgamesh added, "I see you all wear headbands. You must be ninjas, right?"
"I know Charles Doyle; I came here to ask for his help in curing Thena's eternal madness. I'm counting on you."
Unaware of the difference between Konoha and the Mist Village, Gilgamesh assumed anyone with a headband was a ninja.
Hearing the name Charles Doyle, Kuriarare thought it over.
Curious to test the strength of a powerful warrior in this world, he agreed, "Alright, we'll keep her occupied. You look for an opportunity to act."
…
Meanwhile-
Cross had just finished reporting the situation to Ginny, who reminded him to stay safe and assured him that she would inform Lord Charles.
After the call ended, Ginny immediately ordered Red Queen to activate satellite surveillance and display the battle footage.
After a quick glance to confirm Cross's report, she instructed, "Red Queen, report this to the Boss."
"Yes!"
…
Meanwhile-
In his quarters, Charles Doyle had just successfully recruited Karin Uzumaki and was eyeing the shop's new B-level ninja recruit option.
For this former apprentice of Orochimaru, he planned to reunite her with her former mentor, giving Orochimaru's team some extra hands for dealing with Hydra members.
With both Karin and Anko on board, things were shaping up nicely.
The listing displayed: "Swimsuit Anko Mitarashi - 40 fragments, monthly limit (0/1), price: 9800."
Not hesitating, Charles made the purchase.
After he clicked on her avatar, Anko Mitarashi's details appeared. He initiated the recruitment.
Ding! Congratulations, Charles Doyle, on successfully recruiting 2-star B-rank ninja Swimsuit Anko Mitarashi.
A scene appeared before Charles, showing Anko with sunglasses atop her head, wearing a three-piece swimsuit on the beach, holding a volleyball in a striking pose.
Admiring her beauty, the confident stance, and her seasonal attire, Charles was more than satisfied.
This was the Anko Mitarashi he'd been waiting for. Any ideas of a "potato" version of Anko would simply not be tolerated.
Charles then opened her details to review her skills.
Swimsuit Anko Mitarashi: B-rank ninja.
Star Level: Two stars
Basic Attack: Taijutsu Attack!
Substitution Jutsu: Wooden Substitution!
Skills: Ninja Art: Twin Snakes Kill, Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, Serpent Rampage
Ninja Art: Twin Snakes Kill - A rapid forward charge that pins the enemy to the ground, summoning a swarm of snakes to bind and squeeze the enemy, ending with a massive underwater explosion that launches the enemy into the air. (Note: This can be used in the air to swiftly bring down enemies.)
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands - Summons a swarm of snakes from the hand to attack the enemy and pull them closer. Anko then performs a follow-up kick, sending the enemy airborne. (Note: "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands" can attack upward; if used in mid-air, it becomes "Snake Swarm Strike.")
Serpent Rampage - Summons a giant snake using summoning jutsu, which coils around enemies in front, tossing them into the air before the snake dives headfirst for a ground-smashing finale.
Charles was quite satisfied with Swimsuit Anko Mitarashi.
Although her ninja skills didn't offer significant personal enhancement, she added to Orochimaru's team, providing a unique Special Jonin and contributing 5 more chakra points.
With a tap to recruit the ninja, Charles's chakra increased by another 5 points, reaching a total of 477, along with Anko's ninja knowledge transferred to Charles.
With the recruitment complete, Charles looked at the two kunoichi before him, Karin Uzumaki and Swimsuit Anko Mitarashi, realizing that both required new battle slots.
He promptly spent 126,000 coins to unlock two new positions.
As Charles's awareness exited the system space, a virtual projection of Red Queen appeared before him.
"Master, Cross has reported an extraordinary combat incident in central New York City."
"Secretary Ginny requests your decision on whether to intervene in this battle."
Upon hearing Red Queen's report, Charles frowned slightly, then replied, "Display the live situation."
Immediately, a projection of the battle scene appeared.
…
At the scene of the battle-
Akebino Jinin, Kushimaru Kuriarare, and Jinpachi Munashi formed a triangular formation, encircling Thena. She stood at the center, shield in one hand and sword in the other, watching the three warily.
"Helmet Split - Crash!"
"Needle Stitches - Drop!"
"Explosive Blade - Earth Splitter!"
Munashi launched the first attack, using the Body Flicker Technique to leap into the air and execute "Helmet Split - Crash", rapidly slamming his weapon down to slow Thena's movements.
This technique reduced the opponent's speed by 30% for a full five seconds.
Following Munashi's attack, he immediately backed away, and Kuriarare's move seamlessly followed. He threw the needle-stitching blade, ensnaring Thena and limiting her ability to dodge.
Seeing the opportunity, Akebino thrust his explosive blade into the ground, triggering the explosive tags on it to cause continuous explosions aimed at Thena.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The trio's coordinated attack happened in an instant, a maneuver they had clearly rehearsed many times in the summoning world.
Panting, Akebino asked, "Did we get her?"
Munashi shook his head, "Not sure."
Kuriarare, however, looked uneasy. The wire connecting his Needle Stitches had been severed.
"Stay alert; she's not down. My Needle Stitches failed to trap her."
"What?" the others exclaimed.
As Akebino and Munashi expressed their shock, a golden flash surged through the smoke and struck Akebino directly.