"So, you believe I'm Sanada Kazama now, right?"
Hearing Kazama's words and seeing the abilities he'd just displayed, Guren had no choice but to believe him.
"I was blind before and offended you, Lord Kazama! Please spare me!"
Guren and Yugito Maru hurriedly apologized to Kazama over and over.
After all, Kazama was someone even Orochimaru feared. As Orochimaru's subordinates, they were naturally even more terrified of him.
"No worries. I'm used to being misunderstood by now!"
Kazama chuckled as he helped Guren and Yugito Maru to their feet.
Seeing that Kazama wasn't holding a grudge, Guren and Yugito Maru let out a sigh of relief.
"Lord Kazama, I heard from Lord Orochimaru that you want me to summon the Three-Tail, Isobu?"
"Exactly!"
Kazama pointed to a lake nearby.
"From what I know, the Three-Tail Isobu is in that lake. But since it no longer has a jinchuriki, it's in a wild state and could easily escape. I need your help to summon it!"
"Yes, sir!"
Yugito Maru immediately began forming hand signs to summon the Three-Tail.
"Hold on!"
Kazama stopped her and infused a wisp of Fallen Heart Flame into Yugito Maru's body.
"What's this?"
Both Yugito Maru and Guren were puzzled by Kazama's action.
"Summoning the Three-Tail requires an enormous amount of chakra. One wrong move, and it could be life-threatening. This strand of Fallen Heart Flame will boost your strength and keep you safe!"
"Thank you, Lord Kazama!"
Yugito Maru was deeply touched by Kazama's concern.
"Trouble! Akatsuki's here!"
Guren's alarmed cry rang out as Deidara and Scorpion appeared in the sky.
As Orochimaru's subordinate, Guren knew just how terrifying Akatsuki's power was.
"Don't worry!"
Kazama created a clone and sent it charging toward Deidara and Scorpion in the distance.
His goal was to lure the two away, giving Yugito Maru the chance to summon Isobu successfully.
"That's… a Wood Release clone!"
Seeing Kazama use Wood Release, Guren was stunned.
Wood Release was the secret technique of the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama. No one else was supposed to know it.
Yet here was Kazama, using a Wood Release clone right before her eyes. Guren was utterly amazed.
She hadn't even seen the full extent of Kazama's abilities.
But just this one Wood Release move was enough for Guren to know Kazama was more than worthy of being Orochimaru's master.
Meanwhile, Deidara and Scorpion were already clashing with Kazama's Wood Release clone.
Since the clone was so lifelike, they mistook it for Kazama himself.
Both were eager to take him down, as Kazama was on Akatsuki's must-kill list.
Once Kazama saw that Deidara and Scorpion were distracted by his clone, he signaled Yugito Maru to start summoning Isobu.
As Yugito Maru formed hand signs, a powerful surge of energy erupted from her body, shooting straight into the lake's depths.
Normally, Yugito Maru's body wouldn't have been able to handle the strain.
But with Kazama's Fallen Heart Flame aiding her, the summoning went incredibly smoothly.
Boom!
Suddenly, the calm lake surface erupted into waves, as if the entire lake were boiling.
Then, a massive turtle covered in spiked armor, with three tails, emerged on the water's surface.