Boom!!!
At the very last moment, after a desperate struggle, Jirobo finally managed to break free from the constraints of the Single Strand Light Formation. However, his escape came at a heavy price.
The instant he broke through—
A razor-sharp Wind Release: Vacuum Sword slashed across his body.
Slice!
One of his arms was severed cleanly, flying through the air before crashing to the ground.
Blood sprayed violently.
Pain surged through his entire body.
But instead of weakening him, it only drove him deeper into madness.
"You damn brat!" Jirobo roared, his face twisted with fury. "I'll tear you to pieces!"
Not far away, Uzumaki Naruto frowned.
"…He still managed to escape?"
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"The Single Strand Light Formation… its effect really is mediocre."
But then—
A faint smirk appeared on Naruto's face.
"Then let's try something stronger."
Jirobo roared again and charged forward like a raging beast, completely ignoring his injuries. His remaining arm bulged with terrifying strength as he rushed toward Naruto, intent on crushing him in a single blow.
But just as he moved—
Naruto's Shadow Clones formed hand seals simultaneously.
"Sanpō Fūin!"
In an instant—
A massive green chakra formation erupted into the sky.
It expanded rapidly, forming a gigantic pyramid-shaped barrier that descended from above and completely trapped Jirobo inside.
Boom!!!
Jirobo slammed into the barrier at full force.
The impact was devastating.
But the barrier didn't even tremble.
Instead, Jirobo's body rebounded violently, his head smashing backward as blood splattered across the surface.
"What the hell is this?!" he roared, staggering.
This time—
There was no escape.
Unlike the earlier technique, the Sanpō Fūin was far more powerful—dozens of times stronger than the Single Strand Light Formation. It didn't just restrain—it completely suppressed.
Jirobo's breathing grew heavier.
His body was already at its limit.
Earlier, when he forcefully broke through the first barrier, he had suffered severe internal damage. Now, with one arm gone and blood continuously flowing, his strength had drastically declined.
Even though the Cursed Seal Level Two state dulled his pain and suppressed his awareness of injuries, the truth remained—
He was already on the brink of death.
Naruto had already secured victory.
This was the advantage of versatility.
The more ninjutsu one mastered, the more options one had in battle.
Different enemies required different approaches—and those with greater skill sets always held the upper hand.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Jiraiya.
They were perfect examples of this principle.
And now—
Naruto was walking the same path.
"Damn you! Let me out of here!" Jirobo roared in desperation.
Naruto didn't even respond.
Instead, his expression turned cold.
"When you chose to kidnap Sasuke… you should've been prepared for the consequences."
Jirobo's eyes widened.
Naruto raised his hand.
"I'm ready to kill."
There was no hesitation.
No mercy.
Seven… eight Shadow Clones surged forward at once.
Each of them wielded a Kusanagi sword, their blades infused with the cutting power of Wind Release: Vacuum Sword.
The air itself seemed to scream as they moved.
At the final moment—
The Sanpō Fūin barrier was released.
And simultaneously—
The attacks fell.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
"AAAAAAAHHH—!!!"
Jirobo's scream echoed across the battlefield.
Blades pierced his body from every direction.
He was cut.
Torn.
Impaled.
His body was instantly drenched in blood.
Then—
Silence.
Jirobo dropped to his knees.
His head fell forward.
No movement.
No breath.
The cursed seal on his body began to recede, deflating like a burst balloon as he returned to his original form—lifeless and broken.
Jirobo… was dead.
Even though the members of the Sound Four weren't bound by deep friendship—
The sight still shocked them.
"Jirobo!"
"Damn it… that brat!"
Their voices trembled with anger and disbelief.
Naruto, however, finally let out a slow breath.
To be honest—
The Sound Four were far from weak.
Their abilities were strange, complex, and deadly. Combined with the enhancement of their cursed seal transformations, they were incredibly difficult opponents.
In a one-on-one fight, Naruto could handle them.
But four at once?
That was another story.
Even for him.
Fortunately—
He had overwhelming chakra reserves.
And numbers.
His Shadow Clones had allowed him to stabilize the battlefield.
Even so, after defeating Jirobo, most of his clones had already been destroyed.
Less than a hundred remained.
Tayuya clicked her tongue, her expression turning cold.
"Damn it… enough playing with this rat."
Her eyes gleamed with killing intent.
"Let's end this."
In an instant—
Her cursed seal spread across her body, pushing to its absolute limit.
Cursed Seal Level Two.
Her long red hair grew wildly, flowing like flames.
Two demonic horns sprouted from her head.
Her entire appearance transformed into something monstrous.
At the same time—
Her chakra surged violently.
Kidōmaru and Sakon-Ukon followed suit.
Kidōmaru transformed into a terrifying spider-like creature with three eyes and six arms.
Sakon and Ukon split into two separate entities, both taking on grotesque demonic forms.
"Let's go!" Tayuya shouted.
She raised her flute—
And began to play.
A chilling melody echoed across the battlefield.
At once—
Three massive demonic constructs emerged, their bodies radiating madness and rage.
They roared and charged forward, smashing their giant weapons into the ground.
The earth cracked and split beneath them.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"So… you're using a flute for genjutsu and control, huh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"In that case…"
His original body finally moved.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
Two powerful wind techniques merged.
A violent storm erupted.
Countless wind blades formed and surged forward in a cross pattern.
Not only did they push back the sound waves—
They directly attacked the demonic constructs.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The result—
Was overwhelming.
The demonic creatures were torn apart instantly, their bodies riddled with deep wounds.
Cracks spread across them.
Limbs shattered.
They couldn't withstand even a single exchange.
Tayuya's eyes widened in shock.
Then—
Snap!
Her flute shattered.
The wind blades sliced it apart effortlessly.
Without her flute—
She lost control over the demons.
The backlash hit her instantly.
"AAAHHH—!!!"
Blood erupted from her mouth, nose, ears—her entire body trembling as she collapsed to the ground.
She couldn't even move.
"Tayuya!!"
Kidōmaru and Sakon-Ukon panicked.
After Jirobo—
Tayuya had also fallen.
And she had been defeated in a single strike.
Even in her Level Two form.
Cold sweat ran down their backs.
"If this continues…"
For the first time—
Fear appeared in their hearts.
Naruto pointed at them.
"Now… it's your turn."
Their faces turned pale.
Despair began to creep in.
But suddenly—
Naruto froze.
His heart skipped a beat.
He looked up.
A figure descended gracefully from the sky.
Kidōmaru and Sakon-Ukon stared in shock—
Then burst into joy.
"That's—!"
"Kimimaro?!"
Naruto didn't know who Kimimaro was.
But instinct told him—
This person was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
And the fact that he completely ignored his teammates, walking past them without even a glance—
Made it clear.
His target…
Was Sasuke.
Naruto's expression changed instantly.
He couldn't stay here any longer.
He had to go.
Now.
But—
Kidōmaru smirked.
"Trying to leave?"
"Not happening."
In his transformed state, he drew a massive bow using all six arms.
The bow was made from hardened spider silk—
The string infused with chakra, making it incredibly tough and elastic.
"War Bow: Piercing Shot!"
BOOM—!!!
The arrow was released.
It wasn't just fast—
It was terrifying.
Like a cannon shell.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"…That's powerful."
Several Shadow Clones reacted instantly.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Release: Strong Wind Palm!"
They tried to stop the arrow with wind pressure.
But—
Wind techniques were better suited for large-scale attacks.
Against a small, high-speed projectile?
They struggled.
The arrow cut through the air—
Unstoppable.
At that critical moment—
Naruto made a decision.
"Sanpō Fūin!"
Three Shadow Clones activated the sealing technique.
But this time—
Not to trap an enemy.
To protect Naruto himself.
The barrier formed instantly—
Encasing his main body within a powerful defensive seal.
The arrow slammed into it.
BOOOOM!!!
The entire battlefield trembled.
And for a moment—
Everything fell silent.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)