Chapter 353: An Instant
Konoha Village, defensive barrier perimeter edge.
Jiraiya, having just completed another emergency evacuation round, stood with grave expression atop a hastily constructed observation platform. His gaze locked onto the village outskirts—there, a nearly hundred-meter-tall, ferociously violent Nine-Tails colossus roared skyward, shaking the earth!
This scene made many chunin and genin faces pale.
"There's... still another one?" Jiraiya said gravely. "That bastard... using this method to draw Naruto's attention?"
Though the giant beast before them was identical in appearance to the Nine-Tails, Konoha's ninja all knew—this was a counterfeit!
Because moments ago, everyone had personally witnessed that mythological battle in the distance. The true Nine-Tails radiating sun-like golden radiance had battled five attribute-different giant beasts, ultimately annihilating them all with one earth-shaking circular slash.
From the still-injured Third Hokage's mouth, Jiraiya had already learned part of this attacker's abilities— capable of seize others' chakra and use it to create powerful puppets or attacks.
This dark red Nine-Tails before them—its chakra source was precisely the Nine-Tails power seized from Uzumaki Kushina's body.
"Lord Jiraiya! What do we do next?!"
"That monster is too close to the village! Once it attacks..."
"Evacuation isn't completely finished!"
Around the temporary command point, Konoha jonin responsible for combat and ANBU elite had rapidly assembled. Hatake Kakashi and Might Guy were both here, battle-ready. Everyone's gazes focused on Jiraiya—the Third Hokage's severe injuries hadn't healed. Currently, the only one who could coordinate the overall situation and issue supreme combat orders was this soon-to-succeed "Fifth Hokage."
Jiraiya immediately made his decision.
"Everyone, continue guarding your defensive posts! Prioritize ensuring evacuation routes remain clear, reinforce the barrier, stay alert for other possible ambushes!"
"Unevacuated areas—accelerate! The village interior is entrusted to you!"
"As for that big guy outside..." Jiraiya's hands began rapidly forming seals. "—I'll handle it!"
Dealing with large summoning beasts or giant enemies? Jiraiya had too much experience with this! The Summoning Jutsu seals at his fingertips were about to complete...
However, just as his final seal was about to form—chakra already beginning to connect with Mount Myoboku's summoning—
"AWOOOO!"
A wolf's howl rang out extremely abruptly from some direction within Konoha Village.
Immediately after, a blue streak fast as lightning—at shocking speed—passed through the not-yet-completely-closed defensive passage, sweeping past the assembled jonin teams without stopping, racing toward the village outskirts, toward that Nine-Tails' direction!"
"What?!"
"That's...?!"
Including Jiraiya, all present Konoha jonin and ANBU showed incredibly astonished expressions! They saw clearly—that was a blue-furred canine creature!
Its entire body emanated a unique, noble aura—neither chakra nor natural energy.
"That's... the 'ninja dog' Naruto keeps?!"
Hatake Kakashi first recovered from shock. He naturally recognized this figure—at the recent dinner, this blue colossus named "Zacian" had quietly remained in Naruto's apartment corner, behaving elegantly beyond reason, leaving him with deep impressions.
But... why would it appear here?! And moreover—was it charging toward that Nine-Tails?!
Under everyone's incredulous gazes, Zacian's blue figure—like a reverse-flowing meteor—unhesitatingly rushed beyond Konoha's defensive range, charging straight toward that mountain-like massive Nine-Tails!
Though Zacian's size could be considered colossal-class among ninja dogs, compared to that hundred-meter-tall, moving-mountain-range Nine-Tails colossus ahead, its figure instantly appeared incomparably tiny—about like a blue ant.
"Not good! Quickly stop it! Can't let Naruto's pet get hurt...!"
Kakashi's voice carried panic. Not from fearing the pseudo-Nine-Tails but from responsibility toward Naruto's belongings.
In his perception, Zacian's body had never revealed even the slightest chakra fluctuation. It gave more the feeling of some extremely high-spirited, perhaps possessing special auxiliary abilities, rare exotic beast.
Letting it face that monster was tantamount to suicide!
However, before his dissuading words could completely finish, everything occurring in his vision suddenly made his voice halt.
Zacian's blue figure didn't stop—after approaching the pseudo-Nine-Tails to a certain distance—powerfully exerted its hind legs. Its slender, beautiful body soared skyward, shooting toward high altitude!
Just at the instant it leaped to the highest point—
Energy—not from within Zacian but from the air—rapidly converged, barrier-free merging into Zacian's body
Not just Kakashi—all Konoha ninja witnessing this scene were dumbstruck.
HUM—!!
Dazzling brilliant radiance instantly enveloped Zacian's entire body! The radiance's duration was extremely brief—dissipating rapidly within a single breath.
When the radiance faded, the figure reappearing in everyone's vision had become completely different from before—like two different "beasts"!
The original blue fur remained, but its head now covered by a yellow streamlined helmet. Its mane no longer softly draped but fluffed open like sacred wings.
The most eye-catching transformation was in its mouth. A longsword was steadily held there!
Having completed its "transformation," Zacian coldly, hostilely locked onto that pseudo-Nine-Tails.
It could clearly distinguish—though the aura emanating from this giant beast shared the same source as its master's warm power, it was very different.
This aura was filled with violence, emptiness, and a kind of... "foreign object sensation" making it feel rejection and disgust from its soul's depths.
That wasn't this planet's naturally conceived will but a product stained with heavy "extraterrestrial" aura!
Seemingly sensing provocation and threat from that "tiny" airborne creature, the pseudo-Nine-Tails' massive chakra began gathering in its giant maw, obviously preparing destructive attacks.
However, Zacian's movements were faster!
Hovering midair, that noble, ancient momentum around it suddenly climbed to its peak! The longsword held in its mouth—the blade suddenly burst with dazzlingly brilliant azure radiance!
Immediately after, Zacian merely swung its head toward the pseudo-Nine-Tails' direction!
SLASH—!!
---
In the distance, the main battlefield—
Uchiha Sasuke's brow furrowed tightly, staring toward Konoha's direction.
"What is... that?"
Even with his experience, he momentarily couldn't comprehend the situation unfolding. A suddenly appearing rust-covered broken sword flying toward Konoha on its own?
But he rapidly made a judgement, turning toward Naruto, preparing to speak. "Naruto, you go back first to handle Konoha's side. I'll deal with this guy..."
Words unfinished—
"AWOOOO—!!!!!!!!"
Something making all three—whether the battle-ready Naruto and Sasuke or the secretly observing, opportunity-awaiting Urashiki—absolutely incredulous, almost doubting their perception and eyes, occurred!
From Konoha's direction, that just-appeared, imposingly fierce dark red pseudo-Nine-Tails' massive body violently stiffened, immediately releasing not angry but pain-filled miserable roars!
On its body, a mirror-smooth, azure-light-flickering massive cut mark appeared without warning from thin air!
The next moment—
RIIIP—!!
The pseudo-Nine-Tails' massive body—along that cut mark—was surprisingly cleanly, precisely bisected straight down the middle!
Exposing interior madly surging, futilely attempting reorganization red chakra turbulent structures!
This fatal wound thoroughly destroyed its existence's core. The pseudo-Nine-Tails' bisected body halves—after losing form maintenance—suddenly collapsed.
Transforming into towering chakra torrents madly sweeping toward sky and surroundings, ultimately—after energy annihilation's muffled sounds—thoroughly dissipating between heaven and earth without half a trace remaining.