Upon entering the Land of Rice Fields, Tatsuya and Pakura increased their pace.
After traveling for another half a day, both Tatsuya and Pakura suddenly stopped. Gazing into the distance, their expressions were extremely grave.
A moment later, Pakura said in a low voice, "We might be in trouble."
Tatsuya nodded. "Prepare for battle."
Both of them had sensed four individuals rapidly approaching their location. They all possessed considerable chakra reserves, especially the leader, whose chakra levels surpassed anyone Tatsuya had encountered before, even including the Third and Fourth Hokage.
In an instant, Tatsuya judged that the leader was most likely a Jinchuriki.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
Several breaths later, four figures landed on the branches of a large tree in front of Tatsuya and Pakura, looking down at them condescendingly, their auras unleashed without restraint.
Tatsuya and Pakura also took the opportunity to observe the four. There were three men and one woman. The leader was a beautiful female ninja around Pakura's age.
Based on his memories from his previous life, Tatsuya instantly recognized the leading female ninja as Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure.
The three male ninja behind Yugito were also dressed in Kumogakure attire, and judging from their chakra levels, they were at least Special Jonin level, likely her bodyguard team.
After assessing the situation, Tatsuya couldn't help but curse his bad luck. Such an elite ninja squad was a force to be reckoned with anywhere.
Standing on the tree branch, Yugito looked at them with a cold arrogance. "Who are you? Are you Konoha spies?"
Yugito's personality was extremely conceited. She had absolute confidence in her own strength and didn't consider Tatsuya and Pakura to be a threat at all.
Hearing Yugito's question, Tatsuya's expression darkened. He didn't respond.
The current situation was extremely disadvantageous for him and Pakura. It wasn't that Tatsuya was worried about escaping from Yugito's team, but rather that a real fight would expose their identities.
Yugito was, after all, a Jinchuriki capable of skillfully controlling the power of her Tailed Beast. With her three guards assisting her, if they went all out, Tatsuya and Pakura would be unable to hide their true abilities.
And once they used the Akimichi clan's secret techniques and Scorch Release ninjutsu, their true identities would be revealed, especially Pakura's. If she were to attract another pursuit from Sunagakure, it would be a huge blow to Tatsuya's plans. Even if his own identity was exposed, Pakura's couldn't be.
"Don't make a move!" Tatsuya instructed Pakura, swiftly forming hand seals.
"Attack!" On the tree branch, seeing Tatsuya forming hand seals, Yugito's expression turned cold, and she gave the order.
Mouse Hairball!
As she spoke, Yugito had already activated her ninjutsu. A massive, pale blue chakra cloak enveloped her entire body. Seven or eight chakra balls, drawn in by her control, spun and attacked Tatsuya and Pakura.
Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!Fire Style: Great Blaze Technique!Earth Style: Mud Dragon Barrage!
Simultaneously, the three guards behind Yugito also attacked. Four ninjutsu, carrying astonishing power, rushed towards the pair.
Seeing this, Pakura's expression changed drastically, and she instinctively wanted to intervene. But by then, Tatsuya had already finished his hand seals.
He slammed his hands on the ground, and a black seal spread out.
Boom!
Summoning Technique!
A cloud of white smoke erupted, and Seiryu's massive body appeared.
Rumble…
A series of explosions followed. Countless plumes of smoke and dust were thrown into the air, obscuring everyone's vision.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gigantic snake tail whipped out from within the smoke, striking towards Yugito and her team.
"Watch out! Retreat!" Seeing the massive tail approaching, Yugito's expression changed, and she immediately led her three guards in a retreat.
The tail, having missed its target, didn't continue its pursuit.
As the dust settled, a giant green snake, thirty to forty meters tall, stood in the clearing. Tatsuya and Pakura stood atop Seiryu's head. The series of explosions had seemingly done no damage to the massive snake.
Atop Seiryu's head, Tatsuya stared intently at Yugito and her team, who had retreated. Pakura, standing beside him, couldn't hide her astonishment.
Seiryu's size and strength were extremely shocking. At first glance, anyone would inevitably associate it with Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Sannin. In the ninja world, Manda's reputation was almost as great as Orochimaru's.
Indeed, Yugito, facing them, asked with a serious expression, "That's not Manda! What's your relationship with Orochimaru?"
Hearing this, Tatsuya still didn't answer. He stood on Seiryu's head, his expression unchanged.
Actually, Tatsuya had had an opportunity to order Seiryu to flee with them amidst the chaos. However, they were too close to the battlefield between Kumogakure and Konoha. If they couldn't repel Yugito and her team, even with Seiryu's help, it would be difficult to shake off Kumogakure's pursuers.
Moreover, with Seiryu's appearance, Tatsuya's identity was essentially exposed. If he didn't escape quickly, and Konoha ninja were also drawn here, escaping would become impossible. Therefore, Tatsuya was prepared to go all out from the start.
"Seiryu!" Tatsuya shouted to the snake beneath him, his hands beginning to form another set of seals:
Tiger - Ox - Monkey - Rabbit - Rat - Boar - Bird - Ox - Horse - Dog - Tiger - Dog - Tiger - Snake - Ox - Monkey - Rabbit
Upon hearing Tatsuya's shout, Seiryu immediately understood. Powerful natural energy began to flow from within its body, converging towards Tatsuya through its head.
As the natural energy surged in, Tatsuya's chakra began to blend with it, forming Sage Chakra.
Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!
As soon as the Sage Chakra formed, Tatsuya immediately unleashed a Water Style ninjutsu.
The Great Waterfall Technique was already a powerful A-rank ninjutsu, capable of altering the terrain. Tatsuya had only recently managed to master it, with some difficulty. Now, enhanced by the Sage Chakra within Tatsuya's body, its power was even more astonishing.
Instantly, a massive amount of water formed a wall nearly ten meters high on the ground, surging towards Yugito and the others.
Seeing the surging water, Yugito's expression turned extremely grim. She immediately channeled a large amount of blue chakra, and the massive Tailed Beast chakra coalesced around her, taking the form of Matatabi, the Two-Tails.
The intense Tailed Beast chakra vapor instantly split the incoming water, protecting the three Kumogakure ninja behind her. Facing Tatsuya's Sage-enhanced A-rank Water Style ninjutsu, Yugito had directly entered her full Tailed Beast form.
"Go!"
However, Tatsuya had no intention of fighting Yugito in her full Tailed Beast form. After unleashing the Great Waterfall Technique, Tatsuya immediately took advantage of the massive water flow altering the terrain, commanding Seiryu to move with the water, quickly fleeing towards the west.
The previous ninjutsu had completely depleted the chakra within his body. Ever since he had traded with Orochimaru for the method of cultivating Sage Mode, Tatsuya had been constantly studying it. He had countless plans in his mind, but this was the first time he had actually tried it.
Moreover, because it was his first time using Sage Mode, Tatsuya's control over natural energy was still extremely weak. With his chakra depleted, the residual natural energy in his body was already causing his arms to gradually petrify. If not for the bio-chip's assistance, Tatsuya wouldn't have dared to take such a risk.
When the water dissipated, Tatsuya and Pakura were nowhere to be seen.
"Return!" Yugito's expression was extremely unpleasant, but she didn't continue the pursuit. Instead, she turned and led her team back the way they had come.
Kumogakure's rear supply lines were stationed within the Land of Rice Fields, and Yugito was also worried about falling into a Konoha trap.
Half a day later, several dozen miles away from the battlefield, in the Konoha ninja army's camp.
Whoosh!
"Lord Orochimaru."
A Konoha ninja appeared in a flash inside Orochimaru's command tent.
"What did you find out?" Orochimaru put down the scroll in his hand and asked calmly.
"Lord Orochimaru, it was Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, who was fighting with someone," the Konoha ninja reported, kneeling on one knee.
"Oh? Fighting with Yugito? Did you identify who it was?" Orochimaru's eyes flashed with surprise.
Although Yugito's strength wasn't yet on par with his, she was still a formidable opponent. Moreover, she was one of the commanders of the Kumogakure forces. Who was bold enough to venture so deep into their rear and engage her in battle? And, judging from the disturbances sensed by the sensor team, Yugito had even been forced to enter her full Tailed Beast form.
Orochimaru was very interested in the identity of the person who had fought Yugito.
"My lord, we haven't yet identified this person. However, based on the traces left at the scene, the person who fought Yugito likely possesses a large summoning animal. There were also traces of Sage Chakra remaining at the scene, and the terrain was significantly altered. That person likely used an extremely powerful Sage Art." The Konoha Ninja reported.
"Alright! That's enough. You may leave!" Hearing this, a glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, and he waved his hand at the reporting ninja.
"Yes, sir."
After the reporting ninja left, Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips with his snake-like tongue, a low, excited murmur escaping him. Based on the information gathered, Orochimaru had already guessed Tatsuya's identity.
Possessing a large summoning animal and being able to use Sage Mode to fight against the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito... the only people Orochimaru could think of who could do that in the ninja world were Jiraiya and Tatsuya. Jiraiya was currently with the army, so it was definitely impossible for him to have gone alone to the rear to fight Yugito. That left only Tatsuya.
To think, it had only been two months since he had taught Tatsuya the method of cultivating Sage Mode, and he was already able to use Sage Techniques.
Tatsuya-kun, your growth rate is truly astonishing!