Time passed little by little.
As the sun moved past its peak, it gradually descended toward the west.
At the center of the lake, an Anbu shinobi from the Onime Clan squinted up at the sun, gauging its position before calling out to a nearby comrade.
"It's 2 PM. H1, time to send the signal!"
The Anbu shinobi, designated as H1, gave a nod, then retrieved a signal flare from his backpack and launched it into the sky.
Biu—!
A streak of light shot up from the center of the lake.
Bang!!!
Signal!
Yagura felt the atmosphere around him shift dramatically. The six members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist standing beside him gripped their weapons tightly, preparing for battle.
Even Kage-level shinobi couldn't afford to underestimate a Tailed Beast, let alone elite jōnin like them.
As the first flare exploded, sensory teams stationed around the perimeter immediately followed the plan, launching their own signal flares in succession.
The operation to seal the Three-Tails had begun!
A battle of a thousand Mist shinobi versus a Tailed Beast!
It wasn't just the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—every shinobi present tensed, readying themselves for combat.
"Kid, you'd better pay close attention. The monster that's about to be sealed inside you... well, let's just say it's not something you see every day."
The one issuing this 'gentle' warning was Kushimaru Kuriarare. "In a moment, we, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, will be on the front lines. We won't be able to protect you."
Yagura knew that this so-called 'protection' was really just surveillance. He smiled at his acquaintance and asked pointedly,
"Then who's going to protect me?" He put extra emphasis on the word.
What a dull kid. No trace of a child's innocence at all.
Kushimaru didn't bother arguing. Instead, he turned around and barked, "Z1! Take a squad and keep an eye on this kid!"
Standing behind them was a squad of nearly a hundred shinobi, each wearing the signature masks of the Anbu.
Yagura was certain that these weren't just any Anbu—these were the elite of the elite.
The designated Anbu shinobi stepped forward. "Hai!"
Kushimaru, not one to sugarcoat things, cast a cold glance at Yagura and warned,
"We don't want to knock the Three-Tails down only to find our Jinchūriki missing."
Jinpachi Munashi scoffed. "Kushimaru, quit wasting time with that brat. The sealing team is about to break the barrier."
"I don't need you to tell me that!"
...
Seated on the grass, Yagura rested his chin on his knee, his gaze distant as he stared into the lake.
"Isobu..."
...
On the surface of Lake.
The sealing team—hundreds of shinobi—had already taken their positions.
The first step of the operation: breaking the existing seal that currently trapped the Three-Tails and forcing it to emerge!
At the sight of the signal flare, the sealing team moved in perfect unison, forming hand seals.
Rat, Monkey, Dog, Ram!
"Seal—Release!"
A massive, intricate, blood-red sealing array shimmered into visibility across the lake's surface. It had previously been hidden, but now, it rose rapidly into the air, its structure unraveling from the center outward.
At the same time, a dark shadow beneath the central part of the lake began to emerge, growing larger and larger.
Every squad had at least one member equipped with a communication radio. A tense voice crackled through the earpieces:
"Massive chakra signature detected! Coordinates...! All units, retreat immediately! The Tailed Beast is surfacing!!"
Seconds later, an earth-shaking roar erupted from beneath the water.
ROOOOAAAARR!!!
A towering column of water blasted skyward along with the deafening howl!
A colossal beast, the size of a mountain, burst forth from the depths, sending tidal waves surging across the lake.
Yagura wasn't sure if the shinobi in the affected area had managed to retreat in time. Some might have already lost their lives before the battle had even begun.
As the waves settled, the full form of the Three-Tails was finally exposed to the open air—and to the eyes of every shinobi present.
It resembled a massive turtle, its entire body clad in a spiked, gray-blue shell. Only its head and underbelly were exposed, while four thick, sturdy limbs kept it firmly planted on the water's surface.
Three enormous, armored tails lashed the air behind it.
This was the Three-Tails.
Seeing the legendary beast before him, Yagura felt cold sweat form in his palm.
The beast's single exposed eye scanned the multitude of tiny 'insects' before it.
It had been sealed inside a Jinchūriki before. The moment the barrier broke, the Three-Tails understood—these humans intended to imprison it once more.
That would never happen again!
"ROOOAAARR!!!"
Fury surged through the Tailed Beast. It roared in defiance, gathering a massive sphere of water in front of its mouth—nearly half its own body size!
"Hiding in Mist Technique!"
As the Three-Tails charged its attack, the Mist shinobi sprang into action according to plan.
A thick fog enveloped the battlefield, shrouding the shinobi from the beast's sight.
Communication HQ: "Ice Release Unit! Prepare for combat!"
The second phase of the sealing operation—immobilizing the Three-Tails—was about to commence!
At the very front of the formation stood the Ice Release Unit.
Leading them was Yuki Murasaki, the current clan head of the Yuki Clan. As her name suggested, she had striking short purple hair.
"Understood!"
With a flicker, she relocated directly in front of the Three-Tails, standing tall and unfazed, a confident smile on her face. Her hands flew through hand seals, chakra surging around her.
ROOOOARRR!!!
The Three-Tails unleashed a devastating water cannon toward the Mist forces.
"Ice Release!"
The other Ice Release users didn't move—Murasaki alone stepped forward to handle the attack.
With sharp focus, her eyes narrowed. Her chakra surged, and the temperature around her plummeted.
With a single step onto the lake's surface, ice spread out from beneath her feet, rapidly freezing the water.
Invisible ice particles condensed from the surrounding mist.
"Frozen Sky!"
A frigid gale surged forward, colliding with the water cannon. The freezing wind rapidly encased the massive attack in solid ice, neutralizing its momentum before it could strike.
The frozen sphere crashed into the lake, harmless.
Murasaki's feat electrified the Mist shinobi.
They had witnessed it firsthand—this monster was not invincible!
"Hah..."
Even as the clan leader, expending such a massive amount of chakra was exhausting. But she refused to show weakness. Instead, she raised a hand and commanded,
"Ice Release Unit! Show this big turtle what it's like to be unable to move!"
Without hesitation, the shinobi synchronized their hand seals.
"Ice Release!"
Hundreds of ice-blue beams shot toward the Three-Tails.
Thick ice rapidly formed where they struck, encasing its limbs and tails. The once-mighty beast found itself immobilized, bound in layers of glacial restraints.
The Three-Tails roared in frustration.
But the shinobi had no intention of stopping now.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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