How strong is a Jinchuriki?

Uchiha Chisao now had firsthand experience of their power. No wonder they were considered "weapons of war." She gave her all but could barely defend herself against Yugito Nii's attacks, and that was only with Rinringo Ameyuri's support. If she had been fighting one-on-one, she wouldn't have stood a chance!

"Whew…"

Her breathing had become labored.

Her body felt utterly exhausted, as if her legs were weighed down with lead. She had already consumed many food pills, and despite only fighting Yugito for about five minutes, it had been the most intense battle of her life.

Every swing of her sword required her full strength, and she couldn't afford to hold back on chakra. The fierce wind chakra wrapped around her blade had never stopped swirling. Without it, she wouldn't be able to pose enough of a threat to Yugito. Fortunately, her weapon was the Kusanagi Sword, a strong enough material to withstand such an intense battle. The sword's "Vacuum Blade" technique, which enhanced her wind-style jutsu, kept Yugito cautious of getting hit.

While the Tailed Beast Cloak provided excellent defense against blunt force or physical blows, it was much less effective against cutting attacks.

"Crack!"

A thunderclap boomed.

Rinringo Ameyuri swung her Lightning Blade, sparking bolts of lightning that forced Yugito to zigzag across the snow, leaving behind smoking craters in her wake. If not for the fast-falling snowflakes, the nearby snow would have melted away.

While running, Yugito spat out bluish mouse-shaped flames that exploded mid-flight, splitting into dozens of smaller fireballs that flew toward Ameyuri.

This was the "Fire Rat Bomb."

It was a technique that could only be used by tapping into the Two-Tails' power.

"Ugh, not this again!" Ameyuri grumbled.

No matter how annoyed she was, she had no choice but to stop her attack on Yugito. Yugito had used this move on Uchiha Chisao earlier. While it hadn't caused any obvious damage, it had forced Chisao to expend considerable effort and chakra to fend it off.

Though the small fireballs might not look all that powerful, for a ninja who hadn't mastered any body-hardening techniques, they packed enough destructive power. Each fireball carried roughly the same explosive force as half a paper bomb—more than enough to kill someone!

Ameyuri didn't have many ways to counter this. Most of her ninjutsu were offensive lightning-style techniques. She had only briefly trained in water-style mist techniques and wasn't used to using them. At this moment, her best option was to fight fire with fire, launching spherical lightning bolts at the fireballs, causing a series of mid-air explosions.

Ameyuri was briefly held back.

Seizing this opportunity, Yugito lunged at Uchiha Chisao again. Her crimson tail whipped toward Chisao's Kusanagi Sword, using her superior strength to overpower her. Yugito's arms stretched out, reaching for Chisao.

However, such straightforward attacks wouldn't work so easily. Chisao lowered her stance, her scarlet Sharingan eyes locking onto Yugito's gaze. The "Demonic Illusion: Dragon Sleep" technique was unleashed silently, plunging Yugito's consciousness into darkness—but she was quickly awakened by the Two-Tails!

Still, it caused a brief hesitation.

That moment was enough for Chisao to retreat and regroup, launching another attack with her sword. In the five minutes they had been fighting, she had tried several tactics. Ninjutsu was the most threatening but also the hardest to land due to the time it took to form hand seals.

Genjutsu had limited effect. Chisao's illusions couldn't simultaneously suppress both the Two-Tails and Yugito, so she could only use it as a surprise tactic to create brief openings.

In the end,

She realized that taijutsu was the most practical approach.

Uchiha Style: Tempest Dance!

In an instant, six slashes were unleashed. The razor-sharp wind blades cut through the air, slicing snowflakes and leaving deep grooves in the earth. Yet Yugito emerged unscathed, her arms stretching toward Chisao like serpents.

Claws and blades clashed, sending sparks flying.

As Chisao swung her sword, her breathing grew more ragged. Though she still had some chakra left, her stamina was running low. Fighting a Jinchuriki was far more exhausting than she had imagined. Every collision between blade and claw drained her strength, and the recoil left her arms throbbing with pain.

It felt like,

Her arm bones might shatter soon!

Ameyuri had finally taken care of the fireballs and was ready to assist Chisao, but two other Cloud ninjas intercepted her. Yugito wasn't fighting alone. She had brought two teams of Cloud ninjas, all of them jonin-level.

They had kept Kabuto Yakushi and Kakashi Hatake occupied, and Kakashi, having injured his left arm in an earlier battle, was struggling despite Kabuto's treatment. His worsened injury left him unable to finish off his opponents and come to Chisao and Ameyuri's aid.

Seeing that Kabuto and Kakashi were unlikely to turn the tide, the Cloud ninjas split their forces, sending two to support Yugito. They believed that helping Yugito would allow them to defeat the Konoha ninjas more quickly.

So, Ameyuri was held back by the Cloud ninjas.

Chisao was left to face Yugito alone for an extended period, and the strain was starting to show. Her body was becoming sluggish, unable to keep up with Yugito's blinding speed.

Finally, after another collision, Chisao's Kusanagi Sword was knocked aside, and Yugito's other arm slipped through her defense. With the distance between them too close for her to use genjutsu, all Chisao could do was twist her body to deflect the blow aimed at her throat. Yugito's claw left a deep, bone-revealing wound on Chisao's right shoulder.

Yugito frowned.

She had intended to grab Chisao by the throat and knock her out, but Chisao's movements had ruined her plan and caused her to get hurt in the process. Still, it didn't change the outcome—starting with Chisao, these Konoha ninjas would eventually fall into her hands.

"Struggling will only hurt you more!"

Yugito raised her arm, ready to knock Chisao out.

But—

"Yugito, move left!!"

The Two-Tails' voice roared in her mind. Without hesitation, Yugito dodged to the left, avoiding a blade that came crashing down like a falling star, landing where she had just stood.

"It's Uchiha Shisui! Don't look into his eyes!" warned the Two-Tails.

"Uchiha Shisui?"

Yugito lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with the man who had arrived through the snowy storm. She focused on the gleaming blade and his feet, recalling their previous battle. After that fight, she had begun to despise war. Even though she knew this change wasn't natural, she didn't resist it. In fact, she felt that this new mindset suited her well!

Of course, not everyone agreed. The Two-Tails seemed bitter about it, and even the Raikage's attitude toward her had changed.

"Chisao, are you okay?"

Uchiha Shisui had a fine layer of sweat on his forehead. Despite the snowy weather, his head was drenched, a clear sign of how urgently he had rushed here. From afar, he had seen Uchiha Chihaya injured, and in his panic, he threw his Sword of the Void to force the two Yugito away.

"It's just a small wound!"

Uchiha Chihaya brushed it off as if it were nothing.

"Shisui, are you here alone?"

"What? You don't think I'm enough by myself?" Shisui, having confirmed that Chihaya's injury wasn't life-threatening, finally relaxed and started speaking more casually.

"Is that the Two-Tails jinchūriki?"

"She can't stop me."

"Hmm... well, then there shouldn't be a problem."

Uchiha Chihaya thought for a moment and nodded. If the Two-Tails jinchūriki wasn't an issue, then the other Cloud ninjas were definitely no match for Shisui. "My right arm is useless now. I won't be much help in the fight ahead, so you'll have to handle it yourself."

"Don't worry! I won't take long."

As he spoke, a translucent green ribcage appeared around Shisui and Uchiha Chihaya, shielding them from the hands of the two Yugito.

Immediately after, Susano'o grew two arms and struck down at the two Yugito, forcing them to dodge and retreat.

Seizing the opportunity, Uchiha Chihaya withdrew from the fight. The earlier attack had not only cut through her shoulder but also left Two-Tails' chakra embedded in the wound. For ninjas, the chakra of a tailed beast was highly corrosive and caused immense pain. She could already feel the searing pain spreading, and her right arm was completely immobilized. In this state, not only would she be unable to fight the Two Yugito, but even a regular jōnin would be difficult to handle. She raised her left hand and sent a signal into the sky.

Seconds later, a giant black eagle swooped down. Despite the pain in her arm, Uchiha Chihaya leaped onto its back. The eagle flapped its wings, soaring into the sky, and soon she spotted Ameyuri standing on another giant eagle.

"Is the situation serious?"

"I probably won't be able to fight anymore, but... it doesn't seem like I'll be needed."

"Is Uchiha Shisui really that strong?"

Ameyuri looked down at the red and green figures clashing below. She had only read reports about Shisui's prowess but had never witnessed it herself.

"You've seen Sōgen's Susano'o, right? It's said that Susano'o of the Uchiha clan doesn't differ much between users. At least, Sōgen's and Shisui's Susano'o are pretty similar. In fact, Shisui's Susano'o seems to be a bit more unique."

Chihaya's mind conjured up images of two Susano'os in different colors and slightly different postures. Shisui's Susano'o wielded the Spiral Sword, which, combined with his wind release techniques, created immense power. Just from that weapon alone, it seemed even stronger than Sōgen's plain large blade.

"I see. Susano'o... truly terrifying."

Ameyuri murmured.

While they were talking, the battle below took a sudden turn. Facing Uchiha Shisui, both the Two Yugito and the Two-Tails couldn't afford to be careless. The Two-Tails, in particular, was even more cautious than Yugito. Its last encounter with Shisui was still fresh in its mind; Shisui had used an unknown technique to trick it. If Shisui hadn't voluntarily retreated back then, the outcome could've been much worse.

"Yugito, don't engage directly. We should retreat for now."

"No, we can't retreat. If we fall back now, it'll be like handing over the command center to him. If that happens, this war is over for the Cloud."

"But..."

"Forget it. If that's the case, then we go all out. Don't use the full form—just fight in this current state. Make sure not to look into his eyes, and don't rush. We'll wear him down. As long as we exhaust his chakra, we win!"

"I understand!"

In the span of a moment, a mental storm passed between the Two Yugito and the Two-Tails as they reached a consensus to engage Shisui in a battle of attrition.

The next second, Shisui's simple skeletal Susano'o moved forward, closing in on the Two Yugito. Its skeletal fists rained down like a storm, and the Two Yugito, refusing to take the blows head-on, maximized their speed and agility, perfectly dodging the attacks.

However, the Two Yugito hadn't noticed the Sword of the Void buried shallowly in the snow behind them. The sword, which had been stuck in the ground, now silently moved toward their legs. It had been hidden under the snow all this time until Shisui's relentless attacks forced the Two Yugito to move ever closer to the concealed trap.

Then, a flash of cold light.

The Sword of the Void, guided by Shisui's will, stabbed viciously toward Yugito's calf. This tactic mimicked Orochimaru's trick from before when Shisui had been caught off guard. This time, the Two Yugito didn't escape either. Both Yugito and the Two-Tails had focused all their attention on defending against Susano'o and its genjutsu attacks, neglecting the hidden fangs behind them.

The Sword of the Void pierced through Yugito's calf, cutting through the beast's chakra cloak and deeply into the muscle, even touching the bone. Enraged, the Two-Tails lashed out with its tail, violently flinging the sword away, even at the cost of tearing open the wound further. After all, with the tailed beast's chakra protecting the jinchūriki, as long as it wasn't a fatal injury, the chakra would heal it.

But the real threat wasn't the Sword of the Void.

Shisui never expected to defeat the jinchūriki with that move alone; otherwise, he would've aimed for the heart. But the heart was too high, and he feared it might be blocked, so he targeted the leg instead. Successfully hitting the Two Yugito caused a momentary delay in their movements.

The green Susano'o vanished, and Shisui, moving through the snow at incredible speed, appeared right in front of the Two Yugito. As he rushed forward, their eyes met for just a moment. Furious to the extreme, the Two-Tails tried to unleash its full power and assume its complete form, on the verge of losing its mind with anger.

It hadn't expected to lose to Uchiha Shisui again, and so quickly—it was too much to bear. Yet no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't release its immense power.

Those unique eyes, shaped like a four-bladed windmill, cast their power into the Two Yugito's body, suppressing not just Yugito but even the Two-Tails.

Inside the sealed cage, Shisui returned.

He had been here before. Since he'd been once, the second time was even easier. In the face of his ocular jutsu, the Two Yugito had no chance to resist. After all, this was a "mental world" already altered by Kotoamatsukami.

For Shisui, entering and exiting this place was as easy as walking into his own garden—as long as he found the gate, which was the Two Yugito's eyes. Once that was done, he easily stepped into her mental world.

"Uchiha, what have you done to Yugito?"

The Two-Tails, trapped in its cage, glared furiously at Uchiha Shisui. It was all over now, but it still desperately wanted to know what had happened to Yugito. Was it the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan? It wanted a clear answer.

"I've already shown mercy."

Shisui glanced at the immobilized Yugito, bound by metallic stakes. "If I were more ruthless, I could've made her believe she's a spy from Konoha, planted among the Cloud, and have her defect. For me, that's entirely possible. But... my personal ethics won't allow me to make such a choice, though I've been scolded for it plenty."

"...Uchiha, you truly are descendants of that old man."

The Two-Tails deflated.

Having confirmed that Uchiha Shisui's ocular jutsu could indeed manipulate minds, it was filled with despair. Though it liked Yugito, the fact was that both of them were now captives, helpless against the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. It couldn't offer Yugito any help.

"Old man?"

Shisui looked at the Two-Tails curiously, but then quickly dismissed it. He wasn't too concerned about which ancestor of his had left such an impression on the tailed beasts. His priority now was to end the war with the Cloud as soon as possible. Subduing the Two Yugito and the Two-Tails was just the beginning!

There was still much work to be done.

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