Konoha direction.
Hinata, like a calm sniper turret, stood atop the tower. Her Byakugan's precise guidance, combined with terrifying long-range strikes, blasted one airship after another of the Sky Ninja trying to escape!
Brilliant yet deadly fireworks continuously bloomed in the sky, and wreckage rained down.
The Konoha Ninja and villagers below, who were originally organizing rescue and defense, now watched this shocking scene in stunned silence.
"Those strange Ninja attacking the Village are almost wiped out?!"
"Such—such powerful long-range Ninjutsu, I can't even see the attacks."
"Look up at the tower, it seems there's someone there."
"Byakugan! It's the young lady of the Hyuga! It's Hinata-sama!"
"So strong! One person alone—"
Exclamations and cheers echoed through the ruins.
Hinata's miraculous performance greatly boosted Konoha's morale after the attack.
Hokage Building office.
The Fifth Hokage Tsunade stood by the broken glass window, taking in the distant explosions in the sky and the delicate figure on the tower:
Her expression was very solemn, not joyful at all despite the Sky Ninja being targeted.
"Long-range Ninjutsu attacks invisible to the naked eye, combined with the Hyuga's Byakugan, I didn't expect such a powerful chemical reaction—that boy Naruto has truly taught an extraordinary disciple."
She murmured to herself, her tone carrying a hint of relief, but more so, a deep worry.
Tsunade turned around and said in a deep voice to Shizune and several Konoha high-ranking Advisors beside her: "It's the Land of Sky. I didn't expect the Sky Ninja to have accumulated such power after disappearing for so many years since the Second Ninja World War, and to dare to make a comeback."
An Advisor Elder frowned: "Land of Sky? Is that the Land of Sky that, decades ago, tried to challenge the great nations with flying Ninja tools and strange technology, and was ultimately annihilated by a joint effort?"
"Exactly."
Tsunade nodded, her eyes sharp.
"It seems they haven't given up and have been secretly accumulating power. This time, their flying Ninja tools, Chakra armor, and those energy weapons are all much more powerful than what was recorded in the past. Their timing for this attack is probably not just for revenge, but also a test, and possibly even—"
She paused, not finishing her sentence, but everyone understood her meaning—this could be a prelude to a larger-scale invasion.
"They must be completely nipped in the bud!" Tsunade clenched her fist abruptly, slamming it on the desk. "We cannot give them a second chance! Shizune, immediately contact Naruto with an emergency communication!"
"No need, I know what's going on now."
A Naruto's Shadow Clone slowly rose from Tsunade's shadow at her feet.
"Naruto? Are you—the main body or a Shadow Clone?"
Tsunade was startled at first, not expecting Naruto to emerge from her shadow, then she asked.
Over the past three years, she knew Naruto liked to run around, occasionally leaving a Shadow Clone in the Village.
"A Shadow Clone."
"One Shadow Clone, I'm afraid it's not enough to eliminate the Sky Ninja army, is it?"
Tsunade frowned.
Although a single Shadow Clone of Naruto was very powerful, far surpassing an elite Jonin, no matter if it was an elite Jonin or even a Kage-level existence, taking on an entire Ninja army alone was impossible.
As long as one hadn't reached the Super Kage level, human wave tactics would always be effective!
"No need to bother the main body, we still have a trump card." Naruto's Shadow Clone smiled nonchalantly.
Soon after, somewhere along the Land of Fire coastline.
Naruto's Shadow Clone was bickering with Kurama about whether to eat Ichiraku Ramen or barbecue for dinner, as they searched for the Sky Ninja's base.
"We must have barbecue tonight!"
"Brat, you're making this old man do all the hard work and not even giving him meat? Believe it or not, this old man will quit."
Kurama, perched on Naruto's Shadow Clone's shoulder, grumbled discontentedly.
"Barbecue it is, then. After we finish this job and go back, I'll tell Kurenai-sensei to buy more beef and lamb for dinner."
Naruto readily agreed, completely forgetting that Kurenai Yuhi was actually the Seventh Team's instructor.
"In that case, let's finish this quickly."
"Hmph, this old man can sense a large amount of malice in the nearby sea." Kurama bared his teeth and said. Soon, Naruto and Kurama found several uniquely shaped, massive Sky Ninja motherships in the offshore waters, much more advanced than ordinary mast ships.
And these motherships seemed to be preparing to rendezvous with the scattered airship that had luckily escaped Hinata's sniping.
"Found you." Naruto's eyes turned cold.
"Kurama, it's up to you. Leave them with a lasting impression."
Naruto said to Kurama on his shoulder.
"Shut up!"
"I'm going to eat the most barbecue tonight, tell that girl Hinata not to fight with me for it!!"
Although the Nine-Tailed complained, he lightly leaped and landed in an open space.
"Hey, Naruto, stand back."
Kurama said without looking back, his voice still carrying its inherent arrogance, but with an added seriousness.
Naruto understood, jumped back a distance, crossed his arms, and prepared to watch the show.
The small Nine-Tailed fox, which had landed in the open space, began to emit a faint, deep red aura.
The next second—
—
"Boom!!!"
An unimaginable, colossal Chakra surged skyward, and crimson energy spread out like an explosion, instantly blowing the surrounding forest askew.
Amidst the dazzling red light, Kurama's originally small body rapidly expanded and deformed at a visible speed.
Its slender limbs became like colossal pillars supporting heaven and earth, its crimson fur grew thick and wild like burning flames, on its enormous head, scarlet beast eyes were as cold and merciless as a blood moon, sharp fangs gleamed with a cold light, and nine massive tails unfurled behind him, each sway stirring up hurricanes that tore through the air.
In a mere instant, the adorable little fox had vanished.
In its place stood the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kurama, towering on the cliff's edge, massive as a mountain, exuding an aura of destruction and calamity!
His colossal form stood by the forest along the coastline, casting a shadow that covered the sky, and its terrifying pressure seemed to freeze the entire sea!
"It's a Tailed Beast—"
"The Nine-Tailed! The Nine-Tailed!!"
"Let's retreat! Quickly!"
The Sky Ninja motherships in the nearshore immediately spotted the terrifying Tailed Beast, and alarms blared throughout the ships.
The three previously stationary Sky Ninja motherships began to turn frantically, attempting to accelerate and escape.
"Trying to run now? Too late!"
Kurama let out an earth-shattering roar, his voice like rolling thunder, spreading in all directions.
He suddenly opened his giant mouth, large enough to swallow hills, and a massive amount of both Yin and Yang Chakra rapidly gathered and compressed in his mouth in an 8:2 ratio. A Tailed Beast Ball, as black as ink and wreathed in dark red lightning, rapidly condensed into form.