Chapter 103: Chapter 101: Seven Tails
Watching Naruto's unstoppable momentum, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had no choice but to release the Adamantine Staff and assume a defensive stance with both hands.
The other Anbu ninjas rushed forward, attempting to alleviate the pressure on Hiruzen as he faced Naruto head-on.
However, Naruto's six tails seemed to possess a consciousness of their own. Without even glancing at the ninjas, the chakra tails swept out, sending all the attacking ninjas flying.
Hiruzen was also forced to retreat, the wrist guards on his arms shattered by Naruto's sheer power.
'His strength is not on par with the Nine-Tails...'
Hiruzen couldn't help but gasp. If this had been the full power of the Nine-Tails, the damage from this strike would have been unimaginable.
'But his speed is faster than the Nine-Tails.'
"Roar!"
Naruto let out another roar, charging forward at incredible speed, aiming to finish off Hiruzen.
Despite being in a tailed beast state, Naruto's movements were no different from those of a wild beast.
'There's no choice but to use ninjutsu.'
Hiruzen's voice was low. In his view, pushing Naruto out of the village was no longer feasible.
Instead, he decided to use a large-scale ninjutsu to capture him.
If he could suppress Naruto, that would be ideal.
Even if he couldn't, it would buy time until Haru arrived.
Most importantly, Naruto's rampage was taking place in the heart of the village, where most of the civilians lived.
Despite the efforts of the Anbu and Root ninjas to evacuate them, the process was slow.
Fearing that the battle would harm innocent lives, Hiruzen steeled his resolve.
'Forgive me, Minato. Everything is for the sake of the village.'
Clap!
Hiruzen quickly formed hand seals, preparing to unleash his ninjutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
As the jutsu activated, the ground beneath Hiruzen's feet began to tremble violently.
All ninjutsu can draw power from their surroundings. Using Water Release on a river enhances its power.
During a thunderstorm, one can unleash a more powerful Lightning Release.
And beneath his feet was an endless supply of earth.
Rumble!
The earth-style chakra spread across the ground, turning the solid earth into a flowing river of mud.
Then, the mudslide rose like a tidal wave, surging forward.
'Your speed may be impressive, but against a jutsu of this scale, even you won't be able to dodge!'
Beads of sweat formed on Hiruzen's forehead.
Despite his confident demeanor, he wasn't entirely sure if he could capture Naruto.
And he couldn't afford to fail.
"Roar!"
Facing the towering mudslide, Naruto continued to roar, his limbs moving rapidly as he sprinted across the ground, trying to bypass Hiruzen's jutsu.
Despite his age, Hiruzen was one of the village's strongest shinobi.
His chakra reserves were several times greater than those of an elite jonin like Kakashi.
"Nine-Tails!"
Hiruzen let out a low growl, pouring all his strength into controlling the Earth Flow River.
Squelch!
As Naruto ran, one of his legs suddenly sank into the mud, a result of Hiruzen's manipulation.
While the Nine-Tails' power granted Naruto unprecedented speed, a mudslide was no place for running.
"Raaaaah!"
Hiruzen roared like a beast, pushing the massive wave toward Naruto.
Rumble!
The Earth Flow River engulfed Naruto, carrying him forward.
Meanwhile, as Hiruzen and Naruto clashed, Hiashi Hyuga arrived at the scene with members of the Hyuga clan.
"Lord Hokage," Hiashi greeted, then activated his Byakugan to locate Naruto.
They were only the first to arrive.
After separating from Hiruzen, Shino Aburame had used his insects to send out a distress signal.
However, given the massive chakra presence, many elite jonin had already begun moving before the signal reached them.
"Is it the Nine-Tails again?" Shikaku Nara landed on the roof of a building.
The night of the Nine-Tails' rampage was still fresh in his memory.
"No... it's Naruto," Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka arrived shortly after.
During the Third Great Ninja War, they had fought alongside Minato Namikaze.
The sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage was something they still mourned.
Seeing Naruto in this state filled them with mixed emotions.
More and more jonin arrived, and the evacuation of civilians was well underway.
"It's not over yet! Everyone, stay alert!" Hiruzen suddenly shouted.
As a sensory-type ninja, he could feel that Naruto's chakra hadn't diminished despite being buried under the Earth Flow River. Instead, it was growing stronger.
"The tail..."
Hiashi gasped. Since arriving, he had been observing Naruto with his Byakugan.
Even though Naruto was buried under the mudslide, Hiashi could see him clearly.
Naruto, who originally had six chakra tails, was now growing a seventh.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Fearing that Naruto might break free at any moment, Hiruzen formed another set of hand seals and slammed his palms on the ground.
A dragon made of earth rose from the ground, opening its maw to fire a stream of mud at the area where Naruto was buried, attempting to increase the pressure and prevent his escape.
"Damn it..."
But Hiruzen could feel an even greater force resisting him.
Boom!
The mudslide failed to suppress the seven-tailed Naruto, instead exploding in all directions.
"Everyone, be careful!"
Hiruzen was startled by the sight and quickly erected an Earth-Style Wall for defense.
But this was only a defensive jutsu, creating a single wall.
Many jonin were hit by the mud and sent flying.
"I'll have to do it myself!"
Inoichi took a deep breath and activated the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique, attempting to enter Naruto's mind and awaken his kind side.
But within seconds, Inoichi's body spat out a mouthful of blood.
His eyes, ears, and nose began to bleed.
Even he couldn't withstand the evil consciousness of the Nine-Tails.
Thud!
Just as Inoichi was about to be sent flying, Shikaku rushed to his side, catching him.
"Inoichi!" Choza, seeing this, leaped from the roof into the mudslide, activating his Expansion Jutsu to grow into a giant, reaching out to grab Naruto.
After setting Inoichi down, Shikaku used his Shadow Imitation Technique to try and restrain Naruto.
"Roar!"
Naruto tilted his head back, his seven tails lashing out, forcing Choza to retreat. Then he leaped onto Choza's arm and began running along it.
"Hiashi!"
Seeing this, Hiashi feared for Choza's safety and jumped in as well. He believed that if he could seal Naruto's chakra points, he might be able to bring him back to his senses.
Hizashi, hearing his brother, quickly followed, joining Hiashi in using the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist technique.
SYSTEM : THE BATTLE INTENSIFIES AS NARUTO'S POWER CONTINUES TO GROW. THE FATE OF THE VILLAGE HANGS IN THE BALANCE.