"Roar!!!!"
Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, orange Chakra suddenly erupted!
Under the horrified gazes of the Grass Ninja, the terrifyingly oppressive Chakra rapidly condensed, finally forming a giant, dozens-of-meters-tall demon fox, snarling ferociously!
Under the Gekko, Kurama roared at the sky, raising his eyes to look at Naruto above his head: "Who are you calling a monster?! You brat!"
"Hahaha, don't mind those details..."
Naruto squatted down, patting the orange fur, which was surprisingly soft to the touch.
"Hoo..."
Seeing the terrifying, sky-obscuring figure, a Grass Ninja fell weakly to his knees, saliva drooling from the corner of his mouth due to extreme fear.
"We're... we're done for..."
"Is this a Tailed Beast?"
The surrounding Ninja couldn't help but tremble, the sense of impending threat growing heavier. Just facing this Chakra, an uncontrollable urge to flee arose in their hearts.
"Cough cough..."
Mui, who had just been kicked away by Naruto, coughed up blood and stood up, leaning on a tree trunk.
"Is this a Tailed Beast? The true foundation of the Five Great Ninja Villages..."
"We're completely outmatched..."
A Ninja beside him said with a trembling voice: "Just a Jinchuriki is already impossible to contend with, and with a Tailed Beast... Why would such a guy appear here?!"
"Poor fellows..."
Naruto scoffed, took two steps forward, and sat on Kurama's forehead, leisurely crossing his legs: "It was your Kusagakure that coveted my bloodline first and tied me up here, even if it was just a Wood Clone..."
"Originally, I didn't want to bother with you, but by a strange coincidence, I discovered my clansmen being abused by you Grass Ninja..."
"...Clansmen?"
Mui remembered where Naruto had just appeared, and his heart skipped a beat: "You are..."
"Uzumaki Naruto."
In the night sky, the boy's Chakra-infused voice spread far and wide, making everyone's hearts sink.
"Uzumaki..."
Mui's heart was heavy. He had naturally heard about the mother and daughter in the Village.
He remembered the woman was named Kanako. Whether injured or suffering from Chakra exhaustion, a bite on her body would quickly restore them.
Therefore, not only in the hospital, but also in some group training sessions, the woman's figure was often seen.
Although his strength and talent didn't require it, most people in the Village had almost all bitten her...
"The elders in the Village, you killed them, didn't you?"
Mui's heart was heavy, essentially asking a question with the answer already known.
However, he had no choice now but to stall. If he could stall a little longer, things might take a turn.
Naruto's lips curled slightly: "Is there a problem?"
Mui sighed. He felt that the other party had already seen through his little trick: "This matter was our fault, but the mastermind has already..."
"Eliminate evil thoroughly."
Before he could finish, Naruto retorted bluntly: "When an avalanche occurs, no snowflake is innocent."
"Just like this time, if I weren't strong enough, I would probably be imprisoned in this small space like my clansmen, receiving your daily feedings, and then this bloodline... would it be passed down?"
Naruto said, smacking his lips, then suddenly tilted his head, feeling like something wasn't quite right.
Kurama snorted: "Isn't that the life you want?"
"Seems like it..."
Naruto laughed: "Of course, the meaning is definitely different."
While he was speaking, several more groups of Ninja arrived from various directions of the Village.
A scan with Kagura Mind's Eye showed that, including the group in front of him, there were roughly three to four thousand, but the vast majority were of the Chunin and Genin level, and this was already the entire fighting force of Kusagakure.
This also allowed Naruto to truly understand the difference between a Great Ninja Village and a Small Ninja Village.
Aside from the power of the Tailed Beast, population, bloodline, heritage, and discipline were all important factors influencing the combat strength of both sides.
Judging from the quality gap of Ninja, even if Konoha didn't have the Nine-Tailed, it could still easily defeat Kusagakure.
"Reinforcements are here!"
Seeing groups of reinforcements arriving on the battlefield, the surrounding Ninja finally gained some morale, and some bolder ones even started shouting.
"Damn brat! You'll pay for your arrogance!"
"That's right! We stand between the great nations, though weak, we have never yielded! Even Iwagakure cannot truly defeat us!"
"Of course... If Kusagakure disappeared, who would be the buffer zone between the great nations? Where would the wars be fought?"
Hearing the shouts of those below, Naruto couldn't help but scoff: "Never yielded, cannot be defeated? Indeed, as long as one is weak enough, whatever boasts they make will seem rather cute..."
"What did you say?!"
"Don't get too carried away! You beast!"
After Naruto spoke, the Grass Ninja, who had just been arrogant, immediately became enraged, cursing at Naruto.
Kurama twitched his ears, looking impatient: "Are you done talking? Are we fighting or not?"
"Wait a moment, let me see..."
Naruto sensed that most of the Ninja in the Village had already arrived nearby, then he raised his hand to form a hand seal.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
Crack crack—
Four Wood Clones emerged from Naruto's body, and then, without waiting for Naruto's command, they instantly shunshined to four different directions.
Naruto glanced in Mui's direction, and seeing his desperate expression, he couldn't help but find it amusing.
You're stalling for time, but aren't I doing the same?
"This is a tactic that only someone with my Chakra reserves can use—'Closing the door to catch a thief' (a Chinese idiom meaning 'to corner and defeat an opponent')!"
Naruto said, bringing his fox tails together and raising both hands: "Lend me a hand, Kurama."
"Oh!!!"
Behind Kurama, his fox tails swept fiercely, sending the surrounding Grass Ninja flying.
In front of Naruto, a super-large Tailed Beast Ball rapidly condensed. With Kurama's help, its size instantly reached more than half of Kurama's body!
At the same time, four red light pillars rose from the four directions, forming a crimson barrier.
"A barrier?!"
"Does this guy want to die with us?! Bastard!"
"Madman! This madman!"
Seeing the barrier rise, the surrounding Grass Ninja immediately lost their composure.
"Don't panic!"
Mui roared: "Before he finishes! Interrupt him!"
As his voice fell, dozens of Grass Ninja rushed towards Kurama, only to be sent flying by a single strike from the chaotic fox tails!
However, in the brief moment the fox tails swung, a figure suddenly leaped high, raising his hand to strike at Kurama's back: "Fire Release! Great Fire Prison! Die! You beast!"
Hearing that person's angry shout, a glimmer of hope instantly flashed in the eyes of the surrounding Grass Ninja.
Great Fire Prison could be said to be the strongest sealing jutsu in Kusagakure, rumored to even be able to seal a Tailed Beast!
Just as everyone was filled with hope, several Chakra chains suddenly shot up into the sky, instantly piercing that person into a sieve...
"Sealing jutsu? Heh..."
Behind him, the chains rattled, flinging the person's corpse far away.
Naruto smiled, and the super-sized Tailed Beast Ball in front of him, two sizes larger than Kurama, was completely formed.
"Well, for my first visit, don't say I came empty-handed. Accept this farewell gift!"
As he spoke, in people's line of sight, the figures of the man and the fox suddenly disappeared.
Only the Tailed Beast Ball remained in place...