In the northern part of the Land of Sound, there were also rolling mountains and rocks, but unlike the tall, steep peaks of the Land of Thunder, they were not as majestic.
There were low hills, with no clear divisions between them. They were more like a hilly landscape than small mountains.
Such terrain lacked water sources and was often unsuitable for crops. Normally, no one would settle here.
However, there were exceptions. In the center of the hills, on an unremarkable small hill, there was a house built of stones. It was neither round nor square, and its appearance was quite rough.
It did not conform to any principles of structural mechanics, but even though it was constantly exposed to the wild winds on the hills, it showed no sign of collapsing.
A seamless whole, as if a thousand stones were melted in one furnace.
"This is where Roshi lives in hiding..."
Jiraiya looked at the small house on the hill and confirmed with Hyuga Hizashi that the person was inside. His expression became serious.
"Be alert, the opponent is a Jinchuriki who can fully transform into a Tailed Beast. Carelessness could cost you your life."
Jiraiya himself was not particularly afraid of Jinchuriki. Even alone, he could fight and win.
But the current objective was not to defeat the opponent, but to capture the Jinchuriki alive.
"Proceed according to the original plan."
Jiraiya looked around, entered Sage Mode, and three ANBU Jonin squads scattered towards the hill. Shisui directly activated his Susano'o.
Light green Chakra flowed from his eyes, forming projections of bones that stacked layer by layer into a half-body skeleton. Soon, the skeleton outlined meridians and muscles, covering it with a suit of samurai armor.
Shisui leaped lightly, rushed up the hill in a few steps, and swung the twin-headed sword in his right hand down hard at the stone house.
Boom...
After a loud noise, the stones exploded in all directions.
In the dust, a red-haired man jumped aside with the stones, unharmed.
The scattered debris had no time to pierce his body or lop off half his head, as it was blocked by the layer of reddish Chakra armor around him.
"Hm? Uchiha's forbidden eye? Konoha?"
Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, landed on the ground and scanned the surroundings. He glanced at the tall figure of Susano'o and then fixed his gaze on the white-haired middle-aged man.
"Jiraiya? You Konoha dare to attack me?"
Jiraiya did not speak. The response to him was a heavy blow from Susano'o.
Boom...
The ground cracked, forming a large pit. Roshi leaped away in advance, crushing the stones flying towards his head with a pinch. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. "It seems today cannot end peacefully."
"Roshi, Konoha is determined to succeed in this operation today. If you want to suffer less, just raise your hands and surrender."
As if going through the motions, Jiraiya opened his mouth to persuade him to surrender, but secretly condensed a large amount of Senjutsu Chakra in his palm, ready to attack at any moment.
"Surrender?"
Roshi sneered, and lava flared around him, instantly turning him into a reddish-brown ape about fifty to sixty meters tall.
"Lava Style: Lava Eruption!"
Roshi swung the strong arms of the red ape and smashed them heavily onto the ground. The ground immediately shattered into pieces. Red light appeared in the cracks, and in the next moment, molten rocks encased in lava exploded and splattered in all directions.
Jiraiya, holding a large amount of Senjutsu Chakra, flashed to behind Susano'o, while Shisui swung his twin-headed sword, drawing streaks of sword light.
Molten stone balls exploded in mid-air. Occasionally, fragments of rock with lava adhered to Susano'o's armor landed on it, having no effect whatsoever, causing no pain.
After forcing Jiraiya and Shisui back, Roshi did not pursue aggressively but instead leaped towards one side.
He knew his abilities well. If it were just Jiraiya, there might be a chance to fight, but to face the combined assault of Jiraiya and Susano'o, there was absolutely no possibility of victory.
If he continued to stall, he might not even have a chance to escape.
"Eight Purple Flames Formation!"
At this moment, with several shouts sounding simultaneously, transparent barrier walls rose from eight directions, blocking Roshi's escape route.
Boom...
Roshi didn't hesitate and immediately threw a heavy punch.
However, the barrier remained unmoved. In fact, a layer of burning fire burned back along his fist.
This bit of flame was naturally not much, but this defensive power made Roshi's heart sink.
Since the Konoha Sealing Force was re-established, it had not been without achievements.
While a village-wide sensing barrier might still be a work in progress, several new versions of the village's original sealing and barrier techniques had emerged.
The 'Eight Purple Flames Formation' was an improved version of the 'Four Purple Flames Formation.' Although it required more Jonin, its coverage area was larger and its defensive power was higher. It was specifically designed to capture Tailed Beasts that had broken free from their seals, and it was very suitable for restricting a Tailed Beast transformed Jinchuriki at this moment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Roshi launched continuous heavy punches. The monstrous strength provided by the red ape cracked the barrier in less than a moment, causing the Jonin responsible for maintaining the formation to bleed from the corners of their mouths.
Perhaps given a moment longer, Roshi could have dismantled this barrier, but how could Jiraiya and Shisui give him such an opportunity?
With the sound of rushing wind, Susano'o held the sword with both hands and slashed down at Roshi.
The red ape did not dodge and directly grabbed the twin-headed sword with its strong arms.
The Chakra-formed body had no flesh or blood weak points. Roshi's reckless approach actually blocked this attack.
However, just as he was disarming the sword with his bare hands, Jiraiya's tall figure leaped down from above Susano'o's head, holding a large sphere of Chakra energy that shone with white light.
"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
The Rasengan, infused with Senjutsu Chakra, slammed heavily onto the red ape's back, driving it to the ground.
And with his hands unable to hold the twin-headed sword, Shisui seized the opportunity to thrust it forward. It went straight for the Four-Tails' head.
Boom!
With two consecutive attacks, Roshi was sent face down on the ground.
"Damn it!"
With a roar, Roshi swung his arms and slammed them onto the ground.
The earth trembled, and lava spewed from the cracks. The scorching heat penetrated Susano'o, causing Shisui's vision to blur. The next moment, he was hit directly in the chest with a punch and sent back more than ten meters.
However, before Roshi could catch his breath in this opening, another giant Rasengan struck his back, driving him completely into the dirt.
When he got up, Shisui stepped in again, facing the Tailed Beast-transformed Roshi head-on and entanglement him.
The Konoha Ninjas positioned in the eight directions lifted the 'Eight Purple Flames Formation,' adjusted their positions, and reset it, constantly ensuring that the Four-Tails Jinchuriki remained in the center of the barrier, giving him no chance to disrupt the barrier walls in the chaos.
This hunt, whether in terms of manpower or strategy, left no loophole for Roshi.
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