"Help me!"
"Ah! The monster is going to kill again!"
Seeing the man with bloodshot eyes and radiating a terrifying killing intent, the villagers who were just angry instantly sobered up and fled in panic.
"Hoo... hoo..."
"Die, all of you!"
Hearing the villagers call him a monster again and again, the last trace of clarity in the man's eyes instantly vanished. The power of the tailed beast within him surged madly, transforming him into a pure white giant beast radiating scarlet chakra in an instant.
The Five-Tails, Mu King, fully unleashed!
With a flick of its five thick, long tails, a large area of houses around it collapsed. At the same time, its four hooves slightly gathered strength on the ground, and a large amount of white steam suddenly rose around its body. A whining sound, like a steam engine starting up, reached everyone's ears. Mu King's body instantly turned into an out-of-control train, crashing headlong into the crowd ahead.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Orochimaru jumped in front of the Five-Tails and placed his hand on the ground. Powerful chakra surged out, and a stone wall as strong as steel rose from beneath the earth.
"Rumble!"
With a violent collision, the Five-Tails Mu King's huge white body instantly broke through the rock wall and rushed towards Orochimaru.
"Earth Style: Earth Return!"
A giant stone slab suddenly rose from beneath the Five-Tails' feet, quickly flipped over, and while interrupting the Five-Tails' forward momentum, it blocked its body from behind.
Seeing that the Five-Tails' charge was temporarily blocked, Orochimaru turned and shouted at the stunned Iwagakure villagers:
"Inform the Tsuchikage, the Five-Tails has gone berserk!"
"I will do my best to hold it back, hurry and leave!"
Orochimaru's fearless expression moved the Iwagakure villagers who had narrowly escaped death. They cast grateful glances at Orochimaru one last time and fled desperately.
"Battles between shinobi must not involve civilians. This is a clearly recorded iron rule in the ninja code!"
A slight smile played on Orochimaru's lips as he formed hand seals again.
"Let's see how my current strength compares to the Five-Tails, which is mid-tier in terms of power among the tailed beasts!"
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
This was a ninjutsu that Orochimaru had exchanged for teaching Jiraiya the Shadow Clone Jutsu for throwing shuriken. Although, to this day, after Jiraiya used it, it was still his original technique – the "Throw All Shuriken Jutsu"...
But this did not affect Orochimaru's use of this ninjutsu in battle. A swamp instantly formed on the ground, restricting the Five-Tails' movement and preventing it from using the ground to charge again. Orochimaru placed his hands on the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Mountain Technique!"
A violent tremor erupted from the ground, and two hemispherical mounds appeared on either side of the Five-Tails Mu King's body.
"Hah!"
Orochimaru let out a light cry, and the two mounds rapidly began to close in. The Five-Tails, trapped in the Swamp of the Underworld and unable to move, was immediately sandwiched between the two mounds, letting out furious roars.
"Roar!"
"Roar..."
As the roars grew more urgent, a large amount of chakra began to converge madly towards the Five-Tails' location. Feeling the chakra currents blowing past his ears, a look of solemnity flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
"The Five-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb?"
"Let's give it a try!"
Orochimaru slightly lowered his arm, the sharpness of the Sky-Blade subtly pulsing at his wrist.
"Dust Style: Formless World Decomposition Technique!"
A powerful shout came from the sky. Orochimaru's pupils contracted, and he silently retracted the Sky-Blade.
A milky white beam of light descended from the sky. The Five-Tails Mu King, which was condensing a Tailed Beast Bomb, was struck directly by this beam. With a howl, a transparent hole was instantly melted through its massive body.
"Third Tsuchikage... Onoki!"
"Dust Style..."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, looking at the results of Onoki's attack and feeling a sense of dread.
"As expected of a Kekkei Tōta that surpasses Kekkei Genkai!"
"With such power existing, it's no wonder Onoki dares to possess two Tailed Beasts without fear of backlash!"
"Onoki and the Iwagakure shinobi have arrived, it's time to make my move!"
After a moment of reflection, Orochimaru took the opportunity to withdraw while everyone's attention was drawn to the battle between Onoki and the Five-Tails. Like a drop of water, he merged into the arriving Iwagakure shinobi.
After severely injuring the Five-Tails with a Dust Style jutsu, Onoki slowly flew down from the sky and hovered above the Five-Tails' head. He glanced at Orochimaru, who was quietly retreating, and nodded silently. Then, he withdrew his gaze and looked down at the Five-Tails with a solemn expression.
"As expected, it has gone berserk. What a pity..."
Sighing with regret, Onoki quickly formed a few hand seals, and his right hand rapidly expanded into a giant stone fist.
"Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!"
Against the backdrop of the giant fist, Onoki's short stature appeared particularly comical.
However, this ordinary Rock Fist Technique was not to be underestimated in Onoki's hands.
"Roar!"
With a single punch, the Five-Tails, which had suffered greatly from the Dust Style attack, howled and staggered, falling headlong into the swamp below. Onoki patted the stone fist with his left hand, followed by another ordinary Earth Style jutsu.
"Earth Style: Super Heavy-Rock Technique!"
"Boom!"
With a colossal roar like a mountain collapsing, the Five-Tails' frantic struggles all turned into futile efforts against this powerful gravity.
"Sealing Squad, come and assist me in sealing the Five-Tails!"
Seeing that the Five-Tails had temporarily lost its ability to resist, Onoki breathed a sigh of relief and called out to the shinobi below who were rushing over.
"Yes! Tsuchikage-sama!"
A group of Iwagakure shinobi carrying sealing scrolls responded in unison. They nimbly surrounded the Five-Tails, setting up a sealing scroll that resembled a stone urn. Working together to form a combined sealing array, they began the process of sealing the Five-Tails.
Watching the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki gradually transform into human form under the joint efforts of the Sealing Squad, Onoki's eyes revealed an undisguised anxiety.
"It seems we must find a new Jinchuriki for the Five-Tails as soon as possible!"
"Alas..."
After a moment of regret, Onoki recalled the figure he had seen when he arrived, who had single-handedly trapped the Five-Tails with his proficient Earth Style ninjutsu, and a sense of indescribable joy surged in his heart.
"I didn't expect there to be such a young fellow in the village skilled in Earth Style ninjutsu. What a pleasant surprise for me!"
He cast a deep glance at the figure who was helping to evacuate the refugees and treat the wounded, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Good!"
"At a time of crisis, he stands fearlessly in front of all civilians. After the battle, he still remembers to help the refugees solve problems. He is a fine prospect who has inherited the Will of the Rocks. I will remember you!"
"After the Five-Tails is settled, I will surely reward you handsomely!"
Onoki secretly made a decision to promote Orochimaru. He withdrew his gaze and flew towards the Sealing Squad below.
"What is the progress of the sealing?"
"Tsuchikage-sama, it's almost done!"
"We just need to collect the remaining Tailed Beast chakra within the former Jinchuriki, and it will be complete!"
Onoki nodded and said with a solemn expression:
"Mmm!"
"After the sealing is complete, thoroughly examine the Jinchuriki's body and find out the reason for this rampage."
"I want all the details!"
"Yes!"
Sensing that the gaze that had been on him finally disappeared, Orochimaru, who was busy clearing the ruins, curled his lips into a smile and silently left the scene. Hidden among the chaotic crowd, he ran towards the Iwa-Kage Building.