"Damn it! It's a barrier!"
Seeing the shimmering enclosure spring up around them, Shota and his shinobi cried out in alarm.
Behind Shota, several Takigakure ninja immediately launched attacks against the barrier, but their ninjutsu splashed harmlessly against the multi-colored light.
Nearby, Tatsuya stood perfectly still, making no move to intervene.
The scene unfolding before him was strangely familiar, sparking a realization about the woman's identity. If his memory served him right, this particular barrier seal strongly resembled the technique employed in Konoha by Fuuen, a subordinate of Kazuma from the Guardian Shinobi Twelve. That event wasn't supposed to happen for over a decade, yet here it was, manifesting in Takigakure now.
Even though the timeline had clearly diverged from what Tatsuya recalled, the woman orchestrating the barrier had to be Fuuen. That meant Kazuma himself was likely among the remaining figures who had accompanied Suien. Furthermore, one of the four men who had arrived as reinforcements was obviously highly skilled in Lightning Release ninjutsu.
"So, this is the source of your confidence?" Tatsuya remarked coolly, his gaze sweeping over Suien and his group positioned outside the newly formed barrier.
"That's right! Yerong," Suien's face darkened as he addressed Tatsuya, likely using an alias Tatsuya had previously given him. "We have no quarrel with Ansei Hall. Just hand over the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, and I'll allow you to leave unharmed."
He then turned his attention back to the village leader. "Leader Shota, if the village relinquishes the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki and the Hero Water, we will spare Takigakure as well. Refuse," Suien's voice hardened, "and this entire village will share your fate!"
Tatsuya's abrupt betrayal had completely shattered Suien's original plans. Had things gone differently, they wouldn't have been forced to resort to this drastic final measure so soon. There was also the critical factor that the legendary powerhouse rumored to be Uchiha Madara, the true force behind Ansei Hall, wasn't present. Even if they managed to eliminate Tatsuya here and now, they could still face devastating retribution from Ansei Hall later—a prospect Suien desperately wanted to avoid. This was his last attempt at negotiation.
"Suien! You're a ninja of Takigakure! Are you truly prepared to condemn our entire village?!" Shota roared, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury.
"Leader Shota, none of this would be necessary if you'd simply see reason," a crazed glint entered Suien's eyes as his gaze fixed hatefully back on Tatsuya. "But if you insist on being foolish, then I would rather destroy this village than allow precious resources like the Jinchuriki and the Hero Water to remain in the hands of incompetents like you!"
"Enough pointless chatter," interjected one of the men who had arrived with Suien's group but remained silent until now. "They'll only make the 'right' choice when destruction is staring them in the face." As he spoke, he threw back the hood covering his head, revealing a face Tatsuya instantly recognized.
It was Kazuma, one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve from the Land of Fire.
While speaking, Kazuma gave a subtle nod to the four reinforcements standing ready.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
At Kazuma's signal, the four figures blurred into motion, each speeding towards one of the massive stone gates that anchored the barrier. Leaping atop their designated gates, they took position, crackling arcs of lightning coalescing in their hands and stretching towards the sky.
Instantly, the heavens above the barrier darkened as storm clouds converged with unnatural speed. Within the swirling vortex, a colossal sphere of silver lightning began to form, radiating an almost unbearable pressure that washed over everyone trapped below.
Seeing this terrifying display, Tatsuya's expression changed dramatically.
Not good!
These had to be the Lightning Release Four! In the original timeline Tatsuya remembered, only Asuma Sarutobi, Chiriku, and Kazuma himself had significant roles among the Guardian Shinobi Twelve. The Lightning Release Four had only appeared later, resurrected by Kazuma using an Earth Release: Reanimation Technique. According to Asuma's own recollections, these four could combine their powers to unleash an ultimate Lightning Release ninjutsu—a technique purportedly capable of obliterating Konoha in a single instant.
Whether that claim contained some exaggeration or not, the destructive potential of their combined jutsu was undoubtedly immense. No wonder Suien still possessed the audacity to challenge Ansei Hall, even after witnessing Tatsuya's capabilities earlier. This devastating technique was his hidden trump card!
Tatsuya knew he couldn't guarantee he could withstand an unknown ultimate technique of this magnitude. More importantly, if it were unleashed, Takigakure would likely suffer catastrophic damage. If the secrets to learning Earth Grudge Fear were destroyed in the ensuing chaos, his entire journey here would have been for nothing.
Decision made, Tatsuya's hands flew through a series of hand seals.
Poof!
A plume of white smoke erupted, and a figure clad in long robes materialized beside him. It was Jizo, the clone body Tatsuya had left stationed within his underground laboratory. Tatsuya had long ago inscribed a Summoning Seal onto Jizo for just such an occasion.
"No! Stop him! Attack now!" Suien shrieked, his face contorting in panic as he saw Jizo appear.
But it was already too late.
The moment Jizo materialized, the intricate patterns of the Mangekyo Sharingan flared to life in his eyes. His left eye locked onto Tou'u, the member of the Lightning Release Four closest to him.
In an instant, the unprepared Tou'u felt his world violently spin. His consciousness was ripped from his body and snared within the illusionary space woven by the Mangekyo Sharingan. Deprived of his control, the lightning gathering in Tou'u's hands flickered and died. High above, the menacing pressure radiating from the giant lightning sphere noticeably weakened.
The combined ultimate technique of the Lightning Release Four was called Lightning Release: Thunder Dream Thunderclap. While incredibly powerful, it possessed a critical vulnerability: it absolutely required all four members channeling their chakra in unison. With even one member incapacitated, the jutsu lost its devastating efficacy.
Having neutralized Tou'u with genjutsu, Jizo's gaze shifted towards Fuuen, the woman maintaining the barrier. A single line of crimson tears trickled from his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Vworp!
Without any warning, a solid phalanx of azure bone materialized seemingly from thin air, directly in Fuuen's path. It struck her squarely in the chest, punching through flesh and bone with sickening ease.
Splat!
A spray of blood erupted as the azure bone phalanx blasted a gaping hole through Fuuen's torso. Mangled remnants of organs spilled from the wound's edges. She was clearly dead before she could even register the attack.
Suffering such catastrophic damage, Fuuen's body could no longer sustain the chakra flow needed to maintain the barrier. Instantly, the vibrant, multi-colored dome of light flickered and vanished.
The technique Jizo had just used was Tenkei, the unique Dōjutsu residing in the left Mangekyo Sharingan originally belonging to Uchiha Teru. It allowed the user to condense their Dōjutsu power directly into a physical manifestation of Susanoo's bone structure, attacking any target within their line of sight while ignoring conventional limitations of space and distance. Uchiha Teru had once employed this very technique to inflict grievous injuries upon Tatsuya himself during a past battle. If Tatsuya hadn't possessed the advantages of his Fujinhoin and the Body Activation Secret Technique back then, that fight might very well have ended with his death.
Now, transplanted into a clone body infused with Yamato's Hashirama cells, the Mangekyo Sharingan's demanding abilities had significantly reduced preparation and cooldown times. Theoretically, provided Jizo had sufficient Dōjutsu reserves and his body could withstand the strain, Tenkei could potentially be used as often as every ten minutes.
However, that remained pure fantasy. The toll Tenkei exacted on both Dōjutsu power and the user's physical body far exceeded even Tatsuya's initial estimations. This single activation had inflicted more strain on Jizo than maintaining a Susanoo construct for an extended period. The clone's body immediately went limp, staggering and nearly collapsing to the ground. At this rate, unleashing Tenkei just two or three more times would likely destroy both Jizo's body and the precious Mangekyo Sharingan embedded within it.
Looks like this technique can't be used carelessly in the future, Tatsuya noted internally.
With the barrier gone, Tatsuya didn't hesitate. His form flickered, and he instantly charged towards Suien, Kazuma, and their remaining subordinates.
Seeing Tatsuya bearing down on them like an angel of death, the expressions on Suien's and Kazuma's faces shifted drastically, morphing into masks of shock and disbelief. Their meticulously crafted plan, their ultimate trump card... utterly dismantled with such terrifying ease?
This was turning into an utter rout!