Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Boom!

In a burst of terrifying speed, Kushina appeared directly in front of the Cloud Ninja, blocking their escape route.

The sight left the mercenary ninja troop in sheer terror.

"Don't mind this monster! We've got so many people—there's no way she can take us all down at once. Breakthrough!"

It was like an ordinary human encountering a wild beast: you don't have to outrun the beast, just your companions.

The elite members of the mercenary ninja troop, hailing from the Land of Lightning, wasted no time abandoning the weaker recruits they'd gathered from across the ninja world.

But far off, as Kushina roared in fury, a fourth tail began to emerge from her back. Her skin showed signs of burns inflicted by the dark-red chakra enveloping her.

Under the monstrous chakra of the Nine-Tails, her skin and blood turned to black ash, forming a visible black sphere around her body.

"Run!"

The mercenary ninjas, now overwhelmed by primal fear, had no idea what was happening, but their instincts screamed danger.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade shouted instructions:

"Everyone, keep your distance! Jonin, prepare to assist with the sealing technique!"

Boom!

At that moment, the black sphere cracked open, revealing a horrifying figure resembling a miniature Nine-Tails. In the next instant, it swung its arm with immense force, shaking the earth violently.

The ground shattered. A vast swath of forest exploded in an instant, with broken trees flying everywhere. The devastating attack even generated a powerful hurricane, clearing the area entirely.

"Defend yourselves!"

Faced with the terrifying shockwave—branches and debris hurled toward them by the wind—the ninjas cried out and began casting defensive jutsu en masse.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

Shirou hastily performed an Earth-Style jutsu for defense, while others followed suit, hiding behind their barriers.

"What kind of monster is this?"

Hiding behind his earthen wall, Shikaku stared in horror at the scene ahead. Though from a prominent Konoha family, they had only heard of Jinchuriki—never witnessed such destructive power firsthand.

After all, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of Konoha, Mito Uzumaki, had always been a deterrent force and never appeared on the battlefield.

"This... this is a Jinchuriki!"

Minato, witnessing such a terrifying scene for the first time, was stunned.

This level of destruction went beyond their understanding. Even Shirou, who knew ninja powers could rival gods, couldn't suppress his shock when faced with it directly. Knowing and experiencing were two entirely different things.

"Not good! It's a Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Tsunade's alarmed cry rang out. In the distance, the miniature Nine-Tails, now fully manifested, opened its mouth, and a black, condensed mass of chakra began forming.

In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb shrank and compressed under its sheer energy, causing the ground around it to collapse.

Then came the roar. With a ferocious howl, the Tailed Beast Bomb was swallowed—only for the miniature Nine-Tails to unleash it toward the fleeing mercenaries.

The next moment, under countless wide-eyed, horrified gazes, a blinding white light erupted, drowning out the colors of the world.

Boom!

The deafening roar of annihilation followed the flash, and a catastrophic shockwave swept through, toppling trees and uprooting nearby forests like a hurricane.

"This... is this really a battle we're meant to participate in?"

"A monster! Kushina is a monster!"

The destruction caused by the Tailed Beast Bomb was swift and absolute. As the smoke cleared, the aftermath came into view—a massive swath of forest erased, the ground scarred with trenches several meters deep.

The once-proud mercenary ninjas who had been so bold moments ago were silenced. The smoldering remains in the distance left not a single sound, not even the chirp of an insect.

"This is the ultimate weapon—a Jinchuriki!"

Orochimaru, witnessing the devastating power of the Tailed Beast for the first time, had a glint of greed in his golden eyes despite his shock.

"You five squads, check for survivors," he commanded.

In the wake of the Tailed Beast Bomb, some ninjas on the outskirts or those who managed to escape using jutsu might have survived. Ninja techniques were varied and unpredictable, and survival often came down to luck.

After the explosion, Kushina Uzumaki's figure emerged. The fourth tail had vanished, and her chakra levels were depleted, reverting her to a three-tailed state.

"This is bad! If Kushina depletes all her chakra, her life will be in danger!"

Tsunade shouted urgently, her eyes filled with worry.

Dammit! How did it come to this? She had hoped this mission would help Kushina grow and overcome her inner struggles, but instead, Kushina had lost control entirely.

Once the Tailed Beast's chakra within her was fully consumed, it would be akin to forcibly extracting the beast—a scenario that only had one outcome: death.

In her weakened three-tailed form, Kushina's human-like features began to return, but her body was covered in burns from the Nine-Tails' chakra. Her face, in particular, was scarlet and blistered. Yet she still hadn't regained her senses.

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Jiraiya and Orochimaru worked together, using Earth-Style jutsu to restrict Kushina's movements and snake summons to bind her.

"Watch out, Tsunade! Get back!"

As the snakes coiled around Kushina, Orochimaru suddenly sensed danger and barked a warning.

The snakes began to evaporate visibly, burned away by the overwhelming heat of the chakra.

"Captain Tsunade!"

At that moment, a familiar voice called out. A tree branch flew toward Tsunade, allowing her to pivot off it and retreat to safety.

"Shirou, this isn't a fight you can handle. Get back!"

Tsunade yelled at Shirou, who had thrown the branch.

Despite her scolding, his expression was resolute. In a world where power ruled supreme, this was his chance to prove himself.

"I, Uchiha Shirou, will never abandon my comrades!"

Suddenly, Tsunade shouted a warning, "Look out!"

Before he could react, a crimson figure lunged toward him at incredible speed.

The berserk Kushina, cloaked in the Tailed Beast's chakra, was upon him in an instant.