The attackers from the Land of Demons rushed toward the priestess's residence.
None of this escaped Naruto's "eyes."
Between his own vision and the extra Byakugan provided by Hinata Aoba, how could he miss anything?
"Huh?! Intruders!"
The Uchiha clan's ninjas were the first to spot the invaders—true to their elite reputation.
In an instant, their first instinct was to alert the outside.
A flare was grabbed and launched into the sky.
But just as it rose, an enemy jutsu caused it to explode midair.
"Fūton... Kamikaze!!!"
A violent wind, like a horizontal tornado, swept across the ground.
This storm, capable of striking from afar with devastating force, obliterated the flare instantly.
And that was only the beginning.
"Katon... Kifu Shiren!"
A fire technique, resembling a circus ring of flames, followed immediately after the wind and fused with it.
In a flash, the tornado turned into a blazing inferno that engulfed the entire courtyard...
...
"A jōnin usually masters several chakra nature transformations… Yet the chakra flowing from their networks has no specific nature…"
The bulging veins around Hinata Aoba's eyes, activated by her Byakugan, showed her intense focus.
But even more surprising was the fact that these ninjas from the Land of Demons could use elemental transformations incompatible with their own chakra!
"It's the effect of the stimulants given by the millennial demon Mōryō, huh?"
Naruto, who knew the story well, understood immediately.
These ninjas from the Land of Demons could manipulate all five basic elements thanks to Mōryō's power.
"Ahhh—!"
Screams of agony rang out as the weaker ones, burned and shredded by the combined techniques, were thrown into the air.
With just the first assault, the Demon Land ninjas had already wiped out most of the guards.
The overwhelming intensity of their techniques defied logic.
"Katon..."
In response, Uchiha Inahoka used a fire technique—the Uchiha clan's specialty.
His Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique) was impressively wide, even managing to push back the remnants of the enemy techniques.
But the next moment...
A roaring water dragon surged forward.
"Suiton... Suiryū no Jutsu!"
Streams erupted from the cracked earth, forming a massive water dragon, at least twenty meters long, which extinguished the weakened fireball.
Eyes wide, Uchiha Inahoka, on the brink of death, displayed the full skill of a jōnin.
Thanks to his Sharingan, he narrowly avoided the dragon's assault.
"We can't beat them…"
Hinata Aoba immediately grasped the situation.
With just five men, the enemies had dismantled the defenses.
And worst of all—their presumed leader, the long-haired man [Tsuchigumo], hadn't even moved yet.
Taking advantage of the opening, Tsuchigumo advanced slowly.
Then, in an instant, his body seemed to teleport closer to the priestess's home.
It was then that Uchiha Izumi rushed out, proudly revealing the Sharingan of her clan.
"Oh? Beautiful eyes…" Tsuchigumo commented, stopping to observe the girl's pupils.
"Too bad... You still lack experience."
With a simple gesture, he sent Izumi flying.
With a cry, the young Uchiha crashed to the side.
Then, Tsuchigumo prepared to enter the house.
But suddenly, a seal lit up.
A purple barrier formed in the night, blocking his intrusion.
It was clearly a protection set by the priestess, activated by Mōryō's power.
It was at that moment that Naruto shook his head and decided to act.
...
"Mmh..."
Kurenai Yūhi stood up, staring at the devastation before her.
The ninjas from the Land of Demons, their faces twisted, looked like demons straight out of hell.
Some unknown force had turned them into these monstrous beings.
"Genjutsu..."
As a guard and the daughter of Yūhi Shinko, Kurenai would not back down.
Heir to her late father's will, she had honed her illusion techniques to a high level—
That of the "Greatest Illusion Master."
The rise of Uchiha Shisui had especially troubled her, fueling a strong desire for rivalry.
But until now, no opportunity had presented itself.
And now, this mission… must not fail!
BOOM!
An explosion echoed in the courtyard, sending up a cloud of dust.
Naruto checked on Izumi—she was injured, but stable.
"Naruto...?" she murmured, looking at him in confusion.
Why was he here? How had he known what was happening?
It's true, he had been coming around often these past days and had bonded with the priestess and Shion…
But...
Before she could think further, her injuries overwhelmed her, and she passed out.
Her last memory was Naruto supporting her…
Quickly, Naruto entrusted the unconscious Izumi to Hinata Aoba.
She immediately carried her away, leaving the battlefield.
At her chūnin level, she couldn't do anything against these foes.
Her mission now was to save Izumi and warn the others.
"Yūgao, go help them."
Naruto gave the order to the woman beside him.
"Got it!" she replied before leaping into the fray.
After her second breakdown, her mind had sunk even further, her thoughts darker still.
This time, Naruto had called her by her first name—and it didn't even faze her.
Then...
As Kurenai was forming hand seals to cast a genjutsu, she felt a searing pain in her back.
Naruto had kicked her to the ground.
"Long-haired woman with a short mind!"
He repeated the insult Uchiha Inahoka had already thrown at her.
These ninjas from the Land of Demons housed strange creatures, forged by Mōryō's power.
What good would genjutsu do them?
Those monsters would wake them up immediately, making them as resistant as perfect jinchūriki.
"Ugh—!"
Still stunned, Kurenai couldn't grasp what was happening.
But Naruto had already taken her place, rushing toward the enemy.
As he picked up speed, his pupils turned red, his fangs and claws lengthened.
Using the Nine-Tails' power, Naruto reached his foe in an instant…