Chapter 149: The Death of You Muren, Sealing the Two‑Tails

Surrounded?

When they heard that, some mid‑rank ninjas in the team didn't react, but the four Jonin instantly drew their weapons and shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

Sure enough, almost as soon as their command was given, a dense thudding of footsteps came from behind; before the sensing ninja could speak, movement also came from the left and right.

Damn it!

One Jonin's face changed abruptly; he turned to glance at the trapped You Muren, then sighed and ordered, "Maintain formation, hold on. As long as Lord You Muren shatters the Barrier, we can escape the encirclement."

Escape the encirclement?

The Cloud Hidden ninjas watched the over two hundred ninjas closing in from three sides, and their hearts sank.

Especially upon seeing the flashing Copy Wheel Eyes and Byakugan among the crowd, they felt even more hopeless.

The ninja clans on the eastern front aren't at Troy, but have been lying in ambush here?

What about the extra five hundred ninja clan members from the Leaf's western front mentioned in the intel?

You Muren, who was gathering a Tailed Beast Orb, noticed the scene and felt puzzled.

But no one explained it to her, and the Cloud Hidden couldn't abandon You Muren; while the Cloud Jonin were rallying morale, the Leaf ninjas had already completed the encirclement.

Such speed and decisiveness prove that these Leaf ninjas are truly Elite Forces.

Attack!

A low voice sounded; a Cloud Hidden ninja looked ahead and saw the Uchiha who had just fled, leading dozens, his head held high, staring at them through his nostrils.

Go up the mountain!

"There are also people on the mountain," the sensing ninja said in despair.

A few Jonin instinctively looked up and saw eight corpses tumble down the hillside—those were the squad that had been guarding the outpost and the scouting squad—and the hillside above was now occupied by dozens of Leaf ninjas.

Damned it!

Someone cursed, but regardless of the Cloud Hidden ninjas' thoughts, the Leaf side, upon hearing Uchiha Hui's command, launched the attack without hesitation.

The Leaf ninjas on the hillside immediately produced one scroll after another; as each unfurled, a dense roar of air tearing apart echoed from top to bottom.

Then hundreds of kunai and shuriken rained down like raindrops, covering the position of the Cloud Hidden ninjas.

Watch the top!

The group looked up and roared, but failed to notice the black, ink‑like shadows on the ground rapidly closing in on them.

"Bad, I'm immobilized, there are Nara clan ninjas, watch out!"

The Cloud Hidden ninjas fought the Nara clan ninjas for a long time; some seasoned ninjas quickly reacted and warned, but with attacks raining from sky and earth, how many could keep up?

Boom—inside the Barrier, the first Tailed Beast Orb detonated, yet the Barrier still stood; seeing the Barrier unbroken, neither side outside paid any more attention to You Muren.

Fire Style!

Wind Style!

Ninjas from the other three directions at the foot of the mountain also did not stand idle; waves of Wind Style and Fire Style were unleashed together.

The wind fed the flames, the fire borrowed the wind's force; the Cloud Hidden ninjas trapped in the middle were instantly engulfed by a sea of fire.

Earth Style—Earth Flow Wall!

A Cloud Hidden ninja skilled in Earth Style tried to struggle, but the rain of ninja tools from above and the Leaf's ninja technique bombardment continued for about a minute before finally easing.

After the Leaf's ranged attacks ended, the surrounding Hyuga and Uchiha clan ninjas seized the moment while the central dust cloud lingered and charged in.

At this moment, the Cloud Hidden ninjas trapped at the foot of the mountain, after a minute of the Leaf's relentless bombardment, had fewer than one in ten survivors.

Even those who survived were all wounded; facing the elite Uchiha and Hyuga forces, they could hardly hold, and before the dust cleared, the battle was already over.

Roar~

Boom—until then, the second Tailed Beast Orb exploded inside the Barrier, shaking it incessantly, yet still failing to breach it.

Leaf!

You Muren let out a painful howl, looking at the fallen comrades; she felt her heart contract, a wave of agonizing pain.

If she hadn't acted recklessly, even though they were ambushed, her strength combined with theirs could have broken through, avoiding the fate of total annihilation leaving only her alive.

I will kill you! I will kill you!

The pain and remorse nearly overwhelmed You Muren's mind, causing her surrounding chakra to grow increasingly violent.

She repeatedly slapped the Barrier uncontrollably, covering her entire body in crimson flames.

The extreme pain made her ignore the injuries from the Tailed Beast Orb, and she gathered another Tailed Beast Orb, vowing to shatter the Barrier before her.

Hui glanced at the frantic You Muren with a contemptuous smile; this formation not only combined half of the chakra of their twelve members, but also, near the Land of Hot Springs there are many volcanoes, providing abundant geothermal energy, so even if the opponent fully unleashed ten Tailed Beast Orbs, it might still not break the Barrier.

Not to mention, after ten Tailed Beast Orb explosions, whether she could even endure remains to be seen.

"Captain Hui, a total of sixty‑three, count completed, no survivors!"

Hui, hearing this, looked at the increasingly unhinged You Muren, waved his hand broadly, and ordered, "Scout ninjas, immediately spread out for vigilance; the sealing squad, follow me to set up a second Barrier, prepare to extract the Two‑Tails!"

Yes!

Everyone's spirits surged, and they quickly dispersed to prepare the techniques.

Tailed Beasts are indeed powerful, but no ninja village in the entire shinobi world knows how to deal with them better than Leaf.

Wood Release aside, Sima Yi, to achieve his goal, sent Shisui to protect his thirty Jonin (including special Jonin), bringing over half of them; here alone there are dozens of pairs of three‑tomoe Sharingan.

Not to mention the Whirlpool Heritage, that powerful and complete sealing art.

Boom—seemingly sensing something, Two‑Tails grew impatient; the Tailed Beast Orb was blasted out before reaching its limit, and the explosion only made the Barrier tremble slightly, though the effect was noticeably better than before.

But the explosion of the Tailed Beast Orb also caused the Two‑Tails trapped inside the Barrier to lose a great deal of momentum; the space here is too small, and the blast harms the user greatly, so another two blasts would likely kill both You Muren and Two‑Tails here.

Roar~

Two‑Tails roared, bearing the burns as it continuously slammed into the Barrier.

Leaf ninjas, however, paid no heed, laying out various scrolls and talismans one by one.

Moreover, dozens kept forming seals; Uchiha Hui was no idle either, once again drawing eight special banners and planting them around the fire formation, then continuously forming seals.

Boom— Boom— Boom— beneath Crouching Tiger Slope, aside from the rumble within the Barrier, the surroundings were silent.

Hui and his party prepared for almost five minutes, until the Second Tail's movements grew quieter; Hui slammed his hand onto the ground and shouted, "Attack!"

The Uchiha Fire Flame Formation vanished, and the Seal Squad seized the moment; in an instant, light burst forth, and after five minutes of preparation, massive black chains shot out from various scrolls, lunging at the Second Tail and binding it tightly.

"Roar~"

The Second Tail howled and struggled desperately, blue flames burning along the chains; seeing this, Hui formed the Yin seal with both hands, eight flags unfurled in the wind, and eight beams of light shot upward, intertwining to form a cage.

The moment the cage formed, the Second Tail's aura plummeted, its surrounding blue flames flickered erratically, and it was completely suppressed.

Then Hui formed another seal; the Octagonal Cage contracted swiftly, the Second Tail, bound by chains, could not resist and could only howl in pain.

Both sides stalled for dozens of breaths; the Second Tail, unable to sustain itself, retreated back into the Wooden Man.

"Uchiha!"

At this moment, the Wooden Man was at the brink of weakness, first drained by Jiraiya, then by the Fire Flame Formation, and finally, consumed by regret and pain as the Second Tail possessed its body; now the Second Tail has withdrawn, leaving her utterly powerless.

She stared at the swiftly approaching Hui Uchiha, wishing she could devour him.

But now she lacked even the strength to kill herself, let alone turn the tables; she could only watch helplessly as Hui stepped before her, then stared at her with that damned nostril. "Don't worry, I keep my word; I'll gather your corpses."

A deep voice came, Hui and she locked eyes; the Wooden Man felt a sudden warmth in his chest, spat a mouthful of fresh blood, and was then completely controlled by the Copy Wheel Eye.

Hui's expression remained calm, his five fingers loosely clasped, strange chakra flowing from his fingertips.

Pfft— his five fingers pierced the Wooden Man's abdomen, and the sealing art rippled like ink.

Tail‑Release Seal!

Hui lifted his hand and pulled, then swiftly withdrew.

Blue chakra erupted from the seal in the Wooden Man's abdomen, then took the shape of the Second Tail.

The Second Tail's body was rigid, standing dumbfounded; after a brief whimper, its eyes shifted slightly, locking steadfastly onto Hui's gaze.

"Uchiha~"

The Second Tail let out a whimper and, under the Octagonal Cage's pressure, fell under the Copy Wheel Eye's control.

Then layer upon layer of seals locked it tightly.

After confirming everything was secure, Hui finally exhaled, retrieved a scroll, and summoned a big gourd.

The gourd was covered with dense runes.

Hui formed another seal and removed the Octagonal Cage.

Then, the helpless Second Tail was instantly drawn into the gourd by the chains it expelled.

When everything ended, the group gasped, staring dumbfounded at the big gourd before them, unable to believe their eyes.

They actually sealed the tailed beast! Hui's mouth twitched upward uncontrollably; after patting the gourd, he noticed the others' gazes and hurriedly put it away.

"Everyone."

"We succeeded!"

"Great!"

"We… we sealed the tailed beast! We succeeded!"

The others likewise could not suppress their joy, shouting together; their cries instantly attracted the surrounding alert ninjas, who stared in astonishment, exchanging bewildered looks.

"Did they really seal the tailed beast?"

The group could not believe their ears; to them, killing the Wooden Man was a minor victory, capturing him alive a medium victory, and directly sealing the Second Tail a major victory! Upon hearing the Second Tail was sealed, they no longer needed to stay on guard, and the surrounding ninjas quickly gathered before Hui.

Hui lifted his head and chest; not only him, but all Uchiha present held their heads high, their solemn expressions tinged with pride, though the etiquette lessons under the staff kept them restrained, forcing them to control their faces.

"Return and report the results to Lord Jiraiya and Uncle Yi."

"Yes."

As for the tailed beast, it must follow the main force, otherwise wouldn't it be like the Wooden Man? "Everyone else, immediately change into Cloud Hidden attire and launch a surprise attack on the Western Front!"

Hui's prestige rose rapidly, and the group responded without hesitation.

"Yes!"

These corpses are also wealth, but they clearly lacked time to carry them away, so they could only leave them here for later retrieval.

However, the Wooden Man's body and those of the four Jonin could be taken away first.

Especially the Wooden Man; the severely wounded, weak her was not of a vortex nature, and after losing the tailed beast she instantly ceased to live, yet Hui hadn't gone mad enough to strip her clothing, he only had someone lift her.

After preparing, the group split into front and rear units; the front‑line ninjas donned Cloud Hidden garments to clear waypoints along the route, while the other ninjas followed closely, taking the Country of Fields path to loop behind Cloud Hidden.

The group marched westward; after another quarter‑hour they cleared another waypoint and approached the Western Front battlefield.

"Someone ahead!"

The front‑line Hyuga ninja suddenly spoke, then slowed down, hiding behind the others to block the view.

The group maintained their movement and drew nearer to the opponent.

The newcomers were also dressed in Cloud Hidden attire; upon seeing the reinforcements, their faces lit up with joy and they rushed forward.

As the two sides drew near, the Cloud Hidden confronting them stared at a series of unfamiliar faces, his expression changing, but before he could act, he was already seized by the Nara clan's ninja.

The group could use transformation techniques to deal with the opponent, but it wasn't necessary; with Hyuga ninjas present, they could anticipate the enemy, saving chakra for the upcoming great battle.

Seeing this, Hui stepped forward, used illusion to subdue the opponent and obtain intelligence.

"This is a Cloud Hidden Trojan sent to the Eastern Front to deliver a message, but he doesn't know its contents."

Hui said, having retrieved a letter from the opponent, though unfortunately its contents were encrypted.

"It can be deciphered, but it requires time."

Someone behind took the letter and said,

"No need; it's merely urging or refusing reinforcements, no need to heed it. We'll continue forward."

Regardless of the letter's content, as long as it isn't a massive assault on the Leaf Ninja army, they will head to the Western Front to carry out the next plan.

The group was astonished; they hadn't expected this Uchiha to be so wise.

Hui's expression was calm, as if he had foreseen it, and he led the others onward.

The other side, the western front battlefield.

Troi's grim battle reports from various places couldn't help but curse, "Damn the Leaf, how despicable!"

Before the Leaf reinforcements arrived, the forces were roughly 2000 to 2300, with Cloud Hidden holding a slight advantage.

After the reinforcements arrived, it became 2500 to 2300, but if they were only five hundred civilian ninjas, the impact on Cloud Hidden was minimal; they could still hold.

But those were five hundred ninja clan ninjas; one should know that five hundred such ninjas are at least equivalent to two thousand civilian ninjas, which would almost cause a staggering reversal of forces, so he sent a plea for aid the moment he confirmed the opponent's ninja clan identity.

Then he emptied the reserve troops to reinforce the line, but as time passed, he found his side's losses were not as great as imagined, and he sensed something was off.

The Leaf's reserve troops kept entering, yet the remaining ninjas wearing the clan emblem never showed up; at first he thought the opposite side merely wanted to use these cannon fodders to wear down their strength, then break through with Elite Forces when the time was right.

But soon he realized he had overthought it.

"Damn the Leaf, only a hundred men, yet they deceive me with such despicable tactics!"

He can now only pray that the letter reaches them quickly, preferably meeting those reinforcements, and then turn around on the spot.

If his misdirection caused Cloud Hidden's crushing defeat, he would be unable to absolve himself of the blame.

And opposite him, the equally tormented Rixiang Dongyin also suffered.

"I've been dragging this out long enough; why haven't these people arrived yet? Are the opponent's reinforcements really that hard to deal with?"

The 'surround-and‑assist' tactic was set by Sima Yi; they wanted not only to defeat Cloud Hidden here but to seize the original line in one stroke, so they must eliminate as much of the enemy's living force as possible and shatter their fighting will.

However, Sima Yi was rather greedy: if the reinforcements weren't from the Wood People, it would only count as a modest victory for him; if they were from the Wood People, it would be a great victory.

"If we miss the timing, you can't blame me, right?"

Rixiang Dongyin said, suddenly recalling that old guy from the shift, and cursed inwardly: "Unlucky."

"Dongyin commands, a signal flare lit up behind Cloud Hidden!"

(End of chapter)