Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Eek!"

Sensing the determination of its master and best friend, the salamander immediately sprawled on all fours, opened its massive mouth, and spat out all the venom accumulated within its body, transforming it into a purple beam that crashed directly into the mechanical four-tailed creature.

"Roar!"

The little purple fish, which was in charge of controlling the fish, was still unconscious. In order to prevent damage to the core exposed on its chest, Sun Wukong had no choice but to forcibly take over control, raising his thick metal arms to protect himself and blocking the first attack from the salamander.

"Sizzle!"

A sickening, corrosive sound echoed throughout the village as large swaths of toxic-smelling metal shards fell like snowflakes, leaving the once bustling streets in ruins.
"It's not over yet!"

Seeing that the mechanical four-tailed salamander had withstood the salamander's first attack, Hanzo, unsurprised, clasped his hands together and channeled chakra mixed with poison into Maruta's body beneath his feet.
"Boom!"

"earthquake?"

Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the ground beneath his feet. Jiraiya, who was watching the battle from a distance, quickly steadied himself, his eyes filled with astonishment and doubt.

"No, something is about to come out."

Orochimaru, squinting, shook his head. He could sense a huge object moving rapidly underground.
"Boom!"

"Look!"

As a roar resounded, a cloud of sand suddenly rose from the open ground beside the mechanical Four-Tails. Tsunade, who had been intently watching the battle, narrowed her beautiful eyes and repeatedly warned,
"Another one?"

Jiraiya and Orochimaru froze for a moment.
"Eek!"

That's right, another giant salamander has joined the battle. After bursting out of the ground, it didn't hesitate at all, opening its huge mouth and spewing out a mouthful of sticky venom, its target being the mechanical four-tailed fish that was raising its arms to block the attack.

"Suffer to death!"

Seeing that the mechanical Four-Tails was unable to deal with the second spit of venom, Hanzo revealed a victorious smile.

"Tsk!"

The four-tailed fish clicked its tongue, moved its broad jaws, and a blazing orange-red beam of light shot out from its mouth, colliding head-on with the venom of the second salamander in mid-air.

"Oh!"

The two energies collided and intertwined, creating a small mushroom cloud in the sky. The shockwave alone leveled everything around it, and the spreading aftershocks engulfed the entire village in destruction.

East of Yuyin Village

Standing by the window on the third floor of the dance studio, Madara Uchiha, who was watching the spectacle alongside Jiraiya and the other two, frowned slightly, looking at the impending aftershocks of energy with displeasure.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Konan, who was curled up asleep like a kitten on the tatami mat behind him, and said in a cold voice.

"Erzhuzi".

"You bunch of freeloaders, it's time to get to work!"

Having spent so much time together, Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu had developed an incredible understanding. Hearing the call, he waved his hand, and the three clones—I, Si, and Jiu—who had been forcibly recruited, all stood up and followed him.

"You don't need me to teach you how to do it, right?"

Four figures landed at the four corners of the dance studio, and Erzhuzi's impatient voice rang out.
"So what if you joined the group a little early? What's with all the bragging?"

The other three clones pursed their lips, muttered a complaint under their breath, and then simultaneously raised their hands to form hand seals.
"Sealing Technique: Four Red Yang Formation!"

A rectangular barrier made of red flames appeared out of thin air, tightly protecting the entire house within it.

"boom!"

The terrifying aftershocks of energy swept past, instantly turning the surrounding buildings into ruins. Only the dance base, shrouded in a red barrier, remained unharmed, without even a sound. It was indeed a powerful barrier created by four super-shadow level experts working together.

"These guys are actually somewhat useful."

Inside the light-transmitting and soundproof barrier, Madara Uchiha looked at his still-sleeping students, a satisfied expression appearing on his cold face.

the other side,
Unlike Konan, Jiraiya and his companions weren't so lucky. When the aftershocks of the energy wave hit, they could only lie on the ground and use objects for cover.
"Bah bah bah!"

After the aftershocks subsided, the three, covered in dust and dirt, scrambled to their feet. Jiraiya, with a bitter expression, spat out the grit in his mouth.
Orochimaru also looked distressed, carefully tending to his dusty hair. He usually put a lot of effort into maintaining his hair.
"Cough cough cough, why is there still one?"

Tsunade rubbed her reddened nose, looking at the two salamanders clashing with the mechanical Four-Tails, her eyes full of confusion.

"That was a physical clone."

After finally untangling the knots in his hair, Orochimaru frowned and explained, "The chakra fluctuations of those two salamanders are exactly the same; what else could they be but clones?"
"It's actually a clone?"

Jiraiya's eyes widened in surprise. How much chakra would such a huge creature need to consume to create clones?
"Perhaps also..."

Looking up at the mechanical four-tailed creature, which was evenly matched with the two salamanders and whose hands and head were fully operational, Orochimaru had a bold guess in his mind.

"Boom!"

Sure enough, before he could voice his thoughts, another violent earthquake struck.

"Will this ever end?"

Having finally regained his balance, Jiraiya subconsciously glanced back, his expression suddenly changing.
"not good!"

Behind them, at the entrance to the shelter, was a large crowd of panicked villagers. Several Rain Ninja were doing their best to maintain order, but the ordinary people who had witnessed the battle with the giant beast in the village center were filled with lingering fear.
Why did they come out?

The other two also tensed up at the same time. The battle outside was so fierce that if they were not careful, the aftershocks of the battle could send these ordinary villagers to their deaths.

"Please don't push! We will protect your safety!"

The Rain Ninja maintaining order also spotted the giant beast in the distance. Their panic was no less than that of ordinary people, but they gritted their teeth and feigned composure, loudly directing the villagers as they filed out.
As for why they left the safe shelter, it was actually a desperate and risky choice made out of desperation.

Due to two tectonic shifts, the underground shelter is now crumbling, with large chunks of rock constantly falling from its roof. Several villagers who couldn't escape in time have sustained minor injuries, and panic is spreading rapidly.
For safety reasons, the rain ninja guarding the gate ultimately decided to open it, leading the villagers out of the shelter and preparing to take them to other shelters.

"What kind of monster is that?"

"How scary! I want my mom!"

"woooooo"

However, they clearly overestimated the psychological resilience of ordinary people. Even from a distance, the terrifying aura emanating from the giant beasts caused many villagers with weaker mental fortitude to faint, and many others collapsed to the ground, unable to move on their own.

"Master, what kind of monster is that?"

Amidst the chaotic crowd, Miroku, hiding behind Reimu, mustered his courage and cautiously asked,
"Fire rain, behemoth. It's a match."

Reimu didn't answer. Her expression was grave as she gazed at the colossal beast bathed in the rain of fire, her delicate brows furrowed into a deep frown.

She had seen this scene in the prophecy before; her precognitive abilities were indeed correct. "Rumble!"

A violent earthquake struck beneath everyone's feet. The villagers, whose legs were already weak, swayed and fell to the ground, and cries of pain filled the air.

"Yahiko? Yahiko! That brat is sleeping like a log."

The proprietress, barely managing to stay upright, called out a few times to her eldest son, whom she was carrying on her back. Finding him still sound asleep, a hint of relief crossed her beautiful face amidst her helplessness.
"I don't want to die!"

Just then, a villager who had been terrified by the mechanical four-tailed creature suddenly sprang up and, in his running, crashed hard into the landlady who was carrying two children on her back.
"what!"

Just as the proprietress was about to make intimate contact with the gravel-strewn ground after being suddenly struck, a large hand appeared just in time and wrapped around her waist.
"Boss lady! I've finally found you!"

"Jiraiya?"

Hearing the familiar voice, the still-frightened proprietress looked up in surprise. Looking at the white-haired young man holding her in his arms, a shy blush, uniquely girlish, appeared on her still-charming face.
"So many people are watching! Let me go!"

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

Jiraiya, who arrived just in time, realized that his hand had been placed in an impolite position. He quickly steadied the proprietress and awkwardly withdrew his still-warm hand.

"Where did you go? I've been looking for you for ages."

After checking on the two children behind her and confirming they were unharmed, the proprietress's pretty face hardened.
"I...I just went to the bathroom~"

Sensing the concern in the landlady's tone, Jiraiya, deeply moved, smiled and scratched his head, offering a timeless excuse.

"Really, I'm so glad you're okay. Come with me later, and let's never be apart again."

The proprietress looked Jiraiya up and down, his clothes covered in dirt, a hint of concern on her face.
"Okay, give me Yahiko and the others."

Jiraiya showed no sign of leaving; he couldn't bear to leave the proprietress alone in such a dangerous environment. He immediately reached out and picked up the unconscious Yahiko and Nagato, staying close to the proprietress without leaving her side.
At that moment, a well-equipped Rain Ninja squad descended from the sky, led by Hydrangea, one of the village's high-ranking members.

Looking at the chaotic scene before her, she raised her eyebrows. Wasn't this just adding to Hanzo's troubles?
How did you get out of the shelter?

"Sir, the shelter is severely damaged; if we don't evacuate..."

The Rain Ninja on guard duty, upon seeing Hyakki Yako and the others, rushed forward excitedly to explain, as if they were his saviors.
"Boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, a violent collapse sounded from the shelter behind him, followed by a large amount of dust billowing out from inside the doorway.
"Phew, thank goodness."

Seeing this, the Rain Ninja couldn't help but applaud himself for his life-or-death decision.
"You made the right choice."

Hydrangea, who had initially intended to hold someone accountable, softened her expression, nodded to the Rain Ninja who had saved a large number of villagers, and then waved her hand behind her.
"Assist with evacuation."

The elite Rain Ninja squad immediately sprang into action, beginning to help transport the villagers who had fainted from fright caused by the Tailed Beasts.
"woooooo"

"How terrifying!"

"Amegakure is finished!"

However, their arrival did not alleviate the panic; on the contrary, it seemed to intensify.
"Listen up, everyone!"

Seeing this, Hydrangea knew she needed to give these ordinary people some encouragement, so she pulled out a megaphone she'd hidden somewhere and shouted loudly, her voice so loud it drowned out the villagers' noisy shouts.
"Over there, is Lord Hanzo fighting for us! The evil invaders are about to be driven away by him!"

"What? That's Lord Hanzo?"

"Go, Hanzo-sama!"

"Hanzo-sama, I want to have your babies!"

"Hanzo."

With the hydrangea's identification, and upon learning that the giant salamander was being controlled by Hanzo, the crowd's panic vanished instantly. Not only did their legs regain their strength, but they also had the energy to cheer for their idol.
As expected, Hanzo's status in the hearts of the Amegakure residents was almost identical to that of Kami; whenever he appeared, everyone felt instantly at ease.

"Alright, hurry up, don't hold Hanzo back here."

Upon hearing this, the villagers responded enthusiastically and began to evacuate in an orderly manner towards other shelters.
Meanwhile, Hanzo, standing atop Sanshokuyuu-ta's head, finally breathed a sigh of relief after noticing the small group of villagers orderly evacuating in the distance.
"Are they finally gone?"

The reason he hesitated to move and remained in a standoff with the Four-Tails was because he had noticed unusual activity at the distant shelter.
To prevent the aftermath of the battle from harming the villagers, he deliberately slowed down the attack of the third salamander, allowing only the main body of Maruta beneath his feet to continuously spew poison mist and control the mechanical four-tailed fish's movements.
That's right, how could a family of three only have two?
"Come out!"

"Eek!"

The third salamander, which had been lurking underground for a long time, received his command and instantly burst out of the ground.

"besides?"

Jiraiya and the others in the retreating group stared in horror as the salamander emerged from beneath the mechanical Four-Tails' feet. Aside from Orochimaru, who had anticipated this, their faces were filled with terror.

"Roar!"

The mechanical four-tailed creature, its arms outstretched, hadn't expected a third salamander to be hiding at its feet. Its body tilted uncontrollably, and it fell into the salamander's enormous mouth, large enough to contain it.

"Glug~!"

"Did you finish eating?"

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Such a huge mechanical gorilla, you just swallow it like that? Are you going to join the monkey-slaying heroes?"
"Hiccup~~~"

After swallowing the mechanical four-tailed fish, the salamander let out a satisfied burp filled with purple mist.

"We've basically won!"

After waiting a few seconds and finding nothing amiss, Hydrangea was the first to open the champagne.

"Lord Hanzo, please carry me!"

"I can finally go back to my hometown to get married!"

"Yay!"

Hanzo, his body throbbing with pain, frowned and stood firm under everyone's gaze, enduring the backlash from the Tailed Beast Elixir. Only after receiving the message from Maruta beneath his feet did he slowly exhale.
"call"

According to the mental message transmitted by Maruta, the mechanical four-tailed beast is already submerged in the highly toxic gastric juices of its clone, and will be digested into nothingness in a few minutes.

"Maruta, thank you for your hard work."

"Eek!"

In a secluded corner, a disheveled man leaned against a wall, gazing at the bloated, swollen-faced salamander in the distance. His expression was one of utter helplessness.
"That idiot Zi couldn't even beat a knock-off."

"Han, don't worry, Old Sun is an expert at handling this kind of 'swallowing someone' play." (End of Chapter)