Escape From Konoha

Chapter 193: 189: Zero Tail

In a remote and uninhabited area of the Land of Sky, a fortress known as 'King's Fortress' served as the gathering point for Sora ninjas.

As far back as the Second Ninja World War, Konoha had severely damaged the fortress. Once a symbol of the Land of Sky's power, the fortress could no longer soar in the skies. To avoid detection by Konoha, the entire fortress was concealed underground through sealing jutsu, allowing it to remain.

Within the fortress's main chamber, a middle-aged man with a muscular build sat on a stone throne. He appeared to be around forty years old, with a head of black hair, looking energetic.

Standing before him was a Sora nin clad in a typical ninja uniform, bearing the forehead protector.

After listening to the Sora nin's report, the middle-aged man sitting on the stone throne couldn't hide his disappointment and sighed.

"So, you're saying we still can't find a stable source of energy to power the Zero Tail?"

"I'm very sorry, Shinno-sama, but the Chakra needed by the Zero Tail is large. Only the legendary tailed beast could provide such a huge amount and consistent energy source." The Sora ninja replied apologetically.

Shinno naturally understood this reality despite his disappointment. However, he still remained eager to explore any other methods of powering the Zero Tail.

In the past, the Land of Sky had gathered its entire national strength to construct this fortress around the core of the 'Zero Tail'. Although it was an impressive aerial fortress and could function as a powerful weapon, its reliance on 'Zero Tail' was a significant drawback.

This was the very reason for Shinno's distress.

"Since this is the case, there's no other option. We must continue to bring people in from outside, whether tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, to fasten the Zero Tail's recovery and then take revenge against the Land of Fire and Konoha." Shinno said coldly.

If they couldn't secure a tailed beast, they would use the Chakra and life force of ordinary people to fill the Zero Tail with energy. However, the Chakra and vitality of ordinary people were in short supply, which meant that they might need to sacrifice hundreds of thousands to provide the huge energy necessary to activate the fortress through the Zero Tail.

"Yes, Shinno-sama" The Sora nin responded, his expression turning serious.

Currently, over 3,000 prisoners were held captive in the fortress. These people were ordinary people secretly transported from the outside, serving as living sacrifices to fuel Zero Tail. But for the full recovery of Zero Tail, thr number wasn't enough. More prisoners were needed to supply the necessary Chakra and life force.

"Go and remember, don't attract the attention of ninjas from other countries, capture them discreetly. We now-"

Before Shinno could give further instructions, the entire fortress was suddenly shrouded by a devastating shockwave, causing them to shake violently.

Shinno, seated on the stone throne, was also shaken, and he looked up at the ceiling.

Cracks appeared in the ceiling and showed signs of further expanding

The Sora nin standing before him lost his balance and fell to the ground during the tremor, scrambling to his feet in panic.

"Shinno-sama, what's happening?"

As the Sora ninja asked, alarms began sounding throughout the fortress via various passages.

Shinno's expression darkened, and after hearing the alarms, he realized that an enemy had breached the fortress. The powerful impact that had shaken the entire structure was proof of the enemy's intrusion.

'Who could it be? Konoha ninjas?'

While the unexpected attack briefly disoriented Shinno, he swiftly regained his composure. This was the Land of Sky's stronghold, and thousands of well-armed fighters were stationed here. As long as there wasn't a large-scale invasion involving ninjas from the five major countries, their strength could deter any enemy.

So, Shinno resolved to wait for the good news within the fortress.

The attack had been so sudden, and the Sora nins in the fortress immediately realized there was an enemy invasion. They abandoned their tasks, armed themselves, and hurried towards the scene of the incident.

Jumping down through the hole created by the strike, Ruri and Ayane sneaked into the inside of the fortress smoothly.

From the outside, the fortress appeared no different from ordinary stone structures, but after entering, the passage walls transformed into solid metal plates, and mysterious transparent pipe devices of unknown purpose were attached to the walls, pulsating in a cohesive pattern.

"I'm going to get the blueprints for the fortress and other import6 materials that might be here. As for that chakra resembling a tailed beast, walk straight along this road, turn left at the third junction, and then go straight ahead."

Ayane instructed. With her eyes she instantly knew the entire fortress's layout.

Invading such a fortress with complex terrain would confuse a typical sensory ninja, but with the Byakugan, the maze-like fortress passages were clear, and she knew her destination as soon as she opened her eyes.

Neither the library were the blueprints and other vital documents were stored nor the chamber where she sensed the tailed beast chakra..They couldn't evade her eyes detection.

After informing Ruri of the locations, Ayane started on her mission to retrieve the blueprints and the other materials from the library.

Ruri glanced at Ayane's leaving figure, then turned and quickly made her way in the direction Ayane had pointed.

Further down the passage, a group of Sora nins noticed Ruri immediately. Without hesitation, they armed themselves and release a barrage of kunai that shot rapidly from their kunai guns. These kunai guns were more sophisticated in craftsmanship, launching faster with more power.

For a normal ninja, tracking the trajectory of these kunai was nearly impossible, but for Ruri with her dynamic vision, the kunai fired from the Sora nins guns moved as slowly as a crawling turtle.

The Kunai barrage flew past Ruri's body, without touching her, not even her clothes.

The Sora nins were extremely shocked. Confronted with such a relentless barrage of kunai, Ruri remained unharmed. Her inhuman reaction time and speed, among other attributes, set her apart from any enemies they had fought before.

In response, they needed to retreat to a safe distance, reload their kunai guns, and fired another round of attacks on Ruri.

As they reloaded their kunai, Ruri rushed toward them with a flickering silhouette. She grabbed her gunbai, brimming with violeny chakra, she swung it towards them.

Boom!

The passage, layered with dense metal plates with the transparent pipes, burst upon impact. Chakra leaked out from the pipes, drifting into the air, and quickly dissipating

Ruri's strike annihilated the small squad, leaving them sprawled on the ground.

Continuing along the passage, she arrived at the third junction Ayane had mentioned and immediately turned left.

The passages in front of her was still heavily guarded by numerous Sora nins, as if they were guarding someone of great importance and preventing Ruri's advance.

They readied their kunai guns and were about to pull the trigger.

Suddenly, the temperature in the passage rose, and raging flames surged forth, engulfing the passage ahead.

It was to late forthe Sora nins to react. The narrow passage was devoured by thr flames, along with the Sora nins within.

Having eliminated all the ninjas in the passage, the flames pressed on, smashing through the massive door at the passage's end.

With a booming explosion, the enormous door was blasted open.

The charred remains of the Sora nins turned into kunai guns, some bearing burn marks, miced with the hot flames and thick black smoke, and plummeted from the sky.

The passage exterior was covered in searing heat, and the air distorted and warped from the steam.

Stepping onto the hot metal floor, Ruri advanced gracefully, her black tights remaining spotless. She walked casually towards the room and looked inside.

This was the main chamber of the fortress, a spacious circular space. At its core stood a large pillar, intertwined with vine-like transparent pipes, which supported the chamber. At the bottom of this huge column rested a large stone throne.

Ruri calmly scanned the room. She saw a middle-aged man sitting on the stone throne.

"It appears you're the leader here."

Rui's her Sharingan locked at the man seated upon the stone throne.

Shinno, seated on the stone throne, clapped lightly and praised, "Its impressive. Is that the power of Sharingan? As a rogue from Konoha, I should praise your ability for being able to find this place, little girl."

Even though Shinno had hidden himself underground for the most part, he had managed to stay informed and, therefore, possessed some knowledge about Ruri.

Uchiha Ruri, an S-rank rogue ninja from Konoha, with the renowned Uchiha heritage backing her, was not entirely unknown to him.

"So, what's your verdict? Would you like to join me? As someone who had betrayed Konoha, you must hold a deep grudge against the village. My purpose is the same with yours. My goal is to exact revenge on Konoha and the Land of Fire, which once destroy the Land of Sky. In a sense, our goals are the same." Shinno stood up from the throne, with a sincere and generous expression, which gave him an air of kindness and warmth.

"Is that all your last words?"

"We're not enemies. We share a common hostility towards the Land of Fire and Konoha. We have something in--"

Shinno still wanted to continue his seductive words, his hypocritical smirk disgusted Ruri subconsciously. She promptly made her position clear with her actions and interrupted his speech.

Shinno, who had just stood up from the throne, failed to fully see Ruri's movements as her powerful punch found its mark on his stomach. The blow forced the air from his lungs, he vomited a considerable amount of blood. He doubled over in several pain, as Ruri's fist, encased in black fingerless gloves, had deeply penetrated his abdominal area.

The hard muscles in his stomach, painstakingly developed, appeared as ridiculous as paper before Ruri's overwhelming fist.

"I hate seeing fake smiles on people's faces. They disgust me a lot."

Withdrawing her fist, Ruri left Shinno gasping for air, as he knelt on the ground. The fake wmile on his face changed into a twisted and hideous face, as his brows throbbed with pain and saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

'This impudent girl is too powerful!' Shinno thought. He raised his head with difficulty, trying to see Ruri's features clearly. Just as he attempted to lift his head, he was struck harshly on the back of his head.

His head collided violently with the hard ground in a violent collision that produced cracks. The impact drove the upper half of his head into the floor, and another mouthful of blood gushed out from his mouth. His facial muscles contorted with pain.

Ruri stepped on Shinno's head, immobilizing him and preventing him from raising his head. l

"You're researching on tailed beasts, correct? Where is it? Hand it over."

Ruri's cold words were with command and her condescending overbearing and ruthless attitude meant there was no room for discussing.

Coughing up more blood, Shinno understood the implications of Ruri's words. He laughed "So that's it, are you here for the Zero Tail?"

With the monstrous power he sensed coursing through Ruri's body, his own body's defeat was undeniable. He had been crushed by her overwhelming might, he had no chance of victory with his own strength.

"Zero Tail?" Ruri raised an eyebrow, hearing the name for the first time.

"Yes, it's an amazing creature. Although it wasn't created by the Land of Sky, we were the first to discover its existence." Shinno's tone was filled with pride.

"I'm not interested in the history of your Land of Sky. Where is it?"

"Release me first, and I'll take you to it." Shinno had a sly smile on his face, although it quickly disappeared.

"Don't try to play any tricks." Ruri removed her foot from Shinno's head.

"Don't worry. you're so powerful that even a hundred of me would be no match for you. It's truly worthy of the Uchiha's blood, truly enviable. I wish I could use it." Shinno stood up crookedly from the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, with blood flowed from his forehead. Making the smile on his face looking hideous and funny.

"Are you done with your nonsense?"

"Cough!..., you're a rude young lady. Since you're so eager for Zero Tail, then i will take you to it."

When Shinno observed Ruri's cold gaze, he knew she was getting impatient and refrained from further delay.

He walked towards the pillar connected to the throne and touched it with his palm. Immediately, glowing seals materialized on the pillar's surface, rendering it luminous. This revealed a hidden hile in the pillar, capable of accommodating only one hand.

Under Ruri's watchful gaze, Shinno extended his hand steadily into the hole and pressed a button inside. Immediately, a hole opened in the floor beside him, providing an entrance to the lower space.

"Follow me. The Zero Tail is down here. That creature isn't to be trifled with." Shinno said jumping into the hole, falling into the depths.

Without hesitating, Ruri followed Shinno, jumping into the cave's entrance, entering the underground space where the Zero Tail was located.

Upon landing, Ruri found herself in a cylindrical underground chamber. There was a huge, tombstone-like instrument standing before her. In front of this instrument lay a cocoon-like structure of similar shape, suspended in the air by numerous transparent tubes extending from the chamber's walls.

The cocoon's translucent skin emitted a faint glow. Encased within the cocoon lay a serpent-like creature, coiled and pitch balck6 as night, its eyes closed. A white mask covered its face, and it breathed rhythmically inside the cocoon.

Within the transparent tubes wrapping around the cocoon, a black liquid substance flowed, continually nurturing the snake-like creature inside.

Though the transformation was subtle, Ruri could sense that the creature within the cocoon was undergoing some sort of change. Presently, it was in hibernation due to the insufficient energy provided.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Shinno, beneath the cocoon, erupted into inexplicable laughter, drawing Ruri's attention to him. He turned to Ruri, his face dripping with mockery and disdain. He impolitely pointed at her, smiling contemptuously.

"I didn't expect you would be as so foolish and stupid as to follow me down here. I've heard that Uchihas are haughty and arrogant. It seems you're no exception. Hahaha! You've arrived, only to meet your end as food for the Zero Tail's."

Ruri stared at Shinno in silence, her hands weaving seals, chakra accumulating in her mouth. She didn't want hear his repulsive laughter anymore, which sounded like pollution to her ears.

But there was a sudden change. The fireball that had been forming in her mouth burst forth, but it instantaneously shrank to a point one meter away from her before turning into a thin flame, disappearing into the air. The sudden change made Ruri narrow her eyes in confusion.

"Ha ha!, you can't use jutsu here. I'm sorry, but this is the resting place of Zero Tail. Whenever chakra is used, it iss absorbed by the Zero Tail and converted into the energy powering the fortress."

"Do you intend to devour me as an energy source?" Ruri looked Shinno thoughtfully.

"It's too late knowing that now."

Shinno retrieved a remote control device from his pocket, he pressed a button, and the upper passage sealed shut. It transformed the area into a cage with no way to escape.

"How will you escape this space without the use of chakra? Let me see your face of desperation as you meet a tragic end. The Zero Tails particularly loves the chakra of the despaired."

Shinno gloated with an air of victory, his shoulders trembling with excitement.

At this time, the Zero Tail inside the cocoon seemed to sense the high-quality chakra, jt began to sway within its transparent cocoon.

The mask covering its head lifted slowly, and it swept its glance towards Ruri. The eyes visible through the white mask, emanated a dark and evil aura, filled with greedy desire.

Ruri snorted in response to Zero Tail's greedy gaze, showing her displeasure. She grabbed the gunbai from her back and charged forward.

The Zero Tail seemed to detect her presence. Several black, tendrils sprouted from the cocoon's surface, gathering in palm-like appendages. They reached out in an attempt to ensnare Ruri from all directions.

Ruri easily stepped on the tendrils, slicing through them with her weapon. However, the surface of the cocoon sprouted even more tendrils, which were denser and seemingly endless. Ruri was forced to retreat to avoid their assaults, causing her to frown.

"It's so perfect. Even the power of the Uchiha clan is powerless against the Zero Tail in this place. After absorbing your chakra, perhaps the Zero Tail can awaken in advance." Shinno taunted, his tone filled with scorn for the supposed might of Sharingan.

"The power of the Uchiha clan? When have I shown you the true power of the Uchiha?"

"It's no use being stubborn. I've already won this battle."

Ruri looked Shinno with a calm gaze, undisturbed by his words. However, she couldn't help but be a little angry by his unfounded sense of superiority.

"She must have dealt with the situation on her side. I need to solve this quickly. Dealing with this fellow requires removing the restrictions...."

Ruri pressed her forehead, showing the pained expression of someone having a headache.

Under Shinno's surprised gaze, Ruri hastily rolled up her sleeves, revealing her wrist and removed the chakra limiter, allowing the metal ring to fall to the ground. Ruri's control over her body's chakra reached an unimaginable level.

The cocoon of the Zero Tail trembled in fear upon sensing something. It realized that it could no longer absorb chakra from Ruri's body. The chakra within her, under her precise control, seemed to have condensed into an impenetrable, solid mass, it was difficult to absorb.

Red skeletal formations surrounded the glassed enclosure, and the atmosphere became oppressively heavy.

Shinno struggled to breathe, his eyes wide with fear. He stared at the red skeletal structure surrounding Ruri, rendered speechless, he had no idea of what Ruri intended to do or the jutsu she was about to use. However, he sensed the smell of death.

The red skeletal structure continued to evolve, extending its veins and flesh. It donned armor and powerful limbs, and one of the skeletal hands swirled the air, creating distorted, red energy. In its grip, a huge red sword materialized, emanating a regal aura.

"Don't think I'm going too much on you. You were the one to call the Uchiha's power weak. Allow me to show you what an Uchiha is truly capable of."

With her statement, Ruri controlled the red giant and raised the giant red sword. The mere act of raising it induced a profound sense of oppression, making resistance nearly impossible.

Shinno trembled, his lips quivering. He watched the colossal red sword hanging above his head with an expression bordering on despair, his thoughts disarrayed.

'Is this... god's power?.?..' He couldn't understand how a ninja could be so powerful.

"Are you kidding me? I am the god of the future. This must be a Sharingan genjutsy! Zero Tail, detroy her!!!"

Shinno shouted, attempting to regain his composure. However, he dared not take a step back and instead gave a fervent command to the Zero Tail.

The tremendous red sword suspended on air was undoubtedly beyond Shinno's ability to block. His only hope lay in Zero Tail's defense.

Yet, within the cocoon, the Zero Tail seemingly retreated further, burying its head deeply. It acted as though Ruri might not notice its presence and remained unresponsive to Shinno's shout.

"Why are you running, Zero Tail! Hurry and kill her! You are the invici—"

Shinno's words stopped his words abruptly, strangled by the grip of impending death.

Despair and death approached.

The enormous sword descended, generating a powerful shockwave that surged throughout the circular space. A deep sword mark cleaved the room, hurling debris and dust into the air.

The palace-like circular chamber, the room they occupied, was severed in two by the sword's swing. Meanwhile, Shinno's body met a similar fate, cleaved into two parts.

Ruri paid no mind to the remains of Shinno's body as she moved forward. The red giant moved in tandem with her, finally standing before the cocoon enveloping Zero Tail.

The Zero Tail trembled in fear inside the cocoon. The cold, merciless aura in the air nearly left it breathless, its entire being filled with dread at the might Ruri had shown at this moment.

Ruri retrieved a scroll from her pouch, releasing its content.

It revealed an orange-red, half-human-high pottery object. It was invaluable treasure, the Amber Purifying Pot, left behind by the Sage of the Six Paths. This legendary artifact possessed powerful sealing capabilities.

Ruri controlling the red giant, suspended the colossal red sword above the cocoon, opened the Amber Pot, and directed her attention to the Zero Tail inside cocoon.

"Will you be going in by yourself? or I'll have to force you? I will respect your choice."

The Zero Tail looked up at the immense red sword hovering above, then down at the ominous darkness within the Amber Pot—it felt danger instinctively.

It would, if possible, prefer neither option.

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