284. Wrong Timing?

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"Mizukage-sama!" The guards called out in alarm. They knew using chakra would trigger an explosion, yet Yagura had recklessly transformed into his Tailed Beast form.

Only after seeing that he was unharmed did they breathe a sigh of relief. Their admiration deepened. "As expected of Mizukage-sama!"

"This is impossible…" Mercenary Squad had never seen their explosive parasites fail like this before. They were completely caught off guard.

"This is the power of a Jinchuriki?" The red-clad leader was surprised but remained composed. "No need to panic. The rest of them can't use jutsu, so it's still five against one!"

Zabuza barked at the guards, "How much longer are you planning to stand around?! Letting Mizukage-sama fight alone while we sit back is a disgrace!"

"Yes, Zabuza-sama!" Their squad leader commanded, "Spread out and prepare to assist! Even without chakra, we still have our blades!"

"Yes!" The guilt-ridden guards drew their swords with determination.

At that moment, Yagura, fully transformed into his Version 2 Tailed Beast state, charged straight at the red-clad leader.

The yellow-clad member dove into the green-clad member's shadow, while the blue-clad member gradually turned transparent, vanishing from sight.

Green-clad quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a Great Fireball Jutsu, hitting Yagura in midair.

"Did it work? That wasn't so impressive after all." He smirked.

"Mizukage-sama!" The guards gasped, amplifying the dramatic tension with their concern.

"As if it'd be that easy." The red-clad leader braced himself defensively.

Sure enough, Yagura emerged from the flames unscathed, slamming his palm straight into the red-clad leader's chest.

Anticipating the strike, the leader crossed his arms and infused them with chakra to absorb the impact.

The moment the attack landed, a massive force surged through him it felt less like a palm strike and more like being smashed by a gigantic hammer. He barely managed to use the momentum to retreat.

But then coral-like formations began spreading rapidly across his body.

"What the hell is this?!" He struggled, but the coral was incredibly sturdy, completely restricting his movements.

Coral Palm Yagura's unique binding jutsu. Even Itachi had a hard time dealing with it, and Naruto had to power through it in the past.

Yagura didn't stop. His tails swung behind him, forcing Green-clad back as he closed in on the immobilized red leader.

"Boss!" The purple-clad member rushed forward and unleashed a Waterfall Jutsu to block Yagura.

But… using Water Release against the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki?

That was a mistake.

Yagura cast his own Great Waterfall Jutsu, enhanced by Isobu's chakra. His attack was at least five times the size of the opposing jutsu.

The sheer difference was like comparing a household faucet to a fire hose.

Thus, this technique would henceforth be known as "Isobu's Waterfall."

The colossal water surge overwhelmed the enemy's Waterfall Jutsu and blasted Purple-clad away.

Just as Yagura was about to finish off the red leader, the blue-clad member reappeared and pulled him away using an Earth Release technique while the Purple-clad was helplessly swept away.

Yagura refused to let them regroup. He sprinted forward, determined to eliminate the enemy leader before they could remove the coral.

However, Yellow-clad suddenly emerged from Green-clad's shadow, then phased into Yagura's shadow and reappeared right behind him.

With a kunai in hand, he struck at Yagura's chest from below with all his might.

Thunk! The kunai made an impact.

But instead of piercing through, it merely bounced off.

In Yellow-clad's stunned gaze, his weapon had failed to penetrate the thin yet powerful Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak.

Three-Tails' chakra armour was not to be taken lightly.

Though unscathed, the sheer force of the impact sent Yagura skidding backwards. As he crouched down, he opened his mouth and began condensing a small Tailed Beast Bomb.

"If that thing hits, we're dead!" The red-clad leader broke out in a cold sweat.

At that moment, Blue-clad hardened his arms with Earth Release and continued hammering at the coral binding the leader.

Meanwhile, Yellow-clad reentered Green-clad's shadow, while Green-clad shot a fire pillar at Yagura in an attempt to interrupt the Tailed Beast Bomb.

Yagura ignored them and fired the attack.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Fortress!"

Blue-clad quickly erected an extra-thick earth wall, fearing it wouldn't be enough, so he also grabbed the still-weak red leader and bolted to the side.

The fire pillar struck Yagura.

The Tailed Beast Bomb struck the wall.

The impact sent Yagura flying backwards, but he swiftly flipped over.

As for the fortified wall—

BOOM!

The explosion blasted a gaping hole in it, sending shockwaves outward. The surrounding ground fractured, and large cracks spread in all directions.

Debris and rock fragments shot forward like shrapnel.

The red and blue members, still trying to escape, were caught in the explosion. Both were sent flying.

On the bright side, the remaining coral on the red leader was completely shattered.

On the downside, both of them were now injured.

The red-clad leader coughed up blood. "Damn, that stupid flytrap! Didn't it say we'd have backup?!"

Just as he finished speaking, Yagura's red chakra cloak suddenly dissipated.

At the same time, white, fibrous material began spreading over his body, wrapping around him entirely.

"Mizukage-sama!"

Zabuza, Mei, and the other guards tried to rush to his aid, but the same white substance was growing on them as well.

"What the hell is this?!" The guards struggled against the bindings.

Yagura looked down, seeing a familiar face emerging from the white mass. "Zetsu? A delayed activation jutsu… It can absorb chakra?"

The situation had suddenly flipped against them.

Seeing an opportunity, Green-clad charged forward, ready to capture Yagura.

In an instant, he closed the distance, preparing to strike—

But then Yagura smiled.

A size 42 foot landed squarely on Green-clad's face, sending him flying backwards even faster than he had rushed in.

At the same time, a Rasengan smashed into Yellow-clad just as he emerged from the shadows.

Yellow-clad was sent spinning through the air, eventually catching up to Green-clad mid-flight.

Yagura looked up—

And there stood Minato Namikaze.

Minato flashed a smile. "Looks like I arrived at a bad time?"

Yagura chuckled, relieved. "No… You arrived at just the right time."

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