Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Seeing Yugito Nii defeated, Uchiha Taiga stepped out from the chest of the Susanoo, and the bright yellow half-body giant began to dissipate.

The Kumogakure ninjas, whose expressions had long since changed, knew they couldn't just watch any longer. If their Jinchuriki was captured and taken away, the consequences would be unbearable for them.

The surviving Kumogakure ninjas, regardless of their injuries or remaining chakra, all lunged at Uchiha Taiga from different directions.

Some rushed straight for Yugito Nii, wanting to rescue her before she could be taken away.

More of them charged at Uchiha Taiga, attempting to draw him away and create an opening for their comrades to save her.

They could see it now: with their abilities, defeating this young man was highly unlikely, and even stalling for time would be difficult.

Their original mission had been to bring this Uchiha genius with a special Kekkei Genkai back to Kumogakure, but it was now clear that this task was impossible to complete.

Now, they only hoped to safely extract their Jinchuriki; nothing else mattered.

Uchiha Taiga didn't even look at them.

He stood beside Yugito Nii, his back to the charging Kumogakure ninjas, acting as if he hadn't noticed their presence at all.

His posture was completely relaxed, shoulders slightly slumped, and he didn't even turn his head.

The three people at the very front had already reached his back.

All three gripped ninja swords, the blades coated in Lightning Style chakra that crackled with electricity.

They struck simultaneously. Three swords slashed down from three different angles, completely sealing off any room for Uchiha Taiga to dodge.

The blades tore through the air, emitting a sharp, whistling shriek.

Uchiha Taiga moved. Without even looking back, he spun in place, his ninja sword already drawn before anyone could blink.

The blade was pitch-black, absorbing the sunlight without a single reflection, resembling a dark serpent.

The sword carved an arc through the air, parrying the three incoming blades simultaneously. Three crisp clangs rang out in unison as sparks flew in all directions.

The wrists of the three Kumogakure ninjas jolted, nearly dropping their weapons.

Before they could even react, Uchiha Taiga had already pulled his sword back.

Not back into its sheath, but to his side, before swinging it out once more—this time, as a counterattack.

The black blade traced an arc through the air, as fast as lightning.

A thin red line appeared simultaneously across the necks of the three Kumogakure ninjas.

Their eyes widened and their mouths opened to speak, but no sound came out.

The three bodies collapsed in unison, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

More enemies surged forward.

Someone charged from the front, hands already finishing their hand signs, firing several bolts of lightning straight at Uchiha Taiga's face.

Others flanked him from the sides, thrusting kunai toward his waist.

Someone leaped from behind, bringing a sword down toward his head.

Still others circled around to Yugito Nii, bending down and reaching out to carry her away.

Uchiha Taiga's body weaved through the barrage of attacks, moving forward with absolute ease.

He now held a ninja sword in each hand.

In his left hand was the black blade, moving at extreme speeds. He darted through the crowd like a bolt of lightning streaking across the battlefield.

Every time he appeared, a flash of steel followed.

Every time the steel flashed, a Kumogakure ninja fell.

Some had their throats slit, some had their hearts pierced, and others had their arms severed...

In just a few breaths, the charging Kumogakure ninjas were decimated.

Corpses lay haphazardly across the grass, blood staining the soil red, and the thick stench of iron filled the air.

Only three people were left standing.

Those three stood beside Yugito Nii, having just hoisted her up from the ground.

Their hands were trembling, but they gritted their teeth, supporting Yugito Nii between them as they prepared to retreat.

Uchiha Taiga stopped his movements and looked at the trio.

Not a single drop of blood had stained him. His clothes were perfectly clean, his breathing was steady, and he hadn't even broken a sweat.

He tilted his head and let out a light chuckle.

"Put her down."

His voice wasn't loud, but the three heard it loud and clear.

Their footsteps faltered for a moment, but they didn't stop. Instead, they quickened their pace.

Uchiha Taiga sighed.

In the next second, he materialized right in front of them.

The three stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes widened, pupils shrinking as the expressions on their faces shifted from fear to utter despair.

They knew that with their abilities, escaping from this young man was absolutely impossible.

Exchanging a glance, the three of them simultaneously let go, placing Yugito Nii back on the ground.

Then, they drew the swords from their waists and charged at Uchiha Taiga.

It was a suicidal charge.

Lying on the ground, Yugito Nii watched their retreating backs and closed her eyes.

Her heart was filled with despair.

By now, how could she not see just how powerful Uchiha Taiga was?

In the battle just now, the gap between them was like that of a toddler and an adult—there was simply no comparison.

The Tailed Beast power she was so proud of was nothing but a joke in front of him.

Her Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, her sharp claws, and her speed—he had neutralized it all using only one hand.

Now, these last three men were likely not going to survive either.

The thought that she would have no future after this inevitably filled her with despair.

As a Jinchuriki, she understood her situation better than anyone.

Being captured meant losing her freedom; it meant having her Tailed Beast extracted.

And having a Tailed Beast extracted meant death.

She wasn't afraid of dying, but she didn't want to die in a place like this, dying so meaninglessly.

She kept her eyes closed, waiting for the screams of the three men to ring out.

But after waiting for several seconds, she heard nothing.

She opened her eyes.

The three men were standing in front of her, their bodies stiff and their faces contorted, as if they had been frozen in place by something.

Their eyes were still open, eyeballs darting around in their sockets, and their mouths were agape, trying to speak but unable to make a sound.

And at their feet, their shadows were stretched out long.

The shadows of the three men were linked together, and then connected to another shadow... Uchiha Taiga's shadow.

Uchiha Taiga stood in front of the three men, maintaining a hand sign with one hand. He tilted his head slightly, looking at his own shadow, and then at the shadows of the three men.

"It should be something like this, right?"

His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, as if he were confirming something.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu."

He had seen ninjas from the Nara clan use this jutsu before—more than once, in fact—and had even experienced it himself.

Although he had never learned it, with his understanding and control of chakra, imitating a secret jutsu wasn't a difficult task.

Of course, the Shadow Possession Jutsu he imitated might have some differences in the details compared to the Nara clan's original version, but the effect was roughly the same: using shadows as a medium to control the opponent.

The eyes of the three men widened even further, their pupils filled with terror.

Lying on the ground, Yugito Nii watched this scene, feeling a renewed sense of shock.

Shadow Possession Jutsu?

That was a secret jutsu of Konoha's Nara clan, never taught to outsiders.

How did this young man know it?

Uchiha Taiga released his hand sign.

The bodies of the three men remained stiff; the effect of the Shadow Possession Jutsu was still active.

He walked up to the three men, passed right between them, and approached Yugito Nii.

"I'm in a good mood right now."

With his back to the three men, his voice was casual.

"So I won't kill you three."

Saying this, he bent down, slipping one arm behind Yugito Nii's waist and the other under the crook of her knees, lifting her entirely into his arms.

The eyes of the three men bulged even wider, their mouths opening and closing, yet unable to produce a single sound.

"Go back and tell your Raikage."

Uchiha Taiga turned his head and looked at the three men.

"I'm taking this Jinchuriki. Tell him to come find me if he has the guts."

With that said, he paid the three men no more mind. Carrying Yugito Nii, he turned around and walked toward the town.

Held horizontally in his arms, Yugito Nii's body stiffened, the expression on her face shifting from despair to humiliated fury.

Her face flushed a deep crimson. She wanted to struggle, but with the chakra in her body sealed, she didn't have a single ounce of strength left.

She could only lie in his arms, looking up at his jawline, his profile, and that half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Uchiha Taiga took a few steps and suddenly stopped.

He lifted his hand, looked at it, then glanced down at a certain spot on Yugito Nii, and let out a dry cough.

"Sorry, sorry."

His tone carried a hint of awkwardness.

"First time doing this, not quite used to it."

Yugito Nii's face turned even redder.

She turned her head away and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at him.

Uchiha Taiga continued walking, his pace neither fast nor slow, no different from a leisurely stroll.

But in his mind, he was thinking... *I have to admit, the girls in the ninja world are truly amazing.*