The Frenzied Silver Horn

Fumori Masaki first witnessed the violent transformation of the tailed beast form. The crimson chakra completely eroded Silver Horn's skin, leaving his eyes as hollow white cavities, emitting an eerie light. Although it seemed like he couldn't see anything, Masaki felt a piercing gaze fixed on him.

Without looking back, Masaki dashed forward with such speed that he became a mere afterimage to the average eye. Yet, the Silver Horn was even faster.

Sensing the wind whistling from behind, Masaki abruptly halted his forward run and turned around, swinging his blade. With a thunderous impact, he was swatted away by Silver Horn as if he were an insect.

But this was exactly what Masaki intended. He never planned to fight Silver Horn in his current state. Engaging in battle would only prolong his stay, and he knew he stood no chance of victory against the transformed Silver Horn. Instead, Masaki leveraged Silver Horn's immense strength to propel himself further away.

Masaki soared through the air, aligning himself with the escape route he had planned. He could sense the location of his comrades, and the direction he was flung was precisely toward them.

As Masaki neared a warehouse, he used the surrounding natural forces to stabilize himself, twisting his body midair and slicing through the warehouse, creating an opening to fly through. He continued by cutting a gap in the wall obstructing his path, ensuring his rapid escape.

Inside, Senju Tōka and the others heard a tremendous crash. Moments later, they saw Masaki flying out of the warehouse, clutching a blond girl. He gradually slowed down before landing on the ground, skidding and leaving deep marks as he came to a stop.

"Masaki, what's happening?" Tōka asked, sensing the gravity of the situation.

"Run! There's no point in staying. That guy has unleashed the Nine-Tails' chakra—he's a monster now. We need to leave, now!" Masaki gasped, barely catching his breath as he shouted.

"Haha! You're not going anywhere. Ginkaku-sama is a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths! He and Kinkaku-sama  obtained the Nine-Tails' chakra! You can't escape!" A dying Kumo ninja laughed maniacally. He was a fervent admirer of the Golden and Silver Horn brothers. Even in his final moments, he believed in Silver Horn's vengeance.

Among the captured Kumo ninjas in Konoha, rumors of the Golden and Silver Horns consuming the flesh and blood of the Nine-Tails had circulated, giving them the Nine-Tails' chakra. The story was so unbelievable that it was often doubted. But now, seeing the crimson figure, Senju Tōka realized the intelligence was true. Without hesitation, she ordered, "Retreat!"

As they prepared to leave, a crimson hand, formed from the tailed beast's chakra, shot out from the other side, effortlessly tearing through the warehouse and camp. It demolished everything in its path, leaving only a crimson figure standing ominously.

"Fumori…" the crimson monster growled.

"He's targeting me." Masaki gave a wry smile, then handed Sora over to Inuzuka Shigeru, placing her on his ninja dog's back. "Take her and go. If she resists, knock her out and have Kei seal her. She's a key figure in Kumo's chakra point system—I'll deal with him. You all go."

Inuzuka Shigeru quickly subdued the struggling Sora. He didn't argue about staying to help Masaki. The oppressive aura of the monster was overwhelming, and they knew they were outmatched. At Masaki's speed, he might have a chance against Silver Horn. Staying behind would only result in their deaths, leaving the mission incomplete.

"Remember, focus on the mission," Shigeru said, acknowledging the importance of their task. He left with the others, but one person stayed behind.

Silver Horn suddenly attacked, sending six chakra tails toward Masaki. Concentrating, Masaki leaped and struck one of the chakra tails with his blade. Although he severed it, the force of the impact sent him flying back.

Masaki wasn't surprised; he knew this would happen. The chakra coat in Silver Horn's second tailed beast form was nearly impenetrable, even to the world's strongest blades like the Kusanagi. Even with the wind chakra infused into his sword, it was impossible to break through.

Using the rebound, Masaki twisted his body and struck another chakra tails. Repeating this maneuver several times, he managed to deflect all six chakra tails, breaking free from their encirclement within a single breath.

Masaki exhaled in relief. Though unharmed, the repeated impacts had numbed his body. Thankfully, in Sage Mode, this discomfort quickly faded.

"Why are you still here?" Masaki asked, watching the crimson figure in the distance. Silver Horn hadn't moved, only attacking with chakra tails, giving Masaki time to speak with the person who had stayed behind.

"I promised Rimi I'd bring you back safely," Senju Tōka replied, forming hand seals. "Besides, I'm the team captain. If anyone should stay, it's me. How could I let a team member do so?"

"Well, I'm a disciple of the Second Hokage, so I'm more qualified to stay. Those with the strength should ensure others retreat safely," Masaki replied, dodging another attack as Silver Horn's chakra tails continued their rampage, destroying the remaining camps and warehouses.

"Oh? You think you're stronger than me? Don't get cocky, kid," Tōka retorted, casting a genjutsu on Silver Horn. "The power of the tailed beast is formidable, but it's still susceptible to my genjutsu."

Masaki genuinely admired Tōka's genjutsu abilities. The principle behind genjutsu was to disrupt the opponent's chakra. Disrupting a tailed beast's chakra was no easy feat. While Uchiha Madara could control the Nine-Tails with his Sharingan, Masaki believed it was due to the inherent power of the Sharingan, which had a natural suppression effect on tailed beasts.

However, using such a powerful genjutsu required a significant amount of chakra. Even for someone from the Senju clan, maintaining it would be exhausting. Masaki knew he couldn't hold off Silver Horn for long, so he needed to find an opportunity to escape.

Watching Silver Horn wreak havoc, Masaki realized he might not need to create an opportunity—the Silver Horn's destructive rage could present one soon enough.

---------------------------

After using Dust Release and melting the city wall, Ōnoki floated outside, using the Earth Release: Ultra-Lightweight Rock Technique to reduce his weight and soar in the sky. This was a secret technique passed down from his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, which Ōnoki had mastered.

From his vantage point, Ōnoki watched the food stockpile engulfed in flames. The Konoha ninjas had moved quickly, and though he hadn't joined them in the attack, he wasn't idle. His duty was to intercept any potential pursuers and eliminate them with Dust Release.

Dust Release was most effective against large groups of enemies. His teacher had once wiped out an army of over a thousand samurai in a single blow, shocking the entire land. However, while Dust Release was powerful, it was not easy to use. Combining three chakra natures was an arduous task, so its release was slow. Thus, Ōnoki stayed outside, avoiding the complex internal environment where the fast-moving Kumo ninjas might not give him the time to prepare his technique.

Suddenly, Ōnoki sensed a powerful chakra erupting from within the food stockpile. Through the flames, he could barely make out a dark red figure moving inside, startling him.

"What is that?" Ōnoki hesitated to approach. It could be that something had gone wrong with the Konoha ninjas, but if not, charging in blindly could be disastrous. As he deliberated, Inuzuka Shigeru and Sarutobi Konosuke emerged from the stockpile.

Simultaneously, Hyūga Kei, Yamanaka Takuma, andSenju Risa appeared to meet them. Ōnoki descended from the sky, surprised to see a blonde girl on the back of Shigeru's ninja dog, but even more concerned about something else. "Where are your captain and Fumori Masaki?"

"They're in trouble. The Silver Horn has the Nine-Tails' chakra!" Sarutobi Konosuke exclaimed in shock.

"Nine-Tails' chakra?" Ōnoki was taken aback. Iwakagure hadn't been involved in the war for long, so he was unaware of this development. Masaki and the others hadn't mentioned encountering Silver Horn either.

"Yes, it's true. That chakra is terrifying," Hyūga Kei said solemnly.

"What should we do? Should we retreat, or find a way to help Tōka-sama and Fumori-san?" Senju Risa asked worriedly. Senju Tōka was a key figure in the Senju clan, and Fumori Masaki was the Second Hokage's disciple—both were invaluable and couldn't be left behind.

Hyūga Kei had already activated his Byakugan to survey the situation. His expression was tense at first, but gradually, he relaxed. "Don't worry. We'll wait here. Tōka-sama and Masaki will return."