Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

"One person blocked the Jinchūriki?"

Qingwu felt that he lacked powerful offensive methods, but the Konoha ninjas in the stronghold did not think so.

Some ninjas who had witnessed the terrifying fighting power of Jinchuriki could hardly believe what they were seeing. Could one person really hold down a Jinchuriki?

"As expected of the Shadow Guard..."

Kakashi attempted several more surprise attacks, but his current techniques were powerless against the terrifying tailed beast chakra.

He couldn't break through the defense with just "Molten Exile: Granite".

Seeing that the Dryad Guardian was able to block the Jinchuriki's attack, Kakashi's eyes burned even brighter—he believed that not choosing Pegasus was the right thing to do.

However, even he did not expect that Qingwu would have so many withered wood guards by now.

A full twenty, plus the four withered tree guards who weren't allocated to the four sides of the stronghold before...

"24?"

Kakashi was shocked... He hadn't realized that Qingwu had grown to this extent.

Having fought the Deadwood Guardian, he knew its combat strength best.

He couldn't even handle one withered tree guardian back then.

If it were twenty or so... Kakashi didn't dare to think about it, but he was certain that, as fellow Jonin, he had already fallen behind his teammates.

"Aaaaaahh ...

Old Purple, still in the encirclement, was unleashing its power. Another crimson tail extended from behind it, and it once again broke free from the roots of the withered tree guardian.

"Die!!"

After discovering that the Lava Release technique could burn through the withered tree guards but was unable to kill them, Old Purple changed his attack method.

"Bang bang bang bang—!!"

With his chakra cloak encasing his iron fist, Old Purple chose to confront the inner circle's withered wood guards head-on.

Qingwu was intently observing the condition of the withered tree guardians, constantly issuing commands.

Wood chips flew everywhere, and Lao Zi, transformed into a tailed beast, experienced a surge in attack power, forcing Qing Wu to recall one of his "weak" withered wood guards.

The fierce battle continued, and Qingwu gritted his teeth and persevered.

After confirming that his teammates Tenzo and Yugao were still alive, Kakashi anxiously looked eastward, "Hasn't Lord Shikaku arrived yet?"

Even he could no longer intervene in such a battle.

Faced with a Jinchuriki who has transformed into a Tailed Beast, the only thing they can rely on is the "Ino-Shika-Cho" fusion.

"Captain, take them and retreat first."

Qingwu took a moment to turn around and call out.

He knew that Rōshi was the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, and that he was only extending his tail at this moment, which was considered as borrowing the power of the Tailed Beast, since he was still in human form.

However, if Old Purple loses control, he will become a half-tailed beast, or even a complete tailed beast.

Even if he deploys all his withered wood guards, they will most likely be unable to withstand the attack.

At least the Tailed Beast Ball... If Mumu wasn't around, he had absolutely no confidence in defending against it.

Two more minutes of fighting passed.

Qingwu had retrieved four "weak" Deadwood Guardians, but Deadwood Guardians who rushed back from around the stronghold filled the gaps.

It was still 20 tough, high-health, high-defense withered tree guards besieging them.

Everyone else, including Kakashi, had already retreated far away.

The only sounds left on the battlefield were explosions, roars, and the collision of lava and dead wood.

"boom--!!"

Old Purple's chakra surged once again.

"not good!"

Qingwu was on high alert; if another tail appeared, it would probably be considered a half-tailed beast.

He knew that Rōshi was not a perfect Jinchūriki and could not perfectly control the power of the Tailed Beasts.

But the level of danger made no difference to him.

However, at that moment, Old Purple let out a "ho" sound, and his violent chakra decreased instead of increasing, as if it were falling back.

"what happened?"

Seeing that Lao Zi was once again bound by the roots of the withered tree guardian, Qingwu fell completely silent.

"??"

Qingwu dared not approach and gave the great elf the order to attack from a distance.

Just then, Lao Zi suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hehehe..."

"Hahaha……"

"I……"

"What am I even playing?"

"I……"

"What do I fight for?"

"I……"

Chapter 128 Xi Yan is Severely Injured

Qingwu cautiously watched Lao Zi laughing wildly and quietly stopped the great elf's ranged attack.

If he had a choice, he would rather face the lucid Old Purple.

If such a terrifying "nuclear weapon" as a Jinchūriki gets out of control, all people and things in the entire base will probably be reduced to ashes.

The old purple man, whose roots were entangled, stopped laughing and slowly raised his head to look at the boy.

The boy stood atop one of the withered wooden guardians, and despite possessing such terrifying power, he remained calm, quiet, and at ease.

At that moment, Lao Zi had a sudden realization.

"I……"

He murmured, "Why should I fight?"

"For the village that uses me as a weapon? For this bound body? For a war that was never mine?"

"Why, why..."

Qingwu's heart stirred, and she spoke softly:

"Strength should not be a shackle, much less a heavy burden. No one belongs to anyone else; everyone should belong to...themselves!"

“Belongs to…myself!” Old Zi was suddenly stunned.

He slowly lowered his head, and the Lava Release chakra on his body gradually cooled down like magma.

When he looked up again, the boy seemed to blend into the surrounding world, the trees, and the wind.

Not living for... anyone!?

It was strange; Lao Zi couldn't understand how such a temperament could appear in a boy whose voice was still so immature.

but……

That was a state he had never reached in his entire life.

—Freedom, a truly free spirit!

He suddenly laughed again.

A laugh filled with desolation, a laugh filled with liberation...

"I see……"

"So... I've never lived for myself... not even for a single day!"

He gazed at the distant, rolling mountains and forests, and the fierce aura emanating from him gradually dissipated.

Seeing the opportunity, Qingwu manipulated the withered tree guardian to retract the roots that had been entangled with Lao Zi.

despair!

Old Zi stepped on the ground.

"you……"

Old Zi looked at the boy, wanting to say something, but in the end said nothing.

He turned around, not glancing at the Konoha camp again, nor looking in the direction of Iwagakure.

"Tell Onoki!"

"I won't argue with him anymore!"

Old Purple's voice drifted away on the wind; he knew that there were Iwa ninja waiting outside the base to cooperate with his operation.

As if using all his strength, he shouted:

"Old Zi—I'm never going back!"

"I will not become a jinchūriki, a weapon, or... a ninja!"

"From now on, I, Lao Zi, am just a wandering ascetic monk."

The hem of his purple robe fluttered in the wind, like a monk's robe.

The sound faded away.

He walked slowly, disappearing into the night...

……