Naruto: Uchiha Survivor Forced to Save the Shinobi World-Chapter 360: Looking Up in Awe

The soft whisper of "Do as you please" in her ear was like a key, unlocking the restraints Karin had placed on herself.

Whoosh.

She exhaled lightly.

After over a month of caution, a month of seclusion, at this moment, she could finally let loose a little.

"Leader must be watching me from somewhere. I... can't let him down!"

With that thought, she slowly closed her Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Outside the battlefield.

Yakumo was inwardly frantic: "What's going on? Why isn't he escaping?"

With Tsunade right beside her, under everyone's watchful eyes, she couldn't openly hold back. So, she had no choice but to diligently channel her Wood Release and press the attack.

But to her surprise, before she even used her full strength, her comrade's 'Susanoo' was already showing signs of faltering.

This threw her into a panic!

"Should I... engage in taijutsu and fight up close to create an opening for him to escape? But does he even know I'm 'D'? If he doesn't, could this backfire?"

Yakumo pondered while scanning her surroundings.

She noticed Tsunade wasn't idle. While Yakumo used Wood Release to suppress 'B's' Susanoo, Tsunade was directing others to set up a barrier around the area.

Yakumo was startled: "Why set up a barrier? Is Lady Tsunade guarding against me?"

Her guess was correct.

Knowing the Akatsuki had a member, 'D,' capable of using something akin to the 'Spirit Transformation Technique,' Tsunade couldn't afford to be unprepared.

Swish, swish, swish.

Asuma, Gai, Kurenai, and other elite jonin arrived at the scene.

Kakashi asked, "Is the village secure?"

Asuma grinned: "Don't worry, the old man's personally holding down the fort. There won't be any issues!"

Kurenai asked, "What's the situation here?"

Kakashi replied, "The opponent is likely Akatsuki's 'B,' but Yakumo's Wood Release has them pinned down!"

Asuma said, "That's good. We might finally capture one of their members!"

Kakashi shook his head: "We can't let our guard down. Something feels off about this guy. It's like he never planned to escape from the start!"

Kurenai pointed out, "Look around. No matter how strong he is, he's not getting away this time!"

As time passed, follow-up units like the reconnaissance team, intelligence team, medical team, and other support squads arrived and took their positions.

A barrier to detect and block spiritual entities was erected, turning the entire forest into an impregnable fortress!

Seeing this, the last of Kakashi's doubts faded.

As Kurenai said, in this situation, no matter how powerful Akatsuki's 'B' was, escape was impossible!

Just as everyone optimistically believed the situation was under control, a change erupted in the battlefield.

Karin, beneath her 'Susanoo,' slowly opened her eyes. The eerie glow of her Sharingan seemed to pierce through her mask.

Then, the 'Susanoo,' previously immobilized by Wood Release, began to swell.

Its bones rapidly expanded, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed from a mere ribcage into a half-body skeletal form, its size growing several times larger!

As 'Susanoo' ballooned, the vines binding it were either torn free or snapped entirely.

The crack, crack, crack of breaking vines echoed incessantly!

Tsunade's expression darkened: "Yakumo, stay sharp!"

Sasuke shouted, "Yakumo, be careful! They've amplified their ocular power. This is the true 'Susanoo' of our Uchiha clan!"

Yakumo's heart tightened. She knew, of course, that the earlier ribcage form wasn't a proper 'Susanoo.'

"Roar!"

Before the Hidden Leaf forces could regroup, the half-body skeletal 'Susanoo' let out a furious bellow.

With that roar, its form shifted again.

Muscle fibers rapidly filled in, covering the skeletal frame, fleshing out the 'Susanoo.' Then, the red phantom emanating from Karin morphed into a suit of armor, draping over the 'Susanoo'!

Boom!

The half-body armored 'Susanoo' swung its arms fiercely, instantly flattening a vast swath of the tree sea around it.

The massive cloud of dust, carried by a shockwave, swept across the surroundings!

"Fall back, now!"

"Everyone, watch out!"

"Use ninjutsu!"

The outer perimeter descended into chaos.

Some shinobi retreated swiftly, others hid behind trees, and some formed hand signs to cast Earth Release, shielding themselves.

Yakumo quickly interlocked her fingers, gripping tightly: "Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"

Thud, thud, thud!

Thick wooden pillars sprouted from the ground, forming a massive shield in front of her, protecting her, Tsunade, Shizune, and others nearby.

Tsunade said calmly, "They're getting desperate. Stay focused!"

Yakumo, weighed down by her thoughts, nodded.

Tsunade, assuming Yakumo was worried about the enemy's strength, reassured her: "Don't worry. Even for a Mangekyo Uchiha, maintaining 'Susanoo' is extremely taxing on ocular power. They won't last long!"

Shizune added, "Exactly! Yakumo's transplanted First Hokage cells give her an edge. If they try to outlast her, they're playing to her strengths!"

They weren't the only ones with this mindset.

Hidden behind an Earth Release wall, the Stone Village team leader instructed Kurotsuchi: "Sustaining a dojutsu of this scale can't last long. If we weather this round, they're finished!"

Terumi Mei, crouched behind a rock, explained to Chojuro and Suigetsu: "This is likely their final counterattack. The more desperate they get, the more cautious we need to be. But don't worry too much—stay calm. In this situation, we just need to hold out, and victory is ours!"

Sasuke, braving the dust and storm, gazed obsessively at the awe-inspiring 'Susanoo' in the distance: "As expected, only awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan can stand up to Yakumo's Wood Release!"

Soon.

The half-body armored 'Susanoo' in the battlefield's center came to a halt.

Just as everyone thought Akatsuki's 'B' had exhausted their strength, the 'Susanoo' surged again, its body suddenly stretching upward, sprouting legs!

As the 'Susanoo' grew taller and larger, dwarfing the entire forest into a mere patch of grass, everyone—whether from Hidden Leaf or the other shinobi villages—craned their necks, eyes wide, faces blank with shock.

"Su-Susanoo can get this big?!"

A Hidden Leaf shinobi muttered, unaware that the kunai in their hand had fallen to the ground.