The Nara Clan Jonin raised his hand without hesitation and formed seals at high speed. Black shadows wrapped around the Xu in an instant, but the next moment the Nara Jonin shuddered violently.
"Puh!"
As if struck by a heavy force, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale White. His failure gave the Xu a chance to release Cero.
Buzz!
A dark red beam shot out at extreme speed and instantly erased several Ninja who failed to dodge, along with everything behind them. Nothing was left behind, not even ash.
The others managed to evade in time, but their faces changed as someone blurted out, "Those attacks are coming from these monsters!"
The bleeding Nara Jonin shouted urgently, "Their mental energy is too strong. Nara Clan and Yamanaka Clan must not act, and do not use Genjutsu on them!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened as he formed seals at once. He drew in a deep breath and expelled a dragon shaped mass of flames.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Technique!"
Boom!
Several slowly advancing Xu were engulfed by fire, and the force of Hiruzen Sarutobi's attack shook everyone's spirits. Yet in the twisted air and the stunned gazes of the onlookers, the black figures walked out of the flames completely unharmed.
"How is that possible?"
"Even Third Hokage's Ninjutsu can't hurt them?!"
"What do we do?"
"Ahh!"
As panic rose, several more Konoha Ninja were seized by Xu and had their souls pulled from their bodies, screaming in agony. Watching the spiritual forms dragged out, a Yamanaka Clan Ninja said hoarsely, "They are devouring souls."
The color drained from many faces as they thought of Kusagakure. That place was already nothing but a name, said to have been destroyed when its souls were eaten by so called Vengeful Spirit.
But how could that be?
Was that not a secret art of the Uzumaki Clan?
What were these Uchiha Clan beings with Sharingan supposed to be?
Had Konoha committed some unforgivable crime, that it would follow the same path as Kusagakure tonight?
"Stop them," Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely. "We cannot let Zetsu reach the underground shelters or crowded areas."
But how were they supposed to stop them?
Ninjutsu was ineffective. Genjutsu was ineffective.
A sharp look flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. He appeared instantly behind a Xu, formed seals, and slammed his palm onto its black body. "Evil Sealing Method!"
Complex sealing marks poured from his palm and spread across the Xu, interrupting its soul devouring process.
"Sealing Technique works!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's shout rang out over the chaos. "Sealing Technique teams, and anyone who knows Sealing Technique, act together. Everyone else support them!"
Reality was cruel. Those who could use Sealing Technique were rare to begin with, and even more so during a sudden nighttime attack. Aside from Hiruzen Sarutobi and a few Ninja from sealing units, most were helpless against these terrifying Xu monsters.
"Let me try!"
An Aburame Clan Jonin stepped forward, gritting his teeth. Swarms of insects poured from his sleeves as he attempted a binding insect technique. The insects barely approached before the cold aura around the creature eroded them, killing them in large numbers.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
"Earth Release: Earth Prison Dome!"
Two Konoha Ninja skilled in Earth Release formed seals, trying to trap the Xu in mud and earth. The earth prison had just formed when it was blasted apart by a Cero, turning several Ninja into a mist of blood. Only the mud from Headhunter Jutsu had any effect, and even that was quickly broken free.
"Shadow Secret Technique and Genjutsu are useless. Physical attacks are useless. Even Ninjutsu has little effect!"
Shikaku Nara's mind raced as cold sweat soaked his back. "Can we only rely on Sealing Technique to hold them back? But…"
The Xu that had been sealed earlier began to shed the complex marks. It opened its mouth again and gathered that red beam once more.
Even Sealing Technique could not last long?
What in the world were these things?
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still suppressing a Xu with the sealing method. Large drops of sweat mixed with rain rolled down his aged face. He could clearly feel the icy, penetrating cold eating into his arm.
His arm muscles trembled, and his fingers began to stiffen and go numb.
Sensing danger, several unrestrained Xu turned toward him. Their crimson Sharingan locked onto Hiruzen Sarutobi, who could not move while using Sealing Technique.
Click, click.
They opened their masked mouths wide, dark red energy gathering rapidly.
"Not good!"
"Stop them!"
"Protect Third Hokage!"
The Konoha Ninja abandoned their own targets and rushed over, using Ninjutsu to deflect the paths of the incoming Cero beams. Even so, one remained.
It hid farther back in the shadows, opening its mouth as dark red energy formed at high speed. Its target was Hiruzen Sarutobi's unguarded back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the deadly threat behind him. The cold presence almost made him break off the seal.
Then it happened.
Buzz!
A piercing sound ripped through the rainy night sky above them. A figure descended with fierce momentum, both hands gripping a blade, its tip pointed straight down.
Thud!
The blade drove into something tough, piercing the upper jaw of the Xu and burying itself deep into its mouth. The massive force pinned its head and body to the ground.
"Lord Yunchuan!"
The surrounding Konoha Ninja were briefly lifted in spirit, then shouted in alarm, "Be careful! Physical attacks don't work on it…"
Yunchuan Hyuga ignored the cries. His clear Byakugan eyes were fixed on the creature beneath him. The energy in its mouth scattered due to the piercing, and it struggled wildly to shake him off.
Yunchuan Hyuga tightened his grip and twisted his wrists sharply. Wind Release infused Chakra erupted along the blade like countless tiny cutting edges.
kacha! kacha! kacha!
Cracks spread across the bone mask on the Xu like a web of Lie lines. With a dull bang, the hard mask shattered into pale White fragments.
The black, faceless body swelled and twisted like an overfilled balloon. Then it exploded.
A cold blast of air burst outward, whipping Yunchuan Hyuga's wide sleeves into motion. Every warning died in the throats of the onlookers as they stared at him in stunned silence.
Yunchuan Hyuga had actually killed one of the monsters.
The entire process, from its appearance to its death, took only a blink of an eye.
[[Hiruzen Sarutobi]] felt a chill run across his back as the sense of lethal danger vanished at once. He spun around and saw [[Yunchuan Hyuga]] standing there. "[[Third Hokage]]."
[[Yunchuan Hyuga]] sheathed his blade and looked up at [[Hiruzen Sarutobi]], his voice low and steady as he spoke. "The weakness of these monsters is the mask. You must strike the mask with blades to kill them completely. Only swords and blades work. Other weapons will not."
As he spoke, the [[ANBU]] following behind [[Yunchuan Hyuga]] gathered around one after another. Casualties were heavy, yet they joined the fight without hesitation. Seeing this, [[Hiruzen Sarutobi]] narrowed his eyes and issued an order at once. "Use blades to attack their masks. Those without swords provide cover."
With the command given, and with the shocking sight of [[Yunchuan Hyuga]] killing a '[[Xu]]', the [[Konoha Ninja]] who had been slaughtered and helpless moments ago finally found their backbone. The fear in their eyes eased, replaced by a cold resolve.