In the eyes of the 'Upper Moon' demons, the only true mortal enemies in the shinobi world were the red-cloud-cloaked members of the Akatsuki.
While there were strong shinobi among the other ninja of the world, most were merely seen as frail 'prey' by the demons.
Thus, upon realizing that its attackers were just a group of village shinobi, 'Upper Moon Five' regained its arrogance.
Having just clashed with Akatsuki members, it had lost a significant amount of chakra and flesh power. These village shinobi were the perfect opportunity to replenish its strength.
The snapping of the chains only briefly startled Tsunade. She quickly reacted, shouting, "Yakumo!"
In truth, Tsunade didn't even need to give the order.
The moment the chains broke, Yakumo clapped her hands together with a snap and shouted, "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Boom, boom, boom…
Instantly, countless vines sprouted from the ground, and the surrounding trees, already present, began to grow wildly, surging toward 'Upper Moon Five.'
The demon's massive, two-to-three-story-tall frame was nothing compared to the frenzied growth of vines and trees. Barely a blink after it roared, "You're all going to die," it was engulfed by the Wood Release.
Tsunade watched 'Upper Moon Five' struggling within the Wood Release, her expression grave.
The rest of the team remained on high alert.
Trapped in the Wood Release, 'Upper Moon Five' continued to thrash, snapping large swathes of trees with each struggle. If Yakumo hadn't been continuously channeling Wood Release chakra to sustain the vines and trees, the demon might have broken free.
"This is a true 'Upper Moon'?"
Shizune couldn't help but marvel.
Undoubtedly, compared to the demon in the small village earlier, 'Upper Moon Five' was on an entirely different level!
Gai said solemnly, "Thank goodness for Yakumo's Wood Release!"
"Indeed!"
Shibi Aburame agreed.
Tsunade turned to Shizune. "Are you ready?"
Holding the sealing scroll, Shizune replied, "Yes, I can activate it anytime!"
Tsunade nodded but didn't immediately give the order.
'Upper Moon Five's' ferocity had exceeded her expectations, so to be cautious, she decided to let Yakumo use Wood Release to wear it down further before Shizune sealed it.
For a long while, 'Upper Moon Five,' trapped in the Wood Release, showed no signs of slowing its resistance.
The team's expressions shifted from solemn to astonished, even Tsunade, a princess of the Senju clan, was no exception.
"This strength and stamina… unbelievable."
Gai clicked his tongue in amazement.
Though shocked by 'Upper Moon Five's' ferocity, it was clear to everyone that the demon, trapped in the Wood Release, was nearing its limit.
After a bit longer, 'Upper Moon Five's' struggles finally weakened.
Seeing this, Tsunade immediately ordered, "Yakumo, Shizune, prepare to act!"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
Both responded in unison.
Yakumo then manipulated her Wood Release to clear a space, while Shizune unfurled the sealing scroll and activated the sealing technique.
Whoosh…
The massive sealing scroll billowed open, flying to the center of the Wood Release and wrapping 'Upper Moon Five' layer by layer like a dumpling.
Drained of all chakra and much of its flesh power by Yakumo's Wood Release, 'Upper Moon Five' had no strength to resist Shizune's sealing technique. With a thud, it was sealed inside the scroll.
To ensure safety, Yakumo didn't immediately dispel her Wood Release, maintaining a ready stance.
Tsunade and Shizune cautiously approached the Wood Release, inspecting the sealing scroll inside. After confirming the seal was complete, Tsunade signaled to the team.
"Phew…"
Yakumo let out a breath, dispelling her Wood Release while wiping the sweat from her forehead.
Shizune rolled up the sealing scroll, her face beaming with joy. "We got lucky this time, capturing a true 'Upper Moon'!"
Tsunade remained calm, turning her gaze to the forest from which 'Upper Moon Five' had fled. She asked Shibi Aburame, "Who was chasing 'Upper Moon Five' just now?"
Shibi shook his head. "My parasitic insects arrived too late. They likely detected us and chose to retreat."
Gai said, "Only the five great shinobi villages or the Akatsuki could force 'Upper Moon Five' into such a desperate escape! Since they avoided us, could it be the Akatsuki?"
Tsunade frowned slightly.
Gai's analysis was the most likely scenario.
If another village had been pursuing 'Upper Moon Five,' there'd be no reason to flee upon encountering their team.
Only the Akatsuki, enemies of the five great villages, would act this way.
After a moment's thought, Tsunade abandoned the idea of investigating the forest and ordered, "Take the scroll. We're heading back!"
The team nodded, no one questioning her decision.
After all, whoever could drive 'Upper Moon Five' into such a state was undoubtedly strong. With their substantial gains, there was no need to take further risks.
The journey back to the village was smooth, with no incidents.
As the village came into view, Yakumo smiled and asked, "Teacher Tsunade, we captured 'Upper Moon Five' this time. Can the mission rank be upgraded?"
Tsunade, now relaxed, said, "Indeed. Capturing 'Upper Moon Five' means the entire team gets credit for an S-rank mission!"
"Awesome!"
Yakumo clenched her fist.
The others also looked pleased.
For jonin like Shizune, Gai, and Shibi Aburame, while they didn't lack S-rank mission records, an upgraded mission rank clearly came with benefits.
At the very least, the bonus for completing an S-rank mission was substantial.
Shinji, however, wore an odd expression.
His original plan was simply to use Tsunade's team's mission to discreetly deliver an 'Upper Moon' demon to Hidden Leaf for the research team's live testing of the aging potion. He hadn't thought much beyond that.
He hadn't expected to piggyback on another S-rank mission.
The next day.
"What!? Yakumo, you… you guys captured 'Upper Moon Five' yesterday?"
"A real 'Upper Moon' with the markings in its eyes?"
"Wow, so you completed another S-rank mission?"
When word spread that Yakumo's team, led by Tsunade, had successfully captured 'Upper Moon Five,' the shinobi academy erupted in excitement.
In the distance, Sasuke's face was dark with frustration.
He had faced 'Upper Moon Two,' let it escape, got injured, and temporarily lost the dojutsu power in his right eye. Meanwhile, Yakumo and Shinji had captured 'Upper Moon Five' with ease and earned an S-rank mission record. The comparison left him utterly dejected!