A/N: Finally, chapter 10. I'd like to apologize for posting well beyond my intended promise. But some things needed my attention more than the chapter, so in the end, I had to set this aside for a while and focus on work stuff. Now, before I get into the story, I will address a few comments that got my interest.

George Cristian810: Thank you for pointing that out. I, too, had some misgivings about how I presented the whole concept of chakra. I did try to factor in the versatility of chakra, but I really do appreciate that you reminded me of that. Now the way I went with it was something similar to a chemical reaction. You take two completely reactive substances and combine them at a molecular level, thus making a new substance that is vastly different from the components. This is how I envisioned chakra within this fictional universe, a mixture of two primordial energies that when combined at a fundamental level would create something that although not as destructive as the spiritual energy and ki, is more applicable in more delicate situations because of its versatility. I would like to hear more of your opinion about how we can explain chakra. Please continue to leave comments down in the review section. Your input is always welcome.

marquis,shax: I did consider that also. While it's true that a perfect jinchuriki has immunity to most genjutsu, that doesn't mean that they are immune to one cast by an Uchiha. If we follow the lore, only the Uchiha's Sharingan, the Senju's Wood Style, and the Uzumaki's Adamantium Chains are the only means to subdue a tailed beast. While Yagura is a perfect jinchuriki, he will still be susceptible to the Sharingan. That said, for the genjutsu to take effect, it must be cast repeatedly to completely overpower the jinchuriki's mental barriers.

Anyways, I hope that the fight will get good reception despite the hassle I had to deal with this past week. This fight will be more detailed than the previous ones. So, without further adieu, enjoy!

Chapter 10: Assault Pt. 2 – Goddess vs. Beast

Plans don't always go accordingly…especially if it concerns war. There are too many variables to consider that coming up with something coherent is a feat in itself. Just as the saying goes:

Make a plan. Execute the plan. Watch the plan to go off the rails. Throw away the plan.

The assault was on the Hidden Mist was no exception to this. Even if the scenario were planned out to the smallest detail, one way or another someone or something will eventually mess that up.

Yoruichi knew this and taking another round to monitor the key structures to be blown up was the right decision since she found some enemy ninjas sabotaging the planted explosives. The problem was easy to handle even if the ones she fought were Yagura's elite. Still, the moment she saw columns of water and lava and felt a sudden spike in tailed beast chakra, the former captain quickly deduced that Mei and Zabuza were fighting the human container. This wasn't part of the plan because she was supposed to face-off against the Mizukage. The appearance of floating ice shards and an ice dome proved her point that indeed, Yagura was being triple-teamed with Haku currently laying an impressive beatdown. She quickly rushed to the scene of the battle and arrived to see the Three-tails container preparing for a massive jūtsu that would surely kill whoever was the unfortunate target. Casting a powerful barrier kidō, Yoruichi managed to stop Yagura's attack.

"And who are you?" the irate Mizukage asked with displeasure.

"The name's Yoruichi Shihōin. Nice to meet ya'," she casually replied.

"Where the hell were you!?" Mei yelled in anger. "You were supposed to fight him!"

"I had to deal with a couple of strays that were messing with the charges we planted," the female soul reaper answered. "Besides, shooting out a pillar of lava wasn't exactly the best idea anyway."

Mei shut her mouth after realizing that she led Yagura to herself in the first place. Yoruichi's form disappeared from the air she was standing on and reappeared beside the three injured rebels. The speed that she demonstrated both startled and amazed Mei since she has never seen anyone move that fast, except for the Yellow Flash and Unruly A. "So fast," was all she could think of.

"How bad are their injuries?" the Shihōin heiress asked.

"We could be worse," the redhead joked.

"Can you walk?"

"I think I can. Why?"

The soul reaper grabbed onto the unconscious master and apprentice then looked to the Lava Style user "Hold on to me and hold on tight."

Mei was about to ask why when suddenly everything shifted and felt a rush of air blow past at godlike speeds. When they stopped, she found herself far away from their pursuer. The instantaneous travel caused her to feel nauseous and eventually, she covered her mouth to stop whatever was inside from coming out. "What just happened?" she asked after regaining her composure.

"Flash Step. I simply took you and those two to someplace safe because what'll happen next is something three injured people shouldn't be near at." Standing up, the Flash goddess was about to leave before Mei asked her one last time.

"Can you take him on? He's already using the Three-tails' power."

Looking at the injured woman, Yoruichi simply let out a malicious grin before saying with a hint of mischief in her voice, "This is the kind of fight I've been waiting for," she paused as her grin grew wider, "…for nearly a century." Leaving that ambiguous statement, she then Flash stepped back to Yagura.

Reappearing in front of an enraged Yagura, Yoruichi took a good look at the human vessel. She noticed that the earlier damage dealt by the three was completely healed and that his stamina has gone back to normal. This was all thanks to the creature sealed within him. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Lord Mizukage," she greeted with a teasing tone.

"Like I give a damn if you're honored for meeting me," the Mizukage said in annoyance. He then observed the appearance of his new adversary. "Where did you come from? From the color of your skin, I assume you came from the Hidden Cloud."

"Okay, that's just racist," Yoruichi quipped. "I came from somewhere far away. Let's just leave it at that."

"Still, it won't matter who you are or where you come from. This rebellion will end, and the village will be strong once again."

"Was it really necessary?" the soul reaper inquired while spreading her arms apart, "…for this?"

"What do you care?" Yagura spat. "You have no stake in this fight. You have nothing to lose in this war. So why are you involved anyway?"

"To save and protect someone," the Shihōin answered.

Curious, Yagura asked, "Oh! Who might this person be?"

The woman slowly lifted her hand forward, a finger pointing at the Mizukage. "You."

Raising an eyebrow, the jinchūriki tightened his grip on his staff. "Interesting. Mind if I ask why you're protecting me?"

"There is a group of people after you…or better yet, what's inside you."

"Should I be afraid?" the Mizukage asked jokingly. "Even if there were more of them, it still wouldn't be enough."

Yoruichi grinned at the jinchūriki's declaration. "I'm afraid you're underestimating these people. Even if you have full control of the Three-tails, a group of S-class rogue ninja is still too much for you."

"Enough talk," Yagura exclaimed. "I'll deal with that problem later. Right now, I'll get rid of you and destroy this pointless rebellion." The Mizukage dropped to a fighting stance, the hook of his staff pointing towards the woman.

"Can we discuss this peacefully?"

"The moment you sided with those traitors meant that you will be shown no mercy."

"I was hoping it won't come to this," the soul reaper muttered before dropping to an unknown fighting stance.

They both watched each other, observing the adversary for the slightest flicker of movement. Yoruichi knew that she can defeat Yagura even at full power if she unleashes one of her stronger techniques. Still, the soul reaper heiress will hold back for now to gauge the demon vessel's strength. Yagura, on the other hand, was cautious around this mysterious enemy. She was an unknown factor in this civil war and her presence greatly disturbs him. The moment she saw her standing on thin air gave him the indication that whoever this woman is, she has abilities that are unseen in any shinobi. Her dropping into an unfamiliar stance of combat also proves that this woman, this Yoruichi Shihōin, is a threat.

Deciding to make the first move, Yagura channeled tailed beast chakra into his legs and pounced onto the woman. He drew his staff over his head for a massive swing. Yoruichi quickly Flash Stepped away from the attack before it could connect. The ground it hit was shattered, leaving a decent-sized crater in its wake. Sensing something approaching fast, Yagura adjusted his staff to his right side just as a fist came into contact with his weapon. The force of the impact was shuddering, causing him to get pushed back five feet from where he was standing. Yoruichi, however, wasn't done as she continued to press the attack with a sidekick. The human vessel managed to dodge the incoming attack and land not far from his enemy.

"Water Style: Water Bullet Jūtsu!" Yagura yelled as he spits out a series of water bullets in rapid succession.

Seeing this, Yoruichi evaded the incoming projectiles and launched her attack. "Destructive Spell #4: Pale Lightning!" Pointing her fingers forward, a stream of electricity launched towards the jinchūriki.

The Mizukage held out his staff and created a reflective mirror to deflect the incoming attack. Unfortunately, the defense wasn't enough as the mirror was shattered upon contact. Luckily, he was able to move away in time. "What the hell!?" he questioned mentally. "That attack didn't use hand signs. 'Destructive Spell'? Whatever that is, my deflection mirrors can't handle it." That train of thought was disturbed when he saw the woman onto him with an ax kick. Yagura raised his staff perpendicularly and blocked the incoming attack. The downward force was so strong that the ground he was standing on buckled under, creating a mini crater. Using his staff, he pushed the attacking woman away and weaved a few hand signs before unleashing an offensive jūtsu. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jūtsu!"

Yoruichi answered the attack with a Kidō spell. "Destructive Spell #32: Yellow Fire Flash!" A stream of yellow fire-like energy blasted from the soul reaper's outstretched hand, meeting the incoming water dragon head-on. The two attacks collided, leaving a mass of steam in its wake.

Yagura landed on the ground panting. His mind was racing for explanations as to what these attacks this mysterious woman are conjuring. They were strange, to say the least. They didn't require hand signs and the power behind them was equivalent to that of high-level jūtsus. But the most intriguing thing behind it was that these "spells" contain no chakra. Instead, he sensed another form of energy; something more potent and in his opinion…primordial. "What are those attacks you were using?" he asked the woman, hoping to get something out of her. "They weren't jūtsus since you don't use hand signs. And the energy powering them, it's not chakra, is it?"

"Perceptive," Yoruichi remarked. "You are correct. They aren't jūtsus. They are called Kidō or Way of the Spirit. Instead of hand signs, we practitioners of the art recite incantations to perform these spells."

"But I never heard you recite any incantations…just the name of the spells!"

"That's because we can forego the incantations. The downside to this though is that the spell usually becomes unstable."

"Then how come you can perform them so easily without the incantations?"

"Simply put, I'm an expert, and it was part of my previous job to learn all that stuff. Though I must admit, I'm nowhere near as good as my two friends."

Yagura was trying to comprehend the information this Yoruichi had so willingly given him. This "Kidō" functions in a way similar to jūtsus, albeit slightly differently. That he can fully understand. There was one thing that was bothering him though, the energy behind these spells isn't chakra and he still doesn't have a name for it. "What is the energy powering Kidō?"

"Spiritual energy," Yoruichi replied.

The Mizukage's eyes widened when he heard the answer. From early on in his shinobi career, he was taught that chakra was comprised of mental and physical energies. He had long suspected that the mental aspect of chakra had a spiritual nature, but to harness solely the spiritual aspect was unheard of. "That's impossible!" Yagura muttered in shock.

"It's not," Yoruichi replied calmly before giving the stunned jinchūriki a wild grin before saying, "Let me show what a master of using spiritual energy can do."

Suddenly, a massive force covered the entire Hidden Mist. The power was unlike anything the warring shinobi have ever felt. At first, they thought it was killing intent, but they soon found out that this was much worse. This pressure was above anything mere killing intent can accomplish. This power felt like a god…or in this case, a goddess has come to bring upon judgment. It brought about a feeling of futility, hopelessness, and above all else…death.

Everyone in the village, be it shinobi or civilian, felt this massive weight bring them down to their knees gasping for air. No one was spared. The fighting stopped altogether once they felt Yoruichi's spiritual pressure. Those who weren't strong enough immediately passed out due to the intensity they were feeling. The ones who were still awake were trying their best to resist whatever godlike power was putting them down. Some were sweating. Others were panting heavily. While the rest trembled not at the pressure itself, but at the person who could unleash something so otherworldly.

Thanks to the Three-tails, Yagura was able to resist the spiritual pressure from Yoruichi to some degree. Clutching his staff for support, channeled some tailed beast chakra into his muscles to better resist the pressure surrounding him. Somehow, it still wasn't enough. The force pushing down on him was still too great. Leaving him with no other choice, he called upon the chakra of the Three-tails to further strengthen himself. The demonic power coursed through his body and rejuvenated the human vessel. The moment this woman told him all of her skills it was clear that anything less than using his tenant would mean absolute defeat. As the malevolent chakra flowed, it became visible, slowly covering Yagura in a cloak-like layer that was bubbling like a volatile concoction. Behind him, a tail made of chakra was lashing out violently, giving the impression of desperation and frustration. A spike in chakra erupted from the enraged Mizukage…a statement of defiance.

This display of power impressed Yoruichi. She had heard that these tailed beasts were powerful on their own, but in the hands of a skilled perfect jinchūriki, they become more dangerous. She understood from fighting hollows that raw power is meaningless if not used properly. That's why vasto lordes are feared by even captain class soul reapers. Still, the prospect of fighting someone strong for a long time is filling her up with excitement. "Finally," she internally exclaimed, "I can let loose!" "Flash Cry!" And with that statement, Yoruichi lifted her spiritual pressure. Then, much like Yagura's burst in chakra, her spiritual energy skyrocketed, catching the jinchūriki by surprise. Her energy was bursting from her body like a fountain and yet, it was crackling like lightning. Violently, the energy was spreading to her body, tearing her orange coat, and leaving her scarf and the black sleeveless top she was wearing underneath.

Both combatants fell into their respective fighting stances. They looked at each other with intense scrutiny and focus, waiting for the other to make the first move. Everything was still. the noise in the background seemed to vanish even with the constant fighting. Only the enemy mattered, and one move is all it takes for the real battle to begin.

In an instant, both fighters disappeared from their places. Suddenly, two powerful forces collided in the middle of the battleground. A massive shockwave erupted from the source of the collision and spread out through the entire village. Everyone was thrown off balance by the sheer force of the impact. At the source, Yoruichi attacked with her knee and elbow while Yagura held his staff vertically to defend from the attack.

In one fluid motion, the soul reaper parried the staff with her right arm, leaving the jinchūriki's face exposed. Yoruichi coiled her left hand back and threw a hook. Seeing this, Yagura raised his left hand and caught the incoming fist. The power behind the punch was nothing he ever felt before. His hand reeled back from the strength of the blow that he had to jump back to regain composure. Sadly, he didn't get enough time to recover as Yoruichi was on to him with a wild ax kick. He dodged the attack and retaliated with a swing of his staff. The soul reaper managed to put her arms up and blocked the strike. The power of the swing was strong enough to push back the woman a few feet. The Mizukage followed up with another swing of his staff. Yoruichi rolled away only to find a three-foot crater where she was standing. She lunged at the jinchūriki and managed to connect a powerful kick to his side. Yagura winced at the pain but willed himself to push back the attacker. Flowing through a series of hand signs, he stretched his arms out, palms open and facing his adversary. "Wind Style: Gale Palm Jūtsu!" A stream of gale-force winds bursts from Yagura's palms aimed at Yoruichi.

Said woman stretched her palms out. "Binding Spell #39: Arc Shield!" A white shield made of condensed spiritual energy blocked the wind attack. After dissipating the attack, Yoruichi then conjured another spell. "Binding Spell #30: Beak-piercing Triple Beam!" Three pointed golden beams formed in front of the caster. Said beams then launched towards Yagura at incredible speeds. The jinchūriki was caught by surprise and got pinned to a nearby wall. Quickly, Yoruichi kicked the human vessel's staff and sending it to the far side of the village. She didn't notice though that Yagura was able to break one of his arms free from the constraints. With a wild haymaker, he was able to land a hit on Yoruichi's face that sent the woman skidding back a few feet.

Yagura broke through the restraints Yoruichi placed upon him. In a fit of fury, he rushed over to the dazed woman got in a knee to the gut. However, the soul reaper managed to get her hands between her and the knee. She pushed the bent leg back and elbowed Yagura in the face. The Mizukage staggered back but felt a fist sink into his stomach. If that wasn't enough, he got another elbow but this time it struck him in the back and was quickly followed by a swift kick to the ribs that sent him flying through the wall he was bound to earlier.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind blasted from the rubble aimed at Yoruichi. She managed to get away from the blast and prepared herself for another attack. As expected, the jinchūriki came lunging from the debris with ferocious intent. Yoruichi headed straight for the incoming assailant to deliver her attack. Again, the two combatants collided: knee meeting knee and elbow meeting elbow. Another shockwave erupted from the violent collision that rattled every ninja in the fight.

Yoruichi readied her fist for another punch but it was seen by Yagura who was able to block it afterward. The human container retaliated with a knee strike, but his leg was grabbed by and he got swung over and thrown. He did manage to land safely on the ground. Deciding to be more creative, he stretched out his hand, and the red chakra cloak surrounding it extended.

Surprised, Yoruichi was able to evade the attack in time. "Ok. I didn't see that coming," she thought to herself. She was beginning to wonder what else that chakra cloak could do. Her musings were interrupted when a chakra fist erupted from the ground and hit her square in the chin. Sent flying into the air, the Shihōin regained herself and backflipped before eventually landing on the ground. "Damn, that was strong! I'm screwed if he keeps this up and I don't take him seriously. I guess play time's over." With that thought in mind, it was time for her to show him why she was called the "Goddess of Flash".

"That was the most damage I gave her during the whole fight," Yagura thought to himself. Since the fighting began, he was only able to get in a few good hits at the woman before him. This entire time, he had been exerting himself just to end this pointless fight, but this Yoruichi person was just too strong. The techniques she was using and the energy that powered her techniques were troubling. He had a plethora of jūtsus at his disposal but every single one of them would prove useless against her. Let's not forget her fighting style. Yagura was glad that Yoruichi preferred close-quarters combat, but her prowess in hand-to-hand combat could rival even that of Might Guy from the Hidden Leaf. But there was something that was bugging him. In the deepest recesses of his mind, he thinks that this dangerous woman has yet to reveal her true abilities.

Yoruichi wiped off the blood from her lips. Seeing it, she can't help but feel exhilarated that she was pushed to this. This was something common to the strongest soul reapers. Although not thirsty for battle much like those who held the title of "Kenpachi" of the 11th Division, there was this sense of joy when fighting someone powerful. She was no exception to this. With a grin of excitement, she stood up and looked at the jinchūriki who was surprised by the look in her eyes.

Yagura flinched when he saw his opponent's eyes. Those eyes weren't that of a shinobi. No, those eyes depicted that of someone battle-hardened and find enjoyment in the fighting. Suddenly, the woman vanished in what can only be considered a flash before he felt multiple attacks connect to different parts of his body. "ACK!" he grunted in pain as another punch made contact with his face, punting him into the air. He wasn't able to recover when Yoruichi landed an ax kick to his stomach, causing him to plummet down to the ground. He landed with a violent thud creating a massive crater in the impact zone. Again, he wasn't able to gather himself when his enemy planted her feet into his gut. The action made him gasp and spit out blood as the pain of the impact broke a considerable number of ribs. He retaliated by swiping his arm to trip the attacker, but the Shihōin managed to jump away. He stood up clutching his body to ease the pain. That moment of respite didn't last long when an outstretched leg was inches away from his face. The injured Mizukage managed to duck at the last second before the kick was able to connect.

"Damn it!" Yagura cursed mentally. "She's too strong!"The more this fight goes on, the more he realizes that he grossly underestimated his opponent. He thought that this stranger was merely another obstacle to defeat the rebellion. He was wrong…so wrong. Not only was she able to stand toe to toe against him, but she was also actually overpowering him…he who was a perfect jinchūriki no less. It seemed that all the hard work he put into maintaining the village would go all to waste…and he hated it. It sickened him. All the sacrifice he's put into the village will be for nothing. The idea enraged him. "I won't let it end here. I'll kill them. I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"

Yoruichi was about to finish the fight when her punch was caught by a hand. Yoruichi was surprised, but not at the fact that her punch was caught. No, what surprised her was that Yagura's skin was peeling. In a massive burst of demonic chakra, all of the Mizukage's skin ripped off from his body and in its place was a swirling mass of malevolent chakra taking on a humanoid shape. On his back, a shell of sorts emerged, and spikes sprouted on his forehead while two tails were now thrashing violently behind him. His eyes were no longer held the look of a human, but that of a mindless beast out for blood. After the transformation, Yagura now looked like a bipedal turtle of condensed energy. Growling, the chakra entity twisted Yoruichi's hand making her wince. In quick succession, a transformed Yagura delivered two powerful punches to the woman's stomach.

"ACK!" Yoruichi grunted before being struck by a hammer fist to her head making her drop to her knees. Not content, the Mizukage then connected a massive kick to her chest that sent her through a couple of houses. "Ugh," she muttered while standing up, still feeling the kick from earlier. "So, this must be the second stage of the Tailed Beast Cloak. It seems that the chakra burns away the jinchūriki's skin, leaving a humanoid mass of chakra that exponentially increases the wielder's overall attributes. Not only that, but the chakra also coating him is volatile, burning anything with weak to no type of defense upon contact." That last statement made her look at her hand that was caught by Yagura earlier. There were marks of first-degree burns as she tried to ease the burning sensation. With that bit of info, she channeled more spiritual energy over her skin, creating a good layer that should prevent burns when making contact with Yagura's unstable chakra.

With a blood-curdling roar, the transformed Yagura pounced at Yoruichi. The woman was prepared, however, and blocked the chakra-enhanced fist. The impact of the force caused the ground to buckle. Unlike earlier though, the chakra violently flowing on Yagura did not burn Yoruichi's skin. It seemed that her assessment was right. Pushing the punch aside, Yoruichi landed a solid knee into the jinchūriki's gut. The transformed Mizukage doubled over as he staggered back from the attack. The soul reaper took that momentary distraction and grabbed Yagura's face, careful not to injure her hands with the spikes on his face. With a mighty push, Yoruichi slammed Yagura into the ground, the action creating a human-sized hole inside a six-foot crater.

Further enraged, Yagura firmly grabbed Yoruichi's hand and wrapped his two tails on the woman. One tail snaked around her body while the other coiled around her neck. In one powerful motion, the Shihōin heiress was lifted up and immediately slammed into the ground. Not yet done, the jinchūriki then chucked the woman a good distance away and landing on the ground in a massive thud.

Yoruichi quickly recovered from the throw and lunged at her enemy. Yagura did the same and met her head-on. Their fists connected and sent out a pulse of a shockwave. Again, they threw in attacks that were either met with a parry or a strike of equal strength. This violent exchange of punches and kicks from the two continued with each strike thrown would create shockwaves upon contact.

Not far from the battle, Mei, Zabuza, and Haku were watching the whole thing. The two unconscious shinobi managed to wake and decide along with Mei to watch the fight. The expression they wore on their faces explained what they felt while witnessing this battle. It was a spectacle. The three of them have never seen a fight like this in their entire life. The battle between Yagura and Yoruichi was nothing short of a titanic clash. The power both combatants were demonstrating was almost godlike. The jūtsus being thrown by Yagura were all S-class in terms of power and destructive capability while the strange spells Yoruichi was conjuring were nothing to scoff at since it can outright nullify the former's attacks. This was a battle between a goddess and a beast, and to involve themselves in it would mean utter suicide.

"God, what are these people?" Mei questioned herself, still baffled at the cataclysmic destruction both fighters were dishing out.

"Holy fuck…," were the only words Zabuza was able to think of.

Haku, on the other hand, was simply wide-eyed at the sight before him. Never in his young life had he seen a battle of this proportion. Shaking his head, he looked around and saw most of the rebel and loyalist shinobi stopped fighting and simply watched the battle that was raging on between the Mizukage and the stranger. He turned back to the battle only to pale when he saw what attack the Mizukage is preparing.

The jinchūriki of the Three-tails opened its mouth wide. Bubbles of blue and red chakra began to gather above the creature's gaping maw. These bubbles gathered together making a sphere out of the concentrating pieces of energy. The mass forming above the bipedal turtle was gurgling like a volatile concoction, indicating the instability and power behind the forming sphere. Everyone who knows what the Mizukage is doing quickly paled when they realized what was coming next.

"Tailed Beast Bomb!" was the frightful collective thought of the onlookers.

Every shinobi present wanted to run, not wanting to get caught in the blast. All of them knew that anyone hit with a pure chakra attack would be utterly destroyed. However, the terror of seeing the mass of unstable chakra froze them in place. They wanted to run, but the sheer gravity of the situation made it impossible to take any form of action. When they saw the woman fighting Yagura simply standing there, they thought she was out of her mind. Only someone with a death wish would stare down a ball of highly condensed unstable chakra.

Yoruichi stood there with a serious expression. She knew what was coming and was fully prepared. She closed her eyes and began to recite the incantation, "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness."

All shinobi looking wondered what those strange words the woman uttered. Some thought that it was a final prayer before her imminent death while others think she lost her mind.

The ball of chakra stopped growing and collapsed onto itself, compressed into a small sphere before it was seemingly eaten by the jinchūriki. The chakra humanoid then took a glance at Yoruichi and once again opened its mouth. This was it. Raising her hands high, she channeled her spiritual energy. "Destructive Spell #90: Black Coffin!"

Before Yagura was able to launch the chakra sphere, a wall of dark spiritual energy formed around him and completely encased the Mizukage. The wall continued to rise until it formed into a large rectangular box with massive spikes and cross-like protrusions. The Tailed Beast Bomb never penetrated the structure and exploded within, shaking the very ground due to the power released.

No words could describe what Mei Terumī saw. The Tailed Beast Ball, the strongest chakra attack known to any shinobi, was completely nullified. Her mind was running a mile a minute at processing the events that occurred. "Just who the hell is this woman?" she thought as she was staring down at Yoruichi. This woman, a stranger who had no true stake in their war, was fighting a partially transformed Yagura on equal ground.

The same thoughts were running in both Zabuza and Haku's mind. They had fought Yoruichi before and had lost spectacularly. The fight barely lasted minutes before both he and his apprentice were defeated. After that, the Shihōin offered her assistance to the rebellion. He was wary at first, but that doubt was soon gone when Zabuza, along with Haku and the soul reaper managed to rescue some prisoners, one of them being Kimimaro. Still, the Demon of the Smith knew that this wasn't Yoruichi's full power, and after witnessing the fight with Yagura, he shuddered at the outcome if the former captain truly went all-out.

The box slowly disappeared and revealed a very badly beaten Yagura. He was panting heavily after exerting such a powerful attack. Although not noticeable, there were gashes, cuts, and bruises he received after having the Tailed Beast Bomb literally backfire into him.

From a distance, Yoruichi could see that the Mizukage was injured. She also knew that it won't be for long, and sure enough, the beast inside the Yagura began healing him. If this keeps up, it doesn't matter if she wins. Yagura will keep fighting until she is defeated (which is unlikely) or when the village is destroyed. She huffed out a breath, realizing that this has gone long enough. She now had a good idea of the power of a jinchūriki, and that it was time to end this. She gazed at Yagura's form with cold yellow eyes that made the human beast flinch. Clenching her fists, she unleashed an ungodly torrent of spiritual pressure that covered the whole Hidden Mist and some nearby villages. Like flies, the weaker shinobi fell and lost consciousness immediately while those stronger-willed were put down on their knees and gasping for air. The feeling was far thicker and more potent than the previous, and it made resisting almost futile. Then, a burst of pure white spiritual energy emerged from Yoruichi's form. The energy flailed violently and crackled loudly, signifying the power behind the woman.

This show of force made Yagura step back in both surprise and fear. This was beyond anything he felt…far greater than his own even at full tailed beast form. Before he could get a grip of the rapidly escalating situation, Yoruichi uttered the words that signaled his defeat.

"Raijin Senkei!"

An explosion of intense spirit energy erupted from the battlefield. The force of the blast was so massive that everyone awake who was watching was thrown back. Dust and debris were flying everywhere until the air started gathering around Yoruichi, swirling around her form, and creating a tower of raging winds. All shinobi in the vicinity were trying their best not to get swept away by the torrent. It died down, however, relieving every spectator of the trouble of standing. From afar, one can see that the dust that had gathered around the yellow-eyed woman has not yet subsided. Still, this did not hinder them from sensing a force that can make a tailed beast tremble. Even Yagura in his transformed state was trembling at the uncertainty that he now faces. The power he was feeling in front of him is not in every sense possible. No human could possess this outrageous amount of energy. "What is she?"

From the smoke and dust, a dark figure emerged. Slowly, Yoruichi became visible for everyone to see. Her body seemed to radiate electricity, with small sparks that crackled intensely. Her eyes depicted a cold, deathly gaze that could outright kill anyone with a mere look. Streaks of lightning are visible in her golden pupils. The soul reaper's hair, too, showed some changes. Her bangs no longer frame her face and are flailing upward, its tips now having a white hue. What was most shocking were the six orb-like objects made of pure electricity behind her that was connected by a hoop of lightning. The odd structure behind her was constantly releasing massive bolts of lightning everywhere, making her vicinity highly electrified when one were to get close.

"Flash Cry: War Visage of the Thunder God," Yoruichi muttered. She then examined her body, trying to get a feel of the form she had just entered.

"What are you?" Yagura question, fear evident in his voice.

The Shihōin heiress gazed at the Mizukage with an apathetic look before answering, "A death god."

Yagura never saw it coming, and neither did the spectators. He felt a tremendous amount of pain in his stomach. Looking to inspect, he saw the woman's knee deeply embedded in his gut. Even in his transformed state, he can't help but spew out copious amounts of blood from the savage blow.

Not yet done, the soul reaper then elbowed the back of the jinchūriki before grabbing his head and slamming him to the ground. Yagura tried to get up but was swiftly kicked in the side, sending flying towards the village gates. Never letting up, Yoruichi Flash Stepped towards Yagura and again grabbed the human vessel's face while brutally dragging his beaten form on the ground before throwing him through the walls of the village. He wasn't even able to reach the walls when a solid kick made contact with his back and sending him up in the air. In a blink of an eye, the Shihōin appeared in front of the battered Mizukage and delivered a powerful hammer fist that got him plummeting to the ground. Again, Yoruichi Flash Stepped in Yagura's direction and landed a powerful blow and redirecting his trajectory elsewhere. She continued this action many more times, never letting the Three-tails container even land on the ground.

All the people of the village simply looked at the battle in complete bewilderment and awe. Their minds trying to comprehend the sight that beheld them while their eyes were wide and mouths agape.

The loyalists and the rebels simply stared at the one-sided battle. Yagura Karatachi, one of the most powerful Mizukages of the village if not the most powerful, was being beaten brutally and savagely by a woman they never know. What's frightening was that the human vessel was being pummeled in mid-air, not once getting the chance for respite because his enemy was just too fast for the eye to detect. The moment he was about to land, Yagura's unconscious form was hit only to get launched in another direction. And his opponent, Yoruichi Shihōin, moved so fast that she was completely undetectable even with the highest-trained shinobi. It reminded them of the Yellow Flash of the Leaf that decimated the forces of the Hidden Stone. But unlike the Yellow Flash, this woman did not leave any streak of light when she moved. Her speed was beyond even that of Minato Namikaze and that scares them.

Mei can't take her eyes off of Yoruichi wailing at Yagura. The scene was just unbelievable that she can't help but stare in amazement. She then recalled the title Kisuke gave the woman. "She really is the Goddess of Flash."

With a strong downward strike, Yoruichi sent Yagura finally to the ground. The human container's landing was anything but soft, and the loud crash left a gigantic crater on the ground. The dark-skinned woman gathered her energy for one final attack. The skies above her darkened and thunder roared violently. Raising her hand, a large bolt of electricity struck her that seemed to empower her more. Finally, she swept her hand down, and a gargantuan column of lightning bursts from the heavens and directly hit the incapacitated jinchūriki. The tower of electricity leveled the very ground it struck. The crater that was created by Yagura's landing further widened as the overwhelming bolt engulfed the vicinity.

The onlookers scrambled for safety for fear of being caught in the massive attack. Nobody cared about the war anymore. It was either run and live or get caught in the blast and get vaporized. The choice was clear, and everyone with a right mind fled the area. Mei, Haku, and Zabuza were no exception to this.

The tower of lightning eventually subsided and revealed a now reverted Yagura laying there unconscious. His body spasmed with the electricity still flowing in him. His wounds were severe. There were cuts, bruises, contusions, and the like. Still, he was alive and will recover with the help of the Three-tails.

Yoruichi landed next to the Mizukage's body and scrutinized his condition. Once she concluded that he would recover, she hoisted him up on her shoulder and Flash Stepped to Mei's current location. At a moment's notice, she found the rebel leader along with her two best fighters recovering. The three rebels quickly ran towards the Shihōin's direction. Yoruichi then slowly placed the sleeping Mizukage on the ground.

"Is he alive?" Mei asked the former captain.

"He is," Yoruichi answered. She then turned around about to leave before Mei stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

Tilting her head to look at Mei, Yoruichi replied, "To snuff out a weed," before vanishing.

Not far from the scene of the battle, a plant-like humanoid entity was watching the whole fight. The entity can't stop trembling at the thought of this woman interfering with his organization's plans.

"This woman will be a major problem in the future," said the white half of the entity.

"True," the black half replied. "We need to keep tabs on this woman. With her strange abilities, she alone could defeat most members of our group."

"True," the white part agreed.

Suddenly, they felt a tremendous amount of pressure wash upon them. Brought down to their knees, they looked up to see the woman they've been observing now glaring daggers at them.

"Zetsu the Cannibal," Yoruichi said with an apathetic look. "You and your little motley crew of rogues won't have their way while we're here." She then further intensified the spiritual pressure, making the plant creature double over at the intense weight he was experiencing. Having seen enough, Zetsu quickly sunk into the ground and escaped the soul reaper. Said soul reaper lifted the oppressive weight before sighing and looking at the distance. "The message is out, Kisuke," she muttered. "It's now just a matter of time before Shinji and the rest make their move." After that, her image fractured into thin air and disappeared.

A/N: I'd like to apologize for taking this long for posting a new chapter. The person who goes by the moniker "Nameless" is right. There was an assignment given to me that needed more attention than this story. Teachers here also need to make modules to monitor our performance in this pandemic. I was able to finish just yesterday and after that, I immediately proceeded to finish this chapter. With that said, I won't make any more promises on when I'll post a new chapter and just post one as soon as I get to finish writing. I hope that this fight would live up to the expectations. I will be reviewing this and the previous chapters now and then to check if there are things that need to be corrected. Like always, if you like the story leave a positive review and if you see things that need some attention, leave some constructive comments so we can solve them. I said we since your comments help me make corrections and further improve the story overall. I still need a BETA so I can get a second opinion from someone with more experience.

Until next time!