Light engulfed the central tower of Kirigakure.
The night has become as bright as the day.
The terrifying noise thundered across the entire village. The land quaked violently. The wind blew wildly in every direction.
Civilians, no longer able to keep their calm, ran out of their houses.
Screaming, they ran, trying to get away from the middle of the village as much as they could.
However, something was strange.
In contrast to the magnitude of the noises and brightening effects, the actual damage done to the area wasn't as high.
It meant one thing: the force of Akashi's 'Pulverizing Sun' nigh completely diminished the force of Bijuudama. The approximate strengths of the two techniques were exactly the same.
Smoke and dust. Those two covered the scene, and no one knew what was going on.
All that the ninjas, who were spectating the fight, could tell, was that the environment must be ridiculously hot, enough to scorch a human being alive should he or she enter without coating oneself with chakra.
'One... no, two more.'
In this state, Akashi thought as he stood within the smoke.
'My chakra reserve only allows, in total, three of this technique. Using it more than three times will lead me to chakra exhaustion.'
Unlike him, however, Yagura was probably capable of shooting many more Bijuudamas.
That meant that while this technique, Fire Release: Pulverizing Sun, couldn't be a solution by itself.
Making such a deduction in his mind, Akashi decided to reveal another card up his sleeve.
Chains.
Although Akashi's vision and sense of smell were occupied by the smoke and dust, his sense of hearing was intact. Due to having half the vision of others, his other senses were much more developed than a normal ninja; smoke and dust weren't enough to render him deaf.
Swoosh.
Akashi heard the movement on the left.
With a whoosh, the smoke and dust to his left parted. Yagura, in his demonic form—now with three tails flying at his back instead of one—leaped at Akashi with his claws revealed.
Akashi blocked Yagura's assault with Ryuma.
CLANG.
The force generated upon the clash was quite impactful. All the smoke and dust near them were pushed away by pressure alone.
The metallic spark arose. The spark served as the trigger to reignite the smoke around them.
In an instant, they were surrounded by the dangerously hot fire.
Mingling with the misty environment, they generated steam. Fire, smoke, dust, and steam. It was a chaotic scene, as well as an environment lethal enough to kill a commoner within seconds of exposure.
Akashi and Yagura didn't care about their exposure to such an environment, however.
'Adamantine Sealing Chains.'
Abruptly, the golden chains spilled out of Akashi's back as the clash between his Ryuma and Yagura's claws ensued.
"What?!!"
Yagura clearly panicked, not having expected such a technique out of Akashi.
With immense speed, Yagura dashed backward, evading the chains before they managed to catch him.
"How... how is it that you know the hidden technique of the Uzumaki clan, one that even we or that accursed Konohagakure didn't manage to gain?!!"
"I am not obliged to answer that."
Akashi, dashing forward, pursued Yagura.
Roaring ferociously, Yagura twisted his body to dodge one golden chain that struck the ground right on his left.
Akashi now arrived at Yagura's front.
The smoke above them parted. Under the moonlight, Ryuma gleamed dangerously.
Then, the blade was engulfed by a sharp wind, at the last second before it was shot toward Yagura.
Kicking his feet backward, Yagura spat out a wall of water.
As Ryuma touched the wall of water, it instantly severed it. At the same time, its speed has slowed due to the momentary resistance of the water.
BOOM BOOM BOOM.
The golden chains furiously shot toward Yagura from numerous angles.
Growling, Yagura was forced to dodge and move around with his utmost speed, without finding a gap of time to launch an attack.
'This guy...!!'
Yagura realized,
'He plans on not giving me any time to utilize Bijuudama...!!'
That also meant that so far, Bijuudama was Yagura's strongest weapon against Akashi. His most clear win condition.
In order to use that, Yagura needed two things: the distance between the two, as well as the time to prepare the technique.
Question was...
"...How?"
Ahead of Yagura, there were numerous golden chains floating around like snakes.
As if having sentience of their own, they moved independently as Akashi bombarded attacks after Yagura.
CLANG.
Ryuma against Yagura's claws. Encased in the wind, however, Yagura had to remove his claws quickly before they were completely severed by the blade.
BOOM.
Rolling on the ground, Yagura barely prevented himself from getting impaled by the golden chain.
'Something... something is wrong...!!'
Yagura couldn't understand.
How is this possible? How is it that even after he borrows the power of the three tails, he isn't able to match this enemy of his?
Akashi's swordsmanship and incredibly honed physique negated his enhanced strength and durability. Akashi's unbelievable chakra control mitigated the huge gap in chakra reserve between the two. Akashi's ninjutsu techniques, ones he's never experienced before, countered his own.
Growling animalistically, Yagura backed once more to evade the chase of Akashi's golden chains.
Within the smoke, Akashi's eye flashed coldly.
From all angles, Akashi's ash clones made their entry, further complicating the fight.
Yagura raised his arms. Ryuma struck down. Withstanding the pain, he pushed the blade away. The wounds on his arms quickly healed, but he didn't even have the time to register this as the second clone came in.
Yagura's tails moved, blocking the second clone's Ryuma. Two blocked the blade, while the final one struck the clone in its chest. With a puff, it dispelled.
The third one then made its entry, attempting to stab Yagura from the back. With his tails occupied, his healed arms moved. He managed to swat the blade to the side and slash the clone, dispelling it as well.
BOOM.
Just as Yagura focused on the fourth clone, a golden chain struck him down from above, impaling his stomach.
"G-GRAHHHH—"
Two more then wrapped him around his torso. Then, three more joined, wrapping up his complete body.
The chains continued to pour in onto the jinchuriki. Yagura thrashed and roared, but the restraining power of the Adamantine Sealing Chain wasn't to be ignored; there was a reason why this technique was considered the Uzumaki clan's ultimate technique.
However, Yagura was, indeed, Yagura.
He wasn't just a jinchuriki. He was, at the same time, the Mizukage, the strongest shinobi of Kirigakure.
"AS... IF!!!"
There was a huge explosion within the chains that kept Yagura contained. With a boom, the chains shattered.
The dome of explosion rose. Then died.
"Huff... huff..."
Yagura was morbidly wounded. He was missing an arm. His entire body was burned to a crisp. Though his body was healing, he was way too injured.
Yes, Yagura utilized Bijuudama from the inside. Though he managed to free himself thanks to the technique, at the same time, he had to take the full blow of his own technique.
Then, what was Akashi doing meantime?
"Fire Release,"
Yagura froze.
"W-Wait..."
On Akashi's palm, the same, miniature sun that Yagura had witnessed it once just previously was there.
"Pulverizing Sun."
As the miniature sun left Akashi's hand, Yagura knew.
That it was impossible for him to evade this.
"WATER RELEASE—"
The tiny sun pierced through the wall of water that Yagura summoned at the last second without losing even the tiniest degree of its force. Then, it struck Yagura straight in the chest.
Yagura screamed in agony. His scream was akin to a hurt beast. Such an animalistic roar brought fear to many who heard it. They shuddered, recognizing the last struggle of the predator who stood at the apex.
The explosion engulfed Yagura's form, completely.
Then, light ensued.
Yagura's scream was muffled by the thundering noise generated by Akashi's technique.
Shielding his face, Akashi gazed at the scene ahead of him, solemnly.
As the heat, destructive force, and smoke—the aftermath of his technique died down, Akashi saw the lying form of Yagura.
It was unbelievable how durable Yagura's body was. A trait of the three tails, Akashi assumed.
Yagura wasn't moving. He wasn't responding to the surroundings. His eyes were hollow.
He wasn't breathing either. He was effectively dead, or if he wasn't, he was about to die.
However, Akashi couldn't dare to lower his guard.
There was a hunch of his... that the fight wasn't over yet.
__________
"...What is this?"
Madara was watching it all, through the eyes of Zetsu.
The battle between Akashi and Yagura, the one whom he placed under his genjutsu, wasn't something that he could ignore.
It was the battle that would dictate Kiri's fate. At the same time, it was the battle that would dictate the flow of his plan.
"Akashi...!!!"
Madara raged. His tightened hands, bony and without much strength, trembled, showing just how furious Madara was.
"Once again, it's you!!! Every time, it's you who steps in and messes up everything!!! You scoundrel...!!!"
"Calm down, Madara."
By the side, Zetsu—half-black and half-white in color, soothed him.
"It isn't over yet, right?"
Madara bit his lips. Lowering his head, he whispered to himself. Then, taking in a deep breath, he raised his head, having calmed down.
"...Yes, of course."
Placing a long-term genjutsu over a jinchuriki is a near-impossible feat. Yet, Madara was able to do so.
He achieved such a feat by not only placing Yagura under genjutsu, but also the three tails itself.
And there was one mechanism that Madara planted in the jinchuriki. Should he end up dying...
"Yes, it isn't over yet."
Madara whispered.
"No matter how strong you may be, Akashi... you are still a human."
What can a man do against the very manifestation of the disaster?
__________
Time seemed to slow down.
Akashi saw. Yagura's eyes abruptly regained their light. Then, its pupils morphed. Sharp and filled with hatred. They weren't the eyes of a human being.
Ba-Bump.
Yagura, no, it, roared.
The wind blew, strong enough to blow Akashi off his feet. He was flown away a far distance.
BOOM.
The dust erupted as something heavy seemed to have landed.
Akashi, narrowing his eye, landed on the ground and stared at the sight ahead of him.
Its form was revealed beyond the dust.
A large turtle-like body, crab-like shall, spikes everywhere, three shrimp-like tails, human-like hands, and red eyes.
As its figure reflected the moonlight, its shadow loomed over Akashi, as well as the entire area around him. Its size was at least a thousand times greater than Akashi's.
"RAAAAAA!!!"
Three tails, for some reason, was released at its full might instead of disintegrating along with the dead Yagura.