What truly shocked Kokuō was the figure behind the brat.
"Chōmei, you bastard."
"Kid, you're a Jinchūriki?!"
"How is this possible?!"
Kokuō was both furious and stunned. Her opponent was also a Jinchūriki—the host of the Seven-Tails, Chōmei?
How could that be? Wasn't Chōmei supposed to be in Takigakure?
And this kid—wasn't he a Konoha ninja? What the hell is going on?
Kokuō wasn't the only one shocked; even Han, the fellow Jinchūriki, was taken aback.
"Unbelievable! Damn Konoha, they've already taken Takigakure's Tailed Beast for themselves?"
"Five-Tails! We can't fight anymore! We need to get this information back to the village!"
Han remained rational. If he could relay this news back, and the village leadership spread it across the ninja world, Konoha would undoubtedly face a united backlash.
After all, possessing two Tailed Beasts disrupted the balance of power.
But Kokuō was already blinded by rage. So what if it was the Seven-Tails, Chōmei? She'd fought him before. Though Chōmei was a Tailed Beast, he was no match for her in combat!
"Shut up!"
Kokuō's furious roar in their shared consciousness left Han frozen. Though he was a Jinchūriki, he couldn't override the will of the Five-Tails.
"Hmph! Chōmei, even if you help him, what can you do?"
"I'm going to kill him today! If you dare to help him, I'll deal with you too!"
Steam surged from Kokuō's body as her Boil Release reached its peak, signifying her power was at its maximum. At this point, even a mountain before her would be shattered.
However, Kokuō was somewhat surprised. Chōmei's form wasn't flesh and blood but a body condensed from Tailed Beast chakra, indicating he hadn't fully manifested.
Moreover, since Chōmei had appeared, why was that brat of a Jinchūriki still standing on the sea's surface?
"Hehehehe, Kokuō, surprised, aren't you?"
"I can't beat you alone, but this isn't a one-on-one. It's all of us against you!"
"I've been waiting to settle this old score!"
"Kazuyama, ready to fight?"
Chōmei flexed his body. Though formed from chakra, he was still himself, and this form was immune to physical attacks, enhancing his combat prowess.
"Fight? Of course!"
"Chōmei, since we've been exposed, we can't let her live. Understand?"
Kazuyama Gekkō, rarely losing his temper, had now revealed his identity. If it were just the Five-Tails, Kokuō, it might be manageable, as Tailed Beasts wouldn't necessarily side with Iwagakure.
But Han, the Jinchūriki, had to die. Even if Tailed Beasts were killed, they were merely chakra conglomerates and would naturally revive after some time. The duration depended on the chakra's reformation speed—some in a few years, others in over a decade.
In the original story, how many times did the Three-Tails die? Yet it kept coming back.
Therefore, Kazuyama planned to eliminate both the Five-Tails, Kokuō, and Jinchūriki Han right here on the ocean, removing future threats.
"Alright then! Let's fight!"
"With you here, I feel confident! I'm not afraid of her, haha!"
Without hesitation, Chōmei flapped his wings, and his chakra-condensed body burst forth with unprecedented speed, surging toward Kokuō amidst rolling waves.
"Take this!"
"Hahahaha!"
Chōmei went all out, his massive horns aiming directly at Kokuō's head.
"You dare fight me!"
"Chōmei! Have you forgotten how I used to drag you across the ground?"
"Today, I'll make you remember, you stinking bug!"
Kokuō roared in anger, channeling all her strength as she charged toward Chōmei.
Horns? Who didn't have them? She, Kokuō, had two horns! Far superior to the bug before her!
But in the next moment, she was stunned. She tried to move her limbs but found them completely immobilized.
"Hehe, is this all a Tailed Beast can do?"
"This is a battlefield; your opponent isn't just Kazuyama!"
Four giant snakes had coiled around Kokuō's limbs, firmly restraining her.
This left Kokuō's mind blank. What the hell—there were others helping him?
Chōmei laughed heartily, and amidst his boisterous laughter, his massive horns slammed directly into Kokuō's face.
"Boom!"
The collision of the two giant beasts produced a dull thud, and Kokuō was momentarily dazed by the impact.
Chōmei, though also repelled by the force, remained unscathed due to his chakra-formed body, not even feeling pain.
"Attack! Today, I'm going to be a dragon slayer!"
"Crystal Release: String of Glory!"
Kazuyama's body became enveloped in transparent crystals as he slowly ascended into the air.
Terrifying chakra converged into a white light—this was the strongest attack of the Crystal Release, the same one that blinded the Three-Tails in the original story.
It was Kazuyama's most powerful explosive ninjutsu.
Seeing the light in the sky, Kokuō was once again shocked. She actually felt a sense of threat from that light.
She was a Tailed Beast!
What kind of ninjutsu could make her feel threatened?
"Go! Restrain her!"
"Buy Kazuyama some time!"
Chōmei led the charge. After all, he and Kazuyama were brothers, their chakra connected. He could feel Kazuyama gathering energy.
The massive insect drove straight toward Kokuō.
The four giant snakes also tightened their grip, preventing her from moving.
"Damn it! Let me go!"
"If you're so brave, fight me one-on-one!"
Kokuō felt utterly frustrated. Even with her immense strength, she couldn't withstand a group assault.
Her four limbs were bound—how could she fight like this?
"Hehehe, are you dumb?"
"Kazuyama said, in battle, as long as you win, it doesn't matter if your moves look good or not, as long as they're effective!"
"Kokuō, use your brain!"
Chōmei mocked her while using his tail and wings to cover her mouth, preventing her from shouting.
Kinrin and the four snakes heard Chōmei's words and laughed wickedly. Clearly, they agreed with him.
[Ding! The host has successfully led the four snakes astray, completely influenced by you. This can be considered excellent guidance.]
[Hope the host continues to work hard and cultivate more unconventional disciples and companions!]
Kazuyama listened to the system prompt and felt something was off.
Wait, there was a prompt, but where was the reward?
[Ding! Don't worry, host, the reward is on its way!]