Scorching flames, laced with crystal senbon, bore down on Rasa with immense pressure.
Under his control, gold sand condensed into a protective sphere, shielding him within.
But Gekko Chizan's crimson eyes showed no concern for chakra consumption.
At this moment, he finally understood the thrill Uchiha Madara must have felt when spewing fire—turning a B-rank ninjutsu into something that resembled an S-rank.
That was exactly what he was experiencing now. With Chōmei's chakra endlessly supplying him, Fire Release: Majestic Flame Destroyer unleashed unprecedented might for the very first time.
"Damn it! What kind of Fire Release is this? The heat and range are absurd!"
"And those senbon..."
Rasa could only defend helplessly. Yet Gekko Chizan's attacks poured on relentlessly, even forcing him to feel unease.
Even behind his golden sand barrier, he could feel the searing heat burning through, the sand itself glowing red.
But this was not the end. As flames dyed the sky crimson, Gekko Chizan suddenly cut off the technique.
Although that blast hadn't inflicted fatal wounds on Rasa, it had completely shifted the momentum of the battle.
"Damn it! I'm not done yet!"
"Transparent Release! Infinite Shuriken!"
The words Transparent Release exploded like thunder in everyone's ears.
Everyone on the battlefield, aside from Orochimaru, widened their eyes in shock.
Transparent Release? What was that? None of them had ever heard of it.
But then, under the sunlight, enormous crystalline shuriken gleamed, blinding in their brilliance. They all froze in disbelief.
A second later, they witnessed what a true shuriken barrage looked like.
Hands clasped together, Gekko Chizan's face twisted with fury, surrounded by massive crystal formations.
The next instant, the colossal shuriken launched—so dense they darkened the sky.
In the blink of an eye, Rasa's sand-gold shield was riddled with spikes, like a hedgehog.
First the senbon, now the shuriken. Rasa's barrier was already straining.
"Damn it, two kekkei genkai?"
"You bastard, hiding this deep?!"
Only now did Rasa realize—Gekko Chizan possessed not just one kekkei genkai, but two.
Hearing his roar, everyone else caught on. Their eyes all turned to Gekko Chizan, filled with shock.
Even Chiyo, still locked in battle with Orochimaru, froze in astonishment.
"That brat... actually has two kekkei genkai..."
"Impossible."
A kekkei genkai was already an incredibly rare gift. To possess even one was a blessing from heaven.
But two? Unthinkable.
"Hehehe, hard to accept, is it?"
"My disciple is just that outstanding! Chiyo, we've dragged this fight on too long. Let's end it!"
Orochimaru, who had long known of his disciple's second kekkei genkai, wasn't surprised in the least. Instead, he seized the opening to unleash his full power.
His already ferocious Wind Release ninjutsu erupted even stronger, tearing through Chiyo's puppets in an instant, smashing apart two more.
"Damn it!"
"Orochimaru, don't get cocky. Kekkei genkai or not, as long as Shukaku is here, you don't stand a chance!"
As another puppet fell, Chiyo's face twisted. She knew she had lost this fight. But as a veteran shinobi, defeating her was never going to be easy.
Her kunai, controlled by chakra threads, lashed out desperately. Seizing the moment, she snatched up her broken puppets and began retreating.
Even after driving Chiyo back, Orochimaru's expression held no joy. Chiyo was right—as long as One-Tail remained, Sunagakure still held the advantage.
And then, wild laughter suddenly echoed.
"Hahahahahaha! Rasa, you worthless fool!"
"Getting suppressed by a brat—what a joke! I'll laugh myself to death!"
"Rasa, want me to help you out? Beg me. Beg me, and maybe I'll lend a hand! Hahaha!"
Shukaku was ecstatic watching Rasa trapped on the defensive by Gekko Chizan's storm of attacks.
He had long grown resentful of Rasa, who always forced him back with gold sand whenever he refused to retreat. To see Rasa suffering now filled him with glee.
Rasa's face darkened, black with rage, but he had no time to respond—Chizan's barrage left him no room to counter.
...
At that moment, while Gekko Chizan raged, a voice whispered in his ears—Urokohane's voice.
"Chizan, he's done for. His life force is fading fast."
The words stunned him. Without a thought, he halted his assault and flew back onto Urokohane's head.
There lay Shirakumo, his breathing shallow, growing fainter with every moment. Chizan's crimson eyes flared even redder, but he forced down his fury and rushed to his side.
"Damn it! Urokohane, get us back—he needs treatment!"
Urokohane, shaken by his roar, quickly wheeled toward Kikyo Pass.
"Cough... cough..."
"It's no use, Chizan. I know my condition. Shukaku's strike shattered my organs..."
"If not for the chakra inside me holding on, I'd already be dead."
Shirakumo showed no fear of death. Instead, unwillingness clouded his face.
That look of regret made Chizan grind his teeth.
"No! Hold on, a medic-nin will be here soon!"
"Hahaha... kid, what's that look for? I've roamed battlefields for decades—why would I fear death? I just regret not killing more of them. Regret that damned One-Tail will step foot into the Land of Fire."
Hearing his voice, Chizan's anger blazed. He cut him off before he could speak again.
"Urokohane, take him back!"
"Understood."
Leaving those words behind, Gekko Chizan soared skyward once more, his entire body exuding a suffocating aura.
"Rasa! Shukaku!"
His roar shook the battlefield as countless crystals gathered around him, coalescing into another dragon—even larger than before.
"Just a damned raccoon!"
"You think you're that mighty?!"
Fueled by raging chakra, the dragon charged at Shukaku.
"Bind him!"
The Crystal Release dragon slammed into the beast. Shukaku caught it with both arms, sneering.
"Just a pile of crystal. What can it do to me?"
"Brat, you dare lay a hand on me? Do you even know the price you'll pay?!"
"Sand Coffin!"
Under Shukaku's command, golden sand surged into a massive hand, reaching for Chizan.
But Chizan never gave him the chance. Twisting his body, he dropped to the ground.
Then, biting deep into both fingers, his face twisted with ferocity.
"I'll carve you into pieces!"
"Summoning Technique! Fivefold Rashomon!"