"You! Die!"
Shukaku's massive maw opened, and a sound wave burst forth like a tangible giant wave. But this mere noise was far inferior to the one Kurama unleashed when Naruto first met him! Naruto looked rather disdainful. Such a faint voice, and you want to be a ninja?
However, Shukaku's appearance was like an ancient calamity gazing upon the human world; this terrifying might instantly swept across the entire arena. The entire audience was struck by a horrified, deathly silence, as if their souls had left their bodies. Countless eyes were glued in place by that mountain-like physique, and a primal fear rooted deep in their genes made their bodies tremble.
"What kind of monster is that exactly?"
In the highest VIP section, upon seeing Shukaku appear, Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Should the match be stopped?" An Anbu instantly appeared nearby, his voice solemn and hushed. With a Tailed Beast unleashed, there were many high-ranking and influential VIPs present. This was no small matter.
The Third Hokage's gaze, like electricity, pierced his neighbor. The Fourth Kazekage sat still as a statue, seemingly unperturbed behind his veil?
"Continue!"
The Kazekage's voice was indifferent, as if he were an outsider: "The power of a Tailed Beast is also a part of one's strength. Could it be… that Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is still unable to control the Nine-Tails?"
These words stung like needles, exceptionally sharp. Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts raced. The Chunin Exams were a place to display strength! And with so many VIPs watching… After a moment, his aged knuckles fiercely rapped the table.
"Sealing Team!!" he barked.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Four cloaked figures appeared like specters at the four extremes of the arena. They simultaneously formed hand signs.
Buzz—
A scorching purple flame cuboid barrier roared into existence, like a giant bowl inverted, isolating the disaster within the arena from the outside world! A knowledgeable ninja gasped, "Hiss—Four Violet Flames Formation?"
And that giant monstrosity in the arena, Sunagakure's "weapon of war," had actually become a "genin"? The audience's emotions were handled by pre-arranged ninjas sent to calm them. But when that burning purple barrier rose, Kakashi knew: the battle continuing… was likely already a foregone conclusion!
His gaze was fixed intently below: that thin figure, dwarfed by the mountainous shadow of the Tailed Beast, was suffocatingly small! His expression was serious, his eyes worried and solemn: "A One-Tail Jinchuriki? Naruto, will he win?"
Even if Naruto's talent was monstrous, and his strength advanced by leaps and bounds daily, he was ultimately just a twelve-year-old boy! And a Tailed Beast… At this thought, Kakashi's knuckles quietly tightened! The colossal shadow of the Nine-Tails, which tore through the sky in his deepest memories, even just a glimpse… was a nightmarish abyss he could never escape from in his lifetime!
Meanwhile, in the shadows.
"Plan initiated!" Baki, seeing Gaara transform, chose to immediately activate the plan. His voice was like cold iron: "Don't forget the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki! Also, has our 'distinguished guest' arrived?"
"Infiltrated!"
"Excellent! Pro…"
"Wait… B-boss, look!" The reporter suddenly spotted an incredible scene and pointed tremblingly at the arena.
Baki's cold gaze swept over like lightning. With just one look, his active thoughts instantly froze! He saw Naruto forming hand signs in the center of the arena.
"Wind Release: Super Vortex Wind Blade!"
Then, two massive, invisible wind blades were flung directly by Naruto.
Pffft!
Buzz—
Shukaku's colossal arm, like a pillar supporting the heavens, was severed as easily as a hot knife through butter, the cut smooth as a mirror! The two enormous severed arms crashed down, raising rolling waves.
This… is this right? This is a Tailed Beast! Baki doubted his sanity.
At the same time, time seemed to freeze. The arena fell into a vacuum-like silence!
The next instant, "WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" The accumulated shock ignited into a fervent lava, and cheers shattered the clouds! The VIPs, who had been terrified and attempting to flee due to the appearance of the giant beast, abruptly stopped their escape. They rigidly turned their heads, their pupils reflecting such a cataclysmic spectacle, and their emotions instantly ignited! This giant beast seemed… not so dangerous after all!
"Monster—no! A miracle!!!"
"How fortunate are we, to witness such immense power!!"
"Continue! Quickly, continue!!"
Instantly, the crowd erupted like a boiling cauldron, and applause thundered!
In the center of the arena.
Naruto's gaze was calm, piercing through the water vapor churned up by the falling giant arm, precisely locking onto the enormous body opposite him. The fervor or silence of the outside world was merely icing on the cake. What truly ignited Naruto—was only the Tailed Beast opposite him. After the Wind Release test just now, this One-Tail Shukaku's strength seemed far inferior to Kurama's! A Tailed Beast shouldn't be this weak. Could it be… due to the control of that little redhead?
If that's the case, Naruto once again formed hand signs.
"Water Release: Water Meteor Bullet!"
A giant, deep-blue, ink-like bullet formed out of thin air. It tore through the air, leaving a dazzling, scorching white trail! Like a star falling from the heavens—it slammed directly into Shukaku.
Thud—
Boom—
Two muffled thunderclaps sounded. Shukaku's mountain-like body rolled through turbulent waves, being struck back repeatedly! Finally, BOOM! Shukaku's twisted spine slammed heavily against the purple flame barrier. The entire barrier trembled violently, its light patterns flickering wildly!
Hiss—
The purple flame barrier instantly seared Shukaku's back.
"Oww!"
It let out a cry of pain, a deafening roar mixed with humiliation! The beast's suffering couldn't be empathized with; in fact, they found it exciting. What reassured them was that the beast was indeed blocked by the light barrier. Countless people cheered, their anxious hearts finally settling. Seeing this, Naruto actually showed a hint of disdain.
"Heh, is that all? Let the monster inside you come out! Otherwise, you won't even qualify as a punching bag!"
"Hehehehe…"
Gaara's shriveled body burst out of Shukaku's head from the sand, his laughter twisted, the candle of his sanity long since burnt out! "You want to see a monster? As you wish!"
"Fake Sleep Jutsu!"
Shukaku's massive body instantly stiffened like a mountain! The arena fell into dead silence! The next instant, those dull beast eyes suddenly contracted to pinpricks, and then a pure, destructive hunger, like a wild beast breaking free from its shackles, violently awakened deep within this shell!
"Hah! I'm finally out!!!"
Shukaku's shriek pierced the clouds, every syllable containing an almost convulsive ecstasy! Suddenly, its millstone-like blood-red eyes fiercely locked onto Naruto. Its massive claw, carrying an ill wind, pointed directly at Naruto's face: "Found an enemy I want to kill immediately! In this glorious moment—I'll tear you to shreds for entertainment!!!"
Naruto's brow slightly quirked: This One-Tail's personality is actually so… unconventional? But looking at that agile body, this was the true One-Tail.
Excellent! The main character has appeared; only now has this game truly begun! Since that's the case… let's try him out first.
"Water Release: Water Meteor Bullet!"
Starting again with Water Release, a deep blue giant bullet tore through the sky! But the Shukaku opposite him actually gave Naruto a huge surprise!
"Air Bullet!"
Shukaku's grinning maw suddenly stretched wide, and it slapped its belly.
Boom—
Its abdominal cavity roared like a wind-and-thunder drum, and a mass of transparent, compressed air, visible to the naked eye, blasted out! Wind and water collided in the air, dissipating!
"Ninjutsu?" Naruto was startled. Tailed Beasts can even use ninjutsu? This makes Kurama seem not so great after all!
"Naruto!" Nine-Tails had, unbeknownst to him, left the training space and appeared in the sealing dimension. Its voice was exceptionally urgent: "Beat it to death! After you beat it… I'll let you hug me for 2—no, 5 hours!"
Hm? Does this Nine-Tails have a grudge against Shukaku or something? Well, it just so happens to be convenient. He'll gladly accept those five hours!
He glanced at the person on the highest VIP platform; the disguised "Kazekage" figure fell into his sight.
"The big fish are still behind him…" Naruto's eyes glinted with cold light: "Gotta hold back a little, don't scare the fish away. If I went full power and blasted the Tailed Beast to dust, how would that snake dare to show its head?"
However, even holding back, thrashing Shukaku would be enough! Since it was his good friend Kurama's request, then…
Monstrous Strength Taijutsu! Assemble!
Gazing at the mountain-like Shukaku, Naruto pushed off with both feet, causing spiderweb cracks to spread across the arena floor beneath him. His figure transformed into an arrow released from a bow—so fast it tore through the air! Almost instantly, that tiny figure was suspended before Shukaku! He raised his fist, as big as a sandbag, and unleashed a deliberate punch!
This punch was not the lighthearted plea for mercy punch given to Gamabunta. This punch could shatter galaxies!
BOOM!!!
Violent fist aura mixed with intensely compressed chakra, instantly exploding like a supernova! Shukaku's massive, mountain-like chest and abdomen… were actually blasted into a terrifying vacuum zone, the terrifyingly heavy sand mountain flung airborne by the immense force, sent flying backward!
Thud-oww-oww—
Its massive body was cannoned against the purple flame barrier!
The light barrier emitted a piercing shriek! Its surface rippled violently like a storm-lashed lake! Countless barrier runes flickered wildly, on the verge of collapsing!
"Hiss!!!"
The audience collectively gasped! A second of dead silence—
"WAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
"Is that even human?!"
Then, an even more frenzied wave of shouts shattered their eardrums!
In the audience—
"This has to be a joke, right?" Kakashi's forehead protector was crooked, his Sharingan left unconcealed due to extreme shock! The Third Hokage crushed his pipe, his cloudy old eyes wide as brass bells! The disguised Orochimaru's snake eyes flickered with disbelief, almost overflowing his disguise! Sasuke's tightly clenched fists… dripped cold sweat!
'Even like this, can I still do it?'
All eyes… countless people now felt only one emotion: a mind-bending tremor! As if they were re-understanding the world. Could a human's fist truly possess such immense power?
Nine-Tails: Awesome!! Yes, yes, yes! That's the force! Right on its punchable face! Beat it to death!!
Shukaku's mind, however, was in chaos, both physically and psychologically.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Who the hell is this brat?
He looked down at his body, which was on the verge of collapsing from one punch, slowly repairing itself, just like his inner self at this moment. He had finally escaped, he was free, and then what? After only a short time, had the world already become like this? Or was this kid… a reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths?
Shukaku's arrogance? His sanity? Under these world-shattering punches, they were ground directly into dust, leaving nothing behind! Only one thought remained in its mind: Damn it, escape!!!
However… the narrow Four Violet Flames Formation had become an inescapable cage! Shukaku was like a sandbag, punched back and forth by Naruto's fists, each time slamming hard against the wall! He chased! It fled! It couldn't escape even with wings! Every time it tried to unleash something big to destroy the barrier, it was brutally interrupted by that ghost-like golden figure closing in, stopping it with an even more overbearing and unreasonable punch! Directly blasting it back to the edge of the barrier! Spraying sand rain everywhere! It, Shukaku, had become a punching bag, and it was being thoroughly beaten under the gaze of countless people!
Each impact made its body a bit more ethereal, its consciousness a bit blanker! Repairing could no longer keep up with the rate of destruction!
Nine-Tails cheered: So good! Hey! Shukaku! Do you have a Jinchuriki like this?! Hahahahaha!
Shukaku couldn't hear Nine-Tails' mockery. But Shukaku sensed this kid's punches. And this kid was holding back! He wanted to throw more punches! He was saving his strength to slowly play with and kill me, AAAHHH!!!
This! Freedom can go to hell!
Instantly, Shukaku's mountain-like body stood still. After taking dozens of punches, it, Shukaku, a dignified Tailed Beast, actually fled!