Sand filled the sky, forming a massive dome that swallowed everything in its path and completely sealed off Uchiha Hayashi's escape routes. No matter how he shifted or dodged, the sand followed relentlessly, closing in from all directions.
So much for the trust between man and beast.
With no other choice, Hayashi rapidly formed hand seals. Lightning chakra erupted in his palm, and the sharp cry of a thousand birds pierced the air.
At this moment, there was no need for a large scale ninjutsu to clash head on with Shukaku's overwhelming force.
When facing an attack that covered a vast area, concentrating power into a single point was always the most effective solution.
The Chidori surged violently, then flowed like liquid lightning. It spread from his hand to his arm, then rapidly expanded further, wrapping around his entire body like a thin, crackling layer of electricity.
Lightning Release, Chidori Stream.
Using his arm as the spearhead, Hayashi aimed to pierce straight through the countless grains of sand. Shukaku possessed terrifying sealing abilities, strong enough that even Uchiha Madara had once been restrained by them.
Hayashi did not have the Raikage's ironclad body, so reinforcing himself against Shukaku's follow up attacks was absolutely necessary.
Stimulated by Lightning Release chakra, Hayashi took a step back and bent his legs. His body tensed like a drawn bow, then he launched himself forward in an instant.
Boom.
Sand exploded outward, leaving behind a massive crater as Hayashi, wrapped in crackling lightning, shot straight toward the dark curtain overhead.
Under Shukaku's control, the descending sand abruptly changed form. The net like structure rapidly collapsed inward, converging into a dense, spherical mass.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into an enormous Shukaku Shield.
Hayashi's figure was completely swallowed inside.
The Shukaku Shield continued to compress. Gaps that had once existed vanished entirely, and faint purple markings gradually appeared across its surface, becoming clearer and more distinct with each passing second.
"Hehe."
Shukaku laughed with unrestrained excitement. As long as it could kill Hayashi, nothing else mattered.
The Sand Village shinobi fighting nearby were irrelevant. Shukaku had only drawn them out because it was bored and wanted something to play with.
Its only regret was that it still had not learned more about that damned fox.
After finishing the technique, Shukaku let out a triumphant roar, as though Hayashi's corpse was already lying before it.
"Finally dead. Every human who ever bullied me ended the same way."
Swish, swish.
Before its laughter could fade, the massive sphere of sand suddenly trembled. The surface collapsed inward, then burst apart violently. Sand poured down like a torrential rain as the shrill cry of lightning grew louder and louder.
Bang.
Wrapped in crackling chakra, Hayashi burst free from the sand. The Chidori in his hand extended outward, forming a blade of lightning several meters long as he slashed straight toward Shukaku's head.
"What, not dead yet? Damn Konoha brat!"
Shukaku's head struck the sand with a sharp impact. In the next moment, it dissolved into loose grains, scattering across the ground. Under Shukaku's control, a new head of compressed sand immediately reformed atop its shoulders.
Fury consumed what little reason Shukaku had left.
As Hayashi landed, Shukaku slammed an arm like a golden pillar deep into the desert floor.
Quicksand Torrent.
Hayashi had seen this technique before during the battle against the Third Kazekage. Back then, Orochimaru had barely managed to block it with Rashomon.
But now, Shukaku's power was clearly greater. Its chakra reserves far surpassed those of the Third Kazekage, and the battlefield itself was a desert, its natural domain.
In Hayashi's vision, everything became Shukaku's territory. The sand surged and rolled like massive waves, swallowing the land whole.
Blocking it head on was impossible. Hayashi did not possess Rashomon. Instead, he retreated rapidly while forming hand seals at the same time.
"Mutual Bursting Tag Formation."
Dozens of purple snakes suddenly appeared within the rolling sand. On the surface, they seemed insignificant, but each one carried a Mutual Bursting Tag hidden within its body.
This was one of Hayashi's prepared tricks.
By sealing the tags inside snakes, the mobile summons could plant them freely across the battlefield. It did not interfere with his own movements, and most opponents would never notice small snakes burrowing beneath the ground during intense combat.
This technique was specifically designed to deal with enemies who liked to stand still while controlling the battlefield.
For example, Rasa of the Sand Village.
If a snake managed to slip beneath his foot and attach a tag to the sole of his sandal, the result would be unthinkable.
As the snakes scattered, the Mutual Bursting Tags detonated one after another. Bursting tags stored within Ryuchi Cave were summoned continuously, exploding in rapid succession.
The advancing sand was torn apart by the chain explosions. The air vibrated violently as shockwaves rippled outward, tearing the ground into a shattered, ruined mess.
The explosions continued for several minutes before finally fading.
Even Hayashi had not expected the combined power of so many Mutual Bursting Tags to be this overwhelming.
"Even if I can't beat you, you can't kill me either," Hayashi shouted. "And I still have plenty of Mutual Bursting Tags left. I even opened a weapon shop just to make them."
He continued calmly, "If you try using a Tailed Beast Ball on me, I will simply use the Reverse Summoning Technique and leave."
As he spoke, he tugged lightly on Dabai, coiled around his neck.
"…."
Shukaku fell silent.
That had been its next move.
Only now did it fully realize that it truly could not kill this brat.
After a brief pause, Shukaku's fury collapsed into visible frustration. It flopped onto the sand and began rolling back and forth like a sulking child.
Hayashi stared at it, speechless.
After a few minutes of thrashing around, Shukaku finally stopped.
"How about we call a truce?" it muttered.
"That's more like it," Hayashi replied, nodding.
He quickly swallowed several soldier pills to restore his chakra. Shukaku was unreliable by nature, so staying on guard was essential.
"Kid," Shukaku said gruffly, "why are you so determined to target me? I don't have any personal grudges with you Konoha shinobi."
Hayashi rolled his eyes. "I saved you last time. Did you forget already? Besides, our real target was the Sand Village shinobi from the beginning."
"…Then how about we sit down and talk?"
Shukaku spoke with what looked like a pleading expression. Out of Hayashi's line of sight, however, several parts of its body quietly swelled again.
Talking on the surface while preparing a sneak attack.
As expected of a tailed beast. Their hostility toward humans was never simple.
Hayashi casually waved his hand, dispersing the incoming sand attack behind him with Lightning Release.
"You noticed again, you cunning brat!"
"You should stop testing me," Hayashi replied calmly. "Any of your actions are meaningless in front of these eyes."
Shukaku snorted. "Cursed eyes. The Uchiha are even more troublesome than tailed beasts."
"Eyes may be cursed," Hayashi said evenly, "but people are not necessarily evil. It's better not to judge someone based only on appearances."
Ignoring the sand beneath him, Hayashi sat down directly on the ground.
Shukaku stared at him for a moment, then spoke slowly. "What you said… that old monk Bunpuku once said something similar. You really are different from other humans."
After a brief pause, it changed the subject.
"So, are you really on good terms with that damned fox?"
"Of course," Hayashi replied without hesitation. "He's actually quite mild tempered."
"Hahaha," Shukaku burst out laughing. "Mild tempered? You are trying to kill me."
"That fox has been stealing everything from me since we were young. It was always me first, being born first, liking things first…"
Suddenly, Shukaku stopped, staring at Hayashi with clear vigilance.
It had spoken too much.
This felt uncomfortably similar to that Indra brat's genjutsu.
Hayashi remained silent for a moment, then a bold idea surfaced in his mind.
"Shukaku," he asked suddenly, "how long has it been since you last saw Kurama?"
Shukaku thought for a moment. "About a hundred years. Back then, the Sand Village didn't even exist yet."
"Then," Hayashi continued, "do you want to see him again? He's living quite happily inside his jinchuriki."
"What?" Shukaku snapped angrily. "Are you trying to trick me into going to Konoha so you can seal me again?"
"No," Hayashi said calmly. "You only need to give me a little of your chakra. I can take it to Konoha and let it meet Kurama. Wouldn't that be the same?"
He added, "Once you're sealed again, having a fragment of consciousness outside isn't a bad thing. That amount of chakra won't affect you, and it's useless to me anyway."
Shukaku fell silent.
It did not immediately reject the idea.
It lowered its head and sank into deep thought.
____
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