Chapter 264: Hidden Contingency
Though this excessively long name made even the Nine-Tails in his mental realm roll its eyes, internally complaining that this brat's naming sense was just as terrible as his father's, the technique's power was unquestionable.
Five Rasengan containing different elemental chakra and of immense size, like five falling meteors carrying momentum to destroy everything, boldly crashed into that sand sea attempting to devour all!
RUMBLE—!!!
Deafening explosions rang out in succession as different elemental chakra energies instantly erupted, intertwined, and annihilated! Scorching flame tornadoes, violent thunder, wind blades tearing everything apart, rock impacts heavy as mountains, and surging towering waves...
That endless sand sea rapidly disintegrated under this terrifying bombardment fusing the power of five elements, a massive passage forcibly carved through it.
Yet the Rasengan's power was far from exhausted. After tearing through the sand barrier, their momentum undiminished, they all solidly bombarded Shukaku's massive body below!
"ROAAAAR—!!!"
Shukaku's angry yet agonized roar echoed, its massive body completely engulfed by the explosion.
Naruto landed lightly atop a towering tree, calmly watching that light sphere still continuously exploding not far away, energy running rampant, and Shukaku's miserable howls within.
He rapidly assessed the situation. If Gaara's body was exposed outside Shukaku like in the "original," he'd only need to knock him awake to forcibly cancel the Tailed Beast transformation. But now, Gaara was clearly completely devoured by Shukaku's consciousness, hidden deep within its body.
Then only one method remained—beat Shukaku back into the seal by force!
The explosion's bright light and smoke slowly dispersed. Shukaku's massive body still stood in place, just in a miserable state. Its sand-grain-constructed body was covered in massive holes and cracks, like a leaking, worn-out toy, sand grains constantly trickling from the wounds, repair speed far unable to keep up with destruction.
"The Shield of Shukaku?" Naruto immediately recognized this defensive technique. At the last moment, it had used super-high-density sand to protect most of its body, but was still severely injured.
Shukaku struggled to raise its head, eyes locked on Naruto atop the tree, burning with rage and madness. "You brat! And that damn fox! You forced me to this!!"
It fell completely into berserk fury, suddenly opening its giant maw, disregarding its still-collapsing body as it forcibly began gathering power! Red chakra representing yang release and blue chakra representing yin release began frantically mixing and compressing in its mouth at a precise 8:2 ratio!
Finally, a deep purple-black sphere rapidly formed in its mouth, containing terrifying power sufficient to completely decompose and annihilate all matter.
It was a Tailed Beast Bomb!
BOOM—!!!
The purple-black Tailed Beast Bomb howled toward Naruto with annihilating aura. Wherever it passed, even light seemed devoured, leaving only a distorted trajectory.
Facing this terrifying strike sufficient to erase a mountain from the map, Naruto's pupils showed no panic whatsoever. He simply calmly raised both hands, rapidly forming seals, then held a Flying Thunder God kunai engraved with special runes before him.
The next moment, unexpected change occurred!
On the Tailed Beast Bomb's forward path, complex and precise sealing runes suddenly manifested in the air without warning, instantly constructing an invisible spatial coordinate network.
That destructive energy sphere seemed to crash into an invisible spider web, its speed sharply decreasing. Immediately after, the massive energy body was actually forcibly pulled and twisted by that runic formation, forcibly "sinking" in!
"Flying Thunder God Guiding Thunder."
As chakra violently surged within Naruto, the space-time ninjutsu activated again. His figure flickered slightly with golden flash.
Almost simultaneously, in an uninhabited mountain valley several kilometers away, the Tailed Beast Bomb precisely transferred here lost the spatial coordinates' restraint, the extremely unstable yin-yang release chakra inside instantly becoming unbalanced—
BOOM!!!!!!!
A far more violent, dull explosion than any before came from the distance. Even across such vast distance, one could clearly see a massive mushroom cloud mixed with purple-black energy slowly rising, the explosion's shockwave even making the forest here sway. Power comparable to a small nuclear bomb, but meaningless if unable to hit its target.
Shukaku was completely dumbfounded, eyes bulging wide. Its strongest killing move was just... so casually neutralized?! This brat... what kind of monster was he?!
In stark contrast to Shukaku's shock was Kurama's complex emotions within Naruto. Watching Naruto skillfully use Flying Thunder God to transfer away that familiar threat, the Nine-Tails couldn't help feeling somewhat nostalgic. This kid... really is becoming more and more like that man...
It couldn't help recalling that night many years ago when it had once again been controlled by the Sharingan, rampaging through Konoha. Finally, a man had stopped it and at the cost of his life sealed half of it within Naruto...
Thinking of this, the Nine-Tails' heart suddenly became somewhat unsettled. Though that man had already been on the brink of death then, it had ultimately done something irreversible to Naruto's parents...
Guilt and hidden fear quietly grew—the Nine-Tails suddenly feared that someday Naruto would learn the complete truth of his parents' deaths.
"Gah gah... uuuu... this great me... doesn't want to go back yet!"
Shukaku unwillingly moved its massive body backward, its sand-grain-formed face actually showing somewhat humanized fear and grievance.
It had only just gained freedom! It didn't want to return to that lightless sealed prison again! Moreover, this time being personally suppressed by the stinking fox's jinchuriki... if there was ever another chance to meet the Nine-Tails, Shukaku didn't dare imagine what infuriating expression that arrogant fox would wear!
Meanwhile, at the battle's periphery, deep in the dense forest shadows, a figure stood quietly on a high branch, intently observing the battle between Naruto and Shukaku. Snake-like pupils tightly locked onto Naruto's brilliant golden chakra mode, eyes flashing with undisguised, nearly obsessive possessiveness.
It was actually Orochimaru who should be battling the Third Hokage? However, looking carefully, this "Orochimaru's" body chakra fluctuations were considerably weaker—apparently this wasn't his true body, just a clone for observation and backup plans.
"A perfect... jinchuriki. The gap between them and wild Tailed Beasts that can't be fully controlled is actually this vast?"
Orochimaru muttered lowly, his hoarse voice carrying barely suppressible excitement. His original plan was to wait until Shukaku and Naruto were both heavily injured before making his move, but now it seemed that would fail.
At this rate, Shukaku would soon be completely suppressed.
"Though controlled by a clone, this body maintained by the Shapeshifting Technique has limited chakra... but it should be enough to execute the backup plan."
He hesitated no longer, his hands rapidly forming that forbidden seal.
"Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
****
80+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces