A monstrous, mountain-sized turtle towered over the battlefield. Its entire body was encased in a near-impervious shell, like an armor of steel. Three massive tails lashed through the air, radiating an overwhelming, oppressive chakra.
The seemingly impenetrable defenses of the Higashimatsuyama stronghold collapsed in an instant under the creature's arrival, dust and debris billowing skyward.
"The Three-Tails?!"
"Yuki Yoru, are you insane?!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was sent flying by the blast, eyes locked on Yoru in disbelief and rage.
"Come now, son of the Hokage. You Konoha folks sent the Nine-Tails into battle—this is just our way of returning the favor," Yoru said with a faint smile, his hand resting calmly on the hilt of Hyōrinmaru.
"Now, enjoy the gift we've prepared for you."
"Three-Tails! Tailed Beast Bomb!"
The blood seal embedded in Rin's heart surged to life. With a command from Yoru, a dense, malevolent chakra began to gather in the Three-Tails' mouth. On top of that, several smaller Tailed Beast Bombs formed at the tips of its tails and were flung outward.
BOOM!
Wherever the mini-Tailed Beast Bombs landed, massive explosions erupted. In moments, Higashimatsuyama was engulfed in smoke, fire, and devastation.
The main Tailed Beast Bomb fired from its maw struck dead center. The defensive structures were obliterated in a single blast—dozens of Konoha shinobi wiped out instantly, nothing left behind but vapor.
"Tailed Beasts really are a cheat code," Yoru said coldly, watching as the powerful stronghold crumbled like sand.
In a war where giant mechs and mass-scale destruction hadn't yet become standard, the power of a Tailed Beast was still absolute.
It was a shame, though. Targets slain by the Three-Tails didn't grant him any system points—but that was fine.
"You bastard! Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Furious, Sarutobi Shinnosuke slammed his hands to the ground. Instantly, the earth beneath the Three-Tails roared and liquefied, dragging the creature into a massive mire.
"Earth Style: Heaven's Weighing Press!"
"Earth Style: Binding Clay Drop!"
Thick slabs of hardened mud crashed from above, pinning the beast deeper into the swamp. Sticky clay caked onto its body, weighing it down further.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Following up the Earth Jutsu barrage, a torrent of fire roared toward the immobilized beast. Flames licked across its soaked body, the sizzle of evaporating swamp muck echoing loudly.
Yoru narrowed his eyes.
"As expected of the Hokage's son... you've already figured out its weakness."
The Three-Tails was known for its legendary defense—its shell second only to Shukaku's in durability. Regular attacks were almost meaningless.
But using Earth Style to trap it and Fire Style to superheat the mud—that combo could actually damage the thick shell.
Unfortunately...
"Pain like that just drives this thing into a complete frenzy."
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
The flames and burning sludge peeled away the mud-crusted armor, sending the beast into a rage. It howled, and another mass of dark chakra gathered in its mouth—a full-sized Tailed Beast Bomb locked on Sarutobi Shinnosuke's location.
"Everyone, brace yourselves! Defense formation—NOW!"
Shinnosuke shouted. He slammed his palms together, raising a massive earthen wall in front of him.
Behind him, the surviving Konoha shinobi followed suit, erecting wall after wall of Earth Style barriers to reinforce the defense.
The Tailed Beast Bomb struck with annihilating force. Wall after wall shattered in a heartbeat, but the sheer number and the upward-slanting angles diverted the worst of the blast toward the sky.
The camp survived—but barely.
"Not bad." Yoru smiled faintly.
"Yuki Yoru! I'll kill you here and now!" Shinnosuke roared, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Empty words, Hokage's son," Yoru said coolly. Hyōrinmaru slid free from its sheath with a soft hiss.
Shaaaaa—
Unnoticed until now, clouds had gathered overhead. Rain began to fall in a steady drizzle.
Empowered by the moisture, the Three-Tails howled again.
As a water-based beast, its power was crippled without water—but now, the battlefield was in its element.
It opened its jaws. Water vapor condensed into dense, pressurized cannonballs.
"BOOM!"
The Water Cannon burst forth. The Earth Style walls now offered no resistance, shattered like brittle leaves.
With a roar, the Three-Tails curled into its shell. Its massive body tucked in, it began to roll forward like a living juggernaut, barreling through the wreckage toward the Konoha lines.
The sheer momentum and pressure sent panic through the defenders. Even Shinnosuke's eyes widened.
"Dammit—this is hopeless—"
"Don't count us out yet! Super Expansion Jutsu: Human Boulder!"
From within the ranks, a massive figure leapt forward. Using the Akimichi clan's secret technique, Chōza's cousin Dōtō transformed into a giant and tucked in like a spinning cannonball to intercept the beast.
"Dōtō!"
"Lord Dōtō!!"
Two titanic bodies collided mid-air. In the next instant, Dōtō's body was hurled away like a rag doll, smashing into the ground and spitting blood.
He managed to slow the Three-Tails—but only just.
"Same size, but the mass difference is too big..." Shinnosuke muttered, fists clenched.
Then—more movement. Multiple figures emerged from the chaos. Shinnosuke's eyes narrowed.
"Those uniforms—damn it, Mist shinobi have infiltrated!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
He tried to flood the attackers out, but a descending ice dragon struck first, halting his jutsu mid-cast.
"Yuki Yoru!"
Too late. Shinnosuke's attention had been locked on the Three-Tails—he'd lost track of the real threat.
Yoru now stood calmly atop the Tailed Beast's head, sword in hand, Hyōrinmaru gleaming.
Shinnosuke's heart sank.
This guy... might be even more dangerous than the Three-Tails. If we don't deal with him soon, Higashimatsuyama might fall just like Jinnan Town.
"You can't afford distractions when fighting a boss, Hokage's son."
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