"You damn crow, if you have the guts to hit me with fireballs, then come down here! See if Lord Shukaku won't swallow you whole!"
Shukaku activated his 'taunt' skill.
If it were a less disciplined summoned beast, it might have come down for a head-on fight.
But Taiichi's obedience to Uchiha Takashi was maxed out, completely ignoring Shukaku's taunts, continuing to circle high above, occasionally diving into attack range to unleash a round of fireballs, executing guerrilla tactics to perfection.
Faced with this situation, Shukaku was filled with rage, and unfortunately, one creature bore the brunt of it.
The Dream Tapir!
This summoned beast, which occasionally used Wind Release attacks, was initially ignored by Shukaku.
But when he couldn't deal with Taiichi in the air, the Dream Tapir became his punching bag.
"Run, keep running from me!"
The Air Bullets couldn't hit Taiichi, but they were a perfect match for hitting the Dream Tapir. If Shukaku wasn't in a playful mood, it would have been blasted to pieces long ago.
Danzo watched his summoned beast being tormented, feeling extremely frustrated.
It wasn't out of concern for the summoned beast! He wasn't soft-hearted; it was just that the contrast was too stark.
Other people's summoned beasts could restrain Shukaku without a scratch, but his Dream Tapir's attacks were like scratching sand, and it was being humiliated like this.
"Damn Shukaku, damn Uchiha Takashi!"
Danzo cursed inwardly.
Unfortunately, he wasn't an Uchiha, so no matter how intense his emotions were, he couldn't awaken the Sharingan, and it only affected his performance.
Sand! A mass of gold dust silently emerged from the ground, wrapping around Danzo's right leg.
"Danzo, you're getting old," Rasa taunted while activating his Bloodline Limit, "Magnet Release: Gold Dust!"
Whoosh! Countless gold dust surged from the ground around their battle.
Before those overpowered players came online, ninja battles weren't about raw power but about whether you could hit your target.
If you couldn't hit, no matter how powerful your jutsu was, it was a waste.
If you could hit, even a kunai could easily take down a Jonin or even a Kage-level opponent.
Rasa hadn't used large-scale jutsu before because Danzo was experienced in battle, leaving no openings.
Now that there was an opportunity, he naturally went all out.
"Wind Release: True Blade Dance!!"
Danzo used his trump card jutsu.
Countless wind blades shredded the approaching gold dust.
At this point, he hadn't obtained the Sharingan or Wood Release, so he naturally focused on Wind Release.
In a clash of ultimate moves, Danzo was at a disadvantage.
Wind Release excelled at 'cutting'! If it were flesh and blood, it would have been sliced to pieces.
But who ever heard of gold dust being afraid of cutting?
As for dodging... under normal circumstances, it would be possible.
Now that his right leg was bound by gold dust, he could only withstand it head-on.
"Die!"
Rasa clenched his right hand tightly around the gold dust binding Danzo's right leg.
Crack!
The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.
Facing the intense pain, Danzo gritted his teeth and used Wind Release against Rasa, who was about to launch a follow-up attack.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Forcing the opponent to halt his attack.
Meanwhile, Danzo noticed the massive waves of gold dust closing in from all around.
'No, I can't fall here. I still need to 'make Konoha great again' and prove that my teacher's choice was wrong!'
With this thought, a fierce determination flashed in Danzo's eyes.
Slash! He used Wind Release to forcibly sever his shattered right leg encased in gold dust.
Ninjas typically avoid attacks rather than face them head-on. He had chosen to withstand it earlier because he was bound, but now that he was free, there was no need to continue taking it head-on.
Whoosh! Danzo escaped the gold dust encirclement, fleeing towards Kikyo Mountain without looking back.
He had no choice; continuing to fight Rasa would be suicidal.
As a dignified elder advisor, how could he die like an ordinary ninja fighting to the end?
With Danzo's retreat, the situation took a sharp turn.
The most crucial task was to stop Shukaku, who almost killed the Dream Tapir.
If they let him continue rampaging, no matter how strong the Kikyo Mountain barrier was, it wouldn't withstand many more attacks.
Thus, Nara Shikaku commanded:
"You guys hold them off, we'll deal with Shukaku!"
Note that their side consisted of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, two elder advisors, along with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and the hidden Aburame Shikuro.
They were in a dominant position.
Given a bit more time, they could definitely defeat the Sand Ninja advisors, Chiyo and her brother.
But now that Rasa was free, the opportunity was lost, and they had to find a way to deal with Shukaku.
Buzz! Countless black dots crawled over the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets controlled by Chiyo.
They were nano-sized poisonous insects! Unfortunately, they were activated too early; otherwise, they might have severely injured Chiyo and her brother in one strike.
With the hidden Aburame Shikuro making his move, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had a chance to break free and rushed towards Shukaku, who was being harassed by fireballs from above.
Leading the charge was Akimichi Choza, the red-haired, armor-clad giant who took out a secret pill and swallowed it.
Terrifying chakra erupted from him, even stronger than a Kage-level ninja, and then he used the Akimichi clan's secret technique.
"Super Expansion Jutsu!"
In an instant, he transformed into a giant dozens of meters tall.
His massive size caught Shukaku's attention.
Sensing something amiss, a large amount of energy gathered at Shukaku's mouth.
It was a Tailed Beast Bomb!
But the firing motion suddenly halted.
Shadows!
Countless web-like shadows were binding its shadow.
"Inoichi!"
Nara Shikaku, having exhausted his chakra to barely control Shukaku for a moment, loudly reminded his companion.
With golden hair and blue eyes, wearing a red robe, Yamanaka Inoichi instantly activated his secret technique.
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
Directly hitting Shukaku.
This was the Yamanaka clan's mental technique, capable of hitting targets in a straight line.
If it weren't for Shikaku Nara using his Shadow Imitation Technique to bind the target first, this attack might have missed, or the opponent could have blocked it with sand. The conditions for performing this secret technique are stringent, so naturally, its power is immense.
Shukaku, standing motionless, allowed the giant-like Choza Akimichi to approach.
"Super Open Hand Slap!"
Choza Akimichi, already in his giant form, extended his hands to use his secret technique.
Under normal circumstances, using this jutsu, his hands might only be a few meters in size.
But now, in his Super Multi-Size Technique state, his palms instantly became larger than Shukaku, carrying terrifying brute force as they slapped forward.
Even a steel battleship would be flattened by this strike.
The only drawback is that it's easy to dodge.
But Shukaku, currently controlled by the Shadow Imitation Technique and a mental technique, could only take the hit solidly.
Boom!
Shukaku's massive body was sent flying, scattering countless fragments.
This slap shattered stars!
Any creature of flesh and blood couldn't survive this, but with a tailed beast, it's uncertain.
Shukaku, pushed hundreds of meters away and creating a crater upon impact, had its broken body being continuously repaired by the yellow sand emerging from the ground.
Clearly, given a bit more time, it would recover completely.
This shows the difference in power between jinchuriki.
Future Gaara couldn't even utilize a tenth of Shukaku's strength. "Taiichi!"
Seeing this, Uchiha Takashi also prepared to get serious.
He found Shukaku too troublesome and thought it best to take it out of the fight to avoid any unexpected events later.
Caw!!
A sharp cry echoed through the sky, drawing countless eyes.
The once bright sky turned dark, and the warm air became cold.
Because all the light and heat were being absorbed by Taiichi.
Whoosh! Flames ignited on its body, illuminating the surrounding area like a dazzling sun.
Indeed, Taiichi was about to unleash its strongest attack.
The same super move used during the joint Chunin Exams.
Sunset!
Taiichi transformed into a blazing sun, crashing down towards Shukaku's location.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust!"
Rasa, who was initially preparing to attack the Konoha shinobi, now focused all his efforts on defense.
Sand! Countless gold dust formed a cube above Shukaku.
Even the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu, controlled by Chiyo, moved to Shukaku's side.
Puppet Technique: Light Shield Seal!
Layer upon layer of transparent light shields formed a large prismatic shield, sandwiched between the gold dust and Shukaku.
They all knew that losing a tailed beast, a weapon of war, would make breaching the fortress much more difficult, so they spared no effort to block the attack.
The dazzling sun crashed into the earth.
First came the terrifyingly intense light, causing everyone to instinctively close their eyes or look away.
Boom!!!
Then came the thunderous sound of flames erupting.
The terrifying flames melted and eroded everything.
Under these flames, neither the gold dust nor the Light Shield Seal could defend.
Fortunately, this destructive attack lasted less than ten seconds before abruptly ending, leaving only the scorched marks of the flames.
Devastating! Truly devastating! In the crater, only the jinchuriki lay, surrounded by nearly molten ground.
A destructive strike.
Though the cost was Taiichi being unable to fight for a while, it was definitely worth it.
"What a pity!"
Uchiha Takashi sighed as he looked at the scene in the distance.
He hadn't wanted to go in for the 'finishing blow' because Pakura was blocking his way, ready to fight to the death if he took one step forward.
This chance to eliminate the jinchuriki was missed.
If it were a die-hard Konoha loyalist, they'd probably feel regret.
But Uchiha Takashi merely felt he missed the chance for a finishing blow, and wasn't too bothered by it.
Both sides had losses at this point.
Konoha lost Kushina Uzumaki, Danzo, Choza Akimichi (due to the secret medicine's aftereffects), and Taiichi (unable to summon for a short time), several high-level combatants.
The Sand Ninja lost Shukaku (unable to fight for a short time), and Chiyo's combat power was greatly reduced (loss of the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu).
Overall, Konoha suffered more.
One could say, the past decision of Konoha's leadership to keep Kushina Uzumaki from leaving the village had its consequences.
If she had been properly trained, with her superior strength and talent, how could she have ended up taking a Tailed Beast Ball head-on? There wouldn't have been a chance for the opponent to use it.
Battle experience!
It's crucial for a ninja.
Bang, bang!
Several signal flares were fired into the sky above the fortress.
It was a signal to retract and defend.
"Hope next time we meet, you'll be pleased with the surprise I bring!"
Uchiha Takashi left these words before retreating.
Though he still had plenty of chakra.
But when the company closes, why should an employee work overtime to create wealth for the higher-ups?
Without getting a bonus, why work yourself to the bone?
On the contrary, when he returns, next time he takes action, it will be his turn to take the stage.
A stage where every bit of strength he displays can earn him corresponding rewards.
"What does he mean...?"
Pakura was completely puzzled, but she had no intention of stopping him.
Because she couldn't stop him.
Just like if she wanted to retreat, Uchiha Takashi couldn't stop her either.
When the strength gap isn't too wide, at their level, defeating is easy, but killing is hard.
(End of Chapter)