The massive Three-Tails loomed over Higashimatsuyama. On its back, Yoru stood atop its head, Hyōrinmaru unsheathed, the ice dragon roaring into the sky.
Man and beast rampaged like living weapons through the Konoha encampment.
The Three-Tails' huge tails slammed into the ground, launching countless shinobi into the air. Yoru followed up with sweeping arcs of ice, mercilessly cutting them down midair.
A steady stream of battle points flowed into his account, making Yoru narrow his eyes in satisfaction.
Although Higashimatsuyama didn't have the same moisture-rich environment as Jinnan Town—where he could unleash large-scale ice jutsu—the presence of the Three-Tails still made this a very rewarding fight.
"Damn you, Yuki Yoru!"
A roar rang out as a long staff shot from the dust cloud, slamming against the underside of the Three-Tails' chin.
Though it couldn't pierce the beast's armor, the sheer force of the strike caused its massive body to stagger.
"Oh?" Yoru turned his head and saw Sarutobi Shin'nosuke charging toward him, wielding a length-adjustable staff.
"The Adamantine Staff, huh… Honestly, I've never been fond of that name. Feels like plagiarism," Yoru muttered as he brought his blade down.
Shin'nosuke raised his staff to meet the blow. Hyōrinmaru and the Adamantine Staff clashed violently, sparks flying.
"But I'll admit, at this moment, you do carry a bit of the Third Hokage's presence, son of the Hokage."
"Too bad... once you're out of the picture, who else in Konoha can contain the Three-Tails?"
"RRAAAHH!!"
As if responding to Yoru's words, the Three-Tails let out a thunderous roar. Its chakra surged again, a tailed beast bomb forming in its maw.
Dozens of Konoha shinobi tried to stop it with jutsu, but their attacks were barely a nuisance to the monstrous turtle.
In contrast, every one of the Three-Tails' casual strikes sent Konoha forces flying.
"Don't underestimate Konoha!"
Just then, a deep voice rang out from the rear. Akimichi Dōtō, who had fallen earlier, was somehow back on his feet.
He bit down on a red pill and swallowed it in one motion. Instantly, an enormous surge of chakra burst from his body—so dense it physically emanated from his skin, wrapping around him like a fiery aura.
Behind him, a pair of glowing butterfly wings formed.
Shin'nosuke's eyes widened. The figure before him had slimmed down drastically, his body honed and transformed by the Akimichi clan's final technique.
"This is… the final stage of the Akimichi clan's secret pills?"
Even Yoru narrowed his eyes in surprise at the chakra radiating from Dōtō.
"The Akimichi's red pill—said to amplify one's strength a hundredfold—converts body fat directly into chakra. When taken to its limit, it gives rise to wings like a butterfly… the 'butterfly' of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio."
"BOOM!!"
Fully transformed, Dōtō charged the Three-Tails and punched it square in the face. The impact was so great that it interrupted the tailed beast bomb's formation and even knocked the giant turtle back several steps.
Enraged, the Three-Tails howled and swung its massive tails like whips, striking at Dōtō with deadly force. But Dōtō met the attacks head-on, fists clenched, trading blows directly with the beast.
Meanwhile, Yoru's blade clashed again with Shin'nosuke's staff.
"The power is impressive," Yoru admitted, "but the cost of this butterfly transformation is total physical collapse… and death."
Shin'nosuke's expression darkened. As the Hokage's son, he knew well what happened to those who took the red pill.
But still...
"Who the hell are you to talk down to Konoha shinobi?!" he shouted.
Yoru simply sneered and sent two ice dragons sweeping through the battlefield, cutting down several weaker Konoha shinobi nearby.
"So this is Konoha's hidden strength…"
From a distance, Yuki Kiyomi—who was waiting with reinforcements and the unconscious Kakashi—watched with a grim expression as Dōtō exchanged blows with the Three-Tails.
She had expected the Three-Tails to easily destroy the Konoha encampment. But clearly, the enemy still had more strength than anticipated.
"Don't waste time," she ordered. "With Lord Yoru fighting Shin'nosuke, we must capitalize on the chaos and secure our objectives immediately."
"Yes, Lady Kiyomi!"
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the clash between the Three-Tails and Akimichi Dōtō raged on.
The force of their blows shook the earth. Dōtō's chakra wings fluttered wildly as he launched punch after punch, holding the beast at bay through sheer will.
But external power had its limits.
As the red pill's effects waned, the butterfly wings began to flicker and fade. During one explosive clash, Dōtō was sent flying, his massive body slamming into the ground in a spray of blood.
The Three-Tails snarled and gathered chakra in its mouth once more.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Dōtō forced himself upright. His butterfly wings had already vanished, but chakra still surged around his right arm like a cocoon about to burst.
"Even if it costs my life… I'll stop you!"
"ROOOOAAARRR!!"
The tailed beast bomb surged forward just as Dōtō unleashed his final strike—one last, full-powered Butterfly Bullet Fist.
The explosion from their clash created a shockwave that shook the sky. Dōtō's body visibly shrank as his strength faded, but he held his ground, pushing the tailed beast bomb off-course.
The blast veered away into the distant mountains.
At the same time, Dōtō's body returned to normal and plummeted from midair.
"BOOM!!"
The Three-Tails lunged, ready to crush him.
But at the last second—a flash of golden light sliced through the air.
The beast missed.
"Minato…"
Dōtō's vision dimmed, but he caught a glimpse of golden hair glittering beneath the moonlight.
"You've done enough, Dōtō," Minato said quietly.
Hearing that, a faint smile formed on Dōtō's bloodied face. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
Minato gently laid him on the ground, then turned to face the rampaging Three-Tails.
His eyes burned with fury.
"…You've done enough."