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"Raaahhh~~!" The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path roared, clutching its head. Its nine eyes bulged wide, bloodshot and wild, while its chakra surged violently, stirring up a storm of dust and debris.
"Be careful!" Kurama warned. "It looks like the Ten-Tails is about to be revived. Even if it hasn't gathered all the Tailed Beasts' chakra, that thing's power is no joke."
Naruto clasped his hands together, entering Sage Mode while maintaining his Tailed Beast transformation. His slitted fox pupils overlapped with the horizontal frog-like pupils of Sage Mode, forming the distinctive cross-shaped eyes known as Sage Fox Mode.
Kurama asked, "Naruto, what are you planning?"
Naruto had already begun forming a Tailed Beast Bomb. "Obviously, I'm going to hit it with one. There's no rule saying we have to wait for the enemy to finish transforming before attacking, right?"
"That's true, but that guy's Rinnegan can absorb Tailed Beast Bombs, can't it?" Kurama pointed out, recalling how Obito had absorbed even Amaterasu.
"Which is why I'm going to infuse it with Sage Jutsu. No harm in trying." Naruto said matter-of-factly. "Don't just stand there give me a hand! Let's go big on this one."
Hearing Naruto complain, Kurama snapped, "Haven't I been helping from the start!?"
"Really? No wonder the natural energy is gathering so fast! Haha!" Naruto chuckled. "I thought this form had some kind of special boost."
Kurama sighed, unwilling to argue with an idiot. "Alright, it's ready to fire!"
"Sage Art: Tailed Beast Bomb!"
A massive Tailed Beast Bomb, even larger than Kurama's own head, shot forward, striking the Demonic Statue's chest.
"BOOM!"
The explosion rocked the battlefield, sending the massive statue crashing onto its back. A brilliant white light engulfed its form.
"Did it work?" Kakashi and Sasuke, watching from the shadows, held their breath.
"It's useless!" Obito's voice rang out as the transformation continued unhindered. He had used the statue to shield himself from the explosion and now emerged, sneering. "Watch closely this is the beginning of the end!"
As if in response to his words, the Ten-Tails let out a deafening roar. Its transformation was complete.
Ten tails whipped through the air behind it. Its main body resembled a hermit crab hiding inside a conch shell or perhaps a giant bamboo shoot. In the centre of its forehead, a Rinne Sharingan glowed ominously, while below it, a massive mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth gaped open.
Obito leapt onto the Ten-Tails' head well, what passed for its head. A thick tendril extended from the beast's skull, connecting to the back of Obito's neck.
Black Zetsu stood slightly behind him, silent and unmoving, like an ominous statue.
A rough estimate placed the Ten-Tails' height at nearly ten times that of Kurama.
"Hahahaha!" Feeling the immense power coursing through him, Obito ripped off his mask and laughed maniacally. "Now, feel the power of the Ten-Tails! Despair!"
Naruto, Kushina, and the two Kuramas stood on high alert. Shisui and Itachi, both in their Susanoo, tensed for battle. Even Minato, who had been waiting for the right moment to strike, looked grim.
This was the legendary monster. According to Kurama's descriptions, the Ten-Tails could drink up oceans, split the earth, and move mountains at will—a true world-ending catastrophe.
And under Sage Mode's sensory perception, Naruto felt as if he wasn't facing a mountain but an entire continent!
"I expected it to be big, but this is ridiculous," Minato muttered. Also in Sage Mode, a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. He took a deep breath no matter what, they couldn't afford to give up. He quickly locked onto the Ten-Tails' Rinne Sharingan and the tendril connecting it to Obito. If the beast had a weakness, it had to be one of those two.
Seeing everyone's wary expressions, Obito smirked in satisfaction. With a commanding wave of his hand, he ordered the Ten-Tails to attack. Everyone tensed, ready to react.
Ten seconds passed.
The Ten-Tails didn't move.
Naruto and the others exchanged confused glances.
Obito's smirk stiffened. 'Did I give the order wrong?'
Even Black Zetsu looked bewildered. Don't tell me it's malfunctioning at a crucial moment?
"Haha!" Obito pressed his fingers into a seal, his Rinnegan flaring as he poured chakra into the connection, commanding the Ten-Tails again.
This time, the massive beast finally reacted. Its legs tensed, lifting its colossal body slightly off the ground before it began charging forward with thunderous steps.
Obito's lips curled upward. That was just a delay the Ten-Tails must not have fully awakened before. But now, everything is under control!
As the rampaging Ten-Tails approached, Shisui and Itachi braced their Susanoo. Naruto and Kushina's Kuramas readied themselves. Kakashi and Sasuke flanked from behind, while Minato stood prepared to intervene at any moment.
The Ten-Tails stormed forward, its monstrous presence filling the battlefield. Obito laughed triumphantly, and even Black Zetsu's expression showed anticipation.
Then, out of nowhere—
It tripped.
Its massive foot landed awkwardly, causing its enormous body to lurch forward. Its colossal face smashed into the ground with an earth-shattering crash, creating a crater of unknown depth. The ten tails behind it went limp, sprawling uselessly over the ground.
Obito: ...
Black Zetsu: ...
Everyone else: ...
"Did… did it just trip?" Naruto stared blankly. "Since when does the Ten-Tails have this kind of quirk? Big Fox, is this some kind of weird habit of yours too?"
He was suddenly reminded of Kurama's tiny clone that roamed around Konoha, using its cuteness to freeload meals.
Kurama subconsciously nodded before roaring in denial, "Of course not! I don't do cute!"
Shisui, whose eyes were the sharpest, spoke up. "Its legs… something's off. The chakra distribution is uneven—some parts look… underdeveloped?"
It took him a moment to find the right words.
"What the hell is going on?" Obito shouted in frustration at Black Zetsu. He had been moments away from showing off, only for the Ten-Tails to faceplant!?
Black Zetsu shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe its chakra is imbalanced, or maybe… you're struggling to control it because you only have one Rinnegan."
As they spoke, the Ten-Tails struggled to its feet. It shook its head in confusion as if trying to process what had just happened.
Technically, the Ten-Tails was an entity of nature, akin to the land, the ocean, and the sky. It wasn't supposed to have emotions.
Yet in the depths of its Rinne Sharingan, there was unmistakable confusion.
Thump! A loud heartbeat echoed from within its body. A massive bulge swelled on its back before bursting open revealing a feline head. Upon closer inspection, it was Matatabi, the Two-Tails!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Three more heartbeats followed. The Ten-Tails' back bulged again, sprouting three more heads Son Goku, Kokuo, and Gyuki, the Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Eight-Tails!
At the same time, the Ten-Tails' expression twisted in pain. It roared, trying to force the emerging Tailed Beasts back in, but they struggled fiercely, attempting to break free.
Naruto immediately understood. The Ten-Tails' body contained only four complete Tailed Beasts while the others were merely reconstructed from chakra. The imbalance was destabilizing it!
This meant… things were about to turn into one intense game of tug-of-war.
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