As crimson chakra surged outward, the air grew heavy.
Shigure's body became engulfed in a Tailed Beast Chakra shroud, the air warping around him as three chakra tails flared to life behind his back.
Waves of immense power rippled from his feet, distorting the ground beneath him.
Naruto stared at him across the torn battlefield, the flickering red glow of his own cloak reflecting in his eyes. Surprisingly, he didn't look shocked.
He had already heard the Nine-Tails mention that Shigure carried another Tailed Beast within him. He'd guessed this outcome.
But seeing it with his own eyes still stirred something complicated in Naruto's heart.
Shigure—his comrade, once a fellow ninja of the Leaf—had gone to Kirigakure and somehow ended up just like him. A Jinchūriki.
That meant he'd endured the same kind of loneliness… the same rejection.
The Hidden Mist would have feared him, shunned him, branded him a monster.
So why… even after going through all that… won't you come back? Naruto thought bitterly.
The ground trembled beneath Shigure's growing power.
Up on the ridge, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru all froze in disbelief as they felt the overwhelming surge of chakra.
"This chakra… it's a Tailed Beast's," Jiraiya muttered.
Tsunade frowned. "But… I can't sense the beast itself inside him."
A Genin who had only recently left Konoha—becoming a Jinchūriki in such a short time? And not only that—he could already control his Tailed Beast's power so effortlessly?
That level of mastery wasn't something even seasoned shinobi could achieve easily.
It wasn't just raw talent. It was something beyond that—instinct, precision, and terrifying adaptability.
Naruto took a step forward, voice firm yet conflicted.
"Becoming a Jinchūriki isn't a blessing, Shigure. You should know that."
Shigure's expression didn't waver. "It doesn't matter. Jinchūriki or not… that label means nothing to me."
Naruto's eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He understood.
To most, the Tailed Beast's chakra was a source of power and fear. But to someone like Shigure—someone born with monstrous talent and unshakable will—it was just another tool.
Whether he had a Tailed Beast or not made no difference. Shigure would still stand as strong as ever.
At this moment, Naruto's expression tightened with worry.
Shigure, even without a Tailed Beast, had already been monstrously strong. Now, with a Tailed Beast's power added to that… his strength would be on a whole new level.
'Hey, Nine-Tails… can your power really beat the beast inside him?'
The great fox inside his mind snorted, clearly offended.
'What kind of fool's question is that? Do you even know who you're talking to?'
The Nine-Tails' deep voice rumbled with arrogance.
'Listen well, brat. This great lord is the strongest of all Tailed Beasts. No matter what kind of chakra that kid's beast possesses, I will not be outdone. The only thing you should be worrying about is whether your own body can handle my power!'
Hearing those words, Naruto's confidence surged again. As long as the Nine-Tails' chakra truly surpassed the beast within Shigure, he'd be fine.
Boom!
Without warning, one of Naruto's chakra tails lashed out like a crimson whip, surging straight toward Shigure.
But Shigure didn't even flinch. A faint smile curved on his lips as he waved his own chakra tail lightly.
Bang! Bang!
The shockwaves collided midair—and Naruto's attack shattered instantly.
Though Naruto had more tails, the balance of power wasn't that simple. The number of tails didn't always determine who was stronger.
Shigure smirked. "What's wrong? Surprised? Did you really think having more tails automatically made you stronger?"
"The power of Tailed Beasts isn't measured by counting tails."
Forming a quick hand seal, Shigure's voice rang out:
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
Boom!!!
Water erupted beneath his feet, surging upward in colossal waves that swallowed the entire battlefield.
Perched atop the towering surge, Shigure looked down at Naruto.
"Power depends on how you use it."
His words carried through the roaring storm as the water—infused with the Three-Tails' chakra—crashed forward in a monstrous torrent.
Even Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were struck speechless.
They had seen Water Release before, but nothing like this. Shigure was still forming hand seals with one hand—meaning he wasn't even using his full power—yet the jutsu had already transformed the landscape.
A flood of chakra-infused water raged outward, turning the open plain into a vast lake.
By the time the waves settled, the forest surrounding them was gone—trees uprooted and floating lifelessly atop the water's surface.
Tsunade exhaled in disbelief.
"If that had hit a village… the entire area would've been submerged."
In the distance, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"So this is the power of the Three-Tails fused with Shigure's control…"
When the ripples calmed, Naruto emerged slowly from beneath the water's surface, standing atop it as if nothing could drown him.
But before he could even catch his breath—
Ice Release: Ice Age!
In an instant, the newly formed lake froze solid. A blizzard of frost spread in all directions, freezing everything within hundreds of meters.
It wasn't just a jutsu—it was an environmental shift.
The sudden cold made even the Nine-Tails stir uneasily inside Naruto.
The Sannin, too, were visibly shaken.
Even Orochimaru, who had seen countless terrifying techniques, looked mildly impressed.
"So… that was his plan. He used the Water Release to fuel his Ice Release."
The entire battlefield had become Shigure's domain—a frozen world of his own making.
He raised his hand, his voice calm yet sharp.
"I'm done holding back. Are you ready, Naruto?"
Naruto's surprise turned to determination.
"Bring it on, Shigure!"
"Then let's see how you handle this…"
Dance of the Ice Brachial!
The air rang out with a piercing crack as countless ice spikes erupted upward from beneath the frozen ground, forming a gleaming forest of crystal spears.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Naruto reacted instantly, wrapping his chakra tails around himself to block the barrage. The ice shattered against his cloak, shards flying in every direction.
When the assault ended, Naruto stood amid a forest of glittering spires, his breath visible in the frozen air.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Your Ice Release's gotten even stronger, huh?"
But before he could move, Shigure vanished into the maze of crystal.
A blur of white light flashed—
Crack!
Shigure's fist slammed into Naruto's chest, sending him flying backward through the wall of ice. The spikes shattered one after another as Naruto's body tore through them.
Using four chakra tails, he whipped them around, hooking onto nearby ice spires to stop his momentum midair.
Then—like a slingshot—he launched himself forward again, roaring.
Shigure stood waiting, the three tails behind him shimmering and shifting—their hue deepening from red to blue, then to a shimmering icy white.
Frost spread through the air as his chakra changed nature entirely.
The power of the Three-Tails within him had awakened completely.
...
TN:
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