[Great Sage: Three-Tails' Chakra is undergoing transformation]
[Current transformation progress: 10%]
[... 20%]
[... 30%]
When Shigure used the Three-Tails' Chakra, merging it with his own to perform Ice Release, the Great Sage's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Detection: Three-Tails' Chakra is rapidly adapting to Ice Release. Would you like to accelerate the transformation process?]
Shigure, locked in battle with Naruto, froze for a moment—caught off guard by the unexpected report. He hadn't expected such an unexpected gain.
The Three-Tails' Chakra was originally water-natured.
But after fusing with Shigure's Ice Release, it began to evolve, rapidly adapting to this new nature—just like how Shukaku's Chakra was inherently linked to sand.
Now, it seemed the Three-Tails was developing a unique elemental attribute of its own.
And if the Great Sage could hasten that process, there was no reason to stop it.
'Proceed. Full computation.'
Even as Shigure continued trading blows with Naruto, the transformation within his body advanced.
When Naruto launched himself forward using slingshot acceleration—
[Current transformation progress: 100%]
[Great Sage: Transformation complete. Three-Tails has acquired a unique Chakra attribute — Ice.]
Ice, huh.
Perfect timing.
Shigure's eyes snapped open, glinting with cold light. The aura of the Tailed Beast Chakra surrounding him deepened in color, and the air around his body turned frigid, shimmering with frost.
The Nine-Tails inside Naruto immediately sensed something wrong.
But he couldn't tell what—until it was too late.
With a deep roar, the Three-Tails' spectral form unfurled behind Shigure, its tails snapping outward like massive whips, surging straight toward Naruto.
Naruto met the attack head-on, fists glowing red with the Nine-Tails' power as he swung fiercely toward Shigure.
But Shigure merely lifted his hand and swept it forward.
A towering ice wall materialized in an instant.
Crack! Bang!
Naruto's punch crashed into the wall, spreading fractures across the glacial surface.
Bang!
The wall shattered—and in that same moment, Shigure's tails coiled around Naruto's body like chains of frozen light.
With a sharp pull, Shigure yanked Naruto toward him and drove a punch straight into his chest.
Naruto's eyes widened as a biting chill rushed through his body.
The cold invaded his Chakra network, slowing the Nine-Tails' Chakra flow to a crawl.
From Shigure's Tailed Beast Chakra radiated a terrifying freezing aura, one that seemed to seep directly into the soul.
Before Naruto could react, frost began forming across his chest—ice crystals blooming where Shigure's fist had struck, sealing a portion of the Nine-Tails' Chakra in solid ice.
Inside Naruto's mindscape, the Nine-Tails' eyes snapped open.
"Damn it! That Three-Tails bastard has mastered the power of ice!"
Tailed Beasts differed from humans. Humans trained in Ninjutsu, manipulating Chakra through nature transformation.
But the Tailed Beasts—formed of pure Chakra and spiritual energy—embodied these natures by instinct.
Thus, when a Tailed Beast's Chakra transformed, its power changed fundamentally.
Now that the Three-Tails' Chakra had gained an ice attribute, every strike carried lethal, freezing energy capable of sealing or shattering any Chakra it touched.
The Nine-Tails growled in frustration.
He had no choice but to ramp up the output.
Another tail burst forth behind Naruto, bringing his total to five.
At the same time, the ice covering his chest shattered into countless glittering shards.
Naruto crashed backward into a field of jagged ice spikes, sliding to a halt as frost-laced steam filled the air. The sound of crackling and freezing echoed all around.
Above him, a colossal ice dragon took form in midair, its body spiraling in crystalline majesty.
Shigure stood atop the dragon's head, looking down coldly at his opponent.
Below, Naruto—his body now wrapped in bone-like armor formed from the Nine-Tails' Chakra—snarled, his breath heavy and uneven.
That armor was a clear sign.
He was nearing the brink of a full Tailed Beast rampage.
Crack!
Bang!!
Suddenly the ice dragon shattered as Naruto burst upward from the ground. Bone armor flaring across his frame, his physical strength surged to a new level.
Ice shards flew in every direction as Shigure swung to intercept Naruto's assault. This time, however, Naruto's force erupted even greater—he slammed through Shigure's guard and sent the Three-Tails' jinchūriki tumbling from the sky.
Shigure slammed into the ground like a meteor but rolled and steadied himself. He planted his feet and glared up at Naruto, who came descending in full charge.
"Hmph. Still want to trade blows? Fine."
Shigure's eyes narrowed, and an armor of ice—mirroring Naruto's bone coating—crystallized around his body.
Boom—whish.
Their fists met. The impact compressed the air itself, sending a shockwave outward that whipped into a sweeping storm. Ice spikes within a hundred-meter radius were shredded and swept away by the force.
The close-quarters clash between the Three-Tails and the Five-Tails turned instantly ferocious.
Watching from the sidelines, the Sannin were struck silent by the sheer intensity.
Naruto had already awakened five tails, yet Shigure—backed by the Three-Tails and now wielding an ice attribute—could still match him blow for blow. The maelstrom they carved through the battlefield was terrifying.
"Unbelievable," Orochimaru murmured with a thin smile.
"Jinchūriki really are the deadliest weapons a village can forge."
Jiraiya's face darkened. "Naruto's in bad shape—he's edging toward a full rampage!"
Tsunade's brows tightened.
"If he loses control, the Nine-Tails will erupt completely. Even though Shigure is a jinchūriki too, the Three-Tails won't stand a chance against the Nine-Tails in full frenzy."
"We have to stop him," Jiraiya snapped, ready to leap forward.
Orochimaru put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head with a faint laugh. "No—don't interfere. This is far more…interesting as it is."
"Interesting?" Jiraiya spat. "You want to watch the Nine-Tails go berserk? Or watch the Three-Tails' jinchūriki die?"
Tsunade glared at Orochimaru. "Which is it—both, perhaps? You don't care for either side."
Orochimaru's smile didn't waver.
"I came here for a reason. Besides you." He turned to Tsunade, his voice cold as a blade.
"For reasons of my own, I must remove you. Once you're gone, everything falls into place."
"You wouldn't dare!" Jiraiya bellowed, veins standing out in his neck. "Lay a single finger on Tsunade and I'll—"
Orochimaru's expression was unreadable. "Try me."
The three of them—Sannin, friends and rivals all—held their ground as the battlefield roared on. Below them, Naruto and Shigure continued their lethal dance, chakra and elemental power colliding in storms of bone, ice, and raw beast energy. The fate of both jinchūriki—and perhaps the spark of a wider conflict—hung by a thread.
...
TN:
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