The moonlight grew brighter as the waves rolled across the surface of the sea.
In the distance, flames consumed the Kirigakure fleet. One ship after another burned and slowly sank beneath the dark water, yet the figure watching from afar showed no concern.
Standing silently above the waves, Tobi, or rather White Zetsu, observed the battle like a phantom.
The destruction behind him meant nothing.
The Third Shinobi World War existed to weaken the Five Great Nations. Whether the shinobi who died belonged to Kirigakure or Konohagakure did not matter in the slightest.
White Zetsu only had one task.
When the Jinchuriki began to lose, the curse mark hidden on the seal of the Three-Tails would activate and destroy the seal. Once the seal collapsed, the tailed beast would be released completely, forcing Hayashi to exhaust as much of his strength as possible.
Neither White Zetsu, Black Zetsu, nor Fugaku believed the Jinchuriki could actually defeat Hayashi.
But that was not the point.
Once the Three-Tails appeared, Hayashi would be forced to burn through the Sage chakra he had stored inside his sealing scrolls. Without Sage Mode, his combat ability would drop significantly.
And after that, other arrangements would naturally follow.
The Three-Tails was only the first step of this ambush.
"It's starting."
White Zetsu muttered softly.
In the distance, the battle suddenly changed.
After several exchanges, Hayashi retreated and created distance between himself and his opponent. At the same time, he quickly unfurled several scrolls.
Dark markings spread from the corners of his eyes like ink.
A distinct pattern appeared across his face.
The unmistakable mark of Sage Mode.
The moment Hayashi entered Sage Mode meant only one thing.
The Three-Tails Jinchuriki had begun transforming.
Yet Hayashi immediately sensed that something was wrong.
At this point in time, perfect Jinchuriki did not exist. Normally, when a Jinchuriki used the power of a tailed beast, their body would simply be wrapped in a cloak of chakra. That chakra would form a tailed beast shape around them.
A full transformation almost never happened unless the host was near death or forced it through special methods.
But what he was seeing now was completely different.
A violent surge of chakra erupted from Hosokawa's body.
The ocean surface exploded outward.
Then a massive turtle shell slowly rose above the water.
Three enormous flat tails smashed across the sea, stirring towering waves that rolled in every direction.
The Three-Tails, Isobu, had fully manifested.
A complete tailed beast transformation.
Hayashi's eyes grew cold.
Had the Jinchuriki released the seal willingly?
Doing that meant certain death for the host. Hayashi refused to believe Hosokawa would make such a choice.
Before he could think further, a thunderous roar shook the sea.
"ROAR!"
Although Isobu was not as violent as Shukaku, it had still been sealed away for years. The moment it regained freedom, its anger burst out uncontrollably.
Its single massive eye turned.
And locked directly onto Hayashi.
One of its enormous tails rose high into the air.
Then it stabbed downward like the venomous stinger of a giant scorpion.
The attack was incredibly fast and carried terrifying force.
But to Hayashi, who stood directly in front of it, it was still not enough.
Under Sage Mode, his perception and reaction speed were far beyond ordinary shinobi.
At the instant the massive tail pierced down, Hayashi shifted backward.
The tail slammed into the water right in front of him, sending waves exploding in every direction.
Hayashi stepped forward immediately.
The curved tail formed a natural arch above the sea.
Using that moment, Hayashi rushed upward along it and reached the highest point in an instant.
Lightning burst into existence in his hand.
Raikiri.
But before he could strike, the other two tails snapped toward him from both sides.
Dodging was unavoidable. Even with his defenses, taking a direct hit from a tailed beast was suicide.
Hayashi twisted sideways and slipped through the narrow gap between the three attacking tails.
In midair, the lightning in his hand suddenly extended outward.
The Raikiri stretched into a long blade of lightning.
Chidori Sharp Spear.
Enhanced by Sage chakra, the technique hardened and condensed into a piercing lance.
Hayashi hurled it downward with full force.
Isobu's body was covered in thick, spiked armor. Even at a glance, it was obvious the creature possessed incredible defense.
But how strong was it exactly?
The next moment, Hayashi found out.
The arm thick lightning spear struck Isobu's back directly.
Then the lightning trembled violently.
Cracks spread along the Chidori Sharp Spear from the tip to the base.
In an instant, the entire technique shattered and dispersed into the air.
This was the first time the Chidori Sharp Spear had ever failed to penetrate its target.
Pa!
Isobu's tail whipped sideways.
The blow sent Hayashi flying across the sea like a stone skipping across water.
The tailed beast pressed its advantage.
Two other tails lashed toward him immediately.
Hayashi felt several bones shift painfully out of place, but he endured the pain and adjusted his body in midair while forming hand seals.
"Sage Art: Water Release, Severing Wave!"
A highly compressed stream of water burst from his mouth.
This was the Second Hokage's S-rank Water Release technique, famous for its incredible cutting power. When enhanced by Sage chakra, its destructive ability reached a frightening level.
The sharp water beam sliced across the base of one of Isobu's tails.
A violent spray erupted.
Water and crimson blood burst outward together.
Isobu let out an earth shaking roar as one entire tail was severed at the root.
But damaging a tailed beast never made it surrender.
If anything, it only made it more furious.
Ignoring the severed tail, Isobu surged forward. Its enormous body churned the sea and forced Hayashi backward.
Then the giant beast turned again and faced the tiny human before it.
Its massive jaws opened.
Chakra began gathering rapidly.
A pitch black sphere formed at its mouth.
Tailed Beast Ball.
It was an extremely powerful attack, but it required time to charge.
And Hayashi had fought tailed beasts many times before.
Few shinobi in the world had more experience dealing with them.
His hands moved again.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Two clones appeared beside him instantly.
Next came a combination attack using Sage Mode.
Hayashi formed the first set of hand seals.
His right clone followed.
Then his left clone.
Just as the Tailed Beast Ball finished forming, the sky above Isobu suddenly darkened.
"Sage Art: Earth Release, Heavenly Descent Cover!"
A massive oval shaped mound of earth fell from above and smashed directly onto Isobu's head.
The attack interrupted its focus.
Immediately after that came the second technique.
"Sage Art: Fire Release, Spiraling Shuriken!"
A blazing Rasengan infused with fire chakra formed and shot forward.
The final technique followed without delay.
"Sage Art: Wind Release, Rasenshuriken!"
Wind and fire collided violently as both techniques struck the tailed beast at the same time.
In an instant, the two attacks completely engulfed Isobu.
The extreme heat caused massive amounts of seawater to evaporate. Thick white steam rose into the air and formed a circular curtain around the battlefield.
Isobu's roar changed.
From rage.
To pain.
Then finally...
Silence.
After a long moment, the smoke slowly dispersed.
The surface of the sea was empty.
The enormous body of the Three-Tails had vanished.
Was it dead?
Hayashi could not be certain.
Tailed beasts possessed many strange survival methods. Even the Eight-Tails could escape by sacrificing one of its tails.
Isobu, which fought in the ocean, might possess similar abilities.
Hayashi stepped forward.
He retrieved the severed tail floating nearby and sealed it inside a scroll.
Then he placed several soldier pills into his mouth to recover some chakra.
The battle had appeared simple, but in truth he had completely exhausted the Sage chakra he had stored beforehand.
If he wanted to fight again, he would need to find a quiet place to gather natural energy and replenish his reserves.
Only then could he head toward the Land of Water battlefield to support Sakumo.
But just as he was about to leave, Hayashi suddenly felt a familiar summoning signal.
It came from Dabai.
A bad feeling instantly rose in his chest.
"Summoning Technique!"
A burst of smoke exploded across the sea surface.
Dabai appeared and hurriedly whispered a few urgent words.
Hayashi's expression changed immediately.
A violent surge of chakra erupted around him.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
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