The violent wind stirred up by the explosion swept in all directions, lifting debris from the ground—flying sand and rolling stones.
But no matter how fierce the wind was, it could not move Makoto, who was suspended in midair. At this moment, he was like the Child of the Wind, unmoving as a mountain amid the gale.
Even his hairstyle did not shift in the slightest.
In the distance, Jiraiya was locked in a fierce battle with a gigantic monster. At his side were two enormous figures assisting him.
A vast expanse of crimson light dyed that portion of the sky red, as if a volcano had erupted.
Makoto accelerated toward the battlefield. The Four-Tails bastard had actually dared to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb at the Konoha side—utterly uncivilized, simply courting death.
As he drew closer, Makoto saw that the monster was a strange-looking monkey covered in red fur. Its four crimson tails were lined with rows of bicolored, bone-spur-like protrusions.
The same type of bony armor also covered its head. Absurdly, the bone armor circled around its forehead like a headband. It was impossible to tell whether that had been added later or grown naturally.
At this moment, Four-Tails Son Gokū unleashed its signature technique: Lava Release: Flower-Fruit Mountain, turning a vast expanse of the surrounding ground into rivers of molten lava and creating a battlefield advantageous to itself.
Within the rivers of magma, scorching red jets would erupt from time to time like volcanic explosions. At the same time, every time the Four-Tails struck the ground, a towering column of flame would burst forth from the nearby lava, targeting the two gigantic toads leaping through the air.
But all of it was blocked by the toads using Water Release and shields.
The two toads wore clothing like humans. One of them was entirely dark red, wielding a forked weapon and a bowl-shaped shield—it was Gamaken.
The other had a lighter complexion but bore dark markings across his body. He held a pipe in his mouth, had a scar on his face, and carried a short straight blade. He looked like a delinquent from society—Mount Myōboku's hot-tempered elder brother, Gamabunta.
The "short" straight blade was relative to his own size. For a human, it was a massive weapon—one swing could split the Hokage Residence in half.
At this moment, Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head. The man and the two toads did not even have a proper place to set their feet.
But it was not a major problem.
Water Release: Iron Cannon!
Gamabunta blasted a Water Release at the Four-Tails. Although it could not heavily injure the Tailed Beast, it cooled a large patch of rock from the surrounding lava, providing footing for both Gamaken and himself. At the same time, while descending, he drew his blade and slashed at the Four-Tails' head.
But it was no use. The Four-Tails didn't even try to dodge. It used Lava Release: Granite, covering its entire body in rock, and tanked Bunta's slash head-on, sending a huge splash of magma spraying up.
Gamaken took the opportunity to spring up slightly and drive his trident into the Four-Tails' neck, pinning it in place. With his other hand braced behind the bowl-shaped shield, he and Bunta struggled together to withstand the blows from the four tails.
After landing, Jiraiya slapped both hands onto the ground and used Earth Release: Underworld Swamp, creating a massive swamp beneath the Four-Tails that restricted its movement and the force it could exert.
Seeing the Four-Tails temporarily restrained, Jiraiya quickly stepped forward, trying to find an opening to push into its abdomen and use fūinjutsu to force it back into its original form, but there was nowhere to start.
The Four-Tails was covered head to toe in molten, hardened stone. If he made contact recklessly, his sealing hand would probably be burned to ruin before he could even finish.
It was like a turtle shell made of flaming rock—there was no place to get a grip.
Makoto arrived above the Four-Tails. His left and right hands immediately condensed two thick, solid discs, and he fired both straight at the Tailed Beast's neck.
Sage Art: Wind Release: Air Disc Slash!
The two Air Disc Slashes carried razor-sharp cutting force. The moment they left his hands, they rapidly expanded until they were as thick as the Four-Tails' neck, striking the exact same spot one after the other—aimed squarely at killing it.
But this thing's defense was astonishing. The protection from Lava Release: Granite was shattered, and the Air Disc Slashes cut into its body—yet their power was offset by its defenses, and they failed to sever its head.
No problem. If two weren't enough, then fire two more. He might not be able to kill a Tailed Beast, but he could send it back to the respawn pool to AFK for a few years.
Sensing a lethal threat, the Four-Tails struggled wildly, nearly throwing off the two toads restraining it. But because it had been heavily injured by Makoto, it didn't dare to exert too much force around its neck, and it failed to break free.
If it messed up, its body might get loose while its head stayed behind—now that would be a joke.
Even so, the two giant toads were suppressing it with extreme difficulty, and they could not hold out for long. When it came to chakra reserves, they could not compare to a Tailed Beast.
Jiraiya's pupils tightened slightly—he clearly hadn't expected Makoto's ninjutsu to have such terrifying offensive power.
But he couldn't let the other man keep messing around. "Makoto, are you trying to kill it?"
"Jiraiya-sama, this bastard fired a dangerous attack at us. If we don't kill it, are we supposed to keep it around for the New Year?"
"It's useless, Makoto. Tailed Beasts can't be killed. We just need to find a way to make it withdraw from this full-form state."
Makoto, hearing that, extended both hands toward the Four-Tails.
Sage Art: Water Release: Water Prison Technique!
The spherical defensive barrier ninjutsu One-Horn Tranquility enveloped the Four-Tails, while inside it, Water Release was used to pour in water frantically.
Very quickly, an enormous sphere of water formed, completely trapping the Four-Tails within it.
Although Makoto did not know Kirigakure's orthodox Water Prison Technique, wasn't it just about trapping the opponent in a sphere of water? Imitate the form and make one—that would do.
Don't worry about whether I formed hand seals. Just answer this: isn't this a water prison?
The counterfeit outdoes the original. His Water Prison Technique would only be stronger and more solid than Kirigakure's.
After Gamaken and Gamabunta leapt away, Makoto increased his chakra output, and the volume of the water prison rapidly expanded.
Freed from restraint, the Four-Tails charged left and right inside, but Makoto controlled the water prison to move along with it, leaving the Four-Tails with a body full of chakra yet nowhere to unleash it. After struggling for quite some time, it still failed to break out.
If it dared open its mouth to gather a Tailed Beast Bomb, Makoto would control the Water Release to pour fiercely into its mouth.
Water Release was highly restraining against this fellow. Otherwise, Rōshi would not have been easily captured by Kisame.
Very soon, the Four-Tails, which had been trying to break free from its predicament, gradually lost its vitality. The molten armor covering its body receded, returning to the appearance of fiery red fur. Then it rapidly shrank, finally turning into an unconscious middle-aged Iwagakure ninja.
This was Rōshi—only now he had already been suffocated into unconsciousness.
Tailed Beasts do not need to breathe air, but humans do. No matter how powerful a Tailed Beast is, if its Jinchūriki is suffocated to death, it will likewise be finished.
After sensing Rōshi's condition and confirming that the man was not pretending, Makoto withdrew the counterfeit Water Prison Technique and silently exited Sage Mode. Maintaining such a large-scale technique was still quite taxing.
Jiraiya seized the moment to step forward, catching the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki. Extending his right hand, he placed two layers of seals on the man's abdomen.
The first layer sealed the connection between the Tailed Beast's chakra and the Jinchūriki. The second layer sealed the Jinchūriki's own chakra, preventing him from using it. In this way, Rōshi temporarily became a useless person.
The lecherous Jiraiya's senjutsu training might not have been outstanding, but his fūinjutsu was still quite presentable.
Seeing that the battle had ended, Gamaken, whose face bore U-shaped markings, said, "Although I am quite foolish, I have at least completed the mission. Then I will return first, Jiraiya—and friends of Konoha. Until next time."
After speaking, without waiting for Makoto to greet him, he ended the summoning and returned to Mount Myōboku.
Jiraiya expressed his thanks to Gamabunta: "Thanks for the trouble, you two, Bunta."
"Mm, as long as the matter's settled. And listen, you bastard Jiraiya—don't summon me to a place this hot next time. I hate hot places the most. Are you trying to eat roasted toad?"
"Sorry, sorry!"
"Hmph, forget it. Then I'll head back too. Farewell, you two."
Gamabunta took a satisfied drag from his old pipe. After exhaling, he ended the summoning. Before leaving, however, he cast a curious glance at Makoto.
He was not like his foolish younger brother. He had already sensed a familiar yet unfamiliar aura from Makoto—very strange.
He silently noted the matter, planning to ask the Great Toad Sage back home about it.
Makoto did not pay it any mind. He stared at Rōshi, who was being held by Jiraiya, and asked, "Jiraiya-sama, if we kill this guy, will that Tailed Beast die?"
"It's no use, Makoto. That would only kill the Jinchūriki. The Tailed Beast would also die, but it would revive again after a few years. By then, without a Jinchūriki to restrain it, a wild Tailed Beast could cause who knows how much trouble."
"Is that why you wanted to capture the Jinchūriki alive?"
"Yes. With this man in our hands, we can force Iwagakure to end this war immediately. If we kill him, once the Tailed Beast revives, fighting over its ownership could very well trigger another Great Ninja War."
"Alright, I understand, Jiraiya-sama."
It truly was an ideology inherited from the Third Hokage's line—wanting only to restore peace as quickly as possible, willing to endure some losses for the sake of it.
If Rōshi fell into the hands of the Kumogakure ninja, would you see whether that bunch of black brutes would hand him over? Even if he fell into Danzō's hands, Rōshi could be arranged into eighteen different "styles."
Jiraiya, satisfied, placed his large hand on Makoto's shoulder. "It's good that you understand. Let's go. We must return at once and gather the troops to reinforce Fugaku's battlefield. After today, this war should be coming to an end."
Today, three battles had broken out along the northern front.
The one Makoto and the others were at was one of them. Another was under Uchiha Fugaku's command, likely similar to theirs—a chaotic melee with Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
But farther north, there was yet another battlefield. Makoto did not know the situation there. He could only vaguely sense the turbulence of chakra in that direction—Tailed Beast chakra. However, it certainly did not involve Konoha. Most likely, the Raikage had brought his men to clash with the Tsuchikage, settling the grudge over his own father.
He truly hoped those two would reenact the scene of the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage—mutual destruction, hand in hand, reporting together to the Pure Land.
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