"Boom boom boom boom!"
Every collision between the two colossal beasts felt like the sky was collapsing and the earth was splitting apart.
The deafening crashes rolled through the entire space, shaking heaven and earth.
The Four-Tails, Son Goku's lava-coated fist smashed into the steel giant, exploding into a spray of crimson sparks. Scorching magma ran down the black metal surface, leaving behind streak after streak of charred scars.
But those wounds were filled in the blink of an eye by the endless surge of Satetsu (Magnet Release Sand Iron). The steel giant's body remained whole the entire time.
And the mech giant's counterattacks against the Four-Tails were vicious to the extreme.
Every swing of those enormous steel fists carried overwhelming force.
Each blow crashed down hard onto the Four-Tails.
They beat the blood-red giant ape into continuous howls.
Beat the lava splashing off its body in every direction.
Beat its massive frame into staggering backward again and again.
"ROAR!"
The Four-Tails bellowed and lunged forward once more.
Boom!
Another heavy punch landed squarely on its face.
The Four-Tails' head snapped to the side from the impact.
Its enormous body flew sideways, slammed into the ground, and rolled several times, gouging out a deep trench.
"Huff… huff…"
It lay sprawled on the ground, panting in agony.
For the first time, disbelief appeared in its blood-red eyes.
Then...
It spoke.
"You... what kind of monster are you?!"
The voice was low and hoarse, carrying the distinct resonance of a Tailed Beast, but even more obvious than that was the shock.
It had lived for over a thousand years. As one of the nine Tailed Beasts, it had seen countless powerful figures.
The Sage of Six Paths, Madara, Hashirama...
It had seen all those beings who stood at the peak of the shinobi world.
But it had never encountered anything like this.
A steel humanoid formed entirely from Satetsu (Magnet Release Sand Iron) had actually managed to fight it head-on without falling behind.
And even more frightening than that...
Was the human standing atop the giant statue's head.
That tiny human, insignificant as an ant in its eyes.
At this very moment, he stood there with his hands behind his back, looking down at it.
There was no fear in that gaze. No tension.
Not even any real seriousness.
There was only one thing...
Mockery.
"Monster?"
Teizawa's voice came from above, carrying a cold sneer.
"You're the monster here, aren't you?"
He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting into a mocking curve.
"You're just a red-assed gorilla."
The moment those words came out, the Four-Tails froze.
A red-assed... gorilla?
Its mind went blank for an instant.
It had lived for over a thousand years and been cursed at more times than it could count.
Mad beast, demon, calamity, brute...
It had heard every insult imaginable.
But "red-assed gorilla"?
What the hell was that supposed to be?
"What did you just call me?!"
Its voice suddenly rose, blazing with undisguised fury.
Teizawa looked innocent.
"I said you're a red-assed gorilla. What about it?"
He even added, deliberately,
"Aren't you? Red butt, furry body, always pounding your chest and stomping around. That's a gorilla, isn't it?"
Teizawa continued his commentary at leisure.
His tone was full of utter disdain.
And the Four-Tails' eyes instantly turned even redder.
You're dead!
It had lived for over a thousand years. When had it ever been humiliated like this?
Every Jinchuriki who had sealed it treated it with caution and fear.
Even the shinobi who had tried to capture it had never dared speak to it in such a tone.
But now...
A puny human was standing in front of it, calling it a "red-assed gorilla"!
"You're courting death!!!"
The Four-Tails threw back its head and roared.
The aura around its entire body exploded upward!
It abruptly opened its mouth.
Its huge jaws spread so wide they looked ready to split apart.
Crimson chakra began to gather, compress, and rotate wildly inside its mouth. The originally red glow gradually turned black.
A pure, destructive black.
That was a Tailed Beast Bomb.
The Tailed Beast's ultimate secret technique.
A sphere of annihilation formed by condensing all of its chakra.
Once released, it was enough to flatten an entire mountain.
Enough to erase a city from the map!
The black sphere grew larger and larger, brighter and brighter.
The pressure it gave off twisted even the surrounding space.
In the distance, Kankuro's face completely changed.
"Th-that... what is that?"
His voice trembled as his body involuntarily stepped back.
"That chakra... that terrifying chakra..."
The other two Suna shinobi had already collapsed to the ground, so weak they could not even run.
"You've got to be kidding... chakra on this level..."
"What is that thing? Why do I feel like the Four-Tails is even stronger than Gaara?"
"If an attack like this lands... can Lord Kazekage... can Lord Kazekage really withstand it?"
No one could answer them.
All they could do was stare helplessly as that black sphere grew bigger, and closer.
Then...
It aimed at the mech giant.
Aimed at the man standing atop the statue's head.
Only one person remained completely calm.
Sasori stood on high ground, gazing at the Tailed Beast Bomb as it took shape, and quietly spoke three words.
"Tailed Beast Bomb."
His voice was hoarse and calm.
As though he were merely stating a simple fact.
Then his eyes settled on the mech giant.
On the figure standing atop its head.
A complicated light flickered through his eyes.
So...
He thought silently to himself.
How are you going to take this?
In the distance, the Tailed Beast Bomb finally finished forming.
The Four-Tails lowered its head, aiming directly at the giant statue, directly at that human.
"Die!!!"
Boom!!!
A black beam of destruction erupted forth!
A Tailed Beast Bomb.
As the Tailed Beast's strongest attack, its only purpose was destruction.
No flashy tricks. No complicated ninjutsu transformations.
Only the purest, most absolute destructive power.
It gathered all of the beast's chakra and compressed it to the limit.
Then released it...
The energy that exploded out in that instant was enough to wipe an entire mountain off the map.
This was the pride of the Tailed Beasts.
This was their innate, unmatched gift.
And now...
That black sphere of destruction was racing straight toward where Teizawa stood.
"A Tailed Beast Bomb, huh..."
Teizawa stood atop the Satetsu (Magnet Release Sand Iron) giant and looked at the black sphere drawing closer and closer, expressionless.
His face turned more serious.
But there was not the slightest trace of fear in his eyes.
There was only...
Appreciation?
"Deidara really should be here to see this."
He even had the leisure to sigh.
"To see what real explosive art looks like."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Tailed Beast Bomb was already right in front of him.
That destructive pressure came crashing over him.
The surrounding space twisted. Even the air seemed to ignite.
(End of Chapter)
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