"What about a Four Symbols Seal? I think I can still squeeze out enough chakra for that," Hagoromo suggested.
Chakra, much like time, is something you can always find if you squeeze hard enough. Of course, for Hagoromo to perform a high-level sealing technique while completely drained would be like trying to squeeze blood from a stone—he'd likely end up a shriveled husk.
"Do you think sealing a Tailed Beast is that simple?" Kushina asked, her eyes narrowing.
Hagoromo paused. Truthfully, he did. He viewed the process of creating a Jinchūriki like putting an elephant into a refrigerator: grab a ninja, apply the seal, and presto—a brand-new human sacrifice. But reality was far grimmer. The vessel had to be compatible with the beast's toxic chakra; otherwise, they'd simply explode.
He reconsidered. Even if he had a 50% chance of surviving the seal himself, he dismissed the thought within three seconds.
Being a cage for a monster sounds incredibly painful.
Everyone needs a little privacy.
There's no "3-day return policy" on being a Jinchūriki.
It was a wise choice. Hagoromo, who only had a passing knowledge of the Naruto world, assumed Gaara's dark circles were just an aesthetic choice. In reality, the Shukaku is a chronic chatterbox that never lets its host sleep.
"Kushina-sensei, if we can't seal it, I have a... somewhat unconventional alternative."
For a moment, Kushina thought her ears were playing tricks on her. Her student's tone sounded almost... devious?
"What kind of alternative?"
Hagoromo didn't answer. Instead, he reached into the tool pouch at the small of his back. Since history hadn't yet invented the 100-yen coin in this world, he pulled out a handful of steel ball bearings.
He was going to give the Shukaku a few rounds to remember.
In another world, a certain Electromaster used arcade coins (1.7cm diameter). Here, Hagoromo used steel balls of similar weight. With the Shukaku pinned by the Adamantine Chains just 50 meters away, he didn't even need to aim. It was a stationary target the size of a mountain.
"Full power discharge... I've never actually tried this before."
Hagoromo snapped his fingers with his left hand—a psychological trigger to release the final inhibitors in his brain.
"Please enjoy the show. I call this: How to Properly Shell a Tailed Beast."
He took a deep breath and held it. Jagged, violent arcs of electricity instantly enveloped his body, turning him into a blinding sphere of lightning. He extended his right arm straight toward the beast. The magnetic repulsion became so intense that metal debris on the ground began to float, defying gravity. Energy spiraled toward his palm, culminating in a light that rivaled the sun.
"Stop him! Quickly!" a Sand squad leader screamed. The second wave of Sand ninjas had arrived, and though they didn't know what he was doing, they felt the primal terror of the gathering energy.
They were too late.
BOOM!
A sound like the sky cracking open shattered everyone's eardrums. A beam of orange-yellow light pierced the night. When the dust cleared, the Shukaku's constant roaring had stopped.
Hagoromo's first shot had vaporized the beast's head. He'd found the noise annoying.
The entire battlefield fell into a stunned silence. Ninjas from both sides stopped mid-clash, staring at the headless titan. Sand ninjas rubbed their eyes in disbelief. The Shukaku... just got sniped?
But he wasn't done.
BOOM! The right arm vanished. BOOM! The left arm shattered. BOOM! The torso. BOOM! The tail. BOOM! The abdomen. BOOM! The legs.
The rhythmic thundering of the Railgun acted as a funeral dirge for the Sand offensive. Within a minute, the mighty One-Tail had been reduced to a pile of inert sand.
It was a beautiful, terrifying sight. No one tried to stop him; even the ninjas who had been charging him simply froze, watching the "popcorn-ification" of their ultimate weapon.
Of course, Hagoromo hadn't "killed" the beast—you can't kill a mass of sentient chakra with physical projectiles. But he had disrupted its form entirely. With the target gone, Kushina retracted her chains.
Just then, a massive wave of Konoha's mobile reserve finally reached the camp. One of the Shukaku's severed arms had landed right at the feet of Lady Chiyo.
In the silence, the veteran puppet master's voice cut through the air, sharp and full of venom:
"Recollect the Shukaku! And then..."
"ELIMINATE THE NINE-TAILS JINCHŪRIKI!"
Combat Result: The Railgun Barrage
Hagoromo has successfully neutralized the Tailed Beast threat, but at the cost of drawing the absolute focus of every remaining Sand ninja.
Current Stats:
Ammunition: 3 steel balls remaining.
Physical Condition: Overheating. The Railgun puts immense strain on the biological "circuits" of the arm.
Battlefield Shift: The Sand is now in a "total war" mindset—Kushina is the primary target, and you are the only thing standing in their way.