bookbashuk Chapter 104 Eight-Tailed Rampage, Alliances and Strategies
Chapter 104 Eight-Tailed Rampage, Alliances and Strategies
Chapter 104 Eight-Tailed Rampage, Alliances and Strategies
"boom!!"
A violent explosion and a deafening roar came from the training area behind the canyon.
With terrifying sounds of rocks collapsing and trees snapping, the entire earth trembled as if being trampled by a giant beast.
Inside the tent, Ai's face instantly turned ashen.
This isn't just an ordinary leak of energy; it's a genuine tailed beast rampage!
"Compare!!"
He roared, no longer caring about the strategic meeting, and transformed into a blinding blue-white bolt of lightning, instantly breaking through the tent roof and shooting towards the training area.
Other high-ranking members of the Cloud Hidden Sect also changed color and rushed out in quick succession.
"Quickly! Activate the highest level of alert immediately! All non-combat personnel must evacuate within a five-kilometer radius of the training area!"
"Barrier team! Sealing team! Proceed to provide immediate support! Suppress the Eight-Tails at all costs!"
"Notify all Jonin-level combatants to immediately assemble at the training area! Hurry!!"
A series of orders were urgently issued amidst the chaos, and the entire Cloud Hidden position instantly erupted into chaos, like a hornet's nest that had been poked open.
Thunder, roars, alarms, and the urgent shouts of the ninjas mingled together, shattering the tranquility of the border night and dragging the once relatively orderly Cloud Village into an abyss of chaos and panic.
Behind the canyon lies the training ground dedicated to the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.
This place was originally a huge open-air area that had been carefully reinforced and equipped with special barriers and buffer devices, but now it has been transformed into a hellish place.
In the center of the arena, a gigantic, terrifying creature, resembling a combination of an octopus and a bull, was writhing and roaring wildly, wreaking havoc!
Eight thick tentacles lashed wildly, each strike shaking the earth and easily tearing apart the ground and flattening the rock walls. On the huge bull's head, a single blood-red eye was filled with pure violence and a destructive desire.
Eight-tailed cow ghost!
Tailed Beast Transformation: Berserk State!
"Bi! Wake up!!"
Ai's figure crashed to the edge of the training field like a meteorite, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at the rampaging Eight-Tails and his struggling younger brother.
-
However, at this moment, the Eight-Tails seemed to be completely enraged and controlled by some deeper, more evil force, ignoring A's calls and threats.
Its eight tentacles plunged into the ground, its enormous body stood upright, and it roared to the sky, shattering the clouds!
boom!
With one of the eight tails sweeping across, the ground where Ai was standing shattered with a deafening roar, sending rubble flying and dust billowing everywhere.
Ai leaped high into the air, his entire body enveloped in azure lightning, Lightning Release Chakra Mode activated.
"You bastard! Wake up!"
"roar!!"
The eight-tailed berserk tentacles crashed to the ground, sending rubble flying like raindrops. But Ai's figure had already transformed into a raging bolt of lightning, dodging to the side at the last second, and at the same time punching the side of the crashing tentacle!
"Heavy Storm!"
The heavy fist, wrapped in high-density lightning chakra, slammed solidly into the Eight-Tails' tentacles, producing a dull, drum-like thud.
The immense power and the paralyzing effect of the lightning caused the thick tentacle to tremble violently, its surface charred black, and it temporarily retracted.
But for the Eight-Tails, which was completely enraged, this was nothing more than a minor disturbance.
More and more ferocious tentacles, like a net from heaven and earth, lashed out from all directions, entangled and stabbed, blocking all of Ai's room to dodge!
"Lightning Release: Lightning Cruelty Level!"
Ai roared, his whole body crackling with lightning, his speed and power soaring. Instead of retreating, he advanced and took the initiative to meet the tentacles!
He transformed into a blue lightning bolt that tore through the darkness, weaving through and parrying the Eight-Tails' furious attacks, and launching a violent counterattack!
Each collision unleashed a deafening roar and blinding flashes of electricity!
A's taijutsu and lightning chakra mode are among the best in the ninja world, but they still seem inadequate in the face of the Eight-Tails, which has fully transformed into a tailed beast and gone berserk.
His attacks could inflict damage and pain on the Eight-Tails, but they were insufficient to truly cripple this tailed beast with its terrifying regenerative abilities and vast chakra reserves.
What's more troublesome is that he can't kill him!
Because inside the Eight-Tails is his younger brother, Killer Bee!
"Bi! Can you hear me?! Wake up!"
While desperately fending off the Eight-Tails' attacks, A roared at the giant bull's head, trying to awaken the suppressed Jinchuriki's consciousness.
However, in the Eight-Tails' single crimson eye, there was nothing but mad violence and a destructive desire.
No, that's not right!
Ai's pupils suddenly contracted.
Deep within those crimson eyes, he vaguely caught a pattern that was extremely obscure and eerie, yet instantly chilled him to the bone.
Three magatama!
Three-tomoe Sharingan!
Although it was only a fleeting moment, almost completely obscured by the Eight-Tails' own violent chakra and crimson eyes, A's self-confidence was so sharp that he was absolutely not mistaken!
Sharingan?
Uchiha?!
Konoha!!
A terrifying thought flashed into Ai's mind, causing his blood to rush backward and his anger to surge to the heavens.
"It's Konoha! It's the Uchiha!! You bastards, how dare you attack!!!"
A's roar almost drowned out the Eight-Tails' roar, and the killing intent and rage contained within it made the Cloud Village ninjas who were gathering and rushing over from afar tremble with fear.
However, Ai, who was at the heart of the rampage, had no time to analyze the complex conspiracy and possibilities behind it.
He only knows one thing.
His own younger brother, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, was controlled by the Sharingan of Konoha!
The Sharingan controlling tailed beasts is not unprecedented!
Madara Uchiha defected from Konoha and fought a fierce battle with the First Hokage, eventually creating the Valley of the End.
At that time, Madara Uchiha used his Sharingan to control the tailed beasts.
And now, the same method is being used on Yunyin!
"roar!!"
The Eight-Tails roared and howled, its mouth instantly condensing countless terrifying chakra that was suffocating.
But at this moment.
"Unforgivable—Unforgivable!!!"
Ai's eyes were bloodshot with extreme anger, and his whole body was crackling with lightning, almost turning into solid plasma!
The moment the Eight-Tails condensed its Tailed Beast Ball, A abandoned dodging and kiting, concentrating all his power and speed into a single point, transforming into a blue comet that tore through space, and crashed headlong into the Eight-Tails' massive head!
"Lightning Release: Lightning Bomb!!"
He wanted to shatter that damned illusionary control and awaken his brother in the most violent and direct way.
boom!!!!
A terrifying roar, like a meteorite impact!
Aina's heavy fist, crackling with destructive lightning, slammed solidly into the side of the Eight-Tails' bull head!
A violent burst of lightning erupted instantly, and the Eight-Tails let out a painful roar. Its massive head was smashed to one side by this terrifying blow, and even cracks appeared on its horns. Its single crimson eye briefly became unfocused, and the Tailed Beast Ball in its mouth suddenly dissipated.
It's now!
Ai keenly observed the brief stiffness that the Eight-Tails experienced due to the intense pain and impact.
"Compare!!!"
He slammed his hands down on the Eight-Tails' head, frantically pouring lightning into his entire body as if it were free, trying to forcefully break through the external eye power's control by using the stimulation and paralysis of lightning release in the most brutal way!
"Wake up, you bastard!!!"
Ai's roar, mixed with the crackling of lightning and the howling of the eight tails, echoed through the night sky.
In the distance, more and more elite Cloud Hidden warriors arrived, and upon seeing the terrifying battle scene before them, which resembled a myth, they were all horrified.
"Lord Ai!"
"Suppression team! Barrier team! Quick! Cooperate with Lord Ai!"
"Medical team, prepare! Ready to provide support at any time!"
Although shocked, the Cloud Village ninjas were well-trained and quickly took action according to the emergency plan.
Several Jonin proficient in sealing and barrier techniques quickly formed hand seals, and sealing chains and suppression barriers rose from the ground, wrapping around the massive body of the Eight-Tails in an attempt to restrict its movements.
Other ninjas skilled in Lightning Release cooperated fully with A, unleashing their Lightning Release ninjutsu at the Eight-Tails, not aiming to cause significant damage, but rather to further paralyze and disrupt it.
Under A's desperate and relentless attacks and the coordinated suppression by the Cloud Village forces, the Eight-Tails' rampage seemed to slow down slightly.
In its single, crimson eye, the pattern of the three-tomoe Sharingan reappeared faintly, and it seemed—to exhibit unstable fluctuations.
efficient!
Ai's spirits lifted, and he frantically channeled his chakra!
"roar!!!"
The Eight-Tails roared with even greater rage and pain, struggling wildly, its tentacles flailing wildly, sweeping away several approaching Cloud Village ninjas, and breaking several of the barrier chains.
But Ai, like a persistent leech, clung tightly to its head, unleashing a barrage of heavy punches and elbow strikes at the Eight-Tailed Beast's head as if it were free.
Under such a ferocious punch, a trace of struggle, a trace of confusion, a trace of pain and resistance belonging to Killer Bee began to appear in the pure and violent eyes of the Eight-Tails.
"Bi! Hang in there! Your brother's here!!"
Ai sensed the fluctuation in his younger brother's consciousness and was overjoyed, so he beat him even harder.
The surrounding Cloud Village Jonin also hurriedly followed suit, continuously using various ninjutsu to attack the Eight-Tails, suppressing and restricting it in an attempt to restore Killer Bee's senses.
The Eight-Tails was momentarily dizzy from the blows, but the chaos and anger in its heart grew increasingly violent with each attack.
Suddenly, an inexplicable force surged up, causing the Eight-Tails' mind to tremble, and the confusion in its eyes gradually dissipated—
at the same time.
A secluded mountaintop a few kilometers away from the Cloud Concealment position.
Makoto Kojima stood like a ghost on a protruding rock, gazing at the terrifying scene of lightning and thunder and the roar of giant beasts in the distance, a cold smile curving his lips.
His eyes had now returned to their normal state, and he no longer maintained the kaleidoscope control over Killer Bee.
"The effect is pretty good."
Gouju Cheng muttered to himself.
While Killer Bee can now control the Tailed Beast's chakra to a great extent, he cannot yet be considered a perfect Jinchūriki. Therefore, under Makoto Karatachi's eye power, Killer Bee was unsurprisingly controlled by him.
However, Makoto Kari didn't try to completely control the Eight-Tails. That would require stronger eye power and more direct, continuous contact, which would be too risky and easy to expose.
Moreover, he didn't intend to use the Eight-Tails to destroy the Cloud Village's defenses; he only needed to go berserk to a certain extent and divert the trouble elsewhere, and that would be enough.
With the Eight-Tails rampaging, A noticed the presence of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the overall strength of the Cloud Village was not significantly diminished.
In retrospect, the plan was a great success!
"The relationship between Kumogakure and Konoha was already tense because of the previous war and the Jashin Cult incident."
"Now, adding to that the Eight-Tails' rampage and the suspected control by the Sharingan—"
A glint flashed in Gouju Cheng's eyes.
"Even if Ain remains calm, the pro-war faction within Kumogakure and the angry populace will push them to take more aggressive attitudes and actions against Konoha."
"At the very least, it's unlikely that Kumogakure will sit idly by and watch Konoha focus all its efforts on dealing with Kirigakure and Iwagakure, as they have done before. They might even create friction on the border again to tie down Konoha's forces!"
He took one last look at the gradually suppressed Eight-Tails and the rising dust in the distance, then stopped and silently disappeared into the night, speeding towards the front lines of the Hidden Mist Village.
The play has begun, and the actors are in place.
Now, it's time to make this show even more exciting.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield of Yanyin, thousands of miles away...
Yagura's intention to cooperate was immediately delivered to the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki of the Two Scales.
"I never expected those guys from Kirigakure to be able to do something like this."
Onoki glanced at the scroll in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the pleasantries of cooperation before settling on the final intelligence report. In just a glance or two, the Third Tsuchikage, the strongest among the shortest ninjas and the shortest among the strong, displayed a series of changing expressions.
"What's wrong, Third Hokage?"
"See for yourselves."
Onoki handed the scroll to his son, Kyoto, who was standing beside him, as well as several core advisors and high-ranking Jonin from Iwagakure.
Huang Tu took the scroll and gathered around to watch it with the others.
At first, their expressions were relatively calm. The proposals put forward by Kirigakure in the cooperation agreement, such as jointly putting pressure on Konoha, sharing the pressure on the eastern defense line of the Land of Fire, and sharing some logistical channels, were tempting but also expected, belonging to the common alliances and counter-alliances during wartime.
But when their gaze swept to the latter half of the scroll, and they saw that Kirigakure had already shown that Jiraiya was seriously injured and that Konoha was unable to lift its head, they all showed expressions of astonishment.
The master-disciple duo of Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze actually gathered on the battlefield of Kirigakure, only to be utterly defeated by Kirigakure?!
How is that possible!
The command center fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.
These two, master and disciple, had been dominating the battlefield in Iwagakure before. Even after sending two Jinchuriki, the battle was still going badly.
The battle at Kannabi Bridge also disrupted Iwagakure's supply lines, and the recent 1v50 Iwagakure ninja completely demoralized them!
And now—
"Fugaku Uchiha was killed, the supply depot was destroyed, and Jiraiya lost an arm and was seriously injured. How could Kirigakure be so strong?!"
"And this Makoto Karatachi, he actually has the ability to replicate bloodline limits, this, this—"
"Yagura Karatachi of Kirigakure is not one to speak without reason."
Ōnoki hovered in mid-air and slowly spoke: "Since he dared to present this information to me as a token of his sincerity, its authenticity is probably at least 70%."
In truth, Onoki was also shocked and disbelieving, but after seeing that Makoto had copied the Mangekyou Sharingan, all his doubts vanished.
No one understands the power of those eyes better than him!
Jiraiya was strong, and the Flying Thunder God Technique was powerful, but in front of those eyes, they were nothing!
What are your thoughts on Yagura's alliance plan?
"If the intelligence is accurate, given that Kirigakure has been able to achieve this level of capability, the pressure Konoha is under is probably beyond our imagination."
An advisor elder spoke in a deep voice: "Previously, Konoha only relied on Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze to fight against us. Now that both of them are on the Kirigakure battlefield, I don't believe anyone in Konoha can stop us!"
Orochimaru?
"Orochimaru is still on the battlefield in Sunagakure, how could he possibly have time to come here—"
"Urgent information!"
An ANBU member appeared instantly beside Onoki, presenting him with a scroll and speaking solemnly: "Lord Kari, urgent report! Just an hour ago, Lord Han encountered the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki at the front lines!"
"What?!"
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?!"
"How is this possible! How could Konoha send the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to the battlefield?!"
The command center erupted in chaos.
Huang Tu and the other high-ranking members of Iwagakure were shocked and pale. Even Onoki, who was suspended in mid-air, suddenly lowered his altitude and frowned.
Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
That is Konoha's strongest ultimate weapon, the leader of the nine tailed beasts, a war monster with destructive power!
Since the founding of Konoha, there has never been a precedent of actively deploying the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki into the front lines of battle!
Even during the most critical moments of the First and Second Shinobi World Wars, Konoha always regarded the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as its last deterrent and trump card, firmly guarding it within the village and never using it lightly.
Because the Jinchūriki (human jinchūriki) is a double-edged sword.
If it gets out of control, the damage it causes could be more terrible than the enemy.
And now, Konoha has broken with decades of tradition by sending the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to the Iwagakure battlefield?!
What does this mean?
Onoki's eyes flickered rapidly as he quickly analyzed various possibilities in his mind.
"Is the information accurate? Is it confirmed that it's the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?!"
"A consultant from Iwagakure asked eagerly."
"Absolutely true!"
The messenger from the Dark Guard spoke in a deep voice: "At noon today, the assault force led by Lord Han was intercepted by an elite force from Konoha in the Rift Valley on the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth, and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was among them."
"After Lord Han entered his tailed beast form, the opponent also entered his tailed beast form. The battle was fierce, and both sides suffered casualties."
If it's a battle of tailed beasts, then the news can't be faked.
As everyone knows, Konoha only has one tailed beast, the Nine-Tails. However, no one expected that Konoha would actually send the Nine-Tails to the battlefield. This was something that no one present had anticipated.
"Heh—hehe—"
A low, strange laugh suddenly rang out.
Everyone stared in astonishment.
The one who laughed was none other than the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, the Two Scales, who was suspended in mid-air!
The most outstanding Tsuchikage in the history of Iwagakure did not fly into a rage or panic at the appearance of the Nine-Tails; instead, his face showed excitement and agitation.
"Father?"
"Why is the Third Generation laughing?"
Huang Tu and several advisors looked at him with puzzlement.
Onoki landed slowly, put his hands behind his back, and sneered.
"What's the panic?"
"You only see the threat posed by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but you don't see the scenery behind it!"
Onoki looked around at everyone and said calmly, "Have you ever thought about why Konoha would send the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to the battlefield at this time, and even send him to our Iwagakure battlefield?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Yup!
According to intelligence from Kirigakure, Konoha is under unprecedented pressure on the eastern front. Jiraiya is seriously injured, Fugaku has been killed in battle, and supply lines have been destroyed one after another, making the situation extremely precarious.
Logically speaking, if Konoha really wanted to use the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as their ultimate trump card, they should have first deployed it to the Hidden Mist battlefield, where the pressure was greatest, to deal with Yagura Karatachi and that strange Makoto Karatachi!
Why were they sent to the relatively calmer Iwagakure front instead?
"because----
Onoki revealed a confident, cold smile.
"Konoha has no one left to use!"
"The Mist Village's fierce offensive on the eastern front, especially the chaos and destruction caused by Makoto Karatachi, has completely disrupted Konoha's plans and drained their reserves!"
"Fugaku Uchiha is dead, Jiraiya is seriously injured, Minato Namikaze is tied down in the east, and Orochimaru is far away in the Land of Wind. How many cards does the Konoha leadership still have left that they can use to exert sufficient deterrence and quickly turn the tide of a local battle?"
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is their last and only trump card that they can play quickly!"
Onoki's analysis was like clearing away the clouds to reveal the sun, bringing sudden enlightenment to everyone in the command center.
"So, they sent Kushina here not to completely crush us, but to—"
"It's for deterrence! It's to buy time!"
Huang Tu suddenly realized, and his eyes lit up.
"Using the terrifying destructive power of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, they can inflict heavy casualties on us in one fell swoop, crush the morale of our front lines, and force us to temporarily halt our offensive or even retreat! This will allow them to redeploy troops from other fronts, or buy Kirigakure time to regroup and recover!"
"good!"
Onoki nodded emphatically, his small frame radiating immense confidence.
"Konoha's move, though seemingly fierce, is actually a desperate act born of desperation!"
"Sending out Jinchuriki who have never been on the battlefield so hastily carries enormous risks. The Jinchuriki's emotional control, the possibility of the Tailed Beast going berserk—these are all uncontrollable factors! The fact that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was half-Tailed Beast transformed right from the start shows that she simply couldn't control her power, or rather, Konoha couldn't afford to worry about that anymore!"
"They're gambling! Gambling that the Nine-Tails' intimidation will scare us, gambling that we won't dare to fight a monster that could go berserk at any moment!"
Onoki's voice grew louder and louder, filled with an excited understanding of the situation.
"But this precisely exposes their weakness!"
"Pass on the order!"
Onoki turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"Reply immediately to the Kirigakure messenger: Iwagakure has agreed to a limited wartime strategic cooperation with Kirigakure to jointly put pressure on Konoha!"
The specific details of the cooperation and contact methods will be discussed in detail with the Mist Envoy, led by Huang Tu, and must be finalized within three days!
"Order all troops at the front line of Rift Valley to temporarily assume command under Hunter and change tactics! Facing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, focus on containment, harassment, and delay; strictly prohibit proactive attacks and provoking the enemy! Preserving manpower and slowing down the enemy's advance are the top priorities!"
"All sensory ninjas and reconnaissance teams at the front lines are to monitor the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's movements and chakra fluctuations 24/7. If any signs of a rampage or a large-scale relocation occur, issue the highest-level warning immediately!"
"Also, how's things going with Lao Zi?"
"Old Zi?"
Huang Tu was taken aback, then realized what he meant and said, "The Sand Village is relatively peaceful right now. Their forces are mostly concentrated near Kikyoyama Castle, confronting Orochimaru. So, there's basically nothing going on with Rōshi."
"Since everything's alright, let him come back too!"
Onoki snorted coldly.
His relationship with Old Purple wasn't good. That guy always acted like he had his own set of rules and often didn't listen to him. He wasn't a qualified ninja at all.
For this reason, not long after the war broke out, Onoki drove him directly to the Sunagakure battlefield, out of sight and out of mind.
The Third Shinobi World War, although it involved the four major ninja villages attacking Konoha, did not mean that there was no war in other places.
Wars were being waged between Sunagakure and Iwagakure, and between Iwagakure and Kumogakure. This is why this war is called the Third Shinobi World War, rather than the Four Nations Alliance Invasion of Konoha.
Old Purple was the highest combatant and commander in the battle between Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
However, Sunagakure's focus is currently on Konoha, and compared to the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Sunagakure is nothing to mention. Therefore, Onoki did not hesitate at all and directly ordered the recall of Rōshi.
"Have Old Purple, the Explosion Team, and the Sealing Team immediately proceed to the second and third lines of defense behind the Rift Valley to rendezvous with Han. Intensify the deployment of large-scale explosive tag arrays; the goal is not to inflict casualties, but to create complex terrain to restrict the movement of the Tailed Beasts and deplete their chakra!"
"If the enemy deploys the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki again, have Rōshi and Han attack simultaneously!"
Onoki's eyes shone brightly.
"Have the sealing team prepare to seal the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as soon as the opportunity arises!"
"That Hiruzen Sarutobi, now that he's sent the Nine-Tails to the battlefield, he shouldn't think he can take it back so easily!"
Hearing Onoki's arrangements, everyone in the command center felt much calmer. The slight panic caused by the appearance of the Nine-Tails was quickly suppressed and replaced by a burning fighting spirit and excitement.
Konoha has run out of tricks; this is their chance!
Although the Nine-Tailed Fox is powerful, war is never a game that depends on just one or two strong individuals.
With Iwagakure and Kirigakure joining forces and attacking from both the east and west, this is the perfect opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Konoha!