A merciless white light descended. Shocks, fury, roars, bewilderment, trembling, panic, sudden realizations...
Countless voices scattered and vanished within the all-annihilating white light. For a fleeting instant, the world fell into an absolute, profound silence, as if someone had pressed a cosmic pause button.
One could hear a pin drop.
But just a blink later—BOOM!!!
ROAR!!!
"Bring it on, you beast!"
The earth split wide open as boulders crumbled into dust. A tempest of gales and repulsive force descended upon the world. The parallel gorges of the canyon began to collapse and disintegrate right before everyone's eyes, starting from the right side of the second trench. Countless collapsing rocks were ground into sand and violently pushed outward!
Countless Rain Ninja and Stone Ninja were blasted into the sky or sent plunging into the ruins, buried deep beneath mounds of earth.
Driven by the terrifying, sweeping repulsive force, a massive, crater-like basin roughly three kilometers in diameter tore right through the parallel gorges, scarring the very center of the Land of Rain!
The colossal boulders created by the Mountain Earth Technique, which had originally divided the two sides of the battlefield, were sent flying through the air and embedded into the edges of the collapsing canyon.
And at that exact moment, the battles on both sides of the field escalated to a fever pitch!
High in the sky, Yahiko panted heavily as he landed on top of the Gedo Statue. The concentric purple rings of the strange pattern in his eyes faded away, returning to his original amber-colored pupils. Below him, Nagato's equally exhausted voice immediately rang out, "Yahiko, I can sense him—Hanzo isn't dead yet! He's on the right, inside the belly of that salamander!"
Hearing this, Yahiko leapt down from the body of the Gedo Statue, his expression grim. "Konan, Nagato, let's take him together!"
"Right!"
Nagato nodded. Standing in front of more than fifty Akatsuki members who had collapsed behind him from chakra depletion, he detached his wrist without blinking an eye, drawing an extravagantly designed, highly concentrated plasma chakra cannon from the open joint!
"I'll keep channeling the Deva Path's power to you. I'll use the Preta Path to protect our fallen comrades and cover you with the Asura Path. Konan, I'll transfer the Animal Path's power to you. Use your Paper Style and the giant summons to attack from the flanks!"
"There's less than ten percent left in our chakra pool. We must conserve our strength, end this battle within ten minutes, and then reinforce the Heavenly Ninja on the other side!"
Konan and Yahiko nodded simultaneously. "Understood!"
The three immediately fanned out in a triangular formation. Yahiko charged straight ahead, Konan flanked around while weaving signs at rapid speed, and Nagato stayed in the rear to protect the Akatsuki members who had provided chakra to the Gedo Statue. Deep blue chakra began pooling within Nagato's cannon as he stared grimly at a protruding mound of earth in the center of the ruins.
In the middle of the ruined battlefield, a colossal salamander thrust its head out from the mound, opening its mouth to regurgitate a tall, somewhat disheveled figure.
Hanzo pushed himself up from the ground. By now, his armor and respirator mask were completely shattered. His face was covered in blood as he panted heavily, exhaling deep purple poisonous gas. Yet even so, the moment he returned to the fray, he unhesitatingly drew the chain-scythe from his back, falling into a combat stance to meet the oncoming Yahiko.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted wildly as the chain-scythe clashed against the broad-bladed sword!
Right behind them, the mountain-sized salamander fought off three opponents at once, locking in a fierce brawl against the Giant Drill-Beaked Bird, the Giant Multi-Headed Dog, and the Giant Chameleon that Konan had summoned!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, before the colossal wall of earth kicked up by the aftershocks of Almighty Push could even reach this area, it was blasted apart by the residual shockwaves of two terrifying forces colliding. Caught in the middle, a massive swath of elite Stone Ninja was instantly swept away and killed!
Thud, thud, thud!
Accompanied by the thunderous, rapid pounding of hooves, the full-bodied Five-Tails charged headfirst into the collapsed rocky pit, ramming its four golden horns straight into that frantically spinning "mountain of a sword"!
"Boil Style: Unrivaled Horn Thrust!"
It was like a screeching locomotive slamming forward head-on!
The full-bodied Five-Tails slammed directly into the tip of the Super Almighty Vacuum Blade, looking like a wild boar ramming blindly into a colossal tree!
Below them, Roshi, who had already transformed into the full-bodied Four-Tails, witnessed Hyuga Yu manifest such a terrifying weapon. His instinctive reaction was to launch a surprise attack on Yu's main body during the brief opening while he was unleashing the jutsu!
Controlling the giant Four-Tails ape, he slammed both fists heavily against the ground while opening his massive maw once more, spewing an endless torrent of scalding magma from his throat!
"Lava Style: Great Blazing Eruption!"
This technique allowed the full-bodied Four-Tails to unleash a massive volume of volcanic magma at the enemy, while simultaneously forcing a mega-volcano to swell and erupt from beneath the earth, crushing and burning the foe to death!
At this moment, the two Jinchuriki executed a flawless combination attack. Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, would destroy the newly formed prototype of Hyuga Yu's Super Almighty Vacuum Blade—
While Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, capitalized on the opening provided by the Five-Tails to strike directly at Hyuga Yu himself!
The tide of battle turned in a split second, plunging into extreme peril!
Yet down in the rocky pit, Hyuga Yu's expression remained utterly impassive. He calmly looked down upon the entire battlefield from a detached, god-like perspective. This bizarre vantage point was completely antithetical to the sensation of controlling one's body with the naked eye. However, possessing the extraordinary ability to divide his mind seven ways, Yu was able to maneuver his own body and jutsu with precision, as easily as if he were controlling a video game character!
Shouldering the massive blade, he stomped heavily against the earth!
THUD!
Like a raging bull stamping the ground, the earth within a hundred-meter radius beneath his feet was instantly blasted into fine powder. Just a fraction of a second before the subterranean volcanic magma could erupt, Yu harnessed the massive counterforce, gripped the hundred-meter-long giant sword horizontally, and shot upward like a cannonball!
He narrowly evaded the full Four-Tails' blazing eruption and the volcanic shockwaves!
His movements were impossibly light. Propelled by the kinetic energy of hundreds of high-pressure wind rings and an immense repulsive force embedded within the weapon itself, the hundred-meter colossal sword—which weighed thousands of tons—felt practically weightless in his hands!
"How... how is this possible?! To have that kind of speed while wielding such a humongous weapon?!"
"He's too fast!"
Within the Five-Tails, Han's face twisted in sheer shock.
In the mere blink of an eye—SWOOSH!
Wielding the hundred-meter giant sword, Hyuga Yu appeared directly above the crater with a speed akin to instantaneous teleportation, right in front of the Five-Tails that was charging blindly toward him!
His gaze turned ice-cold. Suspended mid-air, he dropped into a horse stance, twisting his torso for a full-body spin!
He stomped downward, compressing the air beneath his foot into a solid block before detonating it with explosive force!
Like a slingshot drawn back to its absolute limit, he gripped the building-sized end of the hilt with both hands. The veins in his arms throbbed violently as if they were about to burst. Then, he swung the sword... or rather, it was more like swinging a massive, conical club a hundred times larger than a human body in a sweeping arc!
At that instant, the air stagnated before violently detonating. A massive sonic boom manifested around Yu, creating a bizarre distortion in space that looked like crumpled paper!
A split second later, the 132-meter-long, conical, azure giant sword slammed brutally into the side of the full-bodied Five-Tails' face. The three-tiered conical blade spun frantically against the beast's head, unleashing a torrent of wind blades that tore through flesh, drilled into its skull, and shredded its brains!
This sword possessed neither edge nor blade, yet it was sharper than any weapon in the world!
ZZZZZZZZZZT!!!
The Five-Tails' head was caved in by the colossal impact, and a fraction of a second later, the entire head was pureed by countless wind blades, exploding into nothingness!
"ROAAAR!!!"
Having only enough time to let out a single agonizing shriek, the headless, full-bodied Five-Tails was sent flying by the horrific impact of boundless repulsive force and gale-force winds, crashing heavily into the ground!
BOOM!
The earth shook and the mountains trembled!
Yet while Hyuga Yu had chosen to strike Han, Roshi down below seized the opportunity immediately!
The massive volcano he had generated erupted from the depths in a manner reminiscent of Earth Style: Opening Earth Rising Excavation, carrying the colossal body of the full Four-Tails straight up to the surface with a thunderous roar!
Just as Hyuga Yu wanted to catch his breath, he noticed a massive volcano suddenly materializing beneath his feet in the mid-air space that had been empty a moment ago. A colossal volume of magma swirled violently inside the crater—suppressed, churning, like a powder keg primed to blow at a single spark!
In the next instant, the volcano erupted!
First, a massive blast of scorching, high-temperature gas surged upward, pinning Yu in place and hindering his movements. Then, a titanic volume of basaltic magma exceeding 1,000°C erupted from below!
Countless exploding sparks coalesced into licking tongues of flame resembling a serpent's hiss, snapping toward Yu, who had no footing in mid-air!
Yu's expression hardened. Gritting his teeth, he twisted his body and swept the hundred-meter azure sword downward, slashing directly at the volcano below!
The azure giant sword lit up brilliantly. Within the blade, countless Wind Style: Vacuum Blades surged along intricate pathways to the surface. The ultimate gale coalesced upon the three-tiered colossal sword, emanating a dazzling radiance that threatened to dye the entire world in a brilliant shade of azure!
"Wind Style: Super Dance of the Water Moon!"
However, just as Yu was about to shatter the volcano and escape danger, Roshi thought, An opportunity!
Emerging from the top of the full Four-Tails' head, Roshi's expression was incredibly solemn. He immediately commanded the Four-Tails to slam the ground and leap sideways over to the fallen Five-Tails, pulling it back up. "He's temporarily trapped! Han, let's use that together!"
"But... my relationship with the Five-Tails isn't great. The chakra I've forcibly taken isn't much. I can only use this move... once."
At that moment, hearing Roshi's voice, the full Five-Tails—whose head had been entirely shredded—struggled to its feet. Han's muffled, somewhat hesitant voice echoed from within the beast.
Unlike an actual, physical Tailed Beast that could suffer permanent bodily harm, the full Tailed Beast form manifested by a Jinchuriki was composed purely of Tailed Beast chakra. Although losing its head would impair the Jinchuriki's control over the massive construct, it was not a fatal wound.
Soon, under a massive surge of chakra, the Five-Tails' head slowly regenerated, though it was visibly a size or two smaller compared to the rest of its hulking body.
Roshi shook his head. Staring at Hyuga Yu, who could effortlessly swing such a terrifying object in mid-air, his pupils trembled as a trace of horror flashed deep within his eyes. "There's no choice. If this continues, we're both going to die!"
"This kid... is too fast! In this state, I'm afraid only those two from the Hidden Cloud or Konoha's Yellow Flash could keep up with his movements!"
"He's too dangerous!"
"We must take him down right here!"
Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, slowly emerged from the top of the newly grown head. Taking a deep breath, he nodded solemnly and spoke rapidly, "Understood!"
"But... if it fails, I will hold him off. You must take Kitsuchi and leave this place immediately!"
Roshi nodded. "Cut the chatter. Let's go!"
Their brief, rapid exchange concluded, the two immediately planted their feet on the heads of their respective Tailed Beast forms. Bringing their hands together in a sudden clap, they roared at the top of their lungs, "HIIAAAHHH!!!"
"HIIAAAHHH!!!"
Amidst their furious roars, a colossal amount of chakra erupted, swirling madly around the bodies of both Jinchuriki!
Standing side by side, the full Four-Tails and Five-Tails synchronized their movements perfectly at that exact moment!
They threw open their massive maws simultaneously as a vast expanse of chakra manifested in shades of blue and purple. The blue and black energies converged at a rapid 2:8 ratio!
In front of their mouths, the energy rapidly coalesced into deep, pitch-black spheres radiating an ominous aura!
These were, without a doubt, embryonic Tailed Beast Bombs!
At the exact same time—SHING!
A crisp, clear ring of a sword echoed through the heavens, shattering the drifting clouds!
Suspended in mid-air, Hyuga Yu twisted his waist and lowered his head, spinning his entire body to execute a massive, rolling horizontal sweep with the giant wind blade, which was pulsing with a brilliant azure light!
In the next instant—
WHOOSH!
Limitless gales condensed into a single point along the blade, transforming into a nearly kilometer-long, thin azure line that sliced downward horizontally!
The moment this hyper-condensed line left the sword, it began to bend and twist. Boundless winds churned out from within the line, ultimately expanding into a massive, crescent-shaped, deep azure wave of sword energy!
In a single flash, it shot forth violently!
And just as quickly, it vanished from the naked eye!
An azure incision appeared simultaneously across the erupting volcano beneath Yu's feet, the swirling, churning magma, and the dense plumes of black sulfurous smoke!
Then, a split second later—
BOOM!!!
The earth's crust fractured, the volcano collapsed, and the magma flowed backward!
Following a horrific explosion, the rock walls on both sides of the canyon began to tilt inward, their jagged crests nearly smashing into one another!
"Haa... Haa..."
At this point, having swung the giant azure sword twice in succession, the chakra consumed just to manifest the weapon combined with the massive reserves needed to propel its movements left even Hyuga Yu struggling, despite his impressive Stamina stat of 9.
He couldn't help but pant heavily. But before he could rest for even a moment, a scene unfolding in a corner of his Byakugan's vision made his expression harden, forcing him to straighten his posture!
Snapping his head around, he saw the two sky-towering behemoths in the distance throw their heads back. Aiming directly at Yu suspended in mid-air, they violently discharged the terrifying spheres that had coalesced in their maws!
"Die, brat!!!"
But facing this, Yu simply sneered, "Is that all?!"
His expression turned ferociously fierce. Lifting his face, which was twisted with exertion and bulging with veins, he tilted his head up slightly. At this moment, he held absolutely nothing back!
With veins pulsing violently along both arms, he gripped the hilt of the 132-meter azure giant sword, flipping it around and hoisting it high above his head!
Firmly grasping the hilt, he slid one foot back, standing tall as if bracing against the heavens and anchoring to the earth!
A massive shockwave of air erupted around him!
Enveloped in a tempest whose mere aftershocks could easily shred an ordinary Jonin, he held the colossal sword aloft. Then, he brought it down in a thunderous overhead strike, aiming directly at the two terrifying spheres hurtling forward to annihilate him!
"HAAAAAHHH! BREAK FOR ME!!!"
"Wind Style: Super Almighty Vacuum Blade!"
At that critical instant, the Super Almighty Vacuum Blade spun frantically. Its three counter-rotating pillars flared with blinding light, and countless Wind Style: Vacuum Blades within the construct surged madly toward the very tip of the sword!
An azure glow more dazzling than the sun erupted in all directions, illuminating the entire canyon and blinding anyone who dared to look!
Boundless, raging wind blades converged at the pinnacle of the sword tip, transforming into a ten-meter-thick beam of azure light. In the next split second, it collided dead-center with those terrifying spheres that symbolized the ultimate power of the shinobi world!
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