A terrifying amount of chakra gathered for the Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet. Once unleashed, the attack would tear Konoha's defensive line to pieces. Hizashi and the other ninja had pushed forward to intercept the Suna-nin swarming around Shukaku, leaving them with no time to dodge.
Just as the jutsu was about to fire-
*Smack!*
A massive black tail whipped across Shukaku's wide-open mouth. The immense force sent the sand-beast, with Bunpuku at its core, stumbling backward.
The surrounding Sunagakure ninja stared in disbelief.
"What just happened?"
"You have to be kidding me... That cat's power is unbelievable."
The Suna-nin stared, stunned.
Sent flying by a single tail swipe? This was Shukaku, the One-Tail. In their minds, it was a bloodthirsty monster of the desert, a living sandstorm. But seeing it now, it didn't seem so incredible after all.
Of course, that thought lasted only for the split second they saw Shukaku's jaw slapped shut, its Drilling Air Bullet forcibly canceled.
'This black cat...' Pakura thought, startled. A quick glance from the corner of her eye revealed it had grown to an immense size, nearly rivaling the One-Tail itself.
A larger body meant less agility.
An idea formed in her mind. She silently molded two more fireballs and sent them streaking quietly toward Takeshi.
An earthen wall rose from the ground.
*Boom!*
With a dull thud, the flames struck the wall, instantly melting it to slag. The power of her Scorch Release was undeniable.
"Phew..." Kakashi let out a quiet breath. After blocking the attack, he didn't dare linger, melting back into the crowd to avoid Pakura's notice. Concealment first, sneak attacks second.
"Nice one, Kakashi!" Obito called out, giving his teammate a thumbs-up after dispatching an enemy with a well-aimed shuriken.
Kakashi only shot him a sidelong glance and a slight nod. 'We're just support,' he thought. 'The real power here is Takeshi.'
By now, Bunpuku had completely transformed. Shukaku's body, formed from sand, was incredibly durable, so the tail whip hadn't injured him. But for a Tailed Beast, getting slapped by a ninja cat was the ultimate humiliation, especially for one as proud as Shukaku.
"ROAR!"
He bellowed, swiping his claws wildly toward the black cat.
Takeshi was less nimble now that he was larger, but he had no need to dodge. He simply clapped his paws together, and massive torii gates began to fall from the sky.
*Bang!*
With a tremendous crash, a gate landed squarely on one of Shukaku's outstretched paws. Before the beast could react, another torii appeared, pinning his other paw to the ground. Then came another, and another.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
They fell like giant boulders, piling onto Shukaku's body until the final gate slammed down on his tail.
"ROAR! DAMN YOU, YOU STINKING CAT! FIGHT ME ONE-ON-ONE!" Shukaku's voice, filtered through the unconscious Bunpuku, echoed across the battlefield.
Drawn by the roar, Rasa couldn't help but glance back. What he saw left him stunned.
What was happening? Those torii gates... they looked exactly like the ones at the entrance to a cemetery. And seeing them piled one after another, suppressing Shukaku... it looked so familiar.
"It really is... Sage Art: Gate of the Great God!"
A fanatical light gleamed in Orochimaru's eyes. He wasn't surprised, he had long suspected Takeshi was training in the technique. He just hadn't expected the black cat to have actually mastered such a peerless sage art. He thought. 'How exciting. I must get his DNA somehow...'
But Orochimaru was far calmer than Rasa. It was his greatest strength. The fever in his mind lasted only a second before he acted, extending his hand as a swarm of snakes shot out to bite the Kazekage.
This time, Rasa had no time to dodge. Just as they were about to strike, he managed to form a hand seal, shaping his Gold Dust into a spear and sweeping it across to sever the snakes heads. Even so, he was still hit by two giant snakes that had flanked him from the side.
"Kazekage," Orochimaru said, licking his lips, his gaze exceptionally cold. "You shouldn't let your mind wander during a battle. As an experienced senior experienced, take this advice for free."
Panic seized Rasa. He had heard Orochimaru's muttering and now had no doubt. This was the Gate of the Great God, the powerful sealing jutsu the First Hokage had used to dominate the Tailed Beasts. If this was the real thing, then forget Shukaku, even the Nine-Tails...
In that instant, his will to fight evaporated.
The scene was a profound shock to every Suna-nin on the front line. The Tailed Beast they considered their ultimate weapon was now pinned under several torii gates, completely immobilized. And carved on them were the words: "Shukaku's Tomb."
Was this thing really a ninja cat? Could it be the reincarnation of the First Hokage? Their minds were in turmoil. Even Pakura and Minato paused their fight for a few seconds to look back at the unbelievable sight.
Still, it seemed something was missing. As Shukaku began gathering chakra in its mouth again, preparing another Drilling Air Bullet, Pakura felt the seal wasn't quite complete.
But in the next second, she realized her mistake.
*Smack!*
The black cat's tail whipped down again, forcing Shukaku's mouth shut. The jutsu failed.
"ROAR! DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Shukaku roared incessantly, but he couldn't break free from the torii. What was truly infuriating was that the black cat, whether intentionally or not, just wouldn't use a final gate to seal his head.
He opened his mouth, but this time it spat a simple blast of wind mixed with sand. The attack was fast but useless. Empowered by senjutsu, Takeshi's Needle Jizo was more than enough to defend against it. Shukaku, on the other hand...
*Smack! Smack! Smack!*
The tail lashed out again and again, striking Shukaku's face with vicious, humiliating slaps.
At first, everyone thought the cat was simply incapable of sealing Shukaku completely. But after a moment, they realized how absurd that was. If he could seal the body, how much harder could it be to seal the head?
No, he was doing this on purpose. With every deliberate swing, he wasn't just fighting, he was slapping the One-Tailed Beast across the face. It was a calculated insult to a Tailed Beast.
Shukaku felt the humiliation. Rasa and Pakura felt it just as keenly. They had placed all their hopes on a rampaging Shukaku to tear through Konoha's defenses and win them the war. But reality had dealt them a harsh blow. Not only had Shukaku failed, but moments after appearing, he was pinned and being relentlessly slapped by the enemy's cat.
Everyone watched the black cat furiously whipping Shukaku's face, then looked at the pinned and immobile One-Tail, and a single thought flashed through their minds. 'Who was the Tailed Beast here, really?'
Inside Bunpuku's body, Shukaku was trembling with rage. 'This bastard is doing it on purpose, absolutely on purpose! I'm going to kill him!'
But it was only a thought. He couldn't get a sound out, only able to spout threats in his own mind. As the One-Tail, even being bullied by the Nine-Tails years ago wasn't as humiliating as this. This was no longer about winning or losing, it was about a beast's pride. If he tolerated this, what kind of Tailed Beast was he? He might as well go hide in the desert and never come out again.
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