Rasa's mouth twitched slightly, and his gold sand immediately surged forward. His gold sand, like iron sand, could counter Shukaku's sand! This was also the reason they could suppress Shukaku.
But—Boom!
The moment Shukaku appeared, the entire dungeon collapsed!
"Not good! Shukaku is out!"
"Quick, block Shukaku!"
"Attack him!"
The scene was chaotic with noisy voices. One after another, ninjutsu quickly attacked Shukaku's body. But their attacks were no different from tickling the massive Shukaku. Yellow sand filled the sky. Rasa used his gold sand to stabilize the dust, while also constructing a surrounding wall.
But the Shukaku that climbed up instantly shattered the city wall, which had been stabilized and forged by the gold sand, with a single palm strike. The power of a Tailed Beast… even Rasa couldn't completely block it.
Fortunately, this place was not inside Sunagakure, but in a very remote area, very close to the Demon Desert. He didn't have to worry about the battle with Shukaku causing large-scale destruction. The only thing he needed to be on guard against was…
Rasa roared.
"Fall back, unrelated people, fall back!"
Numbers were meaningless against a Tailed Beast. Staying here could even lead to sacrifices, causing the village to lose its few remaining elites.
Bang!
Shukaku's power raged in the desert. Without the need for ninjutsu like chakra release or sand, just its terrifying physical strength was enough to bring an irreversible disaster to the surroundings. Fortunately, this desert was already their forbidden zone. Imprisoning Bunpuku nearby was also to prevent him from affecting the village when he went on a rampage.
In the distance, one by one, the Suna ninjas watched Rasa and Shukaku anxiously. That was their Kazekage… but to suppress Shukaku was indeed very difficult!
"AWOOO!"
A roar.
In Shukaku's mouth, chakra gathered madly. In an instant, the ninjutsu was completed.
Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!
Rasa's pupils shrank. He immediately slapped the ground with both hands, and patches of gold sand appeared, forming countless sand walls. But in front of the Drilling Air Bullet, even walls made of gold sand were fragile. One layer, two layers… Bang!
Before the fourth wall could be formed, the Drilling Air Bullet directly penetrated and blasted towards the crowd.
"Dodge!"
Rasa was frantic.
Shukaku, without the suppression of a Jinchuriki, was far more powerful than he had imagined, so much so that he was not fully prepared…
The crowd behind scattered. But there were more ninjas who couldn't dodge the extremely fast wind bullet.
"Save me! Save me!"
"I don't want to die!"
Wails came from the rear.
Ryoho Kyohiko did not move. Temari, in his arms, widened her eyes, her face filled with terror. The next second, she saw this Konoha ninja throw out a kunai and at the same time raise his hand—
Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!
VMMMM!
The sharp sound made her cover her ears and close her eyes. But after a long while, she did not feel the arrival of death. It seemed… she was still alive!
Temari opened her eyes and saw that Shukaku's terrifying wind bullet had actually been reflected back.
"W-We're saved?!"
"I'm still alive?!"
"It was…"
Someone was about to ask who had saved them, and then they saw Ryoho Kyohiko with his hand raised. They immediately stopped their words. Without a doubt, Kyohiko had saved them! The Flying Thunder God Technique.
When Kyohiko was an enemy, they felt this jutsu was hateful and abominable. But when they became allies, everyone finally understood how reassuring this jutsu could be. With him around, there would be no casualties at all! Everyone's hearts were stirred.
At this time, a trace of envy and helplessness flashed through Rasa's heart. The Drilling Air Bullet. It wasn't that he couldn't take it. It was just that to completely block it, it would require multiple preparations. And at this moment, the peak-state Shukaku's power was beyond his imagination, making it difficult to quickly and completely suppress and block. The best way was to dodge.
But compared to Kyohiko's light and easy way of directly teleporting the Drilling Air Bullet with the Flying Thunder God, his ability was indeed not impressive enough. Rasa used his gold sand to suppress Shukaku as much as possible, sighing helplessly in his heart. He was considering whether to ask for help. With Kyohiko's ability, he could definitely help defeat Shukaku and seal the Jinchuriki. But the other party had not made a move, obviously waiting for a price. If he offered some benefits, it could surely be resolved quickly.
But… where would his prestige as the Kazekage be? Rasa's heart was firm. Fight! The sky was filled with gold sand, surging towards Shukaku.
Ryoho Kyohiko stood on high ground, his gaze sweeping around. Beside him, Temari, who was only two or three years old, had lifeless eyes, as if her heart had died. From a happy, pampered family to suddenly becoming a sacrifice, she found it hard to accept in her heart. However, at this moment, Rasa clearly wasn't thinking about Temari's feelings. What he was thinking… was only to suppress the Tailed Beast and regain it for Sunagakure!
Boom!
Shukaku roared, its chakra pouring out unrestrainedly. Even with the cover of the gold sand, the desert still kicked up a terrifying sandstorm. The sky was filled with dust, obscuring the sun. The surroundings dimmed by several shades. The sand condensed and, blown by the fierce wind, poured down like stones.
Ryoho Kyohiko quickly dodged with Temari, occasionally helping the pitiful people below by creating earth walls to block the damage. A series of explosions echoed in the desert. A few seconds later, Shukaku gathered its chakra and fired another Drilling Air Bullet.
Rasa looked back. Seeing no one, he quickly dodged, not taking this Drilling Air Bullet head-on. But this action was seen by Shukaku. It grinned.
"You care about your ninjas? Very good. They had a part in imprisoning me, so let's count them in as well!"
The next second, Shukaku started to move. It couldn't break through Rasa's defense, but Rasa's ninjutsu, in the short term, also couldn't cause effective damage to it. Rather than that—it was better to change to another place to fight, which could also make Rasa have his hands tied.
Thump!
Shukaku got up and headed for Sunagakure. It looked clumsy and slow, but it was huge. One step could cover a great distance. Under its feet, golden spears crisscrossed, piercing into its body. But… it was useless! Shukaku's body was covered in a thick layer of sand. Even if some could penetrate the protection, it couldn't pose a fatal threat to it. In comparison, what it was about to do was far more fatal to Rasa!
One leap. A sand dune collapsed, and not far behind the dune was Sunagakure.
Tch!
A series of wind blades flew over, but to it, they were no different from tickling. Especially since it still had gold sand inside its body—although this gold sand slowed it down, it also strengthened its defense.
Rasa was frantic. If this continued, he could definitely defeat Shukaku, but… what would be the price? Sunagakure might be destroyed in a large area, many ninjas might die, and rebuilding and retraining would require a lot of manpower, resources, and even time. Such a victory was meaningless!
Rasa hurriedly chased after it. In the air, his figure split into two. One chased after Shukaku, while the other went towards where Kyohiko was. The next second, he appeared in front of Shukaku with a body flicker. His hands stretched out, chakra spreading. Endless golden sand emerged from under the sand, surging towards Shukaku. A large amount of sand quickly engulfed Shukaku. Then, a series of explosions came from under the gold sand.
Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!
But at the same time, a terrifying chakra presence derived and spread from below. Rasa's pupils shrank. This was not a Drilling Air Bullet, but… a Tailed Beast Bomb!
On the other side, the shadow clone was extremely anxious.
"Please help me seal it. As for the price, Sunagakure can pay the money for an S-rank mission."
An S-rank commission. Normally, this was a price given only when national interests were involved. Sealing a Tailed Beast…
Ryoho Kyohiko chuckled lightly.
"A little low."
Rasa's face stiffened. He was annoyed in his heart but also helpless. Now he was the fish on the chopping block. If he didn't want this Tailed Beast Bomb to shatter his village… he could only agree to Kyohiko's request and continue to raise the price.
But the next second, Ryoho Kyohiko had already disappeared, leaving no trace. A voice was left in his place.
"However, our two villages are allies. This price is barely acceptable!"
***
"Run! Retreat, don't stay here!"
"Shukaku is coming!"
"It's over!"
Sunagakure was filled with despair and sorrow, as if the end of the world was coming.
Shukaku… Rasa could certainly block it. But many people in Sunagakure might die in this one blow. Retreat? The ninjas could run, the children could be taken away, but what about the old people? Sunagakure was in chaos.
Rasa tried hard to suppress Shukaku's chakra, but at this moment, Shukaku was not at all afraid of death. It only wanted to vent its anger and hatred. The Tailed Beast Bomb… was its answer! Shukaku normally didn't use the Tailed Beast Bomb because its chakra amount was relatively small, and using it required a longer time to gather and prepare. But right now, its body was mixed with gold sand, making movement very difficult. The Tailed Beast Bomb was most suitable! The slowly accumulated chakra was finally about to explode!
In the distance, Baki looked over here, his eyes full of despair. Beside him, an old man let out a long sigh.
"This is the power of a Tailed Beast. In front of Shukaku, we can do nothing. But Kazekage-sama can definitely defeat Shukaku. It's just…"
He looked in the direction of the village. Once this Tailed Beast Bomb was fired, at least a quarter of Sunagakure would be destroyed. Who knows how many families, how many people who couldn't evacuate in time, would die here.
"Elder Naito, is there no better way?"
"A better way…"
Elder Naito sighed heavily. Easier said than done?
Elder Naito said in a low voice.
"If we become stronger, there will be better ways in the future. And now, it's also the Kazekage-sama's first time fighting Shukaku. Being able to defeat and reseal it is already the best result."
Baki's eyes dimmed. Before a Tailed Beast, even the Kazekage seemed so powerless.
Boom!
Suddenly, a dazzling light illuminated the surroundings. This area, which had been darkened by the sandstorm, had light again. But… this light was fatal! It penetrated through the layers of gold sand, through Rasa's sealing jutsu, and even shattered the heavy defensive lines that Rasa had urgently constructed.
Everyone seemed to have already seen the scene of a large part of Sunagakure being destroyed. One by one, they closed their eyes in unbearable pain and despair, their hearts in extreme agony—they were too incompetent! Jounin, in a battle of this level, were as insignificant as ants, completely useless.
In a moment of silence and despair, the Tailed Beast Bomb blasted towards Sunagakure. The next second.
"Huh?"
"Heavens! The Tailed Beast Bomb…"
"It was blocked!"
The ninjas in the distance and around were all stunned. Even Shukaku, who had spat out the Tailed Beast Bomb and broken free from the golden sand's restraint, was stunned for a few seconds. Why… didn't it work?
It looked ahead and saw a tall tree standing there. A figure stood on the treetop with one hand raised, his gaze indifferent. He had a Konoha forehead protector tied to his head. The whole scene was silent.
Ryoho Kyohiko!
Previously, he had diverted the Drilling Air Bullet with one hand. But that was, after all, still a ninjutsu, within the scope of everyone's understanding. But a Tailed Beast Bomb… could this thing also be teleported by the Flying Thunder God?
Around, the ninjas of Sunagakure were still immersed in shock, while in the village in the distance, a sky-shattering cheer erupted. We're saved! When the Tailed Beast Bomb erupted and penetrated through the heavy obstacles, they all thought they were doomed. As it turned out, in the end, the Tailed Beast Bomb didn't hit them at all. Unbelievable!
But, the next second—an astonishing and terrifying explosion occurred in the desert. The Tailed Beast Bomb had exploded over there! The dazzling light devoured everything around it. The sky was filled with flying sand and dust. A huge depression appeared in that patch of desert.
"It's you again!"
"I didn't want to get involved in the grudge between you and Sunagakure, but they are our Konoha's allies."
Ryoho Kyohiko sighed softly, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness.
Shukaku didn't speak, but directly accumulated chakra. A large patch of sand appeared at Kyohiko's feet, instantly covering his entire body. A loud bang! The sand… was directly blasted away.
"Shukaku, you are too powerful. For the friendship with Sunagakure, I must seal you!"
The next second, the tree behind Ryoho Kyohiko transformed into a giant wooden human.
Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!
The giant wooden human, almost able to rival Shukaku in size, attracted everyone's attention, including Rasa's… his face was full of astonishment and horror. The jutsu of Senju Hashirama back then! This brat can actually use it so perfectly?
Before he could recover from his shock, the next second, the giant wooden human swung its hand and slammed down. Bang! Shukaku's head was directly smashed into the sand.
Standing on its nose, Ryoho Kyohiko formed hand seals, releasing a new ninjutsu.
Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands
The other hand of the wooden human, a base symbol quickly appeared in its palm. Then it released its right hand, and its left hand once again struck Shukaku's head. Shukaku, which had just raised its head, was slapped down again, letting out a painful wail. This time… it felt a drowsy feeling! It's a hypnosis jutsu! Shukaku realized something was wrong, but at this moment, it had no ability to resist. That giant wooden human was pressing it down firmly, making it unable to move, and it couldn't even use its chakra.
A few seconds later, it fell into a deep sleep. The wooden human retracted its hand and dissipated with a boom. Only then did everyone come back to their senses. They all looked at Shukaku, which was pressed into the ground and no longer moving, their eyes filled with shock.
But the most shocked was Temari. Previously, she had been in a state of complete despair and silence. At this moment, an expression of disbelief appeared on her face. From the time Kyohiko left her side to when he subdued Shukaku, it had only been a dozen seconds, right? In comparison, her father…
Temari couldn't help but look at Rasa's shadow clone on the side, her gaze carrying a trace of inquiry and comparison.
Rasa was silent. From the time Kyohiko truly acted to the time he subdued Shukaku, it was actually just the time for those two jutsu, only three or four seconds in total. While he himself had spent a long time, yet still failed to suppress Shukaku. Perhaps if he tried again, or changed to a more spacious place, he could defeat Shukaku, but he could absolutely not do it as cleanly and decisively as Kyohiko. He had never thought that the gap between him and Kyohiko would be so large.
At this moment, Rasa could feel what the First Kage of the past, who were suppressed by Senju Hashirama, felt. When Kyohiko had driven the wooden human, suppressed and hypnotized Shukaku with one palm, he had only one thought in his heart. Such a strong enemy, I'm afraid I'll never be able to defeat him in my life!
Facing such an enemy, you either become one of their own, or you completely unite with the enemy. Otherwise, in the end, you will have to depend on the other's mood. Rasa's face was uncertain.
Temari's voice was low.
"Chichi-ue, you are going to put such a Tailed Beast into my body?"
Rasa's voice was low.
"It is cruel to you, but this is your destined fate."
"As my eldest child, I can only sacrifice you… and you will also be sent to Konoha."
Sent to Konoha…
Temari looked ahead, silent.