Just then, Neji arrived with several elite members of the Hyuga clan.
He didn't spare Black Zetsu or Minato a glance. Instead, Neji raised a hand and activated an attractive force, directly yanking the Gedō Mazō's massive severed leg up into the air.
He was going to steal the leg outright.
Black Zetsu's expression changed drastically as he shouted, "Obito! Stop him!"
The Gedō Mazō was already missing one leg. If it lost another, this "container" really might be ruined. How would it still be able to hold the tailed beasts?
If the Jūbi (Ten-Tails) couldn't be formed, how could the Mugen Tsukuyomi (Infinite Tsukuyomi) be activated?
And if that couldn't happen… how could Mother be saved?!
Obito obviously understood that Neji couldn't be allowed to take the severed leg, but Tenten's demolition squad was already charging in. He simply couldn't free his hands.
"I'll go," Kabuto said.
In the next instant, he transformed into a giant serpent and shot forward. Moving at top speed, he reached the severed leg in moments, reverted to human form, and immediately activated Banshō Ten'in (Universal Pull), turning it into a tug-of-war against Neji.
Both the Rinnegan and the Tenseigan were "Sage Eyes," and their power was terrifying. As they pulled against each other, even space itself began to warp.
That enormous severed leg was dragged and torn between them, as if it might split in half at any second.
But then Neji's expression flickered.
He abruptly canceled the attractive force and switched to repulsion—Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)—instantly blasting the severed leg away, and sending Kabuto flying along with it.
The gigantic leg traced a graceful arc through the air… and landed perfectly right in front of Sasuke and Naruto, who had just arrived.
"Perfect! Naruto, cover me!" Sasuke immediately pulled out a sealing scroll. He spread it open and began forming hand seals.
Obito and Black Zetsu both reached out like they were trying to grab something that was already slipping away, shouting at the top of their lungs, "No! Don't!"
Even the Gedō Mazō seemed to realize it couldn't let another leg be taken. It actually rolled and scrambled back upright, stretching out a long arm to snatch the severed leg back.
But Naruto instantly shifted into a golden form. He formed a Rasenshuriken (Spiral Shuriken) between his hands and hurled it straight into the Gedō Mazō's outstretched arm.
A thunderous boom erupted.
The Gedō Mazō's huge hand was forced to stop, and the Rasenshuriken carved dense, crisscrossing wounds across it.
It wasn't on the level of one hundred million explosive tags, but it accomplished the goal.
Sasuke slammed a palm onto the severed leg and unleashed Fūinjutsu (Sealing Technique). In an instant, the massive leg was sealed into the scroll.
Sasuke snapped the scroll shut and flung it backward. From far away, it hit Shikamaru square in the chest.
Shikamaru caught the scorching-hot "hot potato," utterly speechless. "Hey! Sasuke, why are you dumping this on me to hold?!"
Sasuke didn't even look back. "I'm not giving it to you. I'm giving it to the Allied Shinobi Forces' rear line. If I carry it, it could get stolen in a split second. You guys keep it safe."
Shikamaru had no choice but to stow the scroll away.
He understood why Sasuke couldn't keep it. Sasuke was already a jinchūriki (tailed beast host) and a prime target. If he also carried around a severed leg, wouldn't he become a walking feast for the enemy?
The Gedō Mazō, meanwhile, flew into a rage, roaring as it charged straight at them.
It also seemed to sense that Sasuke and Naruto carried the energy it desperately wanted. It grew even more frenzied, opening its mouth and spewing enormous chakra dragons that tore toward the two of them.
"Naruto, dodge! Don't get hit!" Sasuke remembered Natsuki's warning: they absolutely could not take the Gedō Mazō's techniques head-on. There was a high chance they'd be suppressed.
Naruto felt the danger too. Using his golden form, he dodged at blazing speed—nothing like the old dead-last from before. Now he truly looked like a reliable shinobi.
Sasuke dodged as well, and in doing so, saw the chakra dragon sweep through several Allied shinobi.
In an instant, their chakra was drained dry.
"What an overbearing power…" Sasuke no longer dared to underestimate the Gedō Mazō.
It could drain several shinobi from this distance. If a jinchūriki got hit, the tailed beast might be ripped out directly—and that would be catastrophic.
So Sasuke warned again, "Naruto! Remember what Natsuki said. Don't let the Gedō Mazō's techniques hit you. The tailed beast will be taken. And once the tailed beast is taken… the jinchūriki dies!"
"I know. Run!" Naruto replied, his expression equally grave.
He accelerated forward and fired another Rasenshuriken straight at the Gedō Mazō's head.
But the Gedō Mazō opened its mouth and shot out a mass of energy in return, successfully intercepting the Rasenshuriken.
It had already absorbed the Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Six-Tails. The energy inside it was no small thing—blocking an ordinary ninjutsu was nothing.
If not for the tricky placement of Tenten's one hundred million explosive tags, how could its leg have been blown off?
Still, it could sense it now—the energy it wanted had arrived.
The immense power inside these two was exactly what it needed. As long as it could seize them and devour that energy, it would be able to recover most of itself…
So it stretched out a huge hand again, trying to grab Naruto and Sasuke.
Naruto simply transformed into a golden Nine-Tails form and spat out a Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Bomb).
But the Gedō Mazō extended its other hand and intercepted the Bijūdama—then reached for the Nine-Tails itself.
"This thing is way too tough! How did its legs even get blown off?!" Naruto stared in disbelief.
"The first leg was blown off by Natsuki's Denjiryoku Hō (Electromagnetic Cannon). The second was probably just now—Tenten's one hundred million explosive tags," Sasuke said as he watched, instinctively comparing them. "Compared to one hundred million explosive tags… how does your Bijūdama measure up?"
Something felt off.
Were one hundred million explosive tags really more powerful than a Bijūdama?
In truth, power aside, the key was that Tenten's blast placement was absurdly precise. It hit the exact spot that had previously been corroded by Mei's Yōton (Lava Release). That area was relatively weaker, and the one hundred million tags finished the job and severed the leg.
Right then, a Bijūdama suddenly blasted in from the distance, slamming directly into the Gedō Mazō's forearm.
Its forearm was forced open, and clear fracture-like cracks spread across it.
Naruto and Sasuke immediately looked back—
Fū was hovering in midair, already in her Seven-Tails form. She formed seals and fired a massive Renkūdan (Compressed Air Bullet), actually knocking the Gedō Mazō into a roll.
At the same time, Gaara and Onoki arrived as well.
The damage might not have been huge, but it was effective.
When Obito and Black Zetsu saw four tailed beasts moving in to surround and attack together, it was obvious what they intended.
They were going to blow it up again.
And this time, it wouldn't be one hundred million.
It would be six hundred billion.
No matter how tough the Gedō Mazō was… surely six hundred billion would reduce it to dust.
(End of Chapter)
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