Half-Tailed Beast
Yagura Karatachi had initially believed that the Water Mirror Technique's duplicate of Konan would be able to assist him in the fight.
Konan's Paper Release techniques could be copied, since the Water Mirror could duplicate anything except Kekkei Genkai. Even against a Jinchūriki like himself, the technique could create a functional clone.
But… Explosive Tags couldn't be copied.
Why would a perfectly good Paper Release technique be mixed with Explosive Tags?
Konan and her duplicate had been clashing using paper weapons, but now sudden explosions tore through the battlefield. The duplicate, lacking the explosive element, was instantly blown apart.
At that moment, Pain—who had been silently observing from a tree—dropped to the ground, moving to stand beside Konan. It was clear the two were about to enter the fight in earnest.
Yagura's expression hardened. It seemed he would have to unleash his true power to deal with all three opponents.
Without hesitation, Yagura entered his Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. His form remained humanoid, but dense, dark-red chakra erupted from his body, shrouding him in the Three-Tails' malevolent aura.
With a single leap, Yagura's strength cratered the ground beneath him. In a blur, he struck at Uchiha Obito with an open palm. Obito, however, was faster—Kamui's intangibility allowed the attack to pass harmlessly through him.
Yagura had expected this. The strike was only a feint—his real targets were Pain and Konan behind Obito.
He charged straight for Pain.
Pain raised one hand without expression.
"Shinra Tensei."
The repulsive force blasted Yagura backwards, splintering several thick tree trunks before he skidded to a halt.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
Drawing on the Three-Tails' chakra, Yagura expelled a massive pressurized sphere of water toward all three enemies.
Since Pain and Konan had now engaged, Obito decided to hang back. He wanted to watch. Nagato and Konan had never trusted him—this fight was an opportunity to study their abilities and find weaknesses for the future. Kamui rendered the water harmless as it phased through his body.
Pain, using Shinra Tensei again, deflected the water blast with ease.
The moment the spray dispersed, Yagura appeared before Konan, striking with another palm. She blocked with a paper shield, but to her surprise, the coral Yagura generated on contact weighed it down, pulling it to the ground.
Pain responded instantly.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Yagura was yanked toward Pain by the irresistible pull—only to be slammed into the ground by another Shinra Tensei the moment he closed in.
A black receiver formed in Pain's hand as he lunged to impale Yagura.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A massive wave burst outward from Yagura, forcing Pain to retreat. Konan, mid-air, formed hand signs.
"Dance of the Shikigami!"
Countless paper sheets formed into spears that rained down, but Yagura's tailed beast chakra flared violently, the shockwave scattering them.
Obito called out,
"Pain, we need to push him into full transformation so I can control him. Don't use your black rods yet."
Pain's eyes narrowed slightly—Obito clearly knew that the chakra-disrupting receivers could block a Jinchūriki's ability to fully transform.
Yagura's chakra surged again. A dense black sphere formed before his mouth—the beginnings of a Tailed Beast Ball. He swallowed the sphere, compressing it further, then spat it forward in a blinding flash.
Pain raised both hands this time.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The amplified repulsion diverted the Tailed Beast Ball skyward. The blast detonated in the distance, shaking the earth, a flash of light preceding the deafening roar and shockwave.
While Pain repelled the attack, Konan had already prepared a trap—countless Explosive Tags disguised as the ground, undetectable even to Obito's Sharingan. At her signal, they adhered to Yagura's body and detonated, engulfing him in a massive explosion that carved a crater into the battlefield.
Obito flinched. Don't kill him!
But Yagura endured. His form began to swell, jagged bone-like spikes erupting from his body as his humanity slipped away.
The three Akatsuki members paused, watching. This was what they had been waiting for.
In moments, the colossal armored form of the fully manifested Three-Tails loomed before them.
Pain glanced at Obito. "The Three-Tails has appeared. It's your move."
Obito nodded. "After I put him under genjutsu, you pierce him with your rods. That way we can force him back to human form while keeping control."
Activating Kamui, Obito warped forward, reappearing directly before the beast's massive head. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
The Three-Tails' eyes shifted into Sharingan tomoe, the beast freezing under his control.
Pain moved in, driving dozens of black receivers deep into the tailed beast's flesh, anchoring Obito's genjutsu and preparing to force the transformation's release.
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