"What should I do, Saitama?"
Although Shinta was an ancient serpent who had survived for thousands of years in Ryuchi Cave, his actual combat strength still fell far behind the Three-Tails. This was a natural gap that couldn't be compensated through cultivation.
If Saitama merely asked him to temporarily restrict the enemy and perform some exploratory or harassing attacks, there wouldn't be any problem at all.
Though this would still be quite dangerous, battle itself was full of uncertainties. Plus with Saitama present, the damage he received wouldn't entirely fall on him alone.
However, if Saitama requested him to truly face the enemy head-on in a one-on-one solo fight, he didn't have the slightest chance of victory.
Of course, he didn't believe Saitama would ask him to do this. Ever since the day they signed the contract, Saitama had possessed a certain understanding of his capabilities.
He was more powerful than Manda — but only barely. Perhaps he was currently among the strongest Boss Summons publicly seen within the Shinobi World, but compared to the Tailed Beasts...
Upon hearing Shinta's question, Yugito's expression turned serious, her face filled with solemnity.
"I need you to assist me using your size. Of course, I won't ask you to do anything too difficult!"
Yugito knew about the gap between Shinta and the Three-Tails' power levels, so she wouldn't say something reckless. She had summoned him out merely because their body sizes were similar.
She originally intended to directly use a jutsu capable of delivering a decisive strike, but after fighting until now, she just couldn't accept that her jutsu wouldn't land a critical blow on Yagura by now.
Only when she truly realized ordinary jutsu weren't effective would she attempt other methods.
"No problem."
Shinta's voice sounded somewhat deep, and extremely menacing.
As he spoke, he slowly coiled his body, while swinging his tail back and forth on the ground, kicking up dust from the earth.
After completing these actions, almost instantly, he shot forward like lightning carving through space.
When hunting prey, snakes always wait until the prey comes within range, then strike fast — jaws wide open, chomping down before the target even knows what hit it.
Shinta coiling himself up was done specifically to gain better leverage for propulsion, allowing faster acceleration at the beginning — an approach commonly known as "launch mode."
At the very moment Yugito explained her request, he already tensed his muscles in preparation for the attack.
The moment she finished speaking, he sprang into action without a second's delay.
Knowing the power gap between himself and the Three-Tails, he understood that only by taking the initiative could he barely control the first few exchanges, thus aiding Yugito during this critical moment.
[Whoosh!]
Shinta's body abruptly transformed from its coiled position into a straight line, lunging toward Yagura ahead.
He launched forward with a powerful push from the ground, soaring upwards like a missile.
While still midair, his tail moved like a propeller, vigorously swaying several times behind him, accelerating further his already incredible speed, creating nothing more than an afterimage.
Twisting like crackling lightning, his body rapidly covered over ten meters in an instant, directly charging toward Yagura.
"Holy crap, that's fast!"
Yagura sprang into action instantly. His jaws stretched wide as chakra gathered and compressed inside his mouth, before being expelled in the form of a massive energy sphere.
He did the whole thing in an instant—no hesitation at all, like it was second nature.
Meanwhile, Shinta watched the incoming jutsu heading straight toward him and immediately opened its large mouth, spitting out a foul-smelling brownish liquid that directly intercepted Yagura's chakra ball.
This was its unique ability—not venom, but a substance composed of Sage Chakra with strange properties.
The moment the brownish fluid made contact with the energy sphere, it scattered and spread outward, forming a net-like structure that wrapped around Yagura's jutsu. It started to harden into stone, covering its surface with a layer of grayish-white rock.
Due to this transformation, the energy sphere gradually slowed down and began descending like a plane losing power, starting to glide before crashing.
Boom...
Before it could hit the ground, Shinta twisted its body and swung its tail, striking the half-petrified jutsu sphere.
The stone shell cracked under the force of its armored tail, while the partially solidified chakra within was also dispersed, scattering in all directions.
"Not bad at all!"
Shinta's ability was like a weakened form of [Inorganic Reincarnation], yet it had proven effective in this battle.
Witnessing this, Yagura pulled his head back slightly and stepped backward defensively. As he retreated, another chakra ball launched from his mouth.
Click! Saitama stood atop Shinta's head, slowly tensing his muscles as he bent his legs and lowered his stance.
At this point, he was less than twenty meters away from Yagura. Once Shinta closed the distance further, he would make his move.
With Shinta keeping Yagura occupied, he could attack at ease—calmly and efficiently.
As for Yagura, seemingly aware of the consequences should his opponent close in, he rapidly retreated backward while continuing to fire off successive attacks toward both Shinta and Saitama.
"Let's go, Shinta!"
As Shinta once again neutralized one of Yagura's attacks using the same method, and the distance between them closed to about ten meters, intense electric currents surged across Saitama's body.
His voice was icy and calm, sending a shiver down Yagura's spine.
"Yeah, let's do this!"
After gliding forward briefly, Shinta pushed off the ground with explosive force like a spring, shooting forward even faster than before.
Its jaws stretched wide, its fangs glowing faintly purple—this time mixing toxic saliva with its special Sage Chakra product.
Whoosh! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Twisting through the air, Shinta steadily opened its maw wider, aiming to bite down on Yagura's protruding head.
"You better not underestimate me!"
Yagura roared, and immediately his surrounding chakra surged violently. The red armor enveloping his body became even more detailed and thicker.
Without backing down, he too opened his mouth wide, biting back toward Shinta. A turtle's bite force ranked extremely high among animals.
Almost simultaneously, with a sharp *snap*, Saitama launched off Shinta's head and soared high, blocking the sun and casting a shadow between Yagura and Shinta.
*Zzzap...*
He slammed his hands together above his head. Lightning surged between his palms, forming into the shape of a massive blade. The Sage Chakra pulsed with energy from Sage Arts, amplifying the power of the jutsu.
*Boom...*
Rather than clashing head-on, Shinta changed tactics mid-attack. His bite shifted into a coiling motion; twisting his head and bending his body, he dodged Yagura's bite and instantly wrapped around Yagura's form, constricting him tightly.
Yagura, however, showed no mercy. Though he hadn't bitten Shinta's vital areas, he sank his teeth deeply into Shinta's midsection. The seemingly impenetrable scales on Shinta's body crumbled easily under Yagura's jaws.
Blood burst from the wound in an instant, and Shinta let out a stifled grunt of pain as he reared his head up beside Yagura.
Yet despite the agony, Shinta squeezed even tighter. The fine scales along his body made contact with Yagura's surface layer of Tailed Beast Chakra, creating repeated sizzling, corrosive sounds.
Though the immense constriction force didn't deal major damage to Yagura, it certainly restricted his movements, keeping him momentarily rooted in place.
*Swish!*
Above, a piercing sound split the air. Yagura abruptly released his bite on Shinta, swiftly retreating his head into his turtle shell upon sensing the threat from Saitama.
The Chakra Armor coating his body became denser and more radiant.
*BOOM...*
The white blade descended at incredible speed, slashing down onto the carapace near Yagura's head.
With one strike, the Chakra Armor immediately cracked, revealing the true turtle shell beneath.
And the slash didn't stop—it tore through the Chakra defense and kept going down.
*Crack!*
As the blade struck the shell beneath the Chakra, a sharp metallic clang rang out, revealing fresh cracks spreading across it.
*Bang!*
Finally, the force of that single blow ended. Yagura's limbs were deeply driven into the ground, as if crushed by a thousand tons of pressure, sinking helplessly downward.
Meanwhile, Shinta, who had been coiled around Yagura, acted the moment Yagura loosened his jaw.
Turning his head, Shinta bit down fiercely on one of Yagura's legs.
*Puchi!*
At the same time, a foul liquid laced with Sage Chakra sprayed forth from his mouth, splashing directly onto that leg.
*Crunch!*
The liquid made contact first, instantly petrifying the limb. Then, with one powerful bite from Shinta's jaws, the petrified foot shattered into countless stone fragments, scattering across the ground.
[Shatter!] It's not over yet!
Midair, after Saitama slashed through Yagura's outer Chakra Armor and inflicted real damage onto the turtle shell beneath, he followed through and dove straight for Yagura's head.
In his hand, he tightly gripped a long, man-sized white spear.
"You…"
Yagura once again sensed danger coming from above. The pain of losing a leg was instantly cast aside.
In his current state, however, launching a counterattack proved difficult. His body was locked by Shinta, and having lost one of his back legs made movement troublesome.
ROAR!
Filled with frustration, he let out an angry roar, making calculated moves while dodging.
SNAP!
The carapace, already struck multiple times, shattered completely. A white spear pierced through it, plunging deep into the joint between his head and back before exiting beneath his body and burying itself in the ground.
"Die!"
Despite such a severe wound, Yagura didn't abandon the fight.
Thanks to his prediction, his head hadn't been directly hit. He opened his jaws wide, unleashing a fiery-red Ninjutsu toward Saitama, who had already leaped sideways.
"Shinta!"
While still midair, Saitama warned Shinta, performing an aerial dodge to narrowly evade Yagura's enraged attack.
The jutsu streaked through empty space, striking the distant forest and leaving behind a massive crater.
Even before Saitama spoke, Shinta had already released Yagura, springing across the ground several times to return to Saitama's side just in time to catch him as he descended.
At this moment, every scale on his body bore damage, black marks resembling decorative patterns etched across his form.
These were caused by Yagura's Chakra Armor during their entanglement. Blood steadily seeped from the cracks between his scales, dripping onto the ground and leaving visible trails.
The area where Yagura had bitten into him exposed bright red muscle and white, shattered bones—truly a horrifying sight.
Saitama frowned as he scanned Shinta's injuries. Though they appeared serious, a short period of rest inside Ryuchi Cave surrounded by its dense Natural Energy would allow quick recovery.
A Boss Summon's healing capability might only be second to that of the Tailed Beasts and some absolute monsters in the Shinobi World.
"You doing okay?"
Saitama crouched atop Shinta's head, pressing one hand against the top of his scaled skull, his tone carrying slight concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. That Tailed Beast Chakra really messes with snakes! I probably won't be much help in battle for a while."
Shinta flicked his tongue out, his breath heavy, his single eye fixed on Yagura, who was temporarily pinned to the ground by Saitama's jutsu.
ROAR!
Yagura roared furiously; his small eyes now fully consumed by red—he had clearly reached the edge of rage.
The technique that had shattered his shell and impaled his neck had already been dissolved by Chakra, and his wounds began to slowly heal.
Slowly, he raised his body upright, glaring coldly at Saitama.
"I'll kill you myself!"
His voice came out hoarse and distorted. He knew he'd have to unleash his maximum power—possibly even enter a berserk state—to stand any chance of victory. Otherwise, if this continued, he would eventually fall from sheer exhaustion.
Plus, there was still another enemy standing nearby, watching the fight unfold like mere entertainment.
Thinking about this, Yagura caught sight of Konan hovering in midair from the corner of his eye. He quickly formed a rough estimate of her strength.
Someone who could take down so many Anbu ninja in such a short time was undoubtedly a Kage-level expert, at the same rank as the leaders of major Hidden Villages!
"Damn, I didn't wanna go this far, but looks like there's no choice… Let's wrap this up quick!"
Saitama observed how quickly Yagura recovered his vitality after being hit by his earlier powerful strike. As he exhaled deeply, seeing Yagura stretch his head forward again and preparing another attack, Saitama looked somewhat helpless.
He had naturally noticed Konan watching from a distance as if it were a performance, so he resolved not to prolong the fight any longer.
Even basic Ninjutsu attacks—including those powered by massive amounts of Sage Chakra—were still insufficient to deal substantial damage to Yagura.
Guess I'll have to bring out the Sharingan after all.
No frills. Just keep it clean and direct.
With that thought, Saitama closed his right eye and fixed his left eye firmly onto Yagura.
Inside his Sharingan, the Mangekyou Ritual Circle began spinning. As the dojutsu power surged, strange lights appeared within.
[Amaterasu!]
At the climax of this transformation, Saitama grunted fiercely, then his left pupil suddenly constricted, spreading invisible power outward.
Meanwhile, he could feel a vast amount of chakra being siphoned directly from his eye, powering the activation of the Dojutsu.
On the other side, Yagura—the target of Saitama's attack—also sensed an intangible danger emerging from empty space. His small eyes flickered with alertness; instantly canceling the ninjutsu he had been gathering inside his mouth, he stared vigilantly at Saitama while waves of chakra wildly surged around him without restraint.
Crackle!
Just one second after he canceled his technique, a sudden burst of black flame erupted over the carapace where Saitama had previously struck. Instantly igniting and consuming the Tailed Beast Chakra there, the flames continued burning into his physical body.
"Huh?"
Shinta instinctively recoiled, his eyes narrowing in alarm at the sudden appearance of the black flame. The scales covering his body unconsciously tightened, becoming more compact.
"Ahhh!!"
Yagura let out a scream of agony. That patch of black flame had nearly touched his head. If not for the beast's instinct warning him of imminent danger, allowing him to retract his head back into his shell just in time, the flame would've landed directly on top of him.
The flames weren't hot in the usual way, but they clung to him like something alive.
Ordinary flames would normally be dispersed almost instantly by the Tailed Beast Chakra. But now, this black flame used chakra itself as fuel, growing stronger as it burned. Within moments, it covered his entire back—and showed signs of continuing to spread.
This scorching heat that seemed to seep directly into his soul caused Yagura to cry out involuntarily and writhe uncomfortably in pain.
Thud!
Yagura flipped his body over, pressing his back heavily against the ground, simultaneously releasing a flood of chakra in an attempt to isolate the Amaterasu flames.
Yet, the fire acted as though it had locked onto his body, completely unaffected by external interference.
The ground shook violently as countless cracks radiated outward from Yagura's position. Deep within the distant forest, birds scattered into the sky, startled by Yagura's terrifying screams.
"I should've used my dojutsu right from the start. Although it would consume more energy, it's definitely simpler," Saitama muttered.
He watched as Yagura writhed within the black flames of Amaterasu, his Tailed Beast Chakra burning away around his body.
Yagura's agonized cries… the deafening roar of his thrashing body…
Shinta gazed at the mighty tailed beast who had seemed so confident just a moment ago now plunged into torment. A chill ran through him as he once again revised upward his estimation of Saitama's strength. He wondered what would happen if those black flames had been attacking him instead.
Roar!
Yagura's massive form began shrinking smaller, his screams gradually weakening as his commotion decreased.
But he wasn't losing his fighting ability completely—this was an attempt to deal with the strange black flames by reducing his size, hoping that a smaller form might isolate the flames through his Tailed Beast Chakra.
Unfortunately, even as he shrank, the flames still clung to his back, consuming his body. The air grew thick with the acrid stench of burning flesh, almost like charred bone.
"What kind of ninjutsu is this?"
Shinta raised his gaze toward Saitama, finally unable to contain his curiosity.
"This is a dojutsu housed within my eyes. You probably know that Mangekyou-level Sharingan possess special abilities, right?" Saitama answered without hesitation.
"Understood. So the abilities of the Sharingan are indeed the most bizarre. Even such powerful beings as tailed beasts still show signs of defeat before these eye techniques!"
Nodding, Shinta turned his sharp gaze back toward Yagura, his lips curling slightly to expose his fangs and intensify his fearsome look.
Each Mangekyou held abilities beyond ordinary comprehension. During his long life, Shinta had witnessed many Uchiha ninja using theirs. Each one was incredibly terrifying in power.
Watching those black flames, Shinta flicked out his serpent tongue, clearly showing his wariness. Would that fire ever go out?
"This dojutsu is called [Amaterasu]. It is an [Immortal Flame] that won't disappear until its target has been reduced to ashes. It's hailed as the strongest physical attack!" Saitama explained his own eye technique without reservation, his voice carrying a hint of confidence.
"Burned completely… truly a terrifying ability!"
Shinta narrowed his eyes, savoring those words carefully, deeply shaken inside.
"Though Tailed Beasts cannot be killed permanently, they are not beyond suffering."
Saitama observed Yagura as his Tailed Beast Transformation gradually faded, his body shrinking back into a human-like form. His left eye's power surged again, the Mangekyou pattern beginning to rotate.
The flames of Amaterasu hadn't vanished yet. If they continued burning, Saitama believed Yagura would be completely consumed, while the Tailed Beast might eventually return somewhere in the Shinobi World years later—something he definitely wanted to avoid.
Therefore, he needed to extinguish the Amaterasu flames at just the right moment, leaving Yagura with his life intact.
After all, what he needed right now was a living Jinchūriki without the ability to resist, not a truly freed Tailed Beast.
Boom...
Yagura finally stopped moving. Face-down on the ground, his bare upper body was exposed as black flames burned fiercely on his back, gradually draining away his life force.
Done!
Saitama opened his left eye wide, focusing intently on that black flame as the chakra in his eye began to draw away from his body.
It seemed Yagura no longer had the strength to fight back. He could proceed with the finishing touches. This capture mission for Three-Tails could be considered basically complete.
Boom...
Under Saitama's watchful gaze, the raging black flames gradually diminished, eventually extinguishing and vanishing into thin air just like when they'd first appeared—without any warning.
Yagura lay motionless, his back charred beyond recognition, but Saitama could still sense his faint breath and heartbeats spaced painfully apart.
Good, he's alive. There was no way he would let Yagura die so easily at this point.
Besides, Saitama wouldn't make the same mistake as the Second Pillar in his memories—allowing the Jinchūriki to escape using the [Clone] technique. From start to finish, he focused most of his attention on Yagura to ensure there was no chance for him to flee.
"It looks like things are over. Then I'll head back now. Although the environment here in the Shinobi World is much nicer than Ryuchi Cave, the natural energy in the air isn't really suitable for healing my wounds."
Shinta glanced down at his injuries before speaking to Saitama.
Although it had only been a short appearance, his wounds were indeed severe, yet he had contributed meaningfully and completed his contracted duty of assisting in battle.
"Alright! Thanks for your hard work this time."
Saitama nodded, pushed off with both feet, and leapt upward, landing gently on the surface above. In an instant, Shinta transformed into a wisp of white smoke and vanished, returning to Ryuchi Cave—the place he called home.
"Is it over?"
Over there, Konan flapped her wings slowly as she approached.
She had witnessed the entire battle between Saitama and Yagura up close, giving her a deeper appreciation of Yagura's strength.
If she were to fight Saitama now, her chances of victory might not even reach two out of ten, unless...
Eyes narrowing, Konan caught sight of Saitama turning his gaze toward her and quickly discarded those thoughts.
Unless Saitama actually showed signs of hostility, she naturally wouldn't strike first—but some preparations were definitely necessary.
With a few gentle flaps of her two white paper wings, she flew over and landed beside Saitama.
Not a single mark or tear marred her body, making it seem as though she hadn't even participated in the fight moments ago. She looked at the fallen target and slowly extended her hand. Countless pieces of paper fluttered over, wrapping the unconscious Yagura tightly like a mummy.
"Well then, this operation ends in complete success!"
A slight smirk curved Konan's lips, revealing an oddly charming smile—though clearly not meant for Saitama beside her.
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