Chapter 79: Shukaku Emerges
Not far behind Konoha's battle lines, Bunpuku quietly arrived with the sealing squad. At the captain's signal, he released the Feigning Sleep Technique that kept the tailed beast within him subdued.
The arrow had already left the bow—there was no turning back. Though his heart resisted, Bunpuku could only comply.
The battlefield stretched across the base of Kikyō Mountain, a land of sweeping desert like much of the Wind Country. As Bunpuku slipped deeper into unconsciousness, the other presence hidden inside him slowly stirred.
With its awakening, the sands beneath the battlefield seemed to respond to an invisible pull. Waves of sand began to gather around Bunpuku's body, surging upward in violent gusts that soon coalesced into a raging sandstorm.
Both armies immediately noticed the abnormal phenomenon.
The Konoha shinobi, ignorant of what was truly happening, assumed Sunagakure had unleashed some terrifying new ninjutsu. The sight of such overwhelming force filled them with dread, and they frantically searched for the caster. Their eyes fell on Bunpuku at the storm's center, and several rushed to strike him down before the jutsu could complete.
But as they closed in, the roaring sand repelled them like an unbreakable wall. The storm only intensified as the technique reached completion. Even ninjutsu hurled into the vortex was swallowed whole, leaving them helpless to watch as the ritual continued.
The Suna shinobi, however, reacted with a different kind of fear.
Releasing Shukaku had been a decision made by the village elders. The average soldier had not been informed. But seeing the telltale signs erupt from the enemy's side, many instantly guessed what was happening.
Too many of them had once faced Shukaku's rampages. They knew exactly what these signs meant. They knew the price of taming that monster—countless casualties, endless nightmares.
Yet, as dread crept into their hearts, a grim sort of elation followed. If Konoha's army had to endure Shukaku's wrath, the balance of the battle would swing. The beast would force Konoha to divert its strength, and Sunagakure could strike back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, felt his chest tighten as he watched the growing storm. Unlike the rank-and-file, he knew all too well about the Tailed Beasts. His intuition screamed at him—this was trouble beyond measure.
The sand piled higher, the winds howled louder, and within the storm a monstrous shape began to take form. Mixed in with the roaring gale was a deep, guttural laughter.
And then, with a thunderous crack, the beast revealed itself—Shukaku of the Sand, a colossal tanuki, its body inscribed with twisted, living curse marks. Its immense bulk dwarfed even Gamabunta, Jiraiya's mighty summon.
The Konoha shinobi gaped in horror, mistaking it at first for a gigantic summoning. The sheer pressure of its presence alone made their knees weaken.
"Kuahahahahahaha! This lord is finally free!"
Shukaku's crazed laughter echoed across the desert. After more than a decade imprisoned within a host, the beast relished the chance to rampage once more.
It lowered its head, leering at the cluster of Konoha shinobi glaring up at it.
The unknown is always the most terrifying, but now that the beast's form was fully revealed, the shinobi of Konoha forced themselves to steady their hearts. If it was a physical enemy, then it could be fought.
"Form up! Attack together!"
From every angle, shinobi unleashed a storm of ninjutsu—fireballs, earth spears, water dragons, lightning bolts—each technique converging on the towering beast.
Caught off guard, Shukaku roared as the barrage struck. Though the attacks barely scratched its hide, the sting was enough to enrage it.
Its golden eyes burned with fury. To the Tailed Beast, there was no difference between Suna and Konoha shinobi—these insects were all the same. They were the jailers who had sealed him away again and again.
Now, he would make them pay.
The beast inhaled, its massive belly swelling like a balloon before it let out a distorted howl:
"Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!"
With a slap of its stomach, Shukaku unleashed a massive sphere of compressed air. The projectile thundered into the ranks of Konoha shinobi.
The explosion of high-pressure wind tore through them like a cannon blast. Dozens were shredded in an instant, their bodies crushed and torn apart. Blood, organs, and shattered limbs sprayed across the battlefield, drenching the comrades standing nearby in gore.
In the blink of an eye, a swath of Konoha's forces had been annihilated.
What followed Shukaku's rampage was a wave of pure terror.
Konoha's shinobi had never faced anything like this. The Nine-Tails' seal was flawless and had never once slipped, meaning they had no real experience battling a fully unleashed Tailed Beast.
Confused and panicked, the Konoha forces lashed out with scattered, uncoordinated attacks.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, took in the scene with mounting fury. His suspicions were confirmed. He turned sharply toward the Kazekage, eyes blazing.
"You madmen! You've actually unleashed an uncontrollable Tailed Beast on the battlefield? Do you even care how many of your own will be slaughtered in the process?"
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, only gave a cold sneer.
"For victory, sacrifices are inevitable. If we don't unleash the Tailed Beast, what do you think awaits a defeated Sunagakure? Mercy?"
In truth, few nations had ever deployed Tailed Beasts in large-scale wars. At most, they had been used to wipe out isolated enemy squads. Full deployment was rare—not because villages lacked the power, but because it was more trouble than it was worth.
Re-sealing a rampaging beast was a nightmare. Worse, Tailed Beasts couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Once loosed, they ravaged both sides indiscriminately. Even villages that had developed partial control—allowing a jinchūriki to channel a sliver of the beast's chakra—would never dare to unleash the beast in its entirety.
Hiruzen's heart sank. He had never imagined that Sunagakure would go so far as to gamble everything, not even sparing their own forces.
But then again, he could understand the desperation.
The Wind Country was poor, its lands barren and its people scraping by. Only with the rise of the Fourth Kazekage and his ability to manipulate gold dust had the village begun to thrive, using gold as their source of wealth.
Yet war drained coffers faster than gold could fill them. What savings they had amassed evaporated in months. And worse—the Wind Daimyō had already threatened to slash their military funding should they lose.
To Sunagakure's leaders, there was no choice. This battle could only end in victory, no matter the cost. Thus, they had chosen to unleash Shukaku, incomplete weapon or not.
"Fanatics…" Hiruzen cursed under his breath.
He moved at once, intent on intercepting Shukaku before more of his men were torn apart. But the Kazekage had been watching closely. With a flicker of golden sand, Rasa intercepted him, blocking his path.
Hiruzen gritted his teeth. On the ground, he could not easily shake off an enemy who could fly freely above him. Each time he tried to slip away, the Kazekage rained golden sand down to pin him in place.
Helpless, the Third could only watch in anguish as Shukaku continued its rampage, tearing through Konoha's ranks. The cries of his shinobi filled the air, and his face twisted with sorrow.
Shukaku, of course, made no distinction. Its tantrum devastated the Leaf's forces, but Suna's own shinobi, caught in the crossfire, suffered losses as well.
Even Rasa's heart tightened at the sight. But when he caught the Hokage's pained expression, a sliver of dark satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
From the start, Sarutobi had carried himself as if everything was under his control. That smug composure had always grated on Rasa.
Now, at last, he could see the old man's mask crack. And that alone gave the Kazekage a grim sense of vindication.