Chapter 84 – Susanoo vs. Shukaku
Shukaku's gaze sharpened, his thoughts laced with disdain. The only reason I even bothered speaking to you, brat, is because you're Indra's descendant. A courtesy for the Sage of Six Paths' sake, nothing more.
Lately, with age settling in, his temper had mellowed somewhat. In his younger days, he would've blasted this insolent fool with a Tailed Beast Ball the instant he opened his mouth.
But instead of showing gratitude, the boy had the gall to declare he would kill him. Arrogance beyond measure. Did this child truly think a mere pair of Mangekyō Sharingan was enough to make him tremble?
The absurdity made Shukaku both furious and amused. He threw back his head and laughed, his voice echoing like thunder across the battlefield.
"Hah! You, kill me? Don't make me laugh!
You don't even possess the Sage Eyes, yet you dare imagine that a pair of ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan can defeat me? Keep dreaming, little insect!"
Shukaku's confidence swelled to the point of arrogance. He had long known of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, the only two shinobi who had ever truly suppressed the Tailed Beasts. Both were long dead.
That meant, aside from sealing jutsu, no force in the shinobi world could truly threaten him anymore.
Nan only smirked at the taunts.
"There's a saying: dogs that don't bite bark the loudest. You fit that description perfectly, Shukaku."
The mocking barb struck home. Shukaku's laughter cut off instantly, his expression twisting in rage. He was a tanuki — and he loathed foxes and dogs more than anything. To be called a dog was an unforgivable insult.
"You bastard! How dare you call me a dog! I'll tear you apart!"
With a roar, Shukaku's claws elongated, raking down toward Susanoo with murderous force.
Nan didn't flinch. In Susanoo's hands, the black greatsword materialized once more. With a single decisive swing, he brought the blade down on Shukaku's claw.
The Tailed Beast, confident in his near-impenetrable hide, chose not to dodge. After all, even Jiraiya's massive summon Gamabunta had failed to scratch him earlier.
But this time was different.
Nan's strike landed clean. The black blade sliced through flesh and bone alike, severing Shukaku's entire claw in one stroke. The detached limb writhed in the sand, only to begin disintegrating, piece by piece, until the remnants were devoured completely by the greatsword's dark edge.
Shukaku howled in shock.
"Impossible! What is that blade? It actually cut through my hide!"
It was no idle boast. Shukaku possessed the second-strongest defense of all the Tailed Beasts, rivaled only by the Eight-Tails. Moments ago, Gamabunta had battered him with countless strikes, yet failed to leave so much as a scratch. But now, in the blink of an eye, one of his claws was gone.
Nan lifted the massive weapon, his voice filled with pride.
"This blade is Eclipse — the companion weapon of my Susanoo.
Its edge is sharper than any steel, and it feeds on chakra to hone itself even further. The instant my blade touched you, it drank the chakra on your skin, weakening your defenses while amplifying its own power. That's why your so-called armor crumbled like paper."
He spoke as if showing off a treasured masterpiece.
Eclipse was entirely jet-black, its tip long and narrow while the blade itself was broad and heavy. Raised upright, it could serve as a shield as well as a sword. Its unique form made it equally adept at cleaving and piercing. It was this very weapon that had gravely wounded Pakura earlier.
Shukaku snarled, both humiliated and enraged.
Damn it. I underestimated him. Because I didn't understand his ability, I've already paid the price — losing a claw in our very first exchange.
Though a Tailed Beast could regenerate lost limbs, doing so demanded an enormous amount of chakra—wasteful in the middle of battle.
And chakra absorption… that was the ultimate counter to their kind. Why, of all things, did this boy's Susanoo possess such a dangerous ability?
Shukaku quickly adjusted his strategy. I can't afford to fight him up close. Better to keep my distance, bombard him with ninjutsu, and wear him down. He's young—his ocular power can't last forever. His Susanoo is bound to collapse sooner or later.
Resolute, Shukaku began unleashing waves of sand from afar, weaving them with Wind Release to hammer at Nan. The goal was simple: drain his chakra, force him into collapse.
But Nan stood firm within Susanoo, his black blade Eclipse cleaving through the waves of sand with calm precision. Every grain that touched the blade lost its guiding chakra instantly, dropping uselessly to the earth.
After blocking three consecutive Air Bullets with the weapon's broad edge, Nan finally chuckled, his voice echoing from within the armored giant.
"Did you really think this blade only feeds on chakra from living flesh? You're mistaken. It drinks chakra from ninjutsu as well—and every ounce it devours becomes my own.
You're not exhausting me, Shukaku. With every attack, you're only gifting me more chakra."
The truth was undeniable. With each clash, the chakra Nan had spent earlier in his fight with Pakura was steadily replenished. The excess he stored neatly within the Yin Seal on his forehead, a growing reservoir of power.
And unlike what Shukaku believed, Nan's eyes were no ordinary Mangekyō—they were the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Sustaining Susanoo at this level barely scratched his reserves.
Shukaku's plan to wear him down had already failed. The longer they fought, the sharper Nan's aura became, his momentum only climbing.
If Shukaku refused to close the distance, then Nan would.
With a low growl, Nan poured more power into his eyes. The Mangekyō pattern spun faster, and Susanoo surged upward. New limbs took form—two massive legs, thick with chakra, anchoring the giant to the ground. In moments, it towered above even Gamabunta, matching Shukaku in size.
Now fully humanoid, Susanoo radiated menace. Nan hovered in the core, his gaze locked forward.
With legs to propel it, Susanoo's speed skyrocketed. In a blink, it was at Shukaku's side, the black greatsword swinging down toward the beast's head.
Shukaku roared and raised his other claw, this time flooding it with chakra. The blade met the hardened limb with a shuddering clash. Unlike before, the claw didn't sever instantly.
But Shukaku's relief was short-lived. He felt it—the steady drain. The chakra reinforcing his arm was being siphoned away, weakening his defense, while Eclipse's edge bit deeper and deeper into his flesh.
Step by step, Nan's Susanoo drove him backward. For the first time outside his battles with his Tailed Beast kin, Shukaku was being overpowered by raw might.
Even Gamabunta, the great toad, had been helpless against him. Never had Shukaku known this feeling—being crushed by brute strength.
By all rights, only a complete Susanoo should have such power over a Tailed Beast. And though Nan's construct was far from its final form, its unique chakra absorption tilted the scales. Against Shukaku, the weakest of the nine beasts, the advantage became absolute.
The tanuki's strength faltered further, his remaining claw trembling as Eclipse carved deeper. In desperation, he lashed out with his massive tail, aiming to force Nan to break his assault.
It worked—partially. Nan withdrew his strike and twisted aside to avoid the incoming blow.
But Susanoo's counter was mercilessly swift. Before Shukaku could retract his tail, Eclipse flashed once more, severing the enormous appendage in a single strike. The tail's chakra was devoured, sealed into the black blade.
Shukaku howled, his body convulsing in agony. One arm gone, one tail gone—his once-proud form was in tatters.
A Tailed Beast, bearer of the greatest natural power in the world, wounded so grievously… Shukaku had never endured such humiliation. Rage boiled within him, hotter and hotter, until it threatened to consume reason itself.
No longer would he treat this as a game. He would unleash his true fury, his full might, and grind Nan to dust.