The moment the word Tailed Beast was mentioned, most of the ninjas stood rigid.
Their bodies trembled involuntarily.
A Tailed Beast was the equivalent of a nuclear weapon for every shinobi village—an existence with devastating destructive power.
"Sunagakure actually sent something like that… are they planning to start the Fourth Ninja War!?"
"It's not a plan. The war has already begun."
To unleash a Tailed Beast against another village was an act no one could simply overlook.
"If war breaks out now, can we even win? Even the Third Hokage is gone…"
With war upon them, and the Hokage dead, who was left to command and protect the village?
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the distance, a violent shockwave sweeping in all directions.
"Ahahaha! You damn shinobi—die for this uncle!"
"Wind Style: Air Bullet Barrage—Twenty-Seven Shots!"
Bang! Bang! Bang, bang…
One typhoon after another blasted through Konoha's buildings, ripping them apart.
Barely any houses remained intact.
Shukaku, the One-Tail, rampaged with destructive fury.
Several Konoha shinobi tried desperately to block its advance, but a Tailed Beast could not be stopped so easily.
The berserk One-Tail vented its rage on all humans in sight.
To Shukaku, every human was an enemy.
"We must stop it somehow! At this rate, the entire village will be destroyed!"
Buildings could always be rebuilt.
Konoha had risen from ruin multiple times before, its economy resilient enough to recover.
But if the village itself fell now, its reputation and deterrence would vanish overnight.
Shikaku Nara took the lead, rushing toward Shukaku.
A mass of shinobi followed him in pursuit.
Yuichi glanced at the group. He could have outpaced them easily, but there was no need.
The fact that Gaara could fully manifest Shukaku again was already an unexpected twist.
The question now was—how long could they keep the One-Tail from rampaging?
The great vines of the Wood Style's Tree World descended, forming a path that led straight toward the beast.
Nearly a thousand ninjas charged across the living bridge.
The massive movement immediately caught Shukaku's attention.
"So many damn insects! Then my uncle will send you all to hell!"
The One-Tail tilted its massive head back at a forty-five degree angle.
Its tail pointed toward its mouth as two chakra spheres—one red, one blue—formed from nothing, merging rapidly.
A dreadful, suffocating aura rose with it.
Shikaku, at the front, froze mid-step.
The shinobi behind him halted as well.
"…Not good."
His eyes widened, locked on the distant One-Tail.
A deep purple sphere swelled between its jaws, sucking in chakra from the very air.
The waves of pressure rolling out were overwhelming.
"Could this be… a Tailed Beast Bomb!?"
"Tailed… Beast Bomb? What's that!?"
Shikaku swallowed hard.
"If it fires, anything it touches will be erased instantly. That's the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb."
Annihilation incarnate.
Panic rippled through the shinobi ranks.
"What do we do!? Konoha will be…"
"Should we hit it with ninjutsu!?"
"At this distance!? No jutsu can reach hundreds of meters away!"
"Is this the end for Konoha?"
Kurenai's gaze flicked toward Yuichi.
"Your Wood Style… can it reach that far!?"
All eyes turned to him.
Yuichi, at that moment, was their final hope.
"…Give me time to gather chakra. I can strike."
"Then hurry—" Kurenai began, but Shikaku cut her off with a grim sigh.
"It's too late."
Shukaku's maw had already swallowed the compressed Tailed Beast Bomb.
The air around them warped violently, sucked toward the beast.
In an instant—
BOOM!
A shockwave detonated outward.
Chakra surged, distorting the very air. Ripples shimmered around Shukaku's colossal form.
The shinobi staring at the Tailed Beast Bomb felt their pupils dilate, veins bulging red across their eyes.
Sweat trickled from every face.
Their hearts pounded loud in their ears, each beat slow, heavy, suffocating.
Time itself seemed to crawl.
The seething orb of destruction grew, radiating light and pressure until the wind it created whipped against their faces, forcing them to squint.
The Tailed Beast Bomb would obliterate them all.
Why does such terrifying power exist in this world…?
It's over. Konoha really is finished this time…
At that instant—
Shikaku, Choza, Kurenai, Anko, Hayate, and others leapt forward, hurling attacks at the incoming sphere.
They knew they couldn't stop it.
But if they could weaken it—even a little—it was better than waiting for death.
"Raikiri!"
"Eight Inner Gates—Seventh Gate, open!"
Two more figures flashed ahead.
"Kakashi! Guy!?"
Even with their arrival, the shinobi knew it wasn't enough.
Kakashi's face twisted grimly. Too much chakra was spent fighting Danzo… can I still use that technique? Or is it already too late?
Beside him, Might Guy clenched his fists. Should I open the Eighth Gate here and now…?
The massive sphere of death inched closer.
Konoha's finest Jōnin threw themselves against it, but the end seemed inevitable.
And then—
CRASH!
A colossal silver arm burst upward, seizing the Tailed Beast Bomb in its grip.
"…What!?"
Kakashi froze mid-strike.
Kurenai's eyes widened in shock, a glimmer of hope sparking within them.
Shikaku's head snapped downward.
Below, standing atop a massive vine, Yuichi pressed his index fingers together in a seal.
"Wood Style—Wooden Golem Jutsu!"