[New Fanfic: Master Craftsman In The Pokémon World]
"Roar!! Humans, I won't let you escape!"
The thunderous roar echoed as the gigantic dragon-lion beast gathered golden flames in its mouth, preparing to spew them at the golden fox before it.
However, the dragon-lion suddenly noticed flashes of lightning streaking across the sky. The lightning converged into the shape of a Kirin—a majestic thunder beast—roaring amidst the dark clouds.
"Not good."
Sensing imminent danger, the dragon-lion attempted to dodge, but the Kirin, formed from natural lightning under the guidance of Raiton chakra, was already descending.
How fast is natural lightning? Even for a peak sixth-tier magical beast like the dragon-lion, evading it was near impossible. By the time it realized the danger, the Kirin had already struck.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A pained howl followed the deafening thunderclap as the lightning obliterated its target.
From a distance, Sasuke called out, "Naruto!"
"I've got it!"
The golden chakra fox opened its mouth wide, launching a fully charged Bijūdama straight at the dragon-lion in the aftermath of the Kirin strike.
Boom!
The massive explosion shot flames and shockwaves into the sky, shaking the earth so violently that even those over 100 kilometers away could feel the tremors. Ordinary people struggled to keep their balance.
As the explosion's shockwave subsided, Naruto and Sasuke approached to inspect the outcome.
The dragon-lion was dead. Though its fur was highly durable and protected by dense energy, the combined assault of the Kirin and the Bijūdama was too much. The beast was killed not by fragmentation but by the overwhelming force of the explosion.
Sasuke scanned the area with his Sharingan, performing additional ninjutsu to confirm. Satisfied, he deactivated his Sharingan and said to Naruto, "It's dead. The rest is up to you."
"Good, it's over. What a hassle... It's rare to encounter a beast that can speak, but this one refused to communicate at all," Naruto said, dispelling his Kurama Sage Mode as he scratched his head. "If only it had calmed down, we might've learned something."
"It was searching for its offspring. There's no way we could've given it that. Communication was impossible under those circumstances," Sasuke replied, glancing around. "This should be where it emerged, but the Bijūdama obliterated the area. As for any treasures it might've left behind, we should start searching."
"Right! Treasures!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly remembering, though he looked at the cratered landscape and doubted they'd find anything.
The nearby area was just forest—easily restored with Doton jutsu and some replanting.
After summoning Shikamaru to oversee the cleanup, Naruto assigned the task to him and left to call a Five Kage Summit to inform the others of the sixth beast's defeat.
This dragon-lion had appeared in an uninhabited forest in the Land of Fire. Its destructive rampage had drawn the attention of Konoha's ninja. Due to its ability to fly and attack from the air, ordinary ninja were powerless against it. After the report reached the village, Naruto and Sasuke were dispatched to handle the situation.
Upon arrival, they discovered the dragon-lion could speak. Excited, Naruto had attempted to communicate, but the beast was enraged from being separated from its young and refused to engage in dialogue. A fight ensued.
"Naruto, I'm heading back. What about you?"
Naruto, having concluded the Five Kage Summit, prepared to return to the village. "There's a pile of work waiting for me. I'll be busy once I'm back."
"I'll stay a while longer to ensure the beast doesn't have regenerative abilities," Sasuke said, noting Naruto's fatigue. "You need to conserve your energy. If a more powerful beast or disaster arises and you're too drained to respond, the entire ninja world will suffer."
"Haha, are you worried about me? Alright, I get it," Naruto replied with a satisfied grin.
Sasuke turned away without a word.
As Naruto prepared to leave, he added, "Sasuke, once you're done here, come back. It's been a while since you've been home."
"…Yeah, I know."
...
"You bastard! I won't take your medicine!"
Temari, panting, glared at Yoichi with eyes full of fury and hatred. "You've been hiding your true strength. You must have some scheme against Konoha! I'll make sure to tell Shika—"
"I wasn't hiding anything. It's just that Lady Temari, you underestimated me. An onmyōji without some means of self-preservation wouldn't have ruled this planet a thousand years ago. You truly are beautiful, Lady Temari—just like on TV," Yoichi said with a smirk, handing her a glass of red wine.
Temari's anger flared. She grabbed the glass, intending to throw it, but froze at Yoichi's next words.
"Careful, Lady Temari. If the wine spills, the video might leak too. The beautiful Princess of Sand surely has many admirers."
Her face darkened. The thing she feared most had come to pass.
But as a seasoned ninja, Temari wasn't easily intimidated by death. She replied coldly, "What do you want? If you think you can blackmail me, I'd rather die than let you succeed."
"Don't be so hasty, Lady Temari. Weren't you the one who sought me out first, intending to kill me? Your current predicament is simply because you lacked the strength to do so," Yoichi said.
He approached her, placing a hand just below her abdomen and inscribing a petal-shaped seal with five markings.
"Stop it, you bastard!" Temari shouted angrily.
"Starting now, every time you fulfill your side of the agreement, I'll remove one petal. Once all five are gone, I'll return the video and the contract to you. How does that sound?"
Yoichi interrupted her protests with a shrug. "If you're unwilling, I can always run. But if I do, who knows what might happen on the way? The Princess of Sand is beloved by many."
Temari clenched her fists so tightly they cracked. She glared at him, her labored breathing the only sound in the room.
"I... agree," she finally ground out, teeth clenched. "But if you betray me, I'll make sure you pay, even if it costs me everything."
"Relax, Lady Temari. Why would I want you dead? You're far too beautiful to disappear from the ninja world," Yoichi said, handing her a pill. "Now, take your medicine, Lady Temari."
With a cold snort, Temari swallowed the pill with the red wine and prepared to leave.
"What are you doing, Lady Temari?" Yoichi asked, stopping her.
"Let me go... I'm going home."
...
After Shikamaru returned the beast's remains to Konoha, Naruto approached him.
"Shikamaru, the other four villages want to send representatives for joint research. They'll arrive tomorrow, so you're in charge of them," Naruto said.
"So soon? With four more beasts still to come, we don't have the resources to host them," Shikamaru replied, surprised. Then he realized the other Kage likely sought treasures rumored to accompany the beasts. However, Konoha had found nothing at the battle site.
"Each village is only sending five people. If they want to come, let them. If they discover anything, we'll share the findings," Naruto said, changing the subject with a grin. "By the way, how's Temari? Has she forgiven you yet?"
"Yeah, it's all good now. She's probably at home tidying up," Shikamaru replied, smiling. "Her temper has mellowed a lot; she doesn't snap at me like she used to."
(End of Chapter)
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