Third person POV
Shiba woke from his slumber with a lazy grin, the two twins lying beside him on his bed, still fast asleep. Their bodies were tangled in the sheets, and the room still carried the scent of their wild night. He got up, stretched, and without much thought, tossed a hefty chunk of Ryō onto the nightstand. Business was business, after all.
As he stepped outside, the not so harsh desert sun greeted him after all the Adam tree was blocking most of it. His mind, however, wasn't on the warmth of the desert or the tree—it was on the mission ahead. The system had given him a new task, and this one promised to be far more exciting than dealing with paperwork.
[New Mission: Capture & Tame the One-Tailed Beast, Shukaku.]
He walked through the streets of Sunagakure, greeted by villagers who smiled and called out his name with admiration. Shiba noticed how much they had changed—healthier, stronger, no longer looking like the starving masses they once were. It was a visible sign that his reign was bringing prosperity to the village.
But he barely acknowledged their greetings today. His mind was focused elsewhere. Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast, was still roaming the Land of Wind, a powerful creature that had evaded capture for years. Shiba knew it was time to change that.
He arrived at the Kazekage building and left a shadow clone in his office to handle village affairs while he was gone. Then, without a word to anyone, he set off alone into the desert.
The sun was setting by the time Shiba arrived at the edge of the wastelands, the landscape stretching endlessly before him. This was the heart of the Land of Wind, where few dared to travel. The wind howled, kicking up sand as the sky turned dark. Shiba's senses were sharp, Shiba suppressed his chakra completely using his druid abilities to avoid detection.
He had no intention of alerting Shukaku to his presence too early. The beast would be dangerous enough without it sensing him before he was ready.
Shiba moved silently across the desert, feeling the energy of the earth beneath his feet. His druid abilities allowed him to remain undetected, and more than that, he could suppress chakra around him—just like Hashirama's wood release. The desert, which should have been empty and lifeless, whispered to him. He could feel the faint traces of Shukaku's chakra lingering in the air, and he followed it like a bloodhound tracking its prey.
For two days, Shiba journeyed deeper into the wastelands. The terrain grew harsher, the nights colder, and the traces of Shukaku's chakra stronger. At night, he meditated, focusing on his druid powers to gather more intel, sensing the faint disturbances in the desert. The closer he got, the more intense the pressure became. The wind seemed to carry the shukaku bloodlust with it.
Finally, Shiba found what he was looking for—a massive, ancient temple half-buried in the sand. It was a large structure, with large, weathered statues of long-forgotten figures and intricate carvings detailing the history of the Sage of Six Paths. The temple was old, far older than Sunagakure itself. This was where the Sage had placed Shukaku, and the beast had made it its lair.
The air was thick with tension, and Shiba could feel the weight of Shukaku's chakra pulsing from within the temple. The beast was close. Very close.
"This is it," Shiba muttered to himself. "No turning back now."
He approached the temple cautiously, his druid abilities still suppressing his chakra completely. The desert around him was still. Shiba's heart pounded in his chest, but not from fear—this was the thrill of the hunt. Shukaku was a formidable opponent, but Shiba was ready.
Standing before the massive stone doors of the temple, Shiba formed a series of hand seals. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful fireball, launching it straight at the entrance. The explosion rocked the temple, and the ancient stone crumbled under the force.
An eerie silence followed, broken only by the soft sound of sand falling from the ruined walls. But then, the ground began to shake and huge amounts of bloodlust began to fill the air and the temple.
"KREE, WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER?!"
Shukaku's voice thundered through the desert, a roar of rage. The temple walls trembled as the enormous beast emerged, its body towering over the landscape. Its eyes gleamed with evil intent, and the sand around it began to swirl, forming massive waves that threatened to engulf everything in sight.
Shiba's pulse quickened, but he remained calm. He had been waiting for this moment. As Shukaku reared its head, ready to unleash its fury, Shiba made his move.
With a flick of his hand, he unleashed his Gold Dust release. Golden particles burst from the ground beneath him, swirling around like a glittering storm. The gold sand formed a protective barrier, clashing with Shukaku's sand and pushing it back.
"Another fool who thinks they can control me!" Shukaku bellowed, slamming a massive paw into the earth and sending a wave of sand toward Shiba.
But Shiba was faster. He summoned his Metal Dust release, combining it with his gold sand to create a deadly mix of sharp metallic shards and heavy gold. The two forces collided in mid-air, creating a dazzling display of power. Shiba chakra surged as he pushed forward, his golden and metal sand tearing through Shukaku's attacks.
Shukaku roared again, launching another wave of sand toward Shiba, but this time, shiba had a different plan. His druid chakra flared to life, and with it, the very ground beneath Shukaku began to shift. Plants sprouted from the desert sand, roots bursting from the earth and wrapping around Shukaku's legs, draining its chakra. The sand beneath the beast turned to mud as water erupted from below, further restricting its movements.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Shukaku bellowed, thrashing wildly as Shiba druid abilities sapped its strength.
Shiba smirked, stepping forward. "You're in my territory now bucko!."
He lifted his hand, and a massive wave of gold and metal sand crashed into Shukaku, wrapping around the beast's body and binding it. Shukaku roared in fury, its eyes glowing with rage. The sandstorm around them intensified, but Shiba held him down.
As Shukaku struggled against its bindings, Shiba pressed his advantage. He summoned more golden sand, forming massive spears in the air and hurling them at the One-Tail. Each strike hit each limb, driving deeper into Shukaku's body and draining more of its chakra.
"You've been running wild for long enough, you sonavabitch".Shiba said coldly, his eyes narrowing as he prepared the final blow. "It's time to make use of you."
With a final surge of chakra, Shiba's druid chakra flared once more, and the earth itself rose up to meet him. Roots and vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around Shukaku and pulling the beast down. The golden sand followed, tightening its grip until Shukaku's thrashing ceased.
The One-Tail let out one last roar of defiance, but it was too late. Shiba chakra flooded into the beast, overwhelming it. The fight was over.
As Shukaku's massive form slumped to the ground, bound and defeated, Shiba took a deep breath. His body ached a little, and his chakra reserves were low, but he had done it. Shukaku was his.
"Now… let's head back," Shiba muttered, feeling the weight of the beast's power settle. "There's still a lot of work to do."
AN: MORE POWER STONES=MORE CHAPTERS