"Guuu...!"
A beastly howl echoed from Naruto's body. The clarity in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by the savage gaze of the demon fox, the Nine-Tails. Naruto, enveloped in a crimson-tailed beast cloak, now locked eyes with Shukaku, who had just unleashed a Bijuu Bomb. His intent was clear—a fierce challenge.
Pinned down by the "Wood Release: Nativity of a Sea of Trees," Shukaku also noticed Naruto. The moment he sensed the Nine-Tails' chakra radiating from him, the One-Tail grew restless again.
"ROAR! That's the stench of that damned fox!"
Shukaku's yellow-brown eyes glared at Naruto. The human who had just subdued him with Wood Release, Furin, was no longer his primary target. It was the Nine-Tails—Kurama—who now consumed his attention!
Seeing Shukaku's battle-ready gaze shift toward the tailed beast form of Naruto, Furin suddenly remembered that the One-Tail, Shukaku, and the Nine-Tails, Kurama, had long harbored mutual animosity. Their hatred for each other had simmered for nearly a millennium, making Shukaku despise the Nine-Tails even more.
"ROAR!"
Shukaku roared again at Naruto, and the surrounding area was instantly engulfed in a swirling sandstorm.
"Guuu…"
Naruto, in his tailed beast cloak, responded with a guttural growl, filled with animosity. Inside Naruto's consciousness, Kurama was fully awake, standing on edge. His blood-red eyes, narrow and slit-like, were focused on the battle outside. Naruto's body, now entirely wrapped in the sinister chakra leaking from the Nine-Tails, floated within the cage.
"That damned tanuki…" Kurama snarled, baring his fangs. More chakra spilled from his prison, enveloping Naruto further, pulling him deeper into the malevolent power of the Nine-Tails.
As Kurama's power continued to leak out, Naruto's body began to change. His skin peeled away like old paint, exposing the dark red muscle beneath. His aura grew exponentially more powerful, and with a burst of steam, Naruto's form shifted completely.
Now, standing before them was a monstrous version of Naruto, his body dark red, and four tails waving behind him.
"This is... Naruto in his Four-Tails, half-tailed beast form," Furin observed, stunned at the transformation.
"ROAR!" The half-tailed beast Naruto's voice now had an eerie, hollow resonance.
"ROAR!" Shukaku, not one to be outdone, bellowed back in fury.
These two ancient enemies, long bound by centuries of hatred, were now face-to-face once again. Their rage exploded, and in a surge of strength, Shukaku broke free from the restraints of the Wood Release, raising a massive arm of flowing sand and slamming it down toward Naruto's four-tailed form.
BOOM!
The massive strike left a crater in the ground, but as Shukaku lifted his arm to check for the Nine-Tails, Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Shukaku's yellow-brown eyes frantically scanned the battlefield, then focused on his own arm. There, clinging tightly, was the four-tailed Naruto, his mouth open wide.
A miniature Bijuu Bomb began forming in Naruto's mouth, rapidly compressing into a super-dense sphere before launching it straight toward Shukaku's face.
The colossal One-Tail, with no time to dodge, hastily gathered his own Bijuu Bomb and fired it back at Naruto.
BOOM!
The two Bijuu Bombs collided, creating a deafening explosion and a blinding flash of light. For a moment, everyone watching was blinded. When Furin finally dismissed the wood he had used to shield himself from the blast, he saw that Shukaku had broken free from the Wood Release. Much of the massive trees that had bound him had been destroyed in the collision of the two Bijuu Bombs.
Shukaku, now mostly free, roared again. This time, he reached out with both arms, grabbing the retreating four-tailed Naruto.
Naruto, in his four-tails state, had no time to evade. He was caught in Shukaku's massive hands. The One-Tail let out a triumphant roar, filled with excitement, and prepared to unleash yet another Bijuu Bomb to completely annihilate Naruto.
Caught in Shukaku's grasp, Naruto struggled fiercely, and more of Kurama's chakra poured out of him. The Eight Trigrams Seal that kept Kurama in check began to loosen under the immense pressure of the chakra.
Naruto's body sprouted two more tails, becoming the six-tailed form. White bones began to appear on his body, encasing him like armor.
Under the stimulation from Shukaku, Naruto had entered the Six-Tails form—the same one he had used during his fight against Pain.
ROAR!
Now far stronger, Naruto in his six-tails state broke free from Shukaku's grip. He opened his mouth wide, charging up his own Bijuu Bomb.
A dangerously oppressive aura filled the air. The impending clash between these two Bijuu Bombs was going to be even more destructive than before.
Just as Shukaku and the six-tailed Naruto were about to release their respective Bijuu Bombs, Furin, who had been silently observing the fight up until now, finally spoke.
"Hey, little fox and little tanuki… aren't you two getting a bit too carried away?"
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T/N:
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