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The two sides were not proportional. Ishigami Hara couldn't compare to Eight Tails Gyūki in sheer size, but with just one kick, Gyūki's head was knocked down as if struck by a blow of equal mass, crashing to the ground with a bang.
Boom!
With a roar, water splashed up from the ground, creating a huge wave in an instant.
"What is that...?"
Senju Tobirama's eyes narrowed in surprise. This was the Chakra Enhanced Strength passed down from the ancestors of the Senju clan, a very advanced skill that few in the clan could truly master, let alone use so effectively.
But now, this was wielded by the boy in front of him, and judging by its effect, it was clear he had not only mastered it but had refined it to a higher level.
Whoosh!
A strong wind brushed past his ears, and Senju Tobirama's battle-honed instincts kicked in. He used the Body Flicker Technique just in time, disappearing as a long tail slammed into the spot where he'd stood moments before.
Bang!
Another splash of water erupted from the impact.
Senju Tobirama had no time to dwell on it. His primary objective was to deal with the tailed beast, so he couldn't afford any delays.
He quickly formed hand seals, creating a clone beside him.
"Hey, it actually works!"
Senju Tobirama was surprised, and upon feeling himself, he realized something even more unexpected: although he was Ishigami Hara's Wood Clone, he still had internal organs, including his brain.
"So that's it, Wood Release is being used to simulate these organs to extract Chakra—an amazing technique!"
At that moment, Senju Tobirama recognized the distinction between this Wood Clone and the ones created by his elder brother, Senju Hashirama. Hashirama's Wood Clones were merely clones, but Ishigami Hara's version had the functions of a normal life form. It could even absorb natural energy from the environment, converting it into physical energy, which combined with spiritual energy to form Chakra.
Senju Tobirama had once considered similar ideas but never pursued them due to the complexity of the technique. He never expected Ishigami Hara to succeed where he hadn't.
"In this way, there are more ways to deal with the enemy."
The two Senju Tobirama clones looked at each other—still bearing Ishigami Hara's appearance—and both smiled.
They simultaneously formed hand seals, and their bodies dispersed quickly.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Ang!~
Two thunderous dragon roars echoed as twin water dragons, six or seven meters in diameter and sixty to seventy meters long, shot from the water, wrapping around Five Tails Kokuō.
Kokuō struggled, but the water dragons coiled around its four hooves, making escape impossible. At that moment, the two Senju Tobirama clones appeared on either side of Kokuō, flying up toward its head.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Again, the Water Severing Wave was unleashed, but this time aimed not at Kokuō's tail, but at the jinchūriki atop its head.
Sensing danger, the jinchūriki quickly sank into Kokuō's body, disappearing just as two high-speed water streams struck, leaving two deep, penetrating wounds on Kokuō's head.
"Roar, roar, roar!"
Even with such injuries, Kokuō's vitality as a tailed beast was immense, and the wounds were far from life-threatening.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Five Tails Kokuō finally broke free from the restraints of the two water dragons. His massive body twisted and moved sideways, and with a loud bang, he jumped dozens of meters away.
Then, Kokuō opened his mouth, rapidly gathering Chakra, and in the blink of an eye, a Tailed Beast Ball was formed.
Swish!
Whoosh!
The Tailed Beast Ball shot straight toward the two clones of Senju Tobirama.
At that moment, Senju Tobirama and his clone stood in a direct line with the incoming attack, but Tobirama showed no sign of panic. His clone disappeared instantly, not through the Body Flicker Technique, but through the Flying Thunder God.
The real body of Senju Tobirama—controlled by the Ishigami Hara Wood Clone—quickly formed seals with both hands.
"Flying Thunder God!"
Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb reached him, it vanished.
Moments later, in another part of the battlefield, Ishigami Hara, who was fighting Eight Tails Gyūki, raised his eyebrows. He blinked, then appeared beside Gyūki.
Sure enough, the instant Ishigami Hara dodged, a violent explosion occurred on the other side of Gyūki.
Boom!
Blinding light erupted, and the terrifying shockwave swept across the battlefield. The Water Release lake that had just formed evaporated instantly, leaving only mist.
Eight Tails Gyūki, hit directly by the Tailed Beast Ball, screamed in agony, clearly in pain.
Though the Tailed Beast Ball couldn't kill a tailed beast, it left deep scars on Gyūki's body. However, these scars quickly disappeared as Chakra flowed through him, healing the wounds as if they had never existed.
Far away, the Konoha ninjas had already evacuated. Orochimaru stood on a boulder, observing the battlefield with Nawaki beside him.
"Hiss, it's incredible. Hara-kun is fighting two tailed beasts alone and still holding the upper hand. I can hardly believe it."
Nawaki, also watching the distant battle, felt his resolve shaken, overcome by awe.
"...When will I reach this level? Hara, that guy, is suppressing two tailed beasts without even using Wood Release. How strong is he?"
This question wasn't only in Nawaki's mind; every ninja witnessing the battle wondered the same.
The fight raged on, growing more intense as the effects of the Tailed Beast Ball explosion dissipated.
On Five Tails Kokuō's side, two figures appeared and disappeared repeatedly.
Each time they appeared, it was followed by an attack—mostly Water Release—and occasionally detonating talismans exploded. At one point, Kokuō, caught off guard, was sealed briefly, causing the detonating talismans on his body to continually explode.
On the other side, the battle between Ishigami Hara and Eight Tails Gyūki was more straightforward.
Though small compared to the massive tailed beast, Ishigami Hara was incredibly agile, dodging Gyūki's attacks repeatedly. At one point, Ishigami Hara's brilliant blade even managed to cut off part of Gyūki.
Time flew by, and about a quarter of an hour passed.
"Almost."
Ishigami Hara suddenly appeared beside Senju Tobirama. The latter's Chakra was nearly depleted, and Kokuō still had detonating talismans exploding on his body.
"Is that the Tandem Paper Bombs Technique?" Ishigami Hara asked.
Senju Tobirama nodded.
"It's a very powerful technique."
Ishigami Hara smiled and then asked, "Is there anything you need me to tell the village leaders?"
Senju Tobirama thought for a moment but shook his head.
"Alright then."
With a smile, Ishigami Hara said, "Let's take one last look at Wood Release."
He put his hands together.
"Wood Release: Super Wood Human Technique!"
Boom!
The ground beneath Ishigami Hara cracked, and trees grew rapidly, intertwining and forming into a massive Wooden Golem.
When the Wooden Golem took shape, it stood over 200 meters tall. Compared to it, the two tailed beasts looked like small animals beside an adult's legs, dwarfed by its immense size.
"This level of Wood Release..."
Senju Tobirama stood next to Ishigami Hara, his pupils shrinking at the sight.