"Susano'o!"
Fugaku's eyes narrowed as the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan surged.
A massive, dark-yellow chakra burst from his body, forming a towering, skeletal figure that surrounded him in a protective shell. The ten-meter-tall Susano'o, though impressive, still appeared small beside the mountain-like presence of the Nine Tails.
With a thunderous roar, the Nine Tails swung one of its massive claws, crashing down on Fugaku's Susano'o with overwhelming force, sending the protective chakra shell flying backward.
Boom!
The ground shook as the impact echoed across the village. Fugaku's Susano'o hurtled back hundreds of meters, demolishing houses along the way, reducing them to rubble. Yet, the Nine Tails wasn't done. It let out an excited roar and, without missing a beat, charged toward Fugaku, its massive steps shaking the earth.
In a flash, it closed the distance.
"Rooar!"
The beast's wild eyes glimmered with fury and a desire to crush the one who had dared try to control it, even if only for a moment.
From within the rubble, Fugaku's Susano'o rose once more, expanding and transforming in seconds. The skeletal frame grew into a colossal, twenty-meter-tall armored figure. Muscles and sinew of chakra wrapped around it, followed by layers of hardened tengu armor, and a massive chakra sword formed in its hand.
The fully-formed third-stage Susano'o swung its sword down at the oncoming Nine Tails.
Through the cloud of dust, a dark yellow sword energy sliced through the air, producing a low hum as it parted the wind.
Shing!
The Nine Tails' pupils contracted as it unleashed a fiery red chakra blast from its mouth to counter the strike.
Boom! Boom!
The two energies collided, triggering an explosion that shook the entire battlefield. Fugaku knew he couldn't give the Nine Tails any chance to gather its strength, the Tailed Beast Bomb was powerful enough to break through even Susano'o's defense.
His Susano'o surged forward, chakra sword swinging down again with blinding speed. But the Nine Tails was prepared. Its tails whipped out like massive tendrils, entangling the chakra sword and holding it back. The beast's mocking expression only intensified as it glared at Fugaku.
Then, the Nine Tails opened its jaws wide, gathering an ominous blue and black chakra, the unmistakable signs of a Tailed Beast Bomb forming in its mouth. Fugaku's eyes widened in alarm.
Without hesitation, he formed another massive chakra blade in Susano'o's free hand and slashed downward at the Nine Tails' head. The blow came so swiftly, the beast barely had time to react.
BOOM!
A blinding flash of light and heat erupted as the sword struck, sending waves of energy tearing through the ground. A towering mushroom cloud rose from the impact, and the entire village trembled.
As the light faded, Fugaku's Susano'o returned to its skeletal form, his breathing labored, blood trickling from his eyes. Yet, the Nine Tails merely bore a few scorch marks, and they were already fading as its powerful chakra began to heal its injuries.
Several dozen meters away, Fugaku's heart sank as he took in the scene.
"Where is Minato? Why hasn't he arrived yet?!"
Fugaku knew that his power alone wasn't enough to face the Nine Tails head-on for long.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
A powerful shout rang out as Jiraiya hurled a massive blue Rasengan, nearly ten meters wide, toward the Nine Tails.
"Ridiculous!"
The Nine Tails growled, swinging its tails with brute force. In an instant, Jiraiya's Rasengan collided with the beast's tails, and the energy exploded, propelling Jiraiya back, carving a deep trail in the earth as he slid to a halt.
Perched on his shoulders were the two elder toads of Mount Myōboku.
"So, this is Sage Mode? Impressive, but it seems… unstable," Fugaku mused, observing how Jiraiya's transformation appeared incomplete without the help of the two toads.
"Little Jiraiya, how did the Nine Tails get loose?" asked Shima, the elder toad, eyeing the beast warily as Konoha's shinobi fought to contain it.
"And where's that Minato kid? Why isn't he here?" Fukasaku, the other elder, chimed in with concern.
Jiraiya shook his head. "I'm not sure what's going on either. I was under house arrest until this all happened!"
Fukasaku looked over to where Fugaku's Susano'o clashed with the Nine Tails.
"Is that an Uchiha's Susano'o? Didn't think anyone could still wield that power in this era!"
"Elders, I need your help. Normal jutsu barely scratch the Nine Tails; I'll have to use that Sage Art," Jiraiya said, glancing toward the chaos.
"You mean the Sage Art: Goemon?" Shima and Fukasaku nodded, understanding.
This was a potent composite jutsu, combining oil, wind, and fire sage arts into a single devastating technique.
"We should clear the Jonin out of the area, or they'll get caught up in it!" Jiraiya thought, only to suddenly feel a tremor spreading through the ground.
"What is this? Wood Release, at this scale?"
Jiraiya and the two toads turned, eyes wide, as massive tree roots burst from the ground, spreading in all directions and overtaking the battlefield. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Uchiha Akira darted nimbly between the roots, narrowly avoiding being ensnared.
In moments, the battlefield transformed, becoming a dense maze of sprawling roots. The two combatants, along with Fugaku and Jiraiya, found themselves converging in the same space.
"Nagato..." Jiraiya murmured, a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he looked at the figure walking toward them. He shook himself back to the present, his expression hardening. After nearly a year in confinement, he had come to terms with many things.
The Nine Tails paused, narrowing its eyes as it observed the scene, especially the approaching figure. Its attention lingered on Nagato, tension filling the air.
"So... the Sage of Six Paths' eyes. I didn't expect to see them in this era," the Nine Tails thought warily. Its primal instincts sensed a deep, unsettling threat in those Rinnegan eyes.
In that tense moment, a strange, uneasy standoff emerged between the three powerful factions.
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Pls drop some Power Stones
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