"Damn humans! I'll kill you!" The bull-headed form of the Eight-Tails emerged from the ocean, its face still marred by charred scars from earlier clashes.
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"
When faced with an oncoming Tailed Beast Bomb, the best option is evasion. However, a dragon's mobility pales in comparison, making escape impossible. The only option was the same as the strategy used against the Seven-Tails: counter firepower with firepower!
"Hah!"
Boom!
[Shock Value from the Eight-Tails +1000]
[Shock Value from Sasori of the Red Sand +500]
[Shock Value from ... +500]
[Shock Value from Motoi +100]
A thunderous explosion rocked the battlefield, with a massive shockwave radiating from the epicenter of the Dragon Mother's clash with the Tailed Beast Bomb. Both colossal figures—the Eight-Tails and the dragon—were thrown far away by the sheer force.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!" Sasori shielded himself with the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release. As he witnessed the apocalyptic scene unfolding before him, doubt crept into his mind for the first time about his own strength.
"Glub... I'm dizzy!" Waterman groaned as the powerful shockwave sent the sea into chaotic upheaval, the waves rising and falling like an accelerated rollercoaster. The nausea overtook him.
"This isn't working—we can't win!"
Deidara's bravado began to waver. On the surface, it looked like he had heroically countered a Tailed Beast Bomb, an impressive feat. But in reality, Tailed Beast Bombs don't drain much energy from a tailed beast, while Deidara's clay dragons had only a few detonations left.
"C2 Squid Form!"
A massive clay squid plummeted into the water as Deidara shouted from above, his voice echoing across the chaos.
"Sasori! Waterman! Restrain the Eight-Tails! I'm about to unleash my grand art!"
"Don't think so!"
The Eight-Tails roared furiously, unleashing a barrage of smaller Tailed Beast Bombs in rapid succession. Though each was weaker than the previous one, the sheer number made them almost impossible to dodge or block.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Wall!"
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Binding!"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Water Release: Water Whip!"
Sasori and Waterman threw everything they had into restraining the Eight-Tails, combining their efforts with the clay squid's grip. It was just enough to subdue the beast for the moment.
Above, Deidara's enhanced C2 dragon, now half its original size but still colossal, descended rapidly toward the restrained Eight-Tails.
"No!"
"You damn humans!" The Eight-Tails bellowed, thrashing violently. Summoning a desperate surge of power, it broke free of its bindings, but there was no time to escape. Forced into a corner, the Eight-Tails curled into a ball to shield itself.
BOOM!
The explosion shattered the calm of the sea. The extreme heat evaporated seawater into a massive vapor cloud, completely engulfing the Eight-Tails. The resulting tidal waves were monstrous, akin to a tsunami. If this detonation had occurred near the coastline, villages and cities along the shore would have been utterly obliterated.
[Shock Value from the Eight-Tails +2000]
[Shock Value from Sasori...]
"Move!" Deidara seized the opportunity to collect fragments of the Eight-Tails' flesh before shouting at Sasori and Waterman.
There was no illusion that this explosion would kill the Eight-Tails—it was a tailed beast, after all. Such an attack might wound it, but defeating it was another matter entirely. Tailed beasts were pure chakra constructs, making conventional injuries insignificant.
If they didn't retreat now, they wouldn't escape once the Eight-Tails recovered.
On Giant Turtle Island, the shinobi of Kumogakure were scrambling to evade the incoming tidal waves. Panic spread as they struggled to grasp what kind of battle could cause such catastrophic destruction.
"Watch out! Another wave is coming!" Motoi shouted.
"Dammit! The island is flipping!" a Kumogakure shinobi cried. Despite its immense size, the giant turtle was docile and non-aggressive. Overwhelmed by the waves, it began to overturn, tossing several shinobi into the sea. Those unlucky enough to fall vanished in moments, likely lost to the depths.
After what felt like an eternity, the waters finally calmed. Motoi led the remaining shinobi to the site of the earlier battle. To their relief, they found Killer Bee unconscious but alive, floating amidst the wreckage.
"Bee-sama is still alive!" a Kumogakure ninja exclaimed.
"Thank goodness!" Cheers erupted among the group. Losing the Eight-Tails would have been a devastating blow to Kumogakure.
Far from the chaos, a ripple in space distorted the horizon. From the swirling void emerged a masked figure clad in the Akatsuki's signature black cloak adorned with red clouds. Only one scarlet Sharingan was visible beneath his spiral-patterned mask.
"The Eight-Tails wasn't fully unsealed from its Jinchūriki, which is why it couldn't withstand Deidara's explosions."
Uchiha Obito chuckled quietly as he observed the aftermath.
"What a convenient coincidence. Deidara and the others fled in fear, while the Eight-Tails' outburst drained most of its chakra."
After a moment of contemplation, Obito muttered to himself, "Should I take the Jinchūriki now?"
"No... It's better for Akatsuki to stay low for now. We'll collect the other tailed beasts in secret. Then we'll deal with the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, the most heavily guarded ones."
"If we act too soon, it might provoke retaliation from the Five Great Nations."
Obito's tone grew thoughtful. "Still, Deidara's ability is remarkable. Particularly for capturing tailed beasts or waging large-scale battles."
"Yes... I should talk to him. It's time to bring Deidara to my side."
With that, Obito activated Kamui, disappearing into the void once more.
Elsewhere, Deidara, Sasori, and Waterman found refuge on a desolate island. They finally stopped to recover, weary and battered from the battle.
Under the cover of night, a heavy silence hung over the group. Their earlier confidence had been thoroughly shattered. Even Waterman, who prided himself on rivaling the Three-Tails, couldn't ignore the disparity in power.
For Deidara, the blow was even greater. After capturing the Seven-Tails, he had begun to believe his art was invincible. This encounter with the Eight-Tails dispelled that illusion.
As he reflected, Deidara thought about legendary figures like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, who effortlessly dominated tailed beasts. Compared to them, even the strongest of the current era seemed insignificant. The road ahead felt endless.
"But at least I racked up a lot of Shock Value, right?"
Curious, Deidara finally checked his system notifications. Amid the long list of gains, a surprising discovery caught his attention.
Wait... Why is his name here?
Deidara stared at the system messages. Among the Shock Value gains was a notification from Uchiha Obito, confirming that he had been secretly watching the battle.
"Damn... Kamui really is something else!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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