Under the cover of his wings, Kazuyama compressed the Tailed Beast Ball until it was no larger than his palm. Though its size and chakra volume had decreased, its power had barely diminished. In fact, with the enhancement of the Tailed Beast Ball Optimization skill, this version was even more terrifying.
"Hey, Kazuyama, what the hell are you doing?"
"What's the point of making the Tailed Beast Ball that small? Trying to be cute?"
"If I throw this at Shukaku, I bet it won't do anything! He's just going to laugh at me!"
Chōmei's voice was full of doubt, but Kazuyama wasn't fazed at all. If anything, his grin only widened.
As the chakra finished condensing, the miniature Tailed Beast Ball was finally complete.
"Chōmei, watch closely. Let me show you the true essence of the Tailed Beast Ball."
"Take this!"
With his wings spread, Kazuyama launched the newly formed sphere straight toward Shukaku's massive belly.
The moment the Tailed Beast Ball appeared, Shukaku—who had been hurling sand just a second ago—suddenly froze. Then, a mocking smirk crept onto his face.
"Chōmei, what happened to you over the years? A pocket-sized mini Tailed Beast Ball?"
"Hahahaha! You've got to be kidding me! A Tailed Beast Ball this tiny? I don't even need to defend against it!"
Shukaku's ridicule made Chōmei furious, but with Kazuyama in control of his body, there was nothing he could do.
Even so, he trusted Kazuyama completely. That brat had never let him down before, and he wasn't about to start now. There had to be something special about this attack.
"Relax, Chōmei. The moment the Tailed Beast Ball explodes, charge in and make contact with Shukaku."
"The instant your chakra connects, I'll enter his consciousness and take out that old monk."
"Once he's gone, the fight is ours."
On one side, Shukaku continued to mock them. On the other, Kazuyama laid out his plan with unwavering confidence.
Chōmei chose to believe in him.
"Alright!"
"Let's see what you've got."
In the blink of an eye, the Tailed Beast Ball slammed into Shukaku's massive stomach.
The small, palm-sized sphere didn't bounce off. Instead, it seemed to embed itself directly into Shukaku's gut.
That only made Shukaku laugh even harder.
"You call that a Tailed Beast Ball? Hahaha!"
"Chōmei, no wonder you were just a dumb bug when you were younger. This is pathetic!"
That last remark nearly pushed Chōmei over the edge. His eyes burned red with rage, ready to lash out.
Kazuyama barely managed to hold him back.
"Ahahaha... Huh?"
Mid-laugh, Shukaku's voice abruptly cut off. A deep, inexplicable sense of confusion crept into his tone.
Something felt wrong.
Because Chōmei's Tailed Beast Ball hadn't exploded.
It was still lodged in his stomach, grinding against his body.
"What the hell is going on?"
Chōmei was just as shocked. The Tailed Beast Ball was supposed to rely on its chakra density to deal damage upon impact, but its true destructive power came from the explosion. Normally, the moment it hit an obstacle, it would detonate—but for some reason, it hadn't. That was strange.
"Heh heh heh... Fireworks always have to soar into the sky before they explode."
"Detonate!"
As soon as Kazuyama spoke, the Tailed Beast Ball embedded in Shukaku's stomach erupted.
What is art? It's an explosion!
"Impossible!"
Shukaku's terrified voice rang out just as the blast went off.
The explosion was immense, completely disproportionate to the size of the attack.
His belly was instantly reduced to sand, and his entire body was sent flying from the force of the detonation.
"Chōmei, now!"
Chōmei was still in a daze, but Kazuyama's urgent shout snapped him back to reality. He immediately charged toward Shukaku.
Before Shukaku could recover from the devastating hit, Chōmei had already wrapped around him, locking him down. This was where the advantage of multiple tails truly shined.
Chōmei used every one of his wings, completely enveloping Shukaku in them.
The chakra of the two Tailed Beasts intertwined in an instant.
"Kazuyama! Now!"
He didn't even need Chōmei's reminder. The moment their chakra connected, Kazuyama had already forced his way into Shukaku's inner world.
For a brief moment, it felt as if time had frozen.
Inside Shukaku's subconscious, Kazuyama finally saw the one he was looking for—the current Jinchūriki of One-Tail Shukaku, Monk Bunpuku.
"Heh... I never expected the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki to be so young," Bunpuku mused.
"And to have such a perfect bond with his Tailed Beast."
"This old monk has learned something new today."
Despite Kazuyama's sudden intrusion, Bunpuku showed no surprise. Instead, he simply smiled and offered a compliment.
Kazuyama, his expression unreadable, stepped forward, slowly closing the distance between them.
"Old monk, you already know why I'm here."
"I do. You're here to kill me."
"And you won't resist?"
"Heh... Why would I? I'm just an old monk. How could I possibly defend myself against your blade?"
Kazuyama's gaze darkened slightly.
Who is the most terrifying kind of person?
The one who has already made peace with death.
And Bunpuku was exactly that kind of person.
"Kazuyama, is it? A Konoha ninja who also happens to be the Seven-Tails' Jinchūriki..."
"And from the way you act, it seems you've never revealed your identity to the village. You've hidden yourself well."
"But maybe that's for the best. At least this way, you've avoided the suffering that comes with being a Jinchūriki."
Bunpuku let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh.
He understood the pain of being a Jinchūriki all too well.
Kazuyama didn't bother responding. He simply summoned a crystalline blade with his Transparent Escape Technique and continued moving forward, his intent clear.
Murder was written in every step.
"Ah, well... There's no point in talking any further," Bunpuku sighed.
"Once I die, Shukaku will enter dormancy for many years. With that, the war between Sunagakure and Konohagakure will come to an end."
"But before I go, there's something I'd like to know."
Kazuyama, now standing right before Bunpuku, raised his blade.
"What is it? Since you're about to die, I'll grant you that much."
"How did you and the Seven-Tails form such a bond? After all, humans and Tailed Beasts don't exactly get along."
The question made Kazuyama think of Mito Uzumaki...
Bunpuku, like Mito, had chosen the path of love and understanding to connect with his Tailed Beast.
But Kazuyama wasn't like them.
"I'm not like you people. I don't talk about love or any of that nonsense."
"My bond with Chōmei isn't about emotions—he's my brother, my partner, my comrade-in-arms. We rise and fall together."
"I saved him, and he made me who I am. That's why we're the strongest team."