Not long after the massive cloud cage formed, Mei Terumi arrived at the scene. She gazed up at the towering wall of mist that loomed before her.
What is this…?
Around her, Konoha shinobi had also gathered. Some tested the barrier with kunai and shuriken, while others unleashed jutsu at the walls of cloud. Yet no matter the effort, nothing broke through. At most, they managed to disperse the outermost layer of fog, but the dense interior remained untouched.
Mei narrowed her eyes, recalling the strange white cloud Shigure had ridden earlier.
Could this brat have created a new release technique? A kekkei genkai? Or perhaps a ninjutsu derived from Ice Release…?
Whatever it was, the result resembled a barrier—impenetrable from either side. And inside was Shukaku, the rampaging One-Tail, whose destructive power had already devastated much of the district. If left unchecked, in minutes it would reach the very heart of Konoha.
"That kid…" Mei muttered. "I didn't expect him to have such skills. If he's planning to face a Tailed Beast alone, he'd better not get himself killed."
Though outwardly calm, she couldn't hide a flicker of worry. If Shigure died here, her side would suffer a heavy loss.
Inside the cage of mist.
Shigure stood atop a rooftop, facing the towering figure of Shukaku. Around him, clouds condensed into massive fists, slamming into the beast's head with thundering blows.
Though the Tailed Beast's raw strength dwarfed his own, Shigure's endless clouds pressed the advantage. Five, six strikes landed in succession, forcing Shukaku to stagger backward under the barrage.
"Damn brat!" the sand beast roared. "You've angered me now!"
Sand erupted from its back, surging forward in a tidal wave. Yet Shigure merely willed the clouds before him to harden into a wall, and the sand crashed uselessly against it. Rebounding, it smothered Shukaku itself, sending the beast stumbling to the ground.
Before it could rise, more clouds snaked from the earth, coiling around its body like white serpents and binding its limbs.
Shukaku struggled, eyes wide with disbelief. These misty bindings possessed a strength greater than steel, resisting even its full might. Not even its sand manipulation could tear them away.
"W-what is this sorcery?!" the Tailed Beast bellowed. "A kekkei genkai? What have you done to me, you damned brat?!"
Shigure floated down slowly on his somersault cloud, watching the One-Tail writhe in frustration.
So this is the first time I've fought using Cloud Release… I didn't expect it to be this effective.
Though lacking destructive power, its control surpassed anything he had imagined. Even a Tailed Beast couldn't break free. It was a suppression technique on par with Hashirama's legendary Wood Release.
And attack power wasn't entirely absent. When condensed, the clouds carried a faint corrosive property. Already, Shukaku's sand armor was sizzling, breaking down unless reinforced with chakra.
"Damn you, human!" Shukaku howled. "Release me!"
The beast thrashed, arms flailing, but Shigure tightened his grip. More clouds slithered over, binding Shukaku to the ground completely.
"Bastard! Then I'll just kill you!"
Chakra surged violently as Shukaku opened its maw. The ominous hum of compressed energy began to build—the Tailed Beast Ball.
Shigure's eyes narrowed. If that thing goes off, even my cage may not hold.
[Great Sage: The buildup can be disrupted. Recommend deployment of Snow Cloud.]
"Snow cloud?" Shigure blinked. That technique only changes the weather, summoning snowfall… how would that help?
[Great Sage: Snow Cloud does not require full solidification. Its low temperature can envelop the Tailed Beast, freezing chakra circulation and hindering formation of the Tailed Beast Ball.]
"…So I can directly suppress its chakra flow."
With new resolve, Shigure raised his hand. A thin, pale-white cloud materialized, colder and lighter than the rest. Slowly, it drifted down, blanketing Shukaku's enormous frame.
Bit by bit, the One-Tail was swallowed by the frigid mass.
The moment Shukaku came into contact with the snow cloud, an unexpected chill surged through its massive body.
…
Its chakra circulation faltered under the invasion of the cold, forcing it to expend energy just to resist. The Tailed Beast Ball forming in its maw fizzled out, vanishing completely.
When the snow clouds engulfed Shukaku, Shigure's sharp gaze pierced the white veil, locking onto the beast.
Frost quickly crept over Shukaku's body, ice crystals forming across its sandy hide as the chill seeped deep within.
Though not instantaneous, the freezing effect was far stronger than a simple ice release technique. The cold air invaded its very core, and even the One-Tail struggled to withstand it.
"That's right! Much more obedient now!"
"Great Sage, analyze the Tailed Beast for me."
[Great Sage: Beginning analysis and calculation]
[Target: One-Tailed Shukaku]
[
2%...
5%...
6%...
]
The parsing speed fluctuated—sometimes fast, sometimes sluggish. At this rate, it would take several minutes to complete.
But Shigure wasn't worried. Minutes meant nothing. Shukaku was a Tailed Beast, after all.
Whether or not he gained something tangible, analyzing it would greatly aid his ninjutsu research. Establishing a database filled with information on such entities was essential.
[Great Sage: Recommendation—activate Gluttony to devour the Tailed Beast and obtain Tailed Beast Chakra]
Tailed Beast Chakra!
"Yes…" Shigure's eyes lit with excitement.
"Gluttony!"
He thrust out his hand toward the frozen Shukaku below.
"Devour it—take as much as you can!"
At that moment, a mysterious black substance rippled outward, spreading from Shigure's cloud and slithering toward Shukaku's immense form.
...
TN:
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