The threat of death hung over their heads like the Sword of Damocles; even a weakened Tailed Beast Bomb could destroy a mountain range in a single blow.
Neither Ryu Ishigori's Granite Blast nor Gojo Satoru's Hollow Purple could compare; they were simply not on the same order of magnitude.
Naruto himself had underestimated the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb. After all, he was merely a genin with limited experience.
In his estimation, Gojo Satoru's Hollow Purple had been the benchmark—the attack of 'the strongest,' and indeed the most powerful one Naruto had ever witnessed.
Kakashi's Raikiri and Great Fireball Technique were like toys in front of Hollow Purple.
Yet, after forming the Tailed Beast Bomb, he realized just how vast the gap between individuals could be. Before the Tailed Beast Bomb, Hollow Purple was also just a toy.
'This is bad!'
'I was definitely holding back, so why is it still so powerful?'
Naruto began to panic. With this one Tailed Beast Bomb, he wouldn't be able to leave the kill for Sasuke. And now, the arrow was nocked and had to be fired; the Chakra was already gathered.
'What are you hesitating for, you damn brat? It's exhausting maintaining the Tailed Beast Bomb at such a weak level.'
The Nine-Tails vented its dissatisfaction from the depths of his soul. It had already shrunk the Tailed Beast Bomb's power to its absolute limit.
This was no pseudo-Tailed Beast Bomb unconsciously released during a rampage, but the true power of a 'perfect Jinchuriki.'
Sorry, Sasuke, Naruto thought, feeling he had done his best but was still helpless.
Naobito Zenin would offer no comment on this matter. After all, they were only losing their lives, whereas Sasuke was losing the chance to awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan!
The black Tailed Beast Bomb fell straight down. Pinned by the Shadow Clones, Naobito Zenin and the others had no chance to evade.
Yet, his face showed not despair, but the madness of a winning gambler!
"Now! It's up to you!"
Naobito Zenin ignored the Shadow Clone's attack, forcibly taking Naruto's punch. He coughed up blood as he eliminated another Shadow Clone that was interfering with Uro Takako.
Once free, Uro Takako did not choose to flee. She knew she couldn't escape alone. Instead, she charged towards the Tailed Beast Bomb.
'I hope you're not lying to me, old man. But... this is the only choice if I want to live.'
The reflection of the Tailed Beast Bomb filled her eyes. As the others stared at her like she was insane, the two made contact.
The explosion didn't happen. Uro Takako reached out and grabbed the 'sky' in front of her. The sky crumpled like a pressed bedsheet, and with a full-force twist, she flung the Tailed Beast Bomb away along with it.
This was a victory for martial arts... no, for Jujutsu!
As a simple and unadorned energy attack, deliberately suppressed, the Tailed Beast Bomb was finally overcome by the mechanics of a Cursed Technique.
However, merely dodging the attack was not enough.
Uro Takako recalled her previous 'secret plot' with Naobito Zenin. The redirected Tailed Beast Bomb flew 'accidentally' towards a distant gymnasium.
That gymnasium was a public shelter, meaning a large number of civilians were staying inside—a fact Naobito Zenin had noted on his way here.
If this Tailed Beast Bomb were to hit, the entire gymnasium and all surrounding buildings would be obliterated. In other words, there would be no survivors...
Only another monster can deal with a monster. And in the city of Tokyo, there was another, true, uncrowned king—
[Deployment]—[Accelerator]
A blue energy shield enveloped the Tailed Beast Bomb. The explosion ignited, and violent flames and shockwaves roiled within the energy shield, but they were completely unable to affect it. A few seconds later, all returned to calm.
"[Warning] In Tokyo City, the wanton mass slaughter of ordinary civilians is forbidden. Any violation will be regarded as a 'provocation' against this unit."
A familiar yet strange voice spread across the area. Although her voice wasn't loud, it could be heard with perfect clarity by every single person.
A metallic half-wing floated behind her. Schwarzer descended from high in the sky like an angel, stopping above their heads.
Naruto had yet to realize what had happened. He wasn't familiar with the modern common knowledge that a gymnasium would serve as a shelter.
Below, Naobito Zenin, as if grasping a life-saving straw, hurriedly shouted:
"Lady Schwarzer, it was not our intention to attack civilians! This was purely an accident."
"If you're assigning blame, the problem is clearly with Naruto! Using such a wide-area, destructive ability within the city shows a blatant disregard for civilian lives!"
A very direct accusation against Naruto!
"Huh? Me?!"
Naruto subconsciously pointed at himself. What had he done?
His brain started turning again, his intellect reclaiming the high ground. From the conversation between the two, Naruto understood what had transpired.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose! And I didn't know there would be ordinary people there."
Naruto immediately admitted his mistake. He never had any intention of harming ordinary people.
'He took the bait.' A sinister smile appeared on Naobito Zenin's face.
The Tailed Beast Bomb's target wasn't the gymnasium; it had been redirected there. But with Naruto saying what he did, he had just confirmed the 'fact' that 'he attacked civilians.'
"If apologies were enough, what would we need police for!"
"When you do something wrong, you must accept the punishment. That's the natural order of things!"
Righteous and awe-inspiring! Naobito Zenin straightened his back, his voice booming and resonant, making him appear virtuous. In reality, he wanted to quickly settle the matter.
He glanced at Schwarzer out of the corner of his eye. This was the real high-stakes gamble. If he won, he would live. If he lost... well, it was just death. Offending one five-digit-point powerhouse was no different from offending two; he'd be dead either way.
'[Warning] This is the only time.'
A distinctly mechanical voice whispered in his ear. Naobito Zenin was instantly ecstatic, his old face blooming with joy.
"Thank you very much!" He knew he had won the gamble, just as he had for the past several decades. It was always he who won.
There was no point in staying. He exchanged a look with the two beside him, and then, without looking back, the three of them fled together.
"Wait..." Naruto was about to stop them when Schwarzer blocked his path.
"What are you... Aren't we supposed to be comrades?"
Naruto couldn't comprehend the current situation. But compared to the fleeing Naobito Zenin, Schwarzer, who stood before him, was more important.
Gojo Satoru had said she was an ally, but after saving him, Schwarzer had vanished. They had no way to contact her.
Now that they had finally met her, Naruto and the others had many questions they wanted answered.
"[Announcement] Given that your slaughter of civilians was not premeditated, the punishment will be reduced..."
Schwarzer didn't answer. Instead, she raised a cannon barrel and aimed it at Naruto, like a machine devoid of emotion, capable only of executing orders.
Naruto sensed an inhuman quality from her, along with an intense threat.
'Schwarzer, Jujutsu Sorcerer/Ninja/Human, Total Points—One Hundred Forty Thousand (Tailed Beast-level).'
'Human... is a profession?' Naruto's pupils constricted, as if he had just understood something.
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