As the Baku's immense suction held Shukaku in place, Danzo swiftly moved to the side, circling in a wide arc to get behind the tailed beast. He gathered chakra in his hands, seizing the moment while Shukaku was immobilized. Leaping onto its back, he dashed toward its head.
"...Insect..." A furious roar erupted from Shukaku.
The massive beast gave up resisting the suction force and collapsed onto the ground. This sudden move exposed Danzo to the powerful pull of the Baku as well.
"...Ugh...!" The whistling wind howled past his ears. Danzo staggered, nearly getting swept away. His clothes and hair were tugged violently in one direction. He crouched low, struggling to maintain control and avoid being sucked in.
"Damn it..." He channeled more chakra into his feet, attempting to move to Shukaku's side to escape the suction.
"Die, insect!" Shukaku, now lying prone, was slowly being dragged by the powerful suction, but its massive sand-formed arm still reached out to crush Danzo.
With no other choice, Danzo leaped away to dodge, but as soon as he lost his footing, the suction force pulled him toward the Baku at an alarming speed.
Adjusting his body mid-air, Danzo shouted, "Baku—!"
"Moo—" The Baku abruptly switched from suction to exhalation.
A tremendous push surged through Danzo, launching him straight toward Shukaku. He quickly gathered chakra in his hands.
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
Still unsteady from the sudden shift, Shukaku gave up on dodging and instead raised both arms to shield its head.
Danzo slammed the Big Ball Rasengan into Shukaku's arms, grinding through the sand limbs before crashing onto its head.
"Big Ball Rasengan: Detonation!"
The Rasengan deflated like a punctured balloon, but the unleashed force poured directly into Shukaku's body. The attack completed, Danzo immediately jumped back to gain distance.
He watched closely. Shukaku remained motionless, standing stiffly as grains of sand crumbled from its form. Anticipation welled up in his heart...
If he could kill the Jinchuriki within, the tailed beast would perish as well, requiring years to reform its chakra before it could revive.
"Did it work?"
Danzo's hopes were quickly dashed.
As the sand on Shukaku's head withered away, it revealed a meditating monk, encased within a spherical barrier.
This sealing barrier... It wasn't Shukaku's power but rather the Jinchuriki's own.
The barrier began to dissipate, and with nothing left to restrain it, Shukaku's chakra surged forth once more. The sand that had crumbled away now regained its vitality, swiftly enveloping the monk again. Shukaku's eroded body also regenerated at an alarming rate.
"Aaaargh! Damn insect! I'll grind you to dust, piece by piece!" Shukaku's enraged bellow made Danzo frown.
Even his strongest technique hadn't been enough to end it. More than half of his chakra was already spent.
As for his sealing jutsu... They worked well against Jinchuriki before they fully transformed. But against this oversized tanuki...
Danzo began considering retreat.
Just as Shukaku stepped forward to attack, it suddenly halted.
"No—!" The beast roared before stiffly turning around. Chakra began to gather at its mouth, aimed not at Danzo—but at the Konoha base camp.
"No, it's the Jinchuriki controlling it!"
Danzo quickly formed hand seals. "Wind Release: Air Bullets!"
Several wind bullets struck Shukaku, creating a few shallow pits in its sand body, which smoothed out within seconds.
"Big tanuki, did that hurt? Want me to hit you again?"
"Damn you... Damn you! I'll kill you!" Shukaku abandoned its Tailed Beast Ball, its body still somewhat stiff, and instead turned toward the Baku.
Danzo's eyes lit up as he continued taunting it. "Big tanuki, stop acting tough. If it weren't for that old monk, I'd have already sent you to reincarnate. But then again, you are the weakest of the tailed beasts. Even if a human kills you, it's not that shameful."
"Kill you! KILL YOU! Aaaahh! I'll tear you apart piece by piece, you wretched human!"
Seeing that Shukaku's movements were growing more fluid and its aura was becoming even wilder, Danzo knew it was time to leave. He released the summoning technique, dispelling the Baku, and immediately bolted in the direction of the retreating Suna forces.
"Boom! Boom!"
Explosions of Air Bullets erupted behind him, their shockwaves battering him relentlessly. Danzo stopped conserving chakra and sped up his escape.
After running ten kilometers in one go...
One kilometer behind him, Shukaku had completely lost its sanity, radiating a violently chaotic aura.
The massive beast rampaged forward, annihilating everything in its path.
"Damn it. Until I get stronger, I'm never messing with one of these things again."
But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had locked onto him.
Sensing the beast getting closer, a chill ran down Danzo's spine.
Then, in the distance, he spotted a Suna squad.
He exhaled in relief. "Transformation Jutsu!"
Danzo morphed into the sensory ninja from the Kazekage's guard and rushed toward the squad.
"The Tailed Beast is rampaging! Help me!" Before reaching them, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
As Shukaku's massive form came into view, the squad members' faces turned pale. Without hesitation, they turned and fled.
"Cowards… No loyalty at all..."
But they weren't as fast as Danzo. He easily overtook them.
Screams and Shukaku's furious roars echoed behind him.
Danzo picked up the pace.
More and more Suna forces appeared ahead—some squads of only a few, others numbering in the dozens.
Each time he encountered one, he called for aid, but their reactions were all the same—turning to flee.
And since they were slower than the tailed beast, their fate was predictable.
Despite putting some distance between himself and Shukaku, Danzo could still feel the beast's chakra locking onto him.
"Tailed beasts are such a pain."
His chakra reserves were down to one-fifth, and his stamina was rapidly declining.
Danzo couldn't help but respect the Third Raikage, who had fought the Eight-Tails for an entire day and night.
Just as he was despairing, he spotted a group of several hundred Suna shinobi up ahead—including an old acquaintance.
Relieved, he sped up.
Before he could get close...
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" A dozen senbon struck the ground in front of him, halting his approach.
"Passcode!" Several puppets emerged, and Chiyo, along with several Suna Jonin, surrounded him.
"It's me, Elder Chiyo! We pushed back Konoha's elders, but the Root forces pursued us! They all perished... Is the Kazekage safe?" His breathless, desperate expression—along with the relief of seeing comrades—eased the tension among the surrounding shinobi.
Chiyo remained unmoved. "Passcode."
Danzo's desperate look faded into a blank expression.
"As expected... the Fourth Kazekage was much easier to deceive."
Dropping his transformation, he sighed.
The moment they recognized Danzo, the Suna shinobi tensed.
"Danzo! You dare chase us this far?! You'll pay for underestimating Suna!" Chiyo's voice was ice-cold.
Seeing the Suna forces preparing for battle...
"No, no, no! Misunderstanding! I'm just returning something! And I'll be leaving—right now!"
A massive dust cloud billowed, and Danzo vanished.
"ROOOOAR! INSECT—!"
The deafening roar and thunderous footsteps from the distance were all too familiar to Chiyo.
Her face darkened.
"Damn you, Danzo. Move out!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo