The Iwa Shinobi forces—
The first battlefield—
The main force was struggling, constantly on the defensive.
This scene made Loess, the commander of Iwa Shinobi, feel uneasy.
He quickly organized a team to investigate the source of the large-scale illusion affecting his troops.
Through Iwa Shinobi's sensory techniques, they pinpointed the origin.
A specific area behind Konoha's position—
The very center of the glowing magic array.
Destroying that area would be the best way to break the technique.
However, stepping inside the illusion's field was dangerous.
Nothing inside could be trusted.
To stop the illusion, they had to target the caster or the casting team from outside its range.
This kind of large-scale, long-distance attack—
Loess turned to Roshi, who was casually eating a banana.
Feeling Loess' intense stare, Roshi frowned.
"What? Are you asking me to step in?"
Loess nodded.
"I need you to fire your strongest Tailed Beast Bomb at the back of Konoha's forces."
Roshi blinked.
"You know I can't do that."
Unlike a perfect Jinchūriki, Roshi could only manage partial control over the Four-Tails.
They could communicate, sure.
But full cooperation? Impossible.
Loess didn't waver.
"No choice. Release the Four-Tails for a bit. Just stand back and let it do the job."
Roshi grimaced.
It was never fun to get his Tailed Beast forcefully unleashed.
But at least he could maintain some control.
"Fine, but I want something in return."
After negotiating with the Four-Tails in his mind, Roshi retreated to a forest.
Then, he transformed.
A massive sphere of compressed chakra began forming—
A Tailed Beast Bomb.
With a deafening roar, the attack launched toward Konoha's camp.
The air itself trembled as the energy ball cut through the sky.
The sheer wind pressure carved deep trenches into the ground.
A force like this—unstoppable.
Konoha's ninjas saw the incoming destruction and had only one thought:
"Run!"
"It's a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"The Four-Tails has been unleashed!"
Sakiya stood frozen, staring at the attack.
Kakashi and Chihiro knew the devastation it would bring.
Escape was impossible.
Chihiro's heart pounded.
She instinctively pulled Sakiya close, whispering,
"Don't be scared, Sakiya. I'll protect you."
Kakashi said nothing.
Since his near-death mission, his Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened.
Underneath his mask, his three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, morphing into a pinwheel pattern.
He took a deep breath—
And focused on the Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Kamui!"
Space distorted in front of him.
Kakashi gritted his teeth, pouring all his strength into the technique.
The spiraling vortex expanded—
"Come on… vanish!"
The roaring wind from the incoming explosion—
Chihiro squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact.
One second…
Two seconds…
One minute…
Nothing.
She cautiously opened her eyes—
Only to see Sakiya looking up at her with a calm smile.
Sakiya reached up, patting Chihiro's head.
"Don't worry. My power is absolute."
Chihiro's breath caught.
"Yexin… you stopped a Tailed Beast Bomb?!"
Just then—
"AAAAAGH!"
Kakashi's scream cut through the air.
Chihiro spun around, eyes widening.
Kakashi was clutching his left eye, blood dripping through his fingers.
Shock hit her like a wave.
"Kakashi-senpai… your Mangekyō Sharingan has awakened!"
Kakashi was in immense pain, his left eye feeling like it was being torn apart. But the moment he heard those words, he was instantly distracted.
He turned to Chihiro with an exasperated look.
"Chihiro, have you been infected with this nonsense?"
Chihiro's embarrassed expression lasted only half a second before she quickly recovered, putting on a look of concern.
"Kakashi-senpai, are you okay?"
Kakashi nodded. The pain in his eye was already easing. His expression turned serious.
"Get the sealing team ready! We can't leave a Tailed Beast running loose!"
Just then, a figure landed beside Kakashi with a dramatic mid-air twist.
Might Guy flashed a grin, his teeth shining, and raised a fist.
"Kakashi! It looks like Konoha's Blue Beast is needed!"
Kakashi shook his head with a small smile.
"Perfect timing, Guy."
Both of them turned to the massive chakra source in the distance.
"Let's go!"
"Right!"
The two exchanged a knowing glance before dashing toward the Four-Tails.
"Sealing team, follow us!"
The Konoha sealing team was already in position and moved out alongside them.
Kakashi sprinted forward, but something caught his eye—a small, familiar figure running ahead.
Wait.
He turned to Chihiro, his suspicion growing. Sure enough, the feisty Sakiya, who had been right next to Chihiro moments ago, was gone.
Kakashi's face tensed as he spotted her.
"Sakiya! Stop!"
---
On the battlefield, the Four-Tails was getting impatient. It had fired a Tailed Beast Bomb, but it hadn't landed as expected.
Frustrated, it began unleashing its full power.
Molten chakra surged from its body, distorting the air with heat.
With a single leap, the Four-Tails crashed into the battlefield.
Loess cursed loudly.
"Hey! Don't charge in like that!"
But the beast ignored him.
The voice of its host, Roshi, echoed in its mind, trying to reason with it.
The Four-Tails scoffed.
"A large-scale illusion? That won't work on a Jinchūriki!"
Of course, it had conveniently forgotten about the power of the Uchiha Sharingan.
Its overconfidence didn't stop it from charging forward.
The sheer impact of its landing sent shockwaves through the battlefield, knocking over both Konoha and Iwa shinobi alike.
The scorching heat from its body melted everything around it.
Wherever it stepped, the ground turned into a pool of molten rock.
Roaring in excitement, the Four-Tails lashed out, smashing the battlefield with its fists.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Explosions erupted, sending massive shockwaves across the battlefield.
Ninjas from both sides scattered in all directions, barely avoiding the destruction.
Konoha and Iwa both suffered heavy casualties.
Sakiya, standing amidst the chaos, clenched her fists.
Her illusions weren't as effective against something this powerful.
But that didn't mean she was helpless.
Lightning chakra flickered beneath her feet.
Her expression darkened.
This had gone too far.
Sakiya's short legs moved faster, her speed picking up as she dashed toward the battlefield.
Kakashi and Guy barely had time to react before they saw her streak past them like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the center of the chaos.
They exchanged glances.
"We need to move faster!"
"Agreed!"
Without hesitation, they pushed forward at full speed.
---
Sakiya's eyes sharpened as she activated her illusion technique, projecting a holographic reality around the Four-Tails.
The massive beast suddenly found itself in a strange, unfamiliar space—an endless, empty plane.
Everything around it had vanished.
Only one figure remained.
Nothing else.
The Four-Tails tensed, sensing something was off.
"What is this illusion?"
It immediately reached out to Roshi, its host, trying to break free from whatever trick was being played.
But Roshi's response was unexpected.
"Everything seems normal on my end."
The Four-Tails let out a furious roar.
"That's impossible! Are we both caught in this illusion?"
Roshi frowned.
During their time in battle, they had studied various illusion techniques and learned how they worked.
Most illusions had a limited range.
Once trapped, the target's five senses would be misled, creating a false perception of reality.
Iwa shinobi had developed countermeasures against this, including using chakra flow to detect and disrupt illusions.
"So it's just targeting our senses?"
The Four-Tails growled, growing impatient.
Its body burned hotter with frustration.
Opening its massive jaws, it began gathering an enormous ball of condensed chakra.
"Then I'll just destroy this illusion!"
Boom!
A Tailed Beast Bomb fired straight ahead, crashing into the ground with immense force.
But something was wrong.
The attack didn't explode.
It didn't even make an impact.
The moment it hit the ground… it simply vanished.
Not a ripple. Not a sound.
The Four-Tails' eyes widened.
For the first time, doubt crept in.
Something wasn't right.
A sudden burst of laughter rang out—light and mischievous, like that of a little girl.
"Hahahaha! A little Inferno Ape like you is nothing against my ultimate trial of death!"
"Who's there?!"
The Four-Tails roared, its deep voice shaking the battlefield.
A glowing array appeared in the void, and from within it, Sakiya stepped forward, hands on her hips, beaming with confidence.
"It's me! The Eye of Death!"
The Four-Tails stared at her in silence.
There she stood—a tiny girl before the massive beast, the sheer size difference creating a ridiculous contrast.
Her posture, puffed up with pride, only made the scene even funnier.
For a moment, there was only stillness.
Then, the Four-Tails let out a deep, rumbling laugh.
"Hahahaha! HAHAHA! You?!"
Sakiya blinked.
"Wait… this thing's laughing at me?"
Didn't it recognize her power? Didn't it see the terrifying might of her Eye of Death?
But looking at her…
She really didn't look threatening at all.
Her small frame, her playful stance—it all lacked the aura of a true powerhouse. Even with the dramatic effects of the glowing array, it still looked more comical than intimidating.
Not like those legendary warriors who could shake the earth with a single step.
Sakiya's face puffed up in frustration.
"You think this is funny? Let's see you laugh after this!"
In an instant, she vanished.
Before the Four-Tails could react, she reappeared directly above its massive head.
But the beast grinned.
"Gotcha!"
It had been waiting for this.
The moment she got close, its body surged with molten chakra.
"Lava Release: Flower Fruit Mountain!"
The ground beneath them melted into a pool of bubbling magma.
Sakiya whistled.
"Oh, not bad."
The Four-Tails smirked.
But before it could finish gloating, Sakiya appeared in front of its face.
Despite her small size, her presence was undeniable.
Her right eye gleamed red.
"Ultimate World Destruction Hammer—CRUSH!"
She raised a massive mallet and swung it down.
BOOM!
The space itself seemed to tremble.
The Four-Tails' massive snout caved in from the impact. The sheer force sent its entire body flying backward, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact.
RUMBLE—
A deep crater formed where it landed, dust and debris rising in thick clouds.
The great beast twitched.
Pain.
Overwhelming, mind-numbing pain.
For a moment, it couldn't even think.
Just as the pain began to subside, it felt a pressure on its swollen nose.
It cracked one eye open.
Standing atop its face, one foot planted firmly on its bruised snout, was Sakiya.
She held her mallet high, her expression alight with pure mischief.
The Four-Tails felt a chill.
In an instant, its massive body began to shrink.
When the transformation was complete, Roshi lay in the crater, drained, his body barely moving.
His eyes, however, remained sharp as he glared at the girl in front of him.
Sakiya tilted her head, still gripping her mallet, her face bright with an innocent smile.
"Don't worry," she said sweetly. "It won't hurt… much."
____
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