Without Rasa's interference, Gekko Chizan and his clones launched a merciless assault on Shukaku.
Fire Release, Transparent Release, Snake Techniques—blasted without pause.
But this put Manda in a miserable spot. He had wanted to retreat, but Shukaku refused to let him go.
At last, under Chizan's magnificent annihilation technique, Manda could no longer hold on.
"Chizan, knowing you has been the greatest sorrow of my life!!!"
"I can't hold on anymore!"
Manda vanished in a puff of white smoke, retreating with endless resentment.
"That slimy mudfish is done for. Next is you, brat!"
Freed from Manda's entanglement, Shukaku felt much lighter. He turned his fierce gaze toward Chizan.
But Chizan didn't show the slightest fear.
"Come on then, you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Eat this—my biggest strike!"
With a roar, Chizan leapt high into the air, his entire body wrapped in crystal as chakra surged madly.
The remaining three clones struck once more, buying precious time for the original.
"Hmph! Such attacks can't harm me!"
"Out of my sight!"
Irritated by the flames, crystals, and kunai flying at him, Shukaku swept his massive hand, gathering sand into giant palms that blocked every assault while seizing Chizan's three clones.
Under crushing pressure, the clones vanished.
But the time they bought was enough for Chizan's technique to complete.
Encased in crystal, dazzling white light burst forth.
"Crystal Release: A Ray of Light!"
It was the most destructive attack of Crystal Release—a laser generated by fusing crystal with chakra.
Chizan had simulated the original user Guren's method, but his version was even stronger, powered by Chōmei's chakra.
The thick beam, as wide as an arm, blasted Shukaku square in the face.
"Ahhhh!!!"
Shukaku's shrieks shook the battlefield.
The sudden scream startled everyone.
The Sunagakure shinobi—including Chiyo and Rasa—stared in disbelief at Shukaku, clutching his face in agony.
"Damned brat!"
"You dared strike my face!"
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!!"
Furious, Shukaku lowered his hand. And when everyone saw his face, they froze.
A smoking scar marred his features. Chizan's strike had truly wounded him, leaving a mark.
Though shallow and sure to heal in time, the fact that a human had scarred him was unbearable. Proud Shukaku snapped into a full rage.
"Die!!!"
Before Chizan could escape the crystal casing, Shukaku's right hand shot out, grabbing him and the crystal whole, then slamming him into the ground.
"Sand Coffin Burial!"
Endless sand converged, shaping into a massive pyramid.
The next instant, the crushing force exploded—enough to grind a man to dust.
"Damn it! Chizan!"
Seeing his disciple in mortal peril, Orochimaru's eyes reddened. He sent three giant serpents lunging at Shukaku, abandoning Rasa.
Orochimaru himself tried to rush forward, but Rasa blocked his path.
"Get out of my way, bastard!"
His fury was met only with Rasa's cold sneer.
"Another mudfish! Get lost!"
As the serpents neared, sand seized them in place. Shukaku's claws ripped them apart into smoke.
Just as he was about to laugh, thinking he'd crushed Chizan, a mocking voice rang by his ear.
"Who are you fighting, dumb tanuki...?"
Not only Shukaku, but even Rasa and Orochimaru froze.
Chizan was standing on Shukaku's shoulder, eyes full of disdain, kunai in hand.
"Damn it, Flying Thunder God?"
"When did he... the clone..."
Rasa's shock quickly turned to realization.
During the earlier clone attacks, the kunai marked with the technique had already been thrown, embedding in Shukaku's body.
"Urokohane is already in position then..."
"Shukaku, now you'll learn what it costs to anger me..."
"Sensei! I'll leave the rest of the fight to you!"
Chizan shouted to Orochimaru, then activated the Flying Thunder God.
Before the eyes of all Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi, both he and Shukaku vanished, leaving only the sand pyramid.
"Impossible! That giant One-Tail—how could he have that much chakra!"
Rasa felt his world collapse.
The One-Tail was Sunagakure's last trump card. Now their trump card was gone???
He couldn't accept it. Nor could the other Sunagakure shinobi.
"The One-Tail is gone? How do we fight now?"
"Without it... there's no way we can break through Konoha's defenses!"
Panic spread among their ranks.
Chiyo, at the front lines, quickly raised her voice.
"All forces, charge!"
"Even without Shukaku, Konoha's defenses are already broken! If we strike now, we can still take them down!"
To keep morale from collapsing, she led the charge herself.
On the Konoha side, relief surged as Shukaku vanished.
But not everyone felt lighter. Uchiha Fugaku's heart only grew heavier.
Watching Orochimaru locked in battle, then the massive pyramid looming in the battlefield's center, his expression darkened.
"Damn it, Chizan... without me noticing, you've already grown this strong..."
"This kind of thing... damn it!"
Grinding his teeth, fists clenched, Fugaku's Sharingan spun furiously, the three tomoe whirling.
"Charge! Cut them down!"
The war raged on.
...
Meanwhile, in the quiet desert far to the west, away from the crowds...
A great snake floated in the air, staring at the kunai cast upon the sand below.
Her pupils shrank.
For a massive yellow tanuki had just appeared in the desert.
"Come then, Shukaku... round two..."
"Brat! You're finished! The desert is mine—what the hell!!!"