Chapter 156 – The Brutal Blow Against Shukaku
Gamabunta leapt high into the air, his massive shadow blotting out the moonlight as he swung his tantō down toward Shukaku.
"Hold on tight, brat!" he barked, charging forward with earth-shaking strides.
The blade sliced through the air toward Shukaku's right arm—one that had just regenerated—but the giant tanuki whipped his massive tail around, smacking Gamabunta backward with a thunderous impact.
"Boss! Are you okay?! Don't go near that area—Sakura and Sasuke are over there!" Naruto shouted in panic.
"Shut up, kid! That man's over there. Nothing's gonna happen to them," Gamabunta growled, clearly irritated. "You should be worrying about yourself. Our opponent's one of the Tailed Beasts—Shukaku!"
He didn't need to say who "that man" was. Even Shukaku wouldn't dare to approach that spot. Not even the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto would want to.
"Oh, right… Uncle Yusuke's insanely strong!" Naruto suddenly remembered.
"Interesting… very interesting! I'll kill you all!" Shukaku roared, his monstrous laughter echoing through the forest.
"Wind Release…" Shukaku's stomach began to swell like a balloon.
"I'm about to jump—hold on tight!" Gamabunta shouted. His eyes sharpened as he locked onto his opponent.
"Drilling Air Bullet!"
A massive sphere of compressed air shot toward them.
Gamabunta twisted his huge body, leaping upward to dodge—but another projectile came immediately after.
"Water Release: Liquid Bullet!" Gamabunta's hands formed seals, spewing a torrent of pressurized water to intercept the blast.
The collision between wind and water exploded violently, shaking the entire battlefield. The shockwave tore through the forest like a hurricane.
"What a ridiculous fight…" Sasuke muttered, eyes wide.
"Yusuke-sensei," Sakura asked, staring at him anxiously, "can Naruto and that giant toad really defeat that monster?"
Rain poured around them, but not a single drop touched Yusuke's body—his chakra barrier repelled everything effortlessly.
"Hmm… no, of course they can't," Yusuke said with a calm smile. "Shukaku's still one of the Tailed Beasts, after all."
"Then why don't you help them now?!" Sakura's voice trembled.
Yusuke shrugged lazily. "Let's just watch for a bit."
Across the battlefield, Shukaku fired again. Gamabunta countered, but this time one of the Air Bullets punched through his defenses and hit him squarely, sending the toad tumbling backward in an explosion of smoke and sand.
"YES! YES! DIE! DIE!" Shukaku screamed in manic delight, jumping up and down like a deranged child.
"Argh, damn it! That hurt like hell! Stupid tanuki, shooting chakra bullets at me like that!" Gamabunta grumbled, emerging from the smoke.
"Brat," he said seriously, "even I can't take too many hits like that."
"What do we do then?!" Naruto asked desperately.
"The only way to stop him is to wake up the Jinchūriki!"
"And how do I do that?!" Naruto yelled.
"Hit him! Just punch the brat awake, you idiot!" Gamabunta snapped.
Another Drilling Air Bullet came flying toward them. Gamabunta countered with Liquid Bullet, and the resulting explosion obscured Shukaku's vision.
Taking advantage of the opening, Gamabunta slammed his webbed hands down, pinning part of Shukaku's body.
"Now! Wake that brat up!" he roared.
But Shukaku wriggled free, backing away several steps with surprising agility. Gamabunta had to retreat, clicking his tongue in frustration.
"Why couldn't you hold him down longer?!" Naruto shouted.
"I'm a toad, damn it! No claws, no fangs—what do you expect me to grab him with?!"
"Then what should I do?!"
"Use Transformation Jutsu! Turn into something with claws and fangs! I'll lend you my image as a base!"
"Huh?!" Naruto froze.
"Just do it!" Gamabunta bellowed.
"Alright, alright! I'll try!"
"You need claws and fangs! Remember that!" Gamabunta warned.
"I got it!" Naruto shouted—though he clearly didn't.
Before he could think further, Gamabunta leapt, forcing Naruto to activate the jutsu midair.
In his mind's eye, the image of the Nine-Tails flashed. Instinctively, their forms merged—and a massive, crimson-furred Kyūbi appeared, fangs bared, claws glinting under the moonlight.
The transformed duo lunged forward, seizing Shukaku's body in an iron grip.
Shukaku's eyes widened in disgust and terror at the sight of the Nine-Tails. But it was too late to escape.
"Now, Naruto! Hit the Jinchūriki! I can't hold him for long!" Gamabunta roared.
Naruto leapt from the Kyūbi's head and slammed his fist straight into Gaara's face.
"He… broke through my jutsu?" Gaara whispered in disbelief, his sand armor cracking apart. He retaliated instinctively, sending a wave of sand toward Naruto.
Gamabunta's tongue shot out, wrapping around Naruto and pulling him back to safety.
But Naruto was nearly spent. His chakra reserves were at their limit. Gritting his teeth, he reached inward—calling upon the fox's power. Crimson chakra flared violently around him, burning the air itself.
He lunged once more, breaking through the sand defense and landing a solid hit on Gaara's chest.
Cracks spread across Shukaku's body as the creature howled. Gaara's consciousness wavered—and then he collapsed, seemingly unconscious.
But before anyone could celebrate, the cracks along Shukaku's body began to knit themselves together.
Gaara's eyes snapped open, his face pale but furious. "Impossible…"
"Hahaha! You really thought you'd beaten me, brat? Listen closely—I let my arm get cut off earlier. I transferred part of my consciousness into it. I've just been waiting for the right moment!" Shukaku boasted.
It was a trick he had learned from Gyūki, the Eight-Tails. After his brief encounter with Yusuke in the past, Shukaku had become far more cautious.
He'd sacrificed power for survivability—weakening himself now to ensure he could recover later.
But Gamabunta was already panting heavily, his body covered in cuts and scorch marks.
"Gaara!" Temari cried out from the distance, her voice trembling.
Gaara looked around frantically, his breathing ragged. Even he knew the fight was slipping from his control.
Naruto's eyes widened. "What now…"
That damn cat's got more brains than I thought, Yusuke mused to himself.
He sighed. "Guess it's my turn. Naruto's had enough of a warm-up."
In an instant, he vanished—reappearing beside the colossal tanuki.
"Hey, big guy," Yusuke said calmly. "It's bedtime."
"Damn it! Why do you keep showing up everywhere?!" Shukaku screamed, genuine fear flashing across his eyes.
Yusuke tilted his head, his voice cold. "What made you think I'm a patient man? You fat raccoon, you really want to die that badly?"
He lifted his headband slightly—revealing his piercing gaze.
The moment Shukaku met Yusuke's eyes, his entire body froze. Terror gripped him like chains. He tried to retreat into Gaara's body, but couldn't move a muscle.
An overwhelming force pressed down on the entire battlefield. Shukaku's chakra sputtered and vanished as if crushed under an invisible weight.
It was Yusuke's Conqueror's Haki—an aura so oppressive that even a Tailed Beast couldn't resist.
"Don't—!" Shukaku roared, but Yusuke was already moving.
His arm turned pitch-black, coated in Armament Haki.
With one devastating swing, he struck Shukaku across the jaw. The impact sent the beast flying through the forest, tearing the ground apart in its wake.
Before the sand could even settle, Yusuke appeared above him and delivered a second blow, driving Shukaku straight into the earth.
The ground split open under the sheer force.
Everyone who witnessed it—Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, even the Sand siblings—could only stare blankly.
The creature that had terrified entire nations was now being tossed around like a rag doll.
"Incredible… was that Taijutsu?" Sasuke muttered in disbelief.
"Uncle Yusuke…" Naruto whispered, his eyes wide in awe.
"Is he… really human?" Temari murmured, her hands trembling.
She had heard stories from Baki and Pakura about this man—the so-called White Demon of Konoha. But seeing him in person was something else entirely.
A being strong enough that even the Kazekage once needed an entire army to seal a creature like Shukaku—yet Yusuke crushed it single-handedly, as if swatting away an insect.
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