But that hesitation lasted only an instant.
The violent instincts of the Shōzaki Lizard itself, combined with the obsession left behind by its former master, completely overwhelmed any sense of caution.
"ROAR!"
All of this drove the Shōzaki Lizard to abandon any thought of retreat, charging forward without regard for risk or consequence.
"Heh."
Menma let out a cold chuckle.
Just like before, he made no attempt to dodge or evade, choosing instead to confront the attack head-on.
"BANG!"
The two figures collided directly.
Menma felt a massive force surge toward him, yet at the same time, the Shōzaki Lizard experienced a shock of its own as though it had slammed into an immovable iron wall.
The contrast was jarring.
Staring at the small human standing before it, the Shōzaki Lizard's enormous pupils flickered with disbelief.
But Menma did not hesitate.
He reached out with both hands and firmly seized the Shōzaki Lizard's massive head.
"Hah!"
Chakra erupted violently throughout his body.
With a sharp twist of his waist
The Shōzaki Lizard was forcibly lifted off the ground.
Before it could react
"SWOOSH!"
Menma hurled the massive creature sideways with brutal force.
"BOOM!"
The Shōzaki Lizard slammed heavily into the ground, earth and debris exploding outward.
"Lightning Release—False Darkness!"
The instant Menma confirmed that the Shōzaki Lizard was capable of Earth Release based defenses, he unleashed another Lightning Release technique without hesitation.
A massive amount of chakra poured out.
A thick, piercing arc of lightning tore through the air at terrifying speed, striking the Shōzaki Lizard's enormous body once more.
"ZZZZZZ!"
"ROOOAR!?"
Electric currents surged violently across its scales, forcing another painful roar from its throat.
Yet even this
Was still not enough to make the Shōzaki Lizard submit.
Its blood-red pupils burned brighter, and its killing intent surged instead of fading.
"ROAR!"
With an earth-shaking bellow
"CRACK!"
The ground beneath it shattered.
Using itself as the center, enormous chunks of rock were torn free from the earth and lifted into the air.
As the boulders rose
Under the Shōzaki Lizard's control
"SWOOSH!"
"SWOOSH!"
"SWOOSH!"
They shot toward Menma at extreme speed, tearing through the air like artillery shells.
"Tch!"
Menma clicked his tongue.
The ferocity and resilience of this creature far exceeded his initial expectations.
More importantly
That terrifying defensive layer.
Despite being struck head-on by two Lightning Release techniques, the Shōzaki Lizard had clearly suffered injuries, yet it was far from being defeated.
Dodging rapidly between the flying boulders, Menma's pupils gradually shifted.
The fox-like slit of his eyes became faintly visible.
"Buzz!"
He extended his right hand.
On his palm, chakra gathered, rotated, compressed, and stabilized at astonishing speed.
Azure light bloomed.
And then
As if responding to his will
The Nine-Tails' chakra was drawn in almost unconsciously.
Crimson energy surged forth.
The two colors intertwined.
Blue and red merged
Forming a deep purple, nearly black vortex at its core, surrounded by a dark crimson glow.
This was no ordinary Rasengan.
Its pressure alone far surpassed the standard technique.
"BOOM!"
With a burst of force
"SWOOSH!"
Menma shot upward, positioning himself directly above the Shōzaki Lizard.
"ROAR!"
Reflected within the beast's massive pupils, Menma's descending figure appeared like an omen of destruction.
Instinctively, the Shōzaki Lizard slammed its forelimbs down again, tearing more boulders from the ground and launching them upward.
"Spiral… Wheel."
Menma's voice was low and steady.
He drove his arm downward.
"BOOM!"
The rotating chakra sphere pulverized the boulders effortlessly, shattering them into dust.
The Shōzaki Lizard's massive body came fully into view.
Menma deliberately avoided any immediately fatal points.
Twisting his body mid-air
He slammed the Spiral Wheel heavily into the Shōzaki Lizard's side abdomen.
"BANG!"
A thunderous explosion erupted.
The creature's enormous body caved inward at the point of impact.
"SWOOSH!"
The shockwave from the second burst sent the Shōzaki Lizard flying backward at terrifying speed.
Trees were uprooted.
The ground was torn apart.
Air waves rippled violently through the forest.
"BOOM!"
"BANG!"
With a dull, crushing impact, the Shōzaki Lizard slammed into the earth once more.
"ROOOO!"
Its scream this time was far more miserable than before.
Its massive body trembled violently.
There was no doubt
Its defense had been completely breached.
Even with its terrifying durability, the Shōzaki Lizard could not withstand a Rasengan enhanced by Nine-Tails chakra.
The difference in power was absolute.
Menma withdrew the Nine-Tails chakra, exhaled softly, and stepped forward.
As he approached
The Shōzaki Lizard reacted instinctively.
"HISS!"
A low, hoarse growl escaped its throat as it struggled to rise.
"BANG!"
Its forelimbs slammed into the ground again, forcing its body upright.
Though it still attempted to appear fierce, the violent trembling of its limbs made its injuries unmistakable.
Seeing this
Menma's expression shifted subtly.
A trace of regret and unease surfaced.
He had intended to defeat it
Not to kill it.
He had underestimated the destructive power of that technique.
In the original records, even a standard Rasengan had nearly killed Kabuto Yakushi, an elite medical jōnin.
This Spiral Wheel, infused with Nine-Tails chakra, was unquestionably S-rank in destructive force.
The Shōzaki Lizard had already been injured before.
Surviving this at all was only possible because of its monstrous vitality and defenses.
Any ordinary shinobi or weaker summoned beast would have been annihilated instantly.
There would have been no chance for negotiation.
"Can you calm down now?"
Menma spoke coldly, his aura still pressing down heavily.
"Are you willing to talk properly?"
With a flick of his hand
The azure chakra sphere formed once more.
Crimson chakra faintly stirred.
The dark fusion threatened to reappear.
When the Shōzaki Lizard sensed that overwhelming danger again
Its massive body trembled.
But after a brief moment
It closed its eyes.
Completely ignoring Menma.
As if resigning itself to death.
This reaction caused Menma to frown deeply.
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