Sasuke and Hinata stared at Naruto in disbelief.
The terrifying power of his newly created technique had left them speechless.
Even the Hidden Mist ninja watching from a distance were completely stunned.
"T-This..."
"Is that... a Tailed Beast Bomb?!"
Naruto looked at the enormous waves still crashing across the sea and the towering curtain of water that had yet to fall back into the ocean.
A wide grin spread across his face.
"I never expected it to be this powerful!"
"And this is only a prototype!"
---
Sasuke was still in shock.
"Naruto... he actually did it."
"I only suggested that he begin with a rough, incomplete version."
"Yet even in its current state, its destructive power is already unimaginable."
"If he ever perfects it..."
"He could probably destroy an entire ninja village with a single attack."
Hinata's eyes sparkled with both pride and relief.
"Naruto-kun..."
"You finally created it."
---
The person who was truly shaken, however...
Was Kurama.
Inside Naruto's mental world, the Nine-Tailed Fox stared in complete disbelief.
"What... was that?"
"The power behind that technique is almost comparable to a Tailed Beast Bomb."
"Has Naruto already reached this level?"
"If he keeps progressing..."
"He may no longer need my power."
For the first time in a long while...
Kurama felt something he hadn't expected.
A sense of unease.
Perhaps even a crisis.
---
Hinata smiled brightly.
"Congratulations, Naruto-kun!"
"Is this the ultimate technique you've always dreamed of creating?"
Sasuke remained silent, still analyzing everything he had just witnessed.
Naruto scratched the back of his head and laughed.
"It's not bad."
"But it's still far from complete."
"Like Sasuke said..."
"I'm forcing it into existence by relying entirely on my enormous chakra reserves."
"It's basically brute force."
"If I had to describe it..."
"It's like pouring every drop of chakra into a single attack."
"Even though it's incomplete, I've finally created its basic framework."
Hinata nodded.
"Even so..."
"Its power is already terrifying."
"If you eventually perfect it..."
"Won't it become even stronger?"
Naruto thought for a moment before replying.
"I don't think I can fully master it in less than a year or two."
"The stronger the technique becomes..."
"The harder it is to perfect."
"The current version still has several major flaws."
He raised one finger.
"First..."
"It consumes an absurd amount of chakra."
"The moment I use it, my Wind Release Chakra Mode is completely exhausted."
"It disappears instantly."
He raised a second finger.
"Second..."
"I have almost no precise control over it."
"If I use it on a battlefield..."
"It'll probably hit allies and enemies alike."
"It's only practical in a direct one-on-one fight."
Finally, he raised a third finger.
"And third..."
"It still looks impressive, but it's nowhere near its completed form."
Hinata nodded in understanding.
"Even so..."
"It should still be an incredible trump card."
"If you're ever facing an enemy you simply can't defeat..."
"One attack like that could completely change the outcome of a war."
Then she smiled.
"By the way..."
"What are you going to call it?"
Naruto paused.
Almost instinctively...
A name surfaced in his mind.
"Hmm..."
"I'll call it..."
"Wind Release: Amazing Rasengan!"
Hinata quietly repeated the name.
"Amazing Rasengan..."
"It suits the technique perfectly."
Thus...
Naruto's strongest offensive jutsu had finally taken shape.
Although it wasn't yet powerful enough to destroy Konoha in a single strike...
It could already obliterate a small mountain—or even wipe out a small ninja village—with one devastating attack.
Of course...
Just as Naruto had admitted...
The technique still had many flaws.
---
Naruto was still celebrating the successful creation of the Amazing Rasengan when something unexpected happened.
Far out at sea...
Massive waves suddenly surged upward.
Another enormous swell followed immediately afterward.
Hinata's expression changed.
Her Byakugan activated instantly.
"I see something!"
"Beneath the waves..."
"Something enormous is rising!"
Naruto and Sasuke immediately expanded their sensory abilities.
Then...
They saw it.
A gigantic turtle-like silhouette.
Covered in heavy armor.
Its immense body slowly emerged from the ocean.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"The Three-Tails..."
"The Three-Tailed Beast!"
"Isobu has finally revived!"
Instead of panic...
Naruto felt excitement.
He had just completed the Amazing Rasengan.
Now the Three-Tails had appeared.
It truly felt like fortune was smiling upon him.
Sasuke reacted immediately.
"Move!"
"We have to reach the Three-Tails before anyone else!"
The Hidden Mist ninja understood the situation as well.
Without hesitation, they accelerated their ships toward the location where Isobu had surfaced.
---
ROAR!
The Three-Tails let out a thunderous roar.
The sound sent enormous waves crashing across the sea once again.
Naruto stood at the bow of the ship and shouted,
"Hey!"
"Isobu!"
"Do you still remember me?"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
He knew the Three-Tails' true name because Chōmei, the Seven-Tails, had told him previously.
Calling it by name was his attempt to establish communication.
Just as Isobu seemed ready to respond...
Another ship suddenly emerged from the opposite side of the ocean.
As the waves settled...
Several familiar figures appeared on its deck.
They wore black cloaks decorated with red clouds.
Naruto's expression instantly darkened.
"The Akatsuki..."
Hinata looked shocked.
"How did they get here so quickly?"
"And why didn't we detect them earlier?"
Naruto snorted.
"Those bastards controlled the Fourth Mizukage with genjutsu for years."
"They also controlled Isobu."
"Naturally..."
"They know everything about the Three-Tails."
"But this time..."
"I absolutely won't let them take it!"
He looked toward his teammates.
"Sasuke."
"Hinata."
"Let's go!"
Hinata nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
"This concerns your future, Naruto-kun."
"If necessary..."
"I'll use every ounce of my strength."
"I won't let Akatsuki steal the Three-Tails."
Meanwhile...
Sasuke's eyes searched the enemy ranks.
He was looking for only one person.
Itachi Uchiha.
Unfortunately...
He wasn't there.
"Hmph."
"So Itachi didn't come."
"Fine."
"I'll use the rest of them to test my blade."
The battle for the Three-Tails...
A battle that would influence Naruto's future—and perhaps the fate of the entire ninja world...
Had officially begun.
The arrow was already on the bowstring.
There was no turning back.
---
As Naruto's group prepared for battle...
He carefully examined the enemy standing aboard the opposing ship.
There were only three Akatsuki members.
One of them was an old acquaintance.
Kakuzu.
The second was a strange man whose head resembled a giant Venus flytrap.
Zetsu.
The last wore a spiral-patterned mask that revealed only a single eye.
Naruto frowned.
"Hmm..."
Hinata immediately noticed.
"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?"
"Are they stronger than we expected?"
Naruto slowly shook his head.
"Actually..."
"It's the opposite."
"For some reason..."
"They seem... weaker than I expected."
Sasuke and Hinata activated their own perception abilities.
After carefully sensing the enemy...
They reached similar conclusions.
"Kakuzu has already lost all five of his original hearts."
"Even if he replaced them..."
"He shouldn't be anywhere near his former strength."
"As for that plant-headed guy..."
"He doesn't seem like a frontline fighter."
"The only one I can't read..."
"Is the masked man."
Sasuke nodded thoughtfully.
"So you're saying..."
"Akatsuki knew the Three-Tails would revive here."
"Yet they only sent these three."
"Almost as if they wanted this outcome."
Naruto frowned.
"They're still members of Akatsuki."
"So none of them can be underestimated."
"But..."
"My instincts keep telling me something."
"They don't seem determined to win."
Hinata agreed.
"That's true."
"If capturing the Three-Tails were truly their highest priority..."
"They could have sent the entire Akatsuki organization."
"Just like they did when pursuing the Eight-Tails."
"Their chances of success would have been much greater."
"So..."
"What's really going on?"
Naruto shook his head.
"I don't know."
"But no matter what they're planning..."
"We can't allow the Three-Tails to fall into their hands."
He looked toward the colossal beast emerging from the sea.
"Fortunately..."
"We still have one advantage."
"The Three-Tails has a will of its own."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)