"Ant! Ant!"
With his remaining arm, Shukaku slammed wildly at the Four Sacred Beasts that surrounded him.
Yet no matter how many times he smashed them apart, the beasts simply reformed — streams of sand rising and knitting back together faster than they were destroyed.
As long as Aoyama Ryuyun's stamina held, those constructs, born from the Float-Float Fruit's power, would not dissipate.
Watching Shukaku's stubborn resistance, Ryuyun narrowed his eyes.
He grasped the sword he had planted in the sand and stomped his foot.
The ground rumbled as currents of sand surged upward, spiraling around Shukaku like serpents.
The Four Sacred Beasts disassembled, merging into the storm of sand that now coiled tightly around the One-Tail.
Layer by layer, the sand wrapped over Shukaku's body until only his massive head remained exposed — a towering, roaring prisoner of earth.
"Ant! Ant! Let me go! I'll kill you!" Shukaku bellowed, his voice shaking the battlefield.
"Idiot."
Ryuyun's tone was cold, his patience spent.
He raised his twin blades, Haki blazing across their edges.
"Lion's Might — Extreme Slash Wave!"
"BOOM!"
A thunderous explosion followed, dust and light swallowing the battlefield.
When the smoke finally cleared, the towering form of Shukaku had vanished — leaving behind only a massive crater, its edges still glowing from heat.
Ryuyun leapt down into the pit.
There lay Bunbuku, the One-Tail's jinchūriki, motionless and lifeless.
"It seems... I won."
Bunbuku, though a kind monk in life, was not strong enough to endure the backlash of a defeated Tailed Beast. When Shukaku fell, his body simply gave out.
Ryuyun exhaled, examining the shattered remnants of his sword. With a resigned sigh, he tossed the hilt aside.
"This sword's too fragile anyway."
He looked toward the fading traces of Shukaku's chakra.
A Tailed Beast — a being made of pure chakra — never truly dies. In time, Shukaku would reform somewhere in the deserts of Wind Country.
But that was no longer Ryuyun's concern.
Just as he turned to leave, a familiar mechanical voice rang in his mind.
> "Hidden mission complete: Defeat the One-Tail Shukaku!
Reward: Compatibility +5%
Great Swords of Legend — Kokutō Koku and Sakura Jū!"
Ryuyun froze mid-step.
"What... Hidden mission? What's that supposed to mean?"
As if reading his thoughts, the system replied indifferently:
> "Hidden missions occur at random. No fixed conditions."
Ryuyun let out a breath and gave a helpless smile.
"So it's random, huh... Figures."
He had briefly imagined farming Tailed Beasts for more rewards — but that fantasy had been crushed just as quickly.
"Whatever. I'll take what I can get."
Ryuyun wasn't an ungrateful man. A reward was a reward.
> God-Tier Template System
First Template: Golden Lion Shiki
Compatibility: 58.77% → 63.77%
Template Abilities: Intermediate Haoshoku Haki, Advanced Armament Haki, Intermediate Kenbunshoku Haki, Master Swordsman's Technique, Float-Float Fruit (Beginner)
Skills: Basic Three-Body Technique, Body Flicker Technique
Daily Mission: Swing Sword 10,000 Times (Unfinished)
Ryuyun smiled faintly. "So my Armament Haki advanced again..."
He raised his right hand, watching as jet-black Haki enveloped his arm, darker and denser than before.
The air around him rippled faintly with pressure.
Compared to before, the Armament Haki now felt heavier — sharper, more absolute.
Still, what drew his attention most were the two new items hanging from his waist: the legendary blades Koku and Sakura Jū.
He unsheathed them slightly, and even that faint motion released a thin glimmer of golden light.
"Just from their edge, you can tell... these are true divine blades."
He couldn't suppress a grin.
The twin Great Swords he had long desired were finally his.
"Hahaha!"
Ryuyun laughed heartily, the sound echoing through the desert winds.
Across the battlefield, both Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi froze, their gazes turning toward the laughing youth suspended in the air.
Because everyone knew — the battle was over.
Konoha had won.
---
"Sister!"
Ebizō, who had regained consciousness, stumbled toward Chiyo, his expression pale.
Even as an elite jōnin, he could still feel the terror left behind by Aoyama Ryuyun's presence.
Chiyo stopped her puppets and frowned. "How's Bunbuku?"
Ebizō hesitated, then sighed deeply.
"Shukaku was defeated... Bunbuku's dead."
"..."
For a long moment, Chiyo said nothing.
There was nothing to say.
Across the battlefield, the words spread quickly.
The Third Kazekage, still locked in combat with the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, halted his movements. His expression darkened as he glanced toward the collapsing dunes in the distance.
Without another word, he stopped his hand seals and turned away, walking toward Chiyo's position.
Shikaku and the others didn't stop him.
"Phew... That was close."
As soon as the Kazekage left, Inoichi and Chōza collapsed onto the sand, gasping for breath.
"Yeah," Chōza groaned. "He really is... the strongest Kazekage in history."
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