"Alright! Phase one complete! Phase two, commence!"
The leader's eyes flashed with elation as he barked orders to the ninja around him.
But the earth trembled beneath their feet before anyone could react. A violent ripple of Chakra surged from the restrained white behemoth.
"My lord… it's struggling… we're losing control!"
Cold sweat dripped down the faces of the attack team. Panic whispered at the edges of their courage.
Boom!
A torrent of blue Chakra erupted from the monster, shattering the mud bindings beneath it. Its five tails lashed the ground violently, and the valley itself seemed to quake. The barrier formations collapsed instantly, and the enchantment team's members staggered back, blood spurting from their noses and ears.
"Humans… you deserve death!" the colossal beast bellowed.
The five-tailed terror surveyed the chaos, its massive body rocking the valley. Rocks crashed down around it, scattering the shinobi like ragdolls.
"No! Defend yourselves—NOW!" the leader shouted, eyes wide with terror.
Fear gripped the front-line ninjas, but orders were orders. Hands clasped, they attempted to summon the ground beneath into protective walls. Mud surged, forming desperate barriers, but the beast was faster.
With a flick of its tails, it leapt forward, crushing the mud walls and sending the defenders flying. Lives were lost before their eyes even registered what happened.
The white behemoth's rampage continued, obliterating everything in its path. Yet, the leader's eyes glimmered with greed and madness. This is the power of a tail beast… if I could wield it, the entire ninja world would be mine!
His obsession blinded him. The beast, sensing no restraint, slaughtered the remaining shinobi one by one. In moments, its massive hooves fell upon the leader like a god crushing an ant.
The Five-Tails reared its head and roared into the sky, a sound that shook the mountains themselves.
And then—suddenly—a presence in the sky caught its attention.
"Haha… what's this?"
Raizen hovered above on his giant clay bird, eyes scanning the battlefield. He wasn't about to let the Five-Tails revel in its destruction unchecked. He raised a hand in greeting, mockingly casual.
"Who are you? Are you with that group?" the beast rumbled, confusion and irritation in its growl.
"Name's Amamiya Raizen," he replied smoothly. "A pleasure to meet you, Kokuō-sama."
The beast's eyes narrowed, and a low, female-like voice whispered in his mind.
"How do you know my name?"
Raizen grinned beneath his scarf. "Dreamed about it. Some old guy called himself the Sage of Six Paths. Told me all about a five-tailed beast named Kokuō."
Before Raizen could finish, the Five-Tails' tails swung violently toward him.
"Classic old driver…" Raizen muttered, activating Flying Thunder God to dodge, narrowly avoiding a torrent of molten lava from the beast's mouth. The clay bird burned instantly as he leapt off midair.
"Not exactly subtle," Raizen sighed, disappearing midair with a spark of Flying Thunder God. The beast swiveled, enraged, roaring furiously.
"I swear, if you listened to the Sage of Six Paths, you wouldn't be flipping out!" Raizen shouted from the trunk of a massive tree.
The Five-Tails' low growl turned to fury. "How do you know my name?!"
"I said it. Sage of Six Paths told me," Raizen said evenly, shrugging. The truth was as simple as it was dangerous.
"Die, human!"
The Five-Tails stomped, hooves pounding the earth, forcing Raizen to leap backward. His hands came together, summoning Sage Chakra around his eyes.
"Kokuō… feel the power of the Sage!"
Chakra surged as Raizen launched forward. The valley seemed to freeze as he closed the distance.
Same aura as the old Six Paths guy… interesting, he thought, eyes locked on the colossal beast.
Kokuō lashed a tail in response, but Raizen's heightened senses in Sage Mode allowed him to dodge effortlessly.
"Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan!"
Chakra whirled at his palm, forming a massive spinning sphere. With a single, precise strike, Raizen slammed the Rasengan directly into the back of the Five-Tails.