Kaido ascended Akatsuchi Pass—thigh-deep in magma-seared scree—plum-cape swallowing lightning strikes whole. Dragon-sight peeled back stone layers: sulfur veins pulsed fat with Kurama's chakra spillover… obsidian cliffs groaned under unseen weight… centuries-old cedars bore claw-marks weeping crimson sap. Rain hissed—mid-air vaporizing—against scales hotter than lava flows. Crimson gaze pierced northwest—past jagged basalt teeth—into a caldera choked with pyroclastic fog. Twin suns glowed within—slitted molten eyes wider than Konoha's gates… deeper than Madara's despair. Kurama shifted—subsonic growl detonating avalanches—ashes billowed skyward. Kaido grinned—ice-fangs drinking nebula-light. **Not yet.** Hybrid form halted—atop desolation's throne—kanabō planted firm. One silent heartbeat stretched tectonic. Then… scales rasped—obsidian unfolding—azure-layered hide swallowing storm-wrack. Dragon-unfurling reverberated—bone against bone—against world-ribs.
Kaido reared—thirty stories of cobalt-armored fury—horn-tips shredding thunderheads. Obsidian jaws gaped—planet-core heat gathering—incandescent blue-white chakra-fire boiling behind glacier-fangs. Kurama's molten gaze locked upward—not surprise—primal recognition: Dragon met Demon. Neither blinked. Kaido's neck muscles corded—river-deep—Haki-infused chakra-furnace priming plasma hotter than Kaguya's palace core. Silence shattered—air screamed—tearing molecules apart. **"BORO BREATH!"** Reality fractured—sky-splitting beam screamed downward—straight-line annihilation carving through pyroclastic clouds—vaporizing basalt cliffs—igniting atmosphere—collision-course locked on Kurama's snarling muzzle. Caldera floor flashed blinding zinc-white.
Impact shockwave rippled outwards—exploding mountains like glass—superheating rain into scalding fog. Kurama vanished—submerged beneath seething nova-force—tail-lash whipping tsunamis of molten stone skyward. Kaido roared—subsonic—earth-crust fracturing beneath scaled claws. One eternity later—silence deeper than creation's grave settled. Caldera smoked—glowing slag—foundations weeping magma-tears. Slowly… agonizingly… Nine-Tails' scorched skull lifted—fur melted onto bone—
Kaido fell—vertical comet—hybrid form corkscrewing through superheated haze. Horns carved atmospheric scars—kimono shredded to vapor—kanabō angled downward like divine retribution's spear point. Obsidian teeth drank Kurama's rising glare—fox-fire reflected infinitely within polished bone-breaker facets. Kurama's maw gaped—chakra-flame rebuilding—primordial hatred crystallizing between fangs dripping cobalt plasma. Dragon-shadow swallowed caldera-light—
Impact. Kanabō met skull-plate—not collision—reality fracture. **"THUNDER BAGUA!!"** Kaido's roar atomized sound itself. Violet-black lightning detonated—coiling serpentine—around Kanabō's shaft before erupting forward. Bone screamed—millennia-hardened—spider-cracking under Conqueror's Will-infused annihilation force. Atmospheric pressure inverted—sucking pyroclastic fog into a vacuum-hole—then blasting outward. Kurama's skull cratered—jaws snapping sideways—vertebrae screeching protest beneath fur. Caldera floor vaporized—glowing teeth shearing away—world tilted violently.
Sunlight shattered—obsidian dust blizzard choking dawn crimson. Kaido landed—knees bent piston-deep—kanabō buried between Kurama's spasming orbital ridges. Fox-fire gouts bled molten gold from fractured sockets—pooling—igniting volcanic stone into shrieking geysers. Sulfur-stink curdled—ozone torched into acrid black bile-scents. Blood—not Kurama's—soaked Kaido's scaled forearm: ripped knuckles gleaming wet against obsidian—a dragon's sacrificial paint. Crimson gaze pierced shrinking pupils—hell-lakes trembling behind evaporating steam curtains. Kaido withdrew Kanabō—slow—wet scrape screaming louder than Nine-Tails' silent agony. Scales rasped fractured bedrock—boots sinking—hybrid silhouette towered over twitching mountain-flesh. Kurama's breath wheezed—molten bubbles bursting uselessly against dragon-scaled shin armor. Ash snowed gray—world holding its breath.
Kaido stood motionless—plum-cape plastered to azure back-plates—rain-tears evaporating off Kanabō's weeping edge. Crimson eyes narrowed—slitted dissection—across Kurama's shuddering flank. Fur matted sludge-black with scorched blood… ribs jutting broken-jigsaw beneath half-melted hide… tail-lash reduced to crippled tremor. Not battle-wounds. Tragedy. Weakness regurgitated. Kaido's jaw clenched—muscles corded steel-cable beneath scaled throat—nostrils flaring volcanic vapor. **"Fuzzball,"** gravel-grind voice shredded wind-whimper silence. Horns tilted—razor-tips carving contempt into smoke-choked air—scaled knuckle rising—pointing northeast. Toward Senju forests… Uchiha pyres… Konoha's unborn graves. **"You hunger… for scraps."** Kanabō lifted—tip hovering above Kurama's pulsing throat-skin—obsidian teeth vibrating with cobalt resonance. **"Pathetic."** Dragon-head shook once—slow—disgust carved glacier-deep. Not disappointment—final condemnation: Nine-Tails fought to survive… not devour creation whole. Kurama's lips snarled—rotted-fang futility—eye-bleed steaming poison-green. Dragon-patience snapped.
Kaido pivoted—boots crushing slag-glass rainbows—kanabō dragging furrow-trail bleeding cobalt sparks. Kurama's choked growl trembled—desperate—clawing air inches from scalloped kimono hem. Crimson gaze locked southwest—past Akatsuchi's corpse-slope—into endless green wilds where Might Duy's flicker-kicks would spark tomorrow's bonfire defiance. Scales rippled hybrid-armor—tendons screaming tectonic fury refocused. **"Hideshi!!"** Dragon-roar shredded caldera-silence. Distant—wind-scythe scream answered—cutting venom-thorns… cutting trembling futures… cutting toward Kurama's bleeding flank. Crucible lessons burned brighter—survival-conditioning etched atop Nine-Tails' twitching spine. Kenji's skull-banner ripped skyward—white-knuckled—overlooking Kurama's ruptured shoulder-plate. Beast Pirate fangs grinned wet crimson. Dragon-will hammered worlds: **Pain breeds Gods.**
Kaido halted—horn-shadow draping Kurama's cracked skull-plate—obsidian kanabō raised like judge's gavel. Ash swirled—drifting lazy—around Nine-Tails' steaming orbital wounds. Dragon-knuckles tightened—wet blood crackling—scaled knuckle extended. Not threat. Directive. ***Tap.*** Finger met bone—gentle—where violet lightning had cratered millennia-hardened density. Kurama shuddered—soul-deep—molten gaze lifting pupil-slit narrow. Kaido leaned closer—crimson iris reflecting fractured Nine-Tails pride—voice grinding pyroclasts to glitter-dust: **"Grow tougher, Fuzzball."** Glacial fangs bared—not snarl—blood-oath promise. Kanabō's obsidian teeth thrummed—hungering—against hybrid shoulder-plate. **"Next time?"** Dragon-steam hissed—incinerating Kurama's breath-steam— **"...I break Heaven."**
Hybrid silhouette blurred—plum-cape swallowing storm-light—kanabō vanishing into cobalt vapor trail. Kurama's broken-roar detonated—hurling magma geysers skyward—imploding mountains into false dawn's weeping ash. Beast Pirate banner snapped—Kenji screaming—above Nine-Tails' exposed spine. Kaido's laugh echoed—deep—bone-cracking—through collapsing caldera. Not mockery. Anticipation carved in shattered worlds: **Forge trembling beasts… sculpt screaming legends… shatter Gods.** Training began now.