After effortlessly dealing with Mangetsu Hōzuki, no one else dared step forward to interfere with Ryūjin.
He raised his hand and struck Yagura Karatachi several times across the abdomen. Each strike carried precise chakra control, forcefully dismantling the seal that bound the Tailed Beast within him.
In the next instant, an overwhelming pressure erupted into the surroundings.
It descended on everyone like a crushing weight, pressing against their chests until breathing itself became difficult. The air grew heavy, suffocating, as if the entire battlefield had been submerged beneath an invisible ocean.
Terrifying chakra surged violently out of Yagura's body.
"Ahh!"
"AAHH!"
Yagura screamed in agony, his voice tearing through the mist.
A grey claw suddenly burst out from his abdomen.
Then another followed.
Moments later, a massive head forced its way out, grotesque and feral.
The beast within him had broken free.
"ROAR!"
A deep, thunderous roar exploded into the air, filled with rage that had been suppressed for years.
"The Three-Tails… it's been released," Mei Terumī muttered, her voice tight as she stared at the monstrous figure before her.
Her brows furrowed deeply, her expression grim.
The situation had spiraled far beyond control.
Mangetsu's face darkened as well. This was the worst possible outcome.
Soon, most of the Isobu had crawled free from Yagura's body, leaving only a portion of its chakra still connected.
At that exact moment, Ryūjin moved.
"Kamui."
With a sharp distortion in space, a tearing force sliced through one of the Three-Tails' tails.
Crack.
The severed tail vanished into the warped dimension.
"ROAR!"
Enraged, the Three-Tails broke completely free and lunged toward Ryūjin.
But in the blink of an eye, Ryūjin and Yagura disappeared from their original position.
They reappeared hundreds of meters away, untouched.
"ROAR!"
The beast twisted its massive body, instantly locking onto Ryūjin's chakra again.
Then it charged.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Each step shook the ground violently, like an earthquake tearing through the land.
Yet Ryūjin remained completely unfazed.
"Four Symbols Seal."
He placed both hands firmly on Yagura's abdomen.
Sealing formulas spread outward in intricate patterns, reestablishing control and sealing a portion of the Three-Tails' chakra back into Yagura.
This ensured Yagura would survive. Without this, the complete extraction would have killed him.
"You… you're really not going to kill me?" Yagura asked, stunned.
He had already accepted his death the moment the seal broke.
Yet Ryūjin had deliberately preserved his life.
The earlier words he had dismissed now carried undeniable weight.
Yagura fell silent, unable to process it.
Ryūjin ignored him entirely.
Instead, he turned and began walking toward the Three-Tails as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience.
The massive beast loomed ahead, its presence overwhelming, yet Ryūjin's steps remained steady and casual.
"Whatever your reason for freeing me, you've made a mistake," the Three-Tails growled, its voice filled with killing intent.
Its mouth began to condense chakra rapidly.
A Tailed Beast Ball formed.
This was its ultimate attack, unleashed without hesitation.
Ryūjin did not even blink.
His Sharingan spun rapidly, ocular power surging.
In an instant, a towering armored figure materialized around him.
Susanoo.
Within the dense mist, illusions held little value, so he went straight for overwhelming force.
"Susanoo…?" the Three-Tails growled, its massive form stiffening.
Even a Tailed Beast could sense the difference.
This power was on an entirely different level.
"Kamui Shuriken."
With a flick of his hand, Ryūjin warped away the incoming Tailed Beast Ball before it could even explode.
Then, without pause, the Susanoo moved.
A single kick.
The Three-Tails was sent flying across the battlefield.
To something like Susanoo, the massive beast might as well have been a toy.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The beating that followed was brutal and one-sided.
The Three-Tails was slammed into the ground again and again, its roars echoing in pain and fury, yet it could not resist in the slightest.
"Such overwhelming strength…" Kisame Hoshigaki muttered, his eyes gleaming.
Even without formally following Ryūjin, he could already see it clearly.
This man stood far above anything he had known.
Nearby, Mei, Mangetsu, and Yagura all watched in stunned silence.
The gap between them and Ryūjin was beyond comprehension.
Even a Tailed Beast stood no chance against him.
If he truly intended to take the Three-Tails, none of them could stop him.
That realization settled heavily in their hearts.
Under their gaze, the Three-Tails was soon beaten into submission, its massive body battered and weakened.
Only then did Ryūjin step out of Susanoo.
Clap.
He brought his hands together.
"Sage Art, Chibaku Shinten."
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Several massive red torii gates descended from the sky, slamming down onto the Three-Tails and pinning it firmly to the ground.
The earth trembled under their weight.
The beast was completely restrained.
Ryūjin dusted his hands lightly, his tone calm, almost indifferent.
"In half an hour, I'll return the Three-Tails," he said. "Believe it or not, I'm not interested in taking it."
His gaze swept over Yagura and the others.
For once, none of them doubted him.
They had witnessed his power firsthand.
If he wanted the Three-Tails, it would already be gone.
Yagura would already be dead.
Yet neither had happened.
He had subdued it, nothing more.
Confusion lingered in their minds, but one thing was certain.
Ryūjin had no intention of keeping the Three-Tails.