Chapter 99: Tailed Beast Sniping Battle (Part 1)
RUMBLE!!!
A tremendous roar and explosive force seemed to hurl the entire lake's water skyward.
From a distance, it looked like a colossal water dragon surging upstream, soaring into the clouds with magnificent and overwhelming power, crushing through the blizzard before cascading down like a waterfall from the heavens with a deafening roar—carrying the devastating impact of millions of tons of water.
The surging torrent swept forward like a wild beast unleashed, violently ravaging and destroying everything in its path.
Within a radius of several thousand meters, the entire forest was uprooted by the catastrophic flood. Broken tree stumps and massive rocks were forced through the forest's natural barriers, carried away by the mighty torrent.
When the raging deluge finally began to subside, the lake's water level had dropped by several meters.
Vast stretches of forest lay destroyed, and the surrounding land was completely submerged beneath the floodwaters—a scene of absolute devastation!
If it weren't for Jūzō Biwa's quick thinking and pre-prepared Water Release technique protecting his companions, everyone would likely have been swept kilometers away by the catastrophic flood.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A slow, deliberate clapping sound rang out mockingly.
Uchiha Kazuki applauded with apparent approval, nodding as he said, "Not bad at all. As expected of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Your reaction speed is truly impressive. Using the surrounding terrain to your advantage and dispersing the impact with Water Release—your on-the-spot tactical judgment is quite commendable."
"You... you absolute madman!"
Jūzō Biwa stared at the dark figure standing like an immovable mountain of steel at the center of the devastated lake, his face deathly pale.
He never could have imagined that the Three-Tails Isobu—meant to be their village's absolute last resort—would be weaponized by Uchiha Kazuki instead, released prematurely from its seal without any warning or protective measures whatsoever.
"Uchiha Kazuki!!!"
Kushimaru Kuriarare roared furiously, veins bulging dangerously on his forehead. "You bastard... how dare you release a Tailed Beast! Have you lost your damn mind?!"
"Isn't this exactly what you all wanted?"
Uchiha Kazuki adjusted his glasses coolly and said with icy indifference, "Instead of wasting time criticizing me, you should be thinking of a way to deal with this big guy."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As if responding directly to his words, the massive shadow of the Three-Tails Isobu appeared and disappeared ominously within the misty water vapor.
Violent waves surged around the mountain-like figure like explosive fireworks blooming in all directions.
An unparalleled, immense pressure—carrying an almost suffocating amount of raw chakra—crashed over them like an even more devastating tsunami, instantly engulfing all the Kirigakure shinobi present.
BUZZ!
Two enormous yellow pupils, like massive copper bells, shone through the misty water vapor like powerful searchlights piercing the darkness.
Having been sealed at the bottom of the lake for an unknown period of time, slumbering peacefully only to be violently awakened, Isobu finally unleashed a furious roar powerful enough to incinerate everything in its path.
True to its legendary status as a Tailed Beast, Isobu's single roar alone unleashed a visible hurricane-force wind.
WHOOOOSH!
The powerful gale dispersed the swirling mist completely, revealing Isobu's steel-like body to everyone present.
A colossal creature resembling an armored turtle, its entire body covered in incredibly hard, thick shell plating studded with countless sharp, deadly spikes. Behind it, three flat, enormous tails lashed violently through the air—each twitch accompanied by terrifying force that sent the very atmosphere trembling.
"So this is the legendary Three-Tails: Isobu!"
Even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, including Jūzō Biwa and Kushimaru Kuriarare, were witnessing a living Tailed Beast for the very first time.
Within that enormous, steel-like body lay unparalleled destructive power. Every roar, every movement, even every breath it released could unleash devastating force equivalent to a natural disaster. No matter how many times such things were described in books and scrolls, nothing could compare to the awe-inspiring terror of witnessing it firsthand.
"W-what do we do, Jūzō?"
Kushimaru Kuriarare swallowed hard, gripping his Nuibari tightly while taking a deep breath, desperately trying to muster his courage.
But every time he looked up at that gigantic monster and met those cold, emotionless yellow eyes, whatever courage he'd managed to gather vanished instantly.
Looking at the other Hunter-nin operatives, their reactions were even worse—one of the more inexperienced ones was trembling violently with fear, having completely lost all will to fight.
Kushimaru didn't blame the terrified shinobi, because even he himself was absolutely terrified.
It wasn't their fault. Even among experienced ninja, very few had ever actually seen a Tailed Beast in person. These were monsters that only appeared in legends and nightmare stories!
Furthermore, every recorded appearance of a Tailed Beast throughout history was accompanied by catastrophic natural disasters powerful enough to destroy entire nations.
These few people trying to stop a Tailed Beast?
Don't be ridiculous! Even if their numbers increased tenfold, they might not even slow it down!
"Quickly—go fetch the Mizukage immediately!"
Although Jūzō Biwa was equally terrified, he forced himself to remain calm and commanded, "Kakuma, go and report the situation here to the Mizukage truthfully. Tell him to bring the sealing team and all available reinforcements. Until then, we will do everything in our power to hold off both the Tailed Beast and Uchiha Kazuki!"
Kakuma, whose name was called, stood frozen in stunned disbelief, staring wide-eyed. "Jūzō-sama... you... you actually intend to try stopping a Tailed Beast here?"
"Have you gone completely insane, Jūzō?!" Even Kushimaru Kuriarare was shocked by his decision. "That's a Tailed Beast! Even if we all sacrifice ourselves, we can't possibly stop it!"
"I know. I haven't lost my mind, Kushimaru."
Jūzō Biwa took a deep, steadying breath, his eyes filled with terror mixed with unwavering determination. "Don't forget—this place is less than fifty kilometers from Kirigakure itself."
Kushimaru Kuriarare was immediately struck silent by those words.
"Fifty kilometers. If we don't stay behind to intercept it, given a Tailed Beast's speed, it won't take long at all," Jūzō Biwa said gravely, his eyes filled with death-defying resolve. "It will charge straight into the village. What will happen then? I shouldn't need to explain that to you, should I?"
The catastrophic consequences of a rampaging Tailed Beast charging directly into a populated village were unimaginable.
Even if Kirigakure had its problems, it was still their home—their families, friends, and countless innocent civilians all lived there!
They were shinobi, and when absolutely necessary, they had to be willing to sacrifice everything to protect their village.
If even the ninja retreated in the face of danger, who would protect their home?
Jūzō Biwa's words rang out like a resounding bell, awakening everyone's sense of duty.
"So, for the sake of Kirigakure..."
Jūzō Biwa exhaled heavily, drew his massive Kubikiribōchō from his back, gripped the handle firmly, and declared with absolute resolve, "No matter what happens, we must hold our ground here and stop both the Tailed Beast and Uchiha Kazuki! We absolutely cannot let them get anywhere near the village!"
"Hmph, I never thought I'd be reduced to taking lessons from you of all people!"
Kushimaru Kuriarare flicked his bangs aside dramatically, a maniacal grin spreading across his face. Gripping his Nuibari tightly, he growled with renewed determination, "You're absolutely right, Jūzō! We are the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist! Behind us stands our village! We will not let this bastard destroy our home!"
"That's right! We are shinobi of Kirigakure!"
The terrified Hunter-nin, suddenly finding their courage once more, faced the enormous Tailed Beast and shouted with trembling but determined voices, "Come on then! We will not back down!"
"The village stands right behind us—we have nowhere left to retreat!"
Jūzō Biwa shouted powerfully, raising his Kubikiribōchō high and charging toward Isobu like a warrior embracing certain death. "Everyone, follow me!!!"
"Now it's time to uphold the true way of the shinobi!"
Kushimaru Kuriarare roared as lightning chakra crackled violently around his body, charging forward at full speed. "Uchiha Kazuki, we will never let you destroy our village!"
Uchiha Kazuki frowned slightly, thinking to himself with mild confusion, "Why do I suddenly feel like I've become the villain in this scenario?"
[End of Chapter 99]
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