The Tailed Beast Bomb erupted without warning. Shiraishi, having absorbed what little remained of the surrounding water-natured chakra, fired an Origin Pulse that manifested as a vast web of light. The two titanic energies collided, filling the air with the roar of a collapsing storm.
The Origin Pulse was a technique heavily dependent on the environment; only a vast body of water could fuel it effortlessly.
In its current state, Shiraishi's reserves for this particular technique were rapidly hitting their limit.
However, Shiraishi remained unperturbed. Beyond the Origin Pulse, he held the ultimate trump card for suppression: Magnet Release.
As the earth-shaking battle between Shiraishi and the Six-Tails raged, the gathered Sand shinobi watched in awe. "Incredible... he's actually suppressing a rampaging Jinchuriki!"
Their shock quickly transformed into sincere, fervent worship of Shiraishi's god-like combat prowess.
Dressed in his ancient Ninshu robes, Shiraishi manipulated the silver sand with both hands. The silver sand surged upward, forming a colossal cage that rapidly constricted around the Six-Tails.
The very sky seemed to invert, as if an hourglass had been flipped, burying the beast under layers of crushing silver weight.
Facing this puny human, the Six-Tails widened its eyes and let out a piercing, unearthly shriek, but Shiraishi ignored it completely. He coated his silver blade in a thick layer of Magnet sand, transforming it into a gargantuan cleaver.
Boom! Boom!
With each swing, Shiraishi battered the Six-Tails until the beast saw stars. Then, channeling magnetic energy into spiraling coils of light, he locked the beast's movements. The surrounding silver sand fell like a heavy shroud, threatening to swallow the monster whole.
Under Shiraishi's command, the potent Magnet Release combined with the endless sand to form a massive sealing array.
When the Six-Tails tried to lash out in a final frenzy, Shiraishi commanded the silver sand to form giant spikes that impaled the beast's limbs, pinning it to the earth.
This time, Shiraishi activated a specialized sealing formation. Powerful electrical currents, infused with unique sealing jutsu, surged through the spikes to forcibly suppress the Tailed Beast's chakra.
The violent energy of Saiken began to stabilize and recede. As the sand fell away, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki returned to his human form, lying unconscious on the ground.
"I'll leave him to you to handle," Shiraishi said calmly.
With the Six-Tails captured, Shiraishi turned his gaze toward the retreating Mist forces. Though he had forced them back, the war was not yet won. He needed a decisive victory.
Shiraishi clapped his hands together. Channeling his chakra to its absolute maximum, the silver sand of the Quicksand Hell began to churn violently. Endless waves of sand rolled toward the Mist ninjas like a desert tsunami.
"Damn it... Everyone, run!"
Juzo Biwa didn't know exactly what Shiraishi was planning, but he could feel the catastrophic danger radiating from the technique.
"Magnet Release: Extinguishing Sand Waterfall Funeral!"
As Shiraishi uttered those cold words, the ground beneath the Mist ninjas began to sink. Every inch of land covered by the desert collapsed inward.
The sand rose like a hungry beast, burying them alive. The staggering pressure crushed bones and pulverized armor instantly.
This was the ultimate evolution of the Sand Waterfall Funeral. Anything within the desert's reach was ground into dust, and the entire terrain was restructured into a massive graveyard. This single move inflicted catastrophic casualties upon the Hidden Mist.
Most Sand techniques are designed for wide-area destruction; provided the user has sufficient chakra, they can manifest the power of a natural disaster.
The Mist survivors were left traumatized. Those who remained fled toward the coastline in a blind panic. Shiraishi used his Sand Body Flicker to intercept and eliminate several more Mist ninjas, retrieving their soul cards in the process.
Quietly, Shiraishi put his glasses back on. Through the heads-up display showing the distribution of cards, he performed a final "harvest." He managed to scavenge eight skill cards from the Mist corpses, including several high-quality rare drops.
"Shiraishi!"
Maki approached, carrying the fat orange cat. She looked exhausted, flanked by Ryoji and Shiraishi's other former teammates and students.
Shiraishi offered a rare, genuine smile. "We've won. The Mist is defeated."
A roar of victory instantly swept through the entire Sand camp!
Meanwhile, back in the Land of Wind, the Mist's flanking units were being systematically annihilated. The Yamaji and Arakawa clans utilized their own Sand Control techniques to drive the Mist back toward the sea.
News of the "Black Mist" Shiraishi's god-like display—instantly wounding Fuguki Suikazan and capturing the Six-Tails—had already reached their ears. It was clear that the Mist's invasion was a total failure.
Walking across the remains of the Mist invaders, Akita Arakawa spoke softly: "I didn't expect you to make the same choice as me."
He knew Yamaji Ryoko had become more calculating recently, but he hadn't expected her to support Pakura and Shiraishi's faction actively.
"Hmph. The Kazekage was far too impatient this time," Ryoko replied coldly.
Beyond reinforcement troops, the two clans had brought massive stockpiles of supplies—reserves they had hoarded for years. While not as vast as the Kazekage's hidden mountain caches, it was enough to stabilize the Sand for a significant period.
"And where do you stand now?" Akita asked. After this incident, he no longer underestimated his niece. Her thoughts were becoming unreadable.
Gazing at the settling battlefield in the distance, Ryoko said quietly: "We ensure the position of Kazekage remains... everything else can be discarded."
The struggle had reached a point where the Kazekage's faction had already lost. Carrying heavy thoughts, the two leaders arrived at the core of the battlefield, only to be stopped in their tracks by the scene before them.
The landscape was a blinding, beautiful desert of silver sand. But beneath that beauty lay the heavy, metallic scent of a slaughterhouse.
"This is... Magnet Release!"
Akita's exclamation caught the attention of the surrounding ninjas. Shiraishi noticed the reinforcements from Arakawa and Yamaji. Though surprised, he couldn't openly move against them.
Intelligence suggested the West Coast defenses had been moved to the South Coast under the guise of "Mist activity." Shiraishi knew exactly how the political games had been played, but the two families had arrived at the critical moment to help.
Yamaji Ryoko spoke with a detached coldness: "It is Magnet Release, but it is a brand-new form. It seems the 'Black Mist' brat developed this 'Silver Sand Magnet Release' entirely on his own."
By stating this, Ryoko was confirming that Shiraishi's power had no connection to the secret techniques of the Three Sand Styles. She was validating the originality of his Magnet Release, effectively shielding him from any legal claims of "stolen techniques."
She gave Shiraishi—now a rising titan of the Hidden Sand—a cold nod, then turned and walked back toward the camp without another word.
"She's always had that temperament..." Akita sighed.
"I'm surprised she even came," Shiraishi noted. "And even more surprised by what she just said."
Ryoko's words were a public endorsement. By having a head of one of the Three Sand Styles certify his Magnet Release as a self-developed original, Shiraishi's political standing was now ironclad.
Though he was still rivals with the Yamaji clan, Shiraishi chose to accept the olive branch offered by the two families for the sake of the current situation.
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