To deal with a massive opponent like the Five-Tails, Kakuzu didn't just rely on Senjutsu—he also used Summoning Jutsu. But there was a bit of an awkward problem.
Most summoning jutsu work instantly, bringing forth a summoned beast the moment the technique is activated. However, Kakuzu's summoning ritual took an embarrassingly long time. He spent half a minute inscribing the summoning sigil on the ground before anything even happened.
Then—BOOM!
A massive cloud of smoke, towering dozens of meters high, exploded outward. A sharp, shrill voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Finally! I'm free!"
From the thick smoke emerged a towering, milky-white figure. Four antennae twitched atop her head as she gazed up at the boundless blue sky and the vast, open landscape.
"Ahhh~ How wonderful! After spending so much time in Shikkotsu Forest, I've been longing to see the outside world! And now, my wish has finally come true!"
Swoosh!
Kakuzu wasted no time. With a single step, he landed right on top of the giant slug's head.
"Why the hell did it take you so long to come out?" he asked, frowning.
"Ah, well~" The slug, Katsuyu, swayed slightly beneath him. "You see, getting bigger takes time! Since this is my first time fighting for you, I wanted to leave a good impression! So, I summoned a few extra lickspittles to make sure I looked impressive. Naturally, that took a bit longer~"
Katsuyu's true body wasn't actually that large—her massive form was composed of countless smaller slugs stacked together.
Kakuzu sighed but didn't dwell on it. With his summon now present and Senjutsu activated, he was ready. Katsuyu, curious about their opponent, turned her gaze forward.
When she finally saw what they were up against, her entire body stiffened.
"...Oh dear. Why in the world did you provoke that guy?"
Before them stood the colossal beast known as the Five-Tails, Kokuō.
"From what I recall, the Tailed Beasts aren't exactly known for their patience. If one of them holds a grudge against you, they'll hunt you to the ends of the earth… Kakuzu, are you sure about this—"
"Enough!" Kakuzu cut her off. "I'll handle the direct assault. You provide support from the side. We will tame this beast today. Understood?"
The moment he finished speaking, Kakuzu vanished from Katsuyu's head, reappearing right in front of Kokuō.
He wasn't just relying on Senjutsu. He had also activated the final form of his Earth Grudge Fear technique.
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
"Wind Release • Pressure Damage!"
The flames, amplified by the wind, surged into a blazing inferno, engulfing everything in a firestorm that could consume an army of a thousand. The scorching heat turned the battlefield into an ocean of fire. The Senjutsu chakra infused into the blaze made the flames even wilder, more ferocious.
Fwoosh!Fwoosh!Fwoosh!
The flames spread, expanding endlessly until they swallowed up nearly half of Kokuō's enormous body.
"ROOOOAAAAAR!!"
The Five-Tails let out an earth-shaking roar.
To ordinary shinobi, a Fire Release of this scale was apocalyptic. But to a Tailed Beast?
Tch. Nothing more than a warm breeze.
Kokuō charged forward, its thick, snow-white fur slicing through the flames. It emerged completely unscathed, its polished, razor-sharp horns gleaming under the fire's glow.
BOOM!
The beast tore through the sea of flames, but instead of Kakuzu, another massive figure appeared before it.
"Let me show you what I can do!" Katsuyu announced gleefully.
"Sage Art: Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!"
She puckered her lips and exhaled a thick, yellowish mist that spread in all directions, rapidly engulfing Kokuō.
Sizzle... Sizzle...
The corrosive fog began to eat away at Kokuō's fur, making the beast's pristine white coat shrink at a visible rate.
"Dammit!" Kokuō's eyes narrowed. If it inhaled too much of this mist, even as a Tailed Beast, it would suffer serious damage.
The beast had to act fast.
Kicking off the ground with all its might, Kokuō lunged straight at Katsuyu.
BOOM!
Its fearsome, mountain-flattening horns rammed directly into her enormous body.
Katsuyu exploded on impact.
Or rather—she split apart.
There was no blood, no agonized wailing. Instead, her gigantic form fractured into thousands of smaller slugs, each the size of a brick, their blue-and-white bodies wriggling across the battlefield.
Among them, one stood out. A slightly larger slug with a distinct golden hue. Katsuyu's true self.
Straightening her tiny body, she quickly issued orders.
"Alright, everyone! Swarm this big guy! Don't let him get away!"
The mass of miniature slugs began their assault.
Kokuō's face contorted in anger.
"YOU'RE ASKING FOR DEATH!"
Its horns glowed brilliantly as it prepared another charge. But the moment Kokuō lifted its legs—
Something felt off.
A chorus of tiny, squishy noises rang out.
The beast looked down.
Its entire lower half... was covered in slugs.
Countless little Katsuyus clung to its legs and waist, their soft mouths suckling onto its thick hide.
Individually, their bites were harmless. But when multiplied by thousands? Tens of thousands?
Kokuō's muscles twitched involuntarily.
At first, it tried to ignore the sensation. A few tiny slugs weren't going to hurt a Tailed Beast.
But... there were too many.
By the time it realized, its entire lower body had been overrun.
An unbearable, numbing irritation spread across its limbs. It was everywhere.
For the first time in centuries—
The Five-Tails felt an itch it couldn't scratch.
The most important thing to remember—these slugs' greatest weapon is the acidic mist they spew from their mouths. Its corrosive properties and toxicity constantly eat away at the tailed beast's body and will.
As a faint purple hue spread across Kokuō's face, a figure suddenly appeared before his massive, lantern-sized eyes—Kakuzu.
"Fall!!"
With a thunderous roar, Kakuzu's hardened fist came crashing down.
BOOM!! BOOM!!
Even with the might of a tailed beast, Kokuō had no way to dodge the unexpected strike. The pain coursing through his body, combined with the acidic paste seeping into his lungs, left him completely vulnerable. His towering form collapsed, bringing countless small slugs down with him, sending dust billowing into the air.
When the dust settled, Kakuzu was already standing atop Kokuō's head. His eerie green pupils reflected the sharp horn protruding from the tailed beast's skull.
"Well, since I need to take something from you to replicate, I might as well go for the most valuable part."
"Bear with me for a moment."
"Bastard!!! Get your damn hands off me!!!"
Kokuō's furious roar echoed in the air, but Kakuzu only smiled coldly. Raising his right arm, his fist morphed into a blade, coated in a black metallic sheen. Then, he brought it down with full force.
CLANG!!!
The sharp sound of metal striking an impossibly hard surface rang out.
"AOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Kokuō let out a pained, furious howl. Even Kakuzu couldn't help but pause for a moment at the sheer intensity of the cry.
"Just endure it a little longer. I'm almost done."
He increased the force behind his strikes.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!—
After dozens of consecutive blows, Kakuzu finally straightened up, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked down at the horn—only a few centimeters of damage.
"Tch. Damn, your head is tough."
With a resigned sigh, he glanced down at Kokuō.
"Alright, just endure a little more. At this rate… I'll only need to hit you a few thousand more times. Hang in there!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo