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There's an old saying: "When insulting someone, don't expose their shortcomings; when hitting someone, don't slap their face."
Yet here, in front of nearly twenty thousand spectators on the battlefield, the mighty Son Gokū, the Four-Tails, had been slapped—twice. The humiliation sent his fury soaring off the charts.
With a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth, Son Gokū's body began to undergo a dramatic transformation. His crimson fur grew even redder until it burst into flames, his entire form now resembling molten lava. Bubbling liquid flowed across his body, emitting intense heat and steam.
Was he a lava-coated ape or an ape-shaped mass of magma? It was hard to tell.
The magma-like Son Gokū released the Iron Monkey's hands and suddenly lunged forward, wrapping his fiery arms tightly around the Iron Monkey's waist. No matter how much the Iron Monkey struggled, it couldn't break free.
"Damn it! Can't win in boxing, so now we're wrestling?" Jinghang muttered to himself.
But he quickly realized something was wrong. The Iron Monkey's waist, where it was in contact with Son Gokū, began to change color—from dark red to a glowing bright red. Even inside the "control chamber" in the Iron Monkey's head, Jinghang could feel the scorching heat. The temperature was becoming unbearable.
"Disperse!"
Forming a new hand seal, Jinghang commanded the massive Iron Monkey to dissolve into a flowing mass of iron sand, scattering like a wave of liquid metal.
"Reform!"
The scattered iron sand regrouped a short distance away, reassembling into another Iron Monkey.
Son Gokū, having pulled back, reverted to his normal form. He planted both hands firmly on the ground and opened his massive jaws. A tremendous surge of chakra began to gather in his mouth.
"That's… a Tailed Beast Bomb! This guy is out of his mind!"
Having sparred countless times with Shukaku, Jinghang was all too familiar with this move. However, Son Gokū's Tailed Beast Bomb was fundamentally different from Shukaku's. Shukaku's version relied on Wind Release chakra, which Jinghang could either counter or evade with some degree of confidence. (It's worth noting that the Shukaku Jinghang fought wasn't at full power.)
But Son Gokū's Tailed Beast Bomb was infused with Lava Release. Blocking it? That would likely cook Jinghang alive. Dodging it? While Jinghang might escape, the eight thousand Sunagakure shinobi standing behind him, spectating, would suffer catastrophic losses.
"Looks like I have no choice but to use my incomplete 'Pseudo Tailed Beast Bomb.'"
There was no time to hesitate. Son Gokū's Tailed Beast Bomb was nearly complete.
"Damn it! No other options left!"
"Sage Art: Wind Release—Rasenshuriken!"
A massive chakra sphere materialized in the Iron Monkey's hands. The sphere shimmered in alternating hues of blue and gold, spinning rapidly and emitting a high-pitched whine. Its intricate design revealed it to be a dense fusion of Wind Release chakra and Sage Art chakra. Though slightly smaller than the Tailed Beast Bomb, its destructive potential was unmistakable.
"Yahhh! Take this!"
With a fierce battle cry, the Iron Monkey spun twice on its heel, mimicking the motion of a discus thrower, and hurled the chakra sphere with all its might.
The blue-and-gold Rasenshuriken collided head-on with the Tailed Beast Bomb. The two forces clashed violently, tearing at each other in a chaotic struggle. The battlefield echoed with deafening thunder-like vibrations as the two energies vied for dominance.
"Damn it! This isn't good—it's not holding!"
Jinghang watched in alarm as his Rasenshuriken's energy began to wane. Though the Tailed Beast Bomb had been weakened, it still maintained its momentum.
As the stalemate broke, the Rasenshuriken was completely consumed, leaving a slightly diminished but still formidable Tailed Beast Bomb hurtling toward Jinghang.
"Transform!"
Gritting his teeth, Jinghang commanded the Iron Monkey to shift its form. All the scattered iron sand concentrated into its arms, making them disproportionately massive and robust.
Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb reached him, the Iron Monkey extended its colossal arms and caught the destructive sphere head-on.
Sparks flew, molten fragments scattered, and an ear-piercing screech of friction filled the air. Both Sunagakure and Iwagakure shinobi instinctively covered their ears, grimacing at the unbearable sound.
The Iron Monkey's arms, glowing red-hot from the intense heat, began to soften and deform. The heat spread from its hands to its forearms, then to its upper arms, threatening to compromise its structural integrity.
"Get out of here!"
With a mighty heave, the Iron Monkey redirected the Tailed Beast Bomb's trajectory, hurling it skyward. The sphere soared into the air before detonating in a blinding explosion that lit up the battlefield.
Both sides' shinobi stared in stunned silence, their mouths agape. The sheer destructive power was incomprehensible. If that attack had landed among them, they wouldn't have been reduced to mere corpses—they would have been vaporized into nothingness.
Exhausted, Jinghang shakily reached into his ninja pouch and retrieved a small bottle of pills. He poured one into his hand and popped it into his mouth.
This was the first time in years that Jinghang had fought to the point of chakra depletion. Even with the boost from Sage Mode, the back-to-back battles had drained him completely. Without replenishment, he risked succumbing to the side effects of Sage Mode—potentially transforming into an animal-like creature.
Thankfully, before leaving, Tsunade had insisted on giving him this bottle of chakra-restoring pills. At the time, Jinghang had dismissed it as unnecessary, but now he couldn't be more grateful. Without it, he wouldn't have had the strength to continue.
Regaining his composure, Jinghang dispersed the overheated iron sand throughout the Iron Monkey's body. The "heat-dissipating fins" on its armor, the five flags on its back, and the "feathered plumes" on its head all glowed red-hot, giving the Iron Monkey an even more imposing appearance. Inside, however, Jinghang was drenched in sweat, struggling to endure the heat.
To his surprise, Son Gokū suddenly stopped attacking. The Four-Tails stood still, gazing at the Iron Monkey with an unusual calmness. Then, to everyone's astonishment, Son Gokū raised one massive hand and gave the Iron Monkey a thumbs-up.
"What… what's that supposed to mean? Did I just earn his respect or something?" Jinghang thought, bewildered.
Before he could process the gesture, Son Gokū's massive form began to shrink. The lava-like exterior collapsed inward, and in moments, the towering beast transformed into a slender, purple-clad young man.
"Iwagakure shinobi—Zǐ. I humbly request an audience with the Third Kazekage, Jinghang-dono."
"What's this about? A change of tactics? Or some kind of trap?"
Normally, Jinghang wouldn't hesitate to confront such a situation head-on. But now, with his chakra reserves critically low and the pill's effects yet to fully kick in, he hesitated. If this turned out to be a trick, he wouldn't have the strength to retaliate.
"Iwagakure shinobi—Zǐ. I humbly request an audience with the Third Kazekage, Jinghang-dono."
The young man repeated his call, his voice steady and resolute.
Jinghang frowned. Ignoring the first request could be seen as an oversight, but refusing a second time would appear cowardly. His pride as the Kazekage wouldn't allow it.
Feeling his chakra beginning to recover slightly, Jinghang made up his mind. After all, if this was truly a negotiation, the boy wouldn't attack outright. He could use the time to recover further and prepare for any eventuality.
Wiping the sweat from his face and tidying his robes, Jinghang called out in a commanding voice:
"All Sunagakure shinobi, hold your positions. Without my explicit orders, do not advance. Any disobedience will be met with military punishment!"
Stalling for time with every word, Jinghang felt his chakra recovering bit by bit. Finally, he dispersed the Iron Monkey and descended gracefully on an iron platform, landing before the purple-clad youth.
"I am the Third Kazekage, Jinghang. State your business."
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