I'm finally free! Hahaha! HAHAHAHA!
Amidst the endless yellow sands, a colossal tanuki adorned with intricate cursed seal patterns raised its sharp claws and howled at the sky.
"Yes, yes, you're out now," came a calm voice from the side.
"Who's there?" Shukaku snapped its head toward the source of the voice, its copper coin-like pupils narrowing in suspicion.
"It's you!" Shukaku growled as it spotted Kyoji, standing atop a nearby sand dune.
"Yes, it's me," Kyoji replied indifferently.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Come on then, you stinking raccoon," Kyoji taunted, unfazed. He pulled out a scroll, and with a loud "Bang!", a massive torrent of black iron sand spilled out, instantly forming a towering steel barrier in front of him.
Shukaku ignored the defense, roaring furiously.
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Sand Scatter!"
Countless high-density wind bullets infused with Tailed Beast Chakra, along with sand bullets, pelted Kyoji's iron wall. The attacks screeched against the steel, their sound grating to the ears. Shukaku unleashed its fury relentlessly, as if intending to bury the lone figure before it in an unending storm of destruction.
Not far away, atop another sand dune, Pakura and Rasa sat leisurely in a temporary tent, calmly brewing tea.
"How long has it been?" Pakura asked with concern, glancing in the direction of the battle.
"Still early, still early," Rasa replied without looking up, carefully pouring tea. "Only been two hours. Let the monk sleep a bit longer."
"Hey look—Shukaku's stopped. Could it be preparing a Tailed Beast Bomb?"
Pakura pointed toward the battlefield.
"Really? Haha, now it's getting exciting!" Rasa handed her a cup of tea, then grabbed a stool and moved to the front for a better view.
In the distance, Shukaku opened its massive mouth, chakra gathering at an alarming speed. A gigantic black sphere of energy began to form.
Sensing the lull in attacks, Kyoji quickly withdrew the iron sand barrier and pulled out two more scrolls, releasing even more black iron sand. His hands moved like lightning, forming a rapid sequence of hand seals.
"Magnet Release: Gundam Technique!"
With a thunderous shout, the iron sand rapidly gathered and assembled. In moments, it had transformed into a colossal steel giant, clad in armor and wielding twin maces—its form evoking a fearsome guardian deity. The sheer aura of its presence was overwhelming.
"Cool!" Pakura and Rasa's eyes sparkled with admiration.
In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb launched.
The steel giant crossed its maces into an "X" shape, withstanding the bomb's devastating energy. Sparks exploded in all directions. Standing atop the giant's head, Kyoji let out a low shout, then lifted the maces and hurled the bomb into the sky. The resulting explosion scattered the dense clouds, leaving the sky eerily clear.
The steel giant took two powerful steps forward and swung its mace at Shukaku. The Tailed Beast instinctively raised a claw to block, but iron was heavier than sand. In an instant, Shukaku's right arm was smashed to pieces. Before it could recover, the giant's second mace struck again, shattering a portion of Shukaku's torso.
"That's what you get for being disobedient," Kyoji muttered under his breath. His hands didn't stop—relentless, the twin maces continued to pound Shukaku like a spinning top. Though the blows caused no fatal damage, they disrupted the beast's form.
Under the unceasing assault, Shukaku gradually crumbled into a pile of mud. With each strike, it let out a piercing scream, clearly in pain.
"How does Big Brother come up with such cool techniques?" Pakura's eyes gleamed with stars.
"I heard he developed this jutsu by studying the First Hokage's Wood Golem and the Uchiha clan's Susano'o. But only someone as monstrous as Big Brother—with that kind of chakra—could sustain something like this for so long. It's been three hours, and the iron giant hasn't even flinched!" Rasa said, sipping his tea.
"By the way, how's your Gold Giant Technique coming along?" Pakura asked.
"Ugh, don't even ask. Even now, my gold giant is barely half the size of Big Brother's iron giant. Plus, gold is too heavy and hard to control… though it's great for sealing. Still, frustrating." Rasa sighed.
"Don't think only the Uchiha can pilot Gundams. My iron giant is just as good as theirs," Kyoji muttered to himself.
Indeed, this was Kyoji's original jutsu—the Gundam Technique, derived from his Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai. In the original story, the Third Kazekage had been turned into a human puppet by Sasori, and his Magnet Release Iron Sand technique was little more than a brute-force weapon. A wasted potential—Magneto reduced to a wrecking ball.
Reborn in this world, Kyoji refused to squander his talents. He developed specialized jutsu tailored to his unique abilities. The Gundam Technique allowed him to shape iron sand into a massive battle-ready giant, capable of transforming mid-combat. It was the perfect counter to Tailed Beasts and Susano'o alike. Compared to Hashirama's Wood Golem, it was arguably superior.
Ever since Kyoji perfected this technique, he frequently sparred with Bunpuku. At the time, Bunpuku had yet to become the perfect Jinchuriki. To suppress the restless Shukaku, he often forced himself to stay awake, leading to constant exhaustion. These sparring matches became his salvation: using his False Sleep Technique, Bunpuku would temporarily release Shukaku, and Kyoji would subdue the beast. It helped refine both their abilities. What began as two-hour skirmishes gradually turned into seamless six-hour battles.
Kyoji's strength steadily grew—he had reached true Kage-level.
Six and a half hours already. The sun's about to set. Big Brother should eat dinner now, Pakura said.
"Right. Can't skip meals," Rasa replied, pulling out a firework and launching it into the sky.
Kyoji leapt down, landing beside the now-slumbering Bunpuku, who lay in a puddle of sand-mud. Kyoji flicked the monk's forehead with a grin.
"Ahh~" Bunpuku yawned contentedly, stretching with a satisfied smile. He bowed deeply.
"Thank you, benefactor, for your kindness."
"No need to thank me. I'll be around for a while. Call me anytime you need rest."
"Heh, you're too kind. Oh—by the way, Shukaku says your strikes are getting harsher. He claims he can't take it anymore and swears not to cause trouble again. Says if I get tired, I can release him and he'll behave."
"Oh, really? But Shukaku's always cunning. I'd better keep an eye on him."
"Benefactor, you misunderstand. If one can truly accept each other, there's no difference between humans and Tailed Beasts."
"Fair enough. Might be nice to chat with Shukaku sometime. We've never really talked properly. Always straight to the fighting."
"Big Brother, here's the latest war report from the Rain Country frontlines. About a week old," Rasa said, handing over a scroll.
"Any news from Konoha or Iwagakure?" Kyoji asked as he skimmed through it.
"According to Mali of the Anbu, a large number of Iwagakure ninjas have been spotted near the Rain and Earth Country borders. Meanwhile, the Third Hokage of Konoha has halted all missions and issued a full ninja mobilization order."
"Not good," Kyoji muttered, frowning as he finished reading.
The battle between Amegakure and Sunagakure had reached a deadlock. The Rain Country's persistent rainfall weakened many of Sunagakure's jutsu. Fortunately, Chiyo had neutralized all of Hanzo's poison gas and uncovered a five-minute gap in which his salamander replenished its toxins. Even so, a swift victory was impossible. With Iwagakure and Konoha preparing to intervene, the situation grew more complex.
"Draft a letter to Elder Ebizo immediately," Kyoji instructed Pakura, who quickly pulled out a pen and paper.
"Given the current severity of the war, I propose the following measures:
Raise Sunagakure's alert level and increase both stationary and mobile surveillance.
Request 50 million ryo in war funds from the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.
Suspend all non-combat missions for Chunin and Genin. Instruct them to locally procure and transport food back to Sunagakure. Penalties for breaches will be handled by the mission office.
Secure all ninja tools in the inventory and guard the village's water wells.
Purchase ninja tools on credit from the Land of Craftsmen."
"Big Brother, even with these measures, it may not be enough to win this war," Rasa said bitterly."
Who said I'm doing this for this war?" Kyoji looked up at the fading sky.
"This war is already lost. I'm preparing for the next one."