Kumogakure, Raikage Building.
The earth trembled violently as the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, unleashed its fury.
Compared to the other Tailed Beasts, this one was clearly a notch above. Its menacing horns, massive arms, and eight enormous tails made it look like a monstrous embodiment of raw power and violence.
Screams echoed through the village. Countless villagers fled their homes in panic, forming a massive tide of people surging toward the village outskirts.
On the streets: a lone, lost shoe, a trampled puddle of water, children's cries, adults' shouts, women's sobs—everything together painted a scene like a natural disaster had descended.
Too fast!
Everything happened too fast!
So fast that Amai couldn't react—so fast that there was no time to act at all.
She stared blankly through the floor-to-ceiling window at the massive tail wrapping around the mountain opposite.
Suddenly, Amai snapped into focus. She grabbed Tsuchishige by the collar and shrieked,
"Quick! Get the villagers to safety!"
With that, she bolted out of the Raikage's office.
Fight!
Only by fighting could they protect their home!
Right now, Lord Raikage was far away in the Land of Grass, and communications were down. The only choice left was to rally the forces and defend the village together!
Clenching her teeth, Amai raced to the rooftop of the Raikage Building.
Behind her, the contacted ANBU followed closely.
No words were necessary—the elegant woman ahead of them was clearly the commander of this battle.
Reaching the rooftop, Amai looked down at Gyūki, who was relentlessly launching Tailed Beast Balls at the village.
A powerful aura surged from her entire being. She spoke, one word at a time,
"Gyūki!"
"Summon every available ninja! Follow my orders!"
"Yes!" the ANBU replied in unison, kneeling.
"Activate the emergency protocols. Get the Wind and Lightning Chains ready!
Tell Fukai to prepare and stay with the Sealing Team. Be ready to deploy the Iron Armor Seal at any time!"
Order after order was issued swiftly and precisely.
Within moments, the chaos began to shift into organized motion.
Ninjas donned their uniforms, equipped their tools, fastened their forehead protectors, and assembled for deployment.
The frenzied villagers started regaining their senses and began an orderly evacuation.
This was Kumogakure—one of the most battle-hardened villages.
Its people were born with stubbornness, ferocity, a love of combat, and unmatched courage in their veins.
Atop the Raikage Building, Amai was no longer the gentle woman she appeared to be in front of Reiji. Her expression was ice-cold, brows furrowed, her presence radiating deadly seriousness.
"Forget the buildings! Take Gyūki down!"
Perched like a monstrous turret atop a sheer mountain peak, Gyūki was firing Tailed Beast Balls without restraint.
This terrain put them at a severe disadvantage.
Even approaching that beast was nearly impossible.
There was only one option!
Only by bringing the fight to the ground could they use the Wind and Lightning Chains, deal serious damage, seal Gyūki, and save the village!
At that moment, Amai's mind was crystal clear.
"Ninjutsu! Ready! Bring down the mountain!"
Her roar, charged with suppressed fury, echoed from the Raikage Building—cutting through the eternal rumble of thunder, the deafening blasts of Tailed Beast Balls, and the clamor of the fleeing crowd—reaching every ninja's ears with pinpoint precision.
"Yes!"
A synchronized shout rose from below.
A moment later, a barrage of ninjutsu launched from all directions, bombarding the base of the steep mountain.
Thunder cracked, the ground quaked, and flames roared.
Gyūki roared atop the mountain, its overwhelming presence crashing down in waves.
Another Tailed Beast Ball formed—Gyūki's head lowered, targeting the Kumogakure ninjas below.
Unlike other Tailed Beasts, Gyūki formed these devastating orbs faster, and with greater power.
In under a second, a terrifying black Tailed Beast Ball shot forth.
Below, Kumogakure's ninjas scattered, using Body Flicker Techniques and Taijutsu to dodge.
"Boom!" A massive explosion shook the land, engulfing everything in its path.
Those who couldn't dodge in time were obliterated instantly, vanishing like mist.
It was only because the Kumogakure ninjas were spread out that the casualties weren't catastrophic.
Even so, Amai's teeth ground together, her delicate fists clenched tight with fury.
But despite the losses, they had succeeded in destroying the base of the mountain Gyūki had occupied.
The ground quaked, mountains cracked, and the massive peak began to collapse.
Gyūki roared in rage, flailing its arms wildly, trying to grab onto something.
But there was nothing to hold on to.
Its colossal body, propelled by its own weight and momentum, crashed violently into the ground.
"Boom!" A deafening explosion tore through the air.
A powerful shockwave, thick with dust, surged outward, blasting countless people away.
In an instant, nearly half the village lay in ruins.
Without a second thought, Amai launched herself from the Raikage Building, heels slamming into the wall as she sprinted down its side.
Command!
A commander must never lose sight of their enemy—even if it means putting themselves in harm's way!
Behind her, over a dozen ANBU followed closely.
They were her voice, her ears, her eyes.
Just as Amai descended the slope, a pair of blazing red eyes lit up in the dense smoke, followed by an earth-shaking roar.
"All units, on alert! Split into small squads! Spread out and engage from range!"
Her voice, hoarse but sharp, rang out again. One ANBU darted off immediately to relay her orders.
In less than a minute, Kumogakure—true to its martial reputation—showed exactly what efficiency and discipline meant.
Ninjas swiftly formed four-man cells; those who had lost teammates were seamlessly integrated into other squads.
The battlefield snapped into order in the blink of an eye.
Sensor-type ninja directed the assault as a barrage of Wind Release techniques launched across the field.
Tailed Beasts had a far stronger ability to sense chakra than regular ninja.
So the smoke saturating the battlefield was a liability for Kumogakure—it had to go.
A violent wind swept across the field, clearing the thick haze in moments.
Just then, a sudden Tailed Beast Ball burst forth, once again inflicting heavy damage on Amegakure.
Seeing this, veins bulged on Amai's dirt-streaked forehead.
"Damn monster! Get the nintaijutsu users up there with the Wind and Thunder Chains! Restrain it!
Suppress it from range—use Lightning Release and Storm Release! Aim for Gyūki's eyes! Protect the close-combat units!"
Gyūki had only one known weak point—otherwise, Amai, now on the verge of snapping, would've ordered someone to kick it where it counts.
The command was issued again.
In an instant, bolts of blue lightning lit up the field, streaking straight toward Gyūki's eyes.
Gyūki quickly raised one arm to shield himself.
At the same time, the Taijutsu unit charged in, hauling the Wind and Thunder Chains.
They had to seize the opening their comrades had bought with blood.
Lightning flickered. Storm Release raced.
Gritting their teeth, the ninja roared, fighting tooth and nail to create even the smallest chance for their comrades.
Sensing their plan, Gyūki guarded his eyes with one arm, while the other flailed violently, trying to swat away anyone who got close.
Clang!
The chains snapped taut as the first Wind and Thunder Chain was hurled and wrapped tightly around Gyūki's thrashing arm.
In an instant, the chain seemed to come alive, crackling with electricity and glowing in brilliant blue and white.
Gyūki's arm suddenly slackened, its massive strength fading by half.
But even so, it still managed to hurl the ninja on the other end of the chain into the air.
Seeing that, a wave of tension gripped everyone's hearts. They couldn't help but worry.
Then, a raspy yet commanding female voice rang out.
"Now! Take the shot!"
The ninja snapped back into action, unleashing a barrage of ninjutsu toward Gyūki.
A second chain landed.
Then a third.
A fourth.
Countless chains flew through the air, wrapping around Gyūki's arms, neck, shoulders, and torso, binding him tight.
Seeing this, the knot in Amai's chest finally loosened—just a little.
But a bigger issue loomed now.
Gyūki's stamina.
The monster seemed to have no end to its strength, and the Wind and Thunder Chains had limited effectiveness.
The ninja holding the chains were straining with everything they had, moment to moment.
At this rate, ten minutes of exertion would push anyone to their limits.
Even with many ninja in the village, this couldn't go on.
They had to get a message to Lord Raikage immediately.
He needed to return using the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
More importantly, if they didn't wear Gyūki down first, sealing him would be nearly impossible.
The Iron Armor Seal was solid, yes—but only if Gyūki was weakened to his limit.
Otherwise, if he broke free, the Jinchūriki would be dead for sure.
...
On a mountain outside the Temple of Wind and Thunder, Reiji stood against the fierce winds, staring out toward Kumogakure.
Not long ago, an overwhelming surge of chakra had exploded from there.
As Reiji gazed into the distance, a bright, excited loli-like voice chimed in his head.
"Hehe~ The dumb ox has been let loose. This is getting fun.
Hey Reiji, was that your doing?"
Reiji casually picked his nose and shook his head.
"Gyūki? Not me. But I did sneak some Iwa spies in there."
At that, the cat snorted in disgust.
"You're such a snake. You've turned the Raikage into a complete idiot."
"Huh?" Reiji frowned.
"What's that supposed to mean? Everything I did—I did for you!"
Hearing that, the little cat hidden inside him shyly covered her face with a fuzzy paw and mumbled,
"W-what are you saying? You're obviously just drooling over my body, perv~"
Reiji's face darkened.
Sure, she wasn't wrong—but why did it sound so messed up?
Is there something wrong with my cat's brain?