Chapter 218: Zero Tails, You Fight It!
At the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!
The violent storm caused by the tailed beast's true form swept up everything around in an instant.
Even the ground beneath their feet was being torn away, inch by inch, ripped and uprooted into the terrifying tornado that connected heaven and earth!
"Damn it!"
Uchiha Ci cursed angrily, spitting out a mouthful of sand. He could only clutch the hilt of the Kusanagi sword, which was buried deep in the ground, leaving only the grip exposed.
Like a flag in a storm, his entire body was lifted and tossed about, flailing with the wind.
The fierce gale slashed past him like sharp blades, blowing his hair high into the air, tugging and flapping the tattered high-collared robe that barely hung on his body.
"Whew—whew—whew—whew—!"
Even Ci's mouth was forced open by the wind, baring his teeth as the skin at the corners of his eyes and lips stretched backward.
Droplets of saliva, tears mixed with blood, and the gushing red from the wound on his left shoulder scattered wildly in the wind.
The force of this wind, drawn by the Eight-Tails, was far stronger than the tail whip from Manda back then!
Even at this moment, Uchiha Ci found the time to think this absurd thought.
However, this exchange wasn't a loss.
Losing an arm had forced Killer Bee to unleash the Eight-Tails' full beast form.
This meant that Uchiha Ci had managed to strip his opponent completely bare!
Fully aware of all of Killer Bee's abilities, Uchiha Ci understood—
The true fight was just beginning!
Discarding the human form and controlling the beast!
Just a single physical strike could rival the scale and power of an S-rank ninjutsu. Moreover, the Tailed Beast Bomb, capable of leveling an entire region with a single blast, was a terrifying weapon of mass destruction.
This massive and overwhelming might represented the true horror of a Jinchūriki in full-tailed-beast form!
It was also their strongest combat state!
Unfortunately for Uchiha Ci, he had no such "giant robot" to rely on.
He could only rely on his small body, less than two meters tall, to engage in a raw, close-quarters brawl with this monstrous being!
With this in mind, Uchiha Ci tilted his head slightly, gazing at the night sky, where a massive vortex spun beneath the shadowy clouds torn open by the tornado.
Bathed in the pale moonlight streaming down, there stood the savage, wild beast towering between heaven and earth.
For a moment, Uchiha Ci felt a slight headache.
Although he had forced the enemy to reveal their trump card, he had no clear idea how to fight against such a colossal creature.
Finally, Uchiha Ci's gaze shifted downward.
After the fierce winds gradually subsided, he landed firmly on the ground. His eyes locked onto his own "shame of a tailed beast," and, rubbing his hands expectantly, he called out:
"Zero, my little buddy, I've already drawn out that bastard's true form."
"Now it's your time to shine!"
"Do something useful for once!"
Inside the Eight Trigrams Seal, the tiny Zero Tails blinked its hollow white eyes. Its snake-like body shivered uncontrollably.
First, it compared its three-inch-long frame to the massive, nearly 80-meter-tall Eight-Tails outside.
Then, wriggling its serpentine body, it slowly raised the tip of its tail and pointed at itself.
Finally, it shouted out excitedly:
"Chirp! Chirp chirp chirp chirp?!"
"I'm not asking you to fight the Eight-Tails!" Uchiha Ci coughed awkwardly, trying to coax it patiently.
"Can't you absorb a tailed beast's chakra? Like how you did with the Nine-Tails last time."
Hearing this, Zero Tails scratched its head.
Then it raised its head, removed its mask, and flared its nostrils wide, taking a deep, dramatic inhale!
However—
Nothing happened.
Uchiha Ci and Zero Tails stared at each other, wide-eyed, feeling the unchanged state within their bodies.
After a long pause—
Zero Tails scratched its head again and let out a loud cry:
"Chirp!"
"Can't absorb it? Wait, what the hell are you talking about?!"
Uchiha Ci's expression changed dramatically.
Why? Why could it absorb the Nine-Tails' chakra but not the Eight-Tails'?
Was it because Killer Bee was a perfect Jinchūriki?
Or was it that the Eight-Tails standing before him was some sort of ascetic saint, devoid of any negative emotions?
Regardless of the reason, there wasn't much time left for Uchiha Ci to devise a countermeasure!
At that moment—
After swatting away a "grenade" and unleashing the Eight-Tails' full power, the beast finally came to a halt.
It raised its massive head, its hollow, emotionless eyes turning toward Uchiha Ci.
Then—
"ROAR——!!"
The terrifying creature let out a deafening roar!
A dense, blue-black ball of compressed chakra formed at its mouth, condensing into a deep, pitch-black sphere!
Like a laser cannon—
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Bomb shot forward, its target unmistakably Uchiha Ci!
Faced with such an overwhelming and horrifying ninjutsu,
Uchiha Ci's heart pounded violently, as if about to leap out of his chest!
The dream he had that night after leaving Konoha and arriving in the Land of Hot Water—
At this moment, it became a terrifying reality!
He was powerless to resist, with no time to prepare.
In the final moment, he could only muster every defensive technique in his arsenal:
The Curse Mark, his immortality, the forbidden Jutsu Body Revival, the Fire Release Chakra Mode, and every resource he had obtained thus far.
Everything!
Clutching the massive sword in his hand that shone with a dazzling, sun-like brilliance,
Uchiha Ci gritted his teeth, suppressing his trembling, and steadied himself.
He planted his feet firmly, drew his sword to chest level, and thrust forward with all his might!
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Bomb obliterated everything in its path—trees, soil, and stone, reducing them all to dust.
It carved out a trench hundreds of meters long, colliding head-on with the tip of the brilliant, ethereal 40-meter flaming sword!
However, the Tailed Beast Bomb's momentum barely diminished.
In an instant, it shattered through the sword, breaking it inch by inch—
From tip to blade, from hilt to guard, and finally to the very grip!
The flames splintered into four streams, tearing across the Tailed Beast Bomb's surface before dissipating.
And then—
The devastating sphere smashed directly into Uchiha Ci's terrified face!
---
Elsewhere, at the same time—
In the distance, the battlefield had been reduced to ruins, with embers drifting in the air.
The scene was dreamlike, both beautiful and surreal.
Sitting atop the tallest tree branch,
Uchiha Madara, his hand propped on his knee, shook his head lightly.
Feeling the hot, noisy wind brushing his face, he gazed at Uchiha Ci, who had been blasted into the sky by the Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Tsk tsk, how pitiful, brat."
His gaze shifted to the charred arm placed beside him.
Through his Sharingan, he could clearly see the chaotic weave of forbidden and secret techniques embedded within.
"Compared to Hashirama, this level of regeneration is far inferior. But, I suppose it's enough for passing the time."
"Let's see. If he survives, I might bestow him with some real power."
Madara narrowed his eyes, letting out a low chuckle.
"This brat—"
"Perhaps he could become a deeper contingency, someone to inherit the name 'Uchiha Madara'!"
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