Shukaku swept its massive body and tail through the rain. Its sandy form, bizarre markings, raccoon-like appearance, and the signature vast ocean of chakra all weighed heavily on the minds of the present ninja.
"What do we do now, Tatsumi?" asked Nawaki anxiously.
The current situation was extremely unfavorable for Konoha. All of Konoha's strongest ninja were engaged in battles against equally powerful opponents.
Even Orochimaru and the others had gone out to stop Hanzo. In this situation, who could spare the effort to deal with Shukaku?
The Sand ninja had seized this moment precisely because of this, releasing the tailed beast regardless of the cost.
The power of a tailed beast was not something ordinary ninja could withstand. Even if it was just the One-Tail, it wasn't something Tatsumi could handle alone.
To put it bluntly, Tatsumi lacked the strength and ability—he didn't have the Mangekyō Sharingan yet.
Unless he wanted to be draped in Konoha's flag at his own funeral, enjoying the highest martyr's honors with a twelve-detonating-tag salute, he wouldn't recklessly confront Shukaku.
However, even though he couldn't take it head-on, he couldn't let the beast rampage through Konoha's forces unchallenged. Keeping a close eye on Shukaku, who was frolicking in its sand ocean, Tatsumi's expression remained grave.
Just as he was racking his brain for a solution, the beast continued its antics.
It seemed to have come up with a new game. Under the control of its chakra, a large number of sand sculptures of Shukaku in various poses emerged from the battlefield.
Then, with puffed-out cheeks, Shukaku suddenly grinned—a wide, mischievous, almost obscene grin.
Sure enough, among the sculptures, one stood out: a giant fox getting pummeled by an equally giant raccoon.
"Hehehehehe."
Shukaku couldn't suppress its laughter any longer. With a sweep of its tail, the sand sculpture shot toward the battlefield...
At that moment, Tatsumi quickly spotted Sarutobi Shinnosuke's location.
Of course, it wasn't because he and Shinnosuke, that greasy old man, had some deep bond. It was simply because the latter was too damn conspicuous.
He was charging toward the tailed beast alone.
"Earth Release: Super Earth Flow Rampart!"
Shinnosuke rapidly formed hand seals. The ground trembled as an immense earth wall shot up, attempting to trap Shukaku within its confines.
Tatsumi hadn't even finished thinking, "Cool!" when the sand sculpture thrown by Shukaku smashed into the wall.
A thunderous explosion followed.
The structure was instantly breached, and Shinnosuke, who had stood triumphantly atop it just moments before, staggered and fell.
"..."
Fortunately, the Earth Release had slowed the sand sculpture down enough for nearby ninja to escape.
This can't continue, Tatsumi exhaled softly.
By now, his chakra reserves were critically low—only enough for a single Chidori. The remaining chakra sealed in his scroll was barely a third of what he had stored, but it was better than nothing.
"You guys stay here!"
Leaving those words behind, Tatsumi pushed off the ground, leaping forward. His speed surged as bright lightning enveloped his body.
Then, with reckless abandon, he charged toward Shinnosuke's location.
At that moment, many Konoha ninja were also moving toward Shukaku. None of them turned and ran.
Tailed beasts were terrifying, but for those who had fought on the frontlines for so long, death had become an old companion. Whether it came from a tailed beast or a stray shuriken, it made little difference.
Perhaps it was this kind of unity that had allowed Konoha to win multiple Shinobi World Wars.
But philosophy could wait. Right now, Tatsumi was perched on a shattered earth wall, panting heavily.
"Shinnosuke-san, you look a little miserable."
Shinnosuke's body was covered in dust, and the wound on his back had begun to reopen.
Of course, Tatsumi himself didn't look much better. As he spoke, he reached down and began pulling shuriken and kunai out of his own body one by one.
His reckless charge had naturally attracted a barrage of attacks. Though he'd managed to dodge some, plenty had struck their mark.
His black hair was soaked with blood, and his once-pristine trench coat now had a torn sleeve.
Blood trickled from fresh wounds.
Despite his battered state, Tatsumi was still standing.
After catching his breath, he stripped off his Chūnin vest and tossed it aside.
The garment had become heavy—soaked with his own blood and that of his enemies.
When Shinnosuke saw Tatsumi, his expression twisted into something complicated. He didn't look pleased.
"Tatsumi, you shouldn't be here!"
Though Tatsumi was an Uchiha, both of their elders had been students of the Second Hokage. Additionally, Tatsumi had saved his life before, and they had fought side by side.
So why the hell was he approaching Shukaku instead of running away?
"Maybe. But I'm already here."
Tatsumi's grin was unwavering. If anything, he seemed amused.
However, the flickering lightning covering his body suddenly vanished. His chakra was no longer sufficient to maintain it.
Even the chakra in his sealing scroll was nearly depleted.
A ninja without chakra was in their most vulnerable state.
But the human body was a strange thing—when pushed to the limit, it could still squeeze out just a little more.
The question was, what good would it do? Even at his peak, Tatsumi wouldn't be able to take on Shukaku alone.
And now the beast was just a short distance away.
Shinnosuke, battered and worn, was hardly in fighting condition.
A sane person would think Tatsumi had lost his mind for smiling in this situation.
"Tatsumi... in your condition, it's better to stay close to me," Shinnosuke hesitated.
Rather than letting Tatsumi run around like a lunatic, it was safer to keep him close. If he left, his chances of survival would plummet to zero.
Tatsumi shook his head. "The One-Tail's Jinchūriki has been absorbed into Shukaku. If we break its body apart, we can end the rampage."
Shinnosuke frowned. "That's a nice theory, but who's actually going to break Shukaku's body?"
"Me." Tatsumi's eyes gleamed. "Lightning Release naturally counters Earth Release, so it should also restrain Shukaku's sand to some extent. If I use a Lightning Release technique with strong enough piercing power, I can break through its body."
Shinnosuke was stunned.
He mulled it over, then sighed. "...Even if you make a hole, what difference will it make? You don't have the firepower to destroy its whole body."
"I do." Tatsumi's voice was unwavering.
If it worked, he would become a hero.
Shinnosuke was conflicted, but Konoha was in crisis. Seeing Tatsumi's confidence, he could only let him try.
"...What do you need from me?"
"Can you summon Enma?"
"Huh?"
"I heard from Orochimaru-sensei that Enma is the strongest summoning beast. I need you to summon him to fight Shukaku."
Shinnosuke hesitated.
"You don't have a contract, do you?" Tatsumi raised an eyebrow.
"N-no, I do! It's just… Enma doesn't listen to me."
Tatsumi deadpanned. "...Are you really the Third Hokage's son?"
Shinnosuke gritted his teeth, then performed the hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted.
From within it, a towering monkey in a leopard-print skirt and black leggings emerged.
"Who the hell summoned me?" Enma growled.
Tatsumi grinned. "Let's make this quick. I need you to keep that big raccoon from burrowing underground while I kill it."
Enma cracked his knuckles. "Heh. Sounds like fun."
Tatsumi nodded. Everything was in place.
Now, all that remained was the fight.
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