"Wind Release: Air Bullet!"
Shukaku roared, gathering a massive amount of chakra in his mouth before blasting a compressed wind projectile toward the three shadow clones racing toward him, their intent clear—kill.
The sheer impact and supersonic velocity would have been a death sentence for any ordinary Jonin.
But in front of these three shadow clones, all clad in Lightning Release Chakra Mode and wielding the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan, it was laughably inadequate.
"So slow."
As the words left his mouth, a shadow clone raised his hand, lightning surging violently.
"Chidori Spear!"
Uchiha Shin's clone extended his Chidori into a razor-sharp spear, thrusting it forward at lightning speed.
The two techniques clashed, and though Wind Release naturally held an advantage over Lightning Release, the Chidori Spear functioned more like a blade than raw energy.
The result?
The Chidori Spear tore through the Air Bullet like a javelin through paper, completely nullifying it.
BOOM!!!
The shockwave thundered through the battlefield as the Chidori Spear continued forward, piercing through half of Shukaku's massive head, sending a spray of sand everywhere.
As a chakra construct, Shukaku wasn't capable of dying so easily.
But this horrifying display of raw power still sent a shiver down his monstrous spine.
Outrageous!
How the hell does a damn shadow clone have this level of strength?!
Something's wrong! This is completely wrong!
For the first time in centuries, Shukaku felt a flicker of the same fear he once had when he faced Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
Yet the other two clones weren't idle either.
They raised their hands, forming Rasengans infused with Fire Release chakra. The spiraling orbs ignited, expanding rapidly, their size increasing hundreds of times in mere moments.
"Sage Art: Super Dragon Flame Rasengan!"
The two clones leaped high into the air, their Rasengans now towering behemoths, tens of meters in diameter. With the force of meteors, they slammed them down toward the struggling Shukaku.
The great beast raised its massive tail in a desperate attempt to defend itself, but its efforts were as futile as a frail woman trying to fend off a gang of muscle-bound warriors.
The two Super Dragon Flame Rasengans collided against Shukaku's body, driving him straight into the earth.
The intense heat fused with the terrifying rotational force, crushing and grinding his form into the ground.
As the flames raged, the spiraling Rasengans continued to expand, growing larger and larger, until—
BOOOOOOM!!!!!
The explosion erupted like a nuclear detonation, waves of scorching flames consuming everything in their path.
Yet, in the midst of this destruction, Garura—who was safely wrapped in Uchiha Shin's protective grasp—remained unscathed.
She gazed at the inferno before her, eyes wide, filled with both awe and exhilaration.
At the center of the devastation, Shukaku lay battered and broken, his size reduced to a fraction of what it once was. His body was riddled with burns and wounds, flames licking at his torn form.
He didn't even have the strength to groan, looking more like a dying animal than the fearsome One-Tail.
POP! POP! POP!
The three shadow clones vanished, their mission accomplished. Uchiha Shin turned his gaze toward the girl still nestled in his arms.
"Karura, how long are you going to stay in my embrace?" he teased, a smirk playing on his lips.
Karura, her previously pale face now tinged with a faint blush, quickly flailed her legs before sliding down from his arms, landing onto the water's surface with practiced ease.
Her attention, however, was immediately pulled back to the wreckage before her.
"Uchiha Shin-sama… you're incredible. You actually defeated Shukaku." Her voice held disbelief, reverence, and something else—something darker.
"The villagers… they fear this thing so much. It's a demon to them."
But as she looked at the struggling form of Shukaku, her heart wavered. "Isn't this… too cruel? It used to scare me too, but… it never actually hurt me."
For the first time, pity crossed her mind.
The once-terrifying beast, the source of her suffering, now looked like nothing more than a beaten animal.
Shin chuckled, ruffling her hair. "You're too kind-hearted. But don't worry, it'll be fine."
He gestured toward the fallen beast. "I held back. Even though it looks pitiful now, it'll recover soon enough."
Shukaku, hearing this blatant lie, internally screamed—
[HELD BACK?! YOU CALL THIS 'HOLDING BACK'?! YOU FUCKER!!!]
Yet, trapped in his weakened state, he could do nothing but lie there in silence.
Karura, on the other hand, believed Shin's words completely.
Despite her pity, the resentment she had harbored for years—the pain of isolation, of being treated like an outcast—still lingered deep inside.
Shin had given her justice. That alone made her admiration for him grow even stronger.
"Now then, let's finish things up. I just need a little bit of your chakra."
Shin stepped forward, locking eyes with the crippled beast. His Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly, its intricate design reflecting in Shukaku's pupils.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Shukaku's consciousness was instantly trapped, unable to resist.
At the same time, the true power of Shin's right eye—Soul Sacrifice—activated.
Dark, cursed flames surged forward, devouring chunks of Shukaku's chakra and transferring them directly into Shin's body.
A surge of energy flooded his system. He could feel it—the wind-natured chakra coursing through him, strengthening his affinity.
"There's even a hint of natural energy," he mused. "This strengthens my Sage Mode as well."
An idea formed in his mind.
If he could collect the chakra of all nine tailed beasts, his left eye—Soul Reflection—might be able to fuse their energies, elevating him to the level of the Sage of Six Paths.
Perhaps he wouldn't even need to become the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.
After all, there were risks to being a Jinchūriki. More than that—
The Ten-Tails was, ultimately, a vessel for Kaguya's rebirth.
If there was another way to reach the peak, he'd take it.
"Well, Shukaku, I'll be seeing you again."
Shin smirked, patting the massive beast's head as if it were a docile pig.
When Shukaku inevitably recovered, he'd simply return to "trim some fat" once more.
Slowly, Shukaku, still trapped under the effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan, nodded blankly.
With the battle over, Shin turned back to Karura, flashing her his usual smug grin. "All done. I had a little chat with Shukaku. He won't give you any trouble anymore. In fact, if you want, you can start using his power."
"Eh!?"
Karura's eyes widened in shock.
She had never imagined that the terrifying existence that had haunted her life could be reduced to this—a subdued pet, entirely within Shin's control.
Before she could fully process everything, their surroundings began to shift—their consciousness returning to the real world.
As their eyes snapped open, Karura's gaze softened, an intense warmth growing in her expression.
Yet just as she opened her mouth to speak, the moment was ruined—
A hurried, panicked voice suddenly broke into the scene.
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones