Gaara stared into the forest, frowning at the violent movement coming from within. "Are Naruto and Riku inside?"
Temari nodded, her gaze fixed on the treetops. She was starting to feel uneasy—the Nine Tails' power was clearly far greater than that of the One Tail.
The group of Sunagakure shinobi nearby, sensing the terrifying chakra signature emanating from the forest, also frowned. "I wonder if that Riku can suppress the rampaging Nine Tails…"
Kakashi believed in Riku's strength, but even so, he couldn't shake off a growing sense of unease.
Meanwhile, deep within the forest—
Riku wasn't rushing to suppress Naruto just yet.
He stood silently, watching the tailed beast chakra behind Naruto begin to condense into its eighth tail.
At this point, Naruto had already entered a state of partial transformation. Once the ninth tail appeared, he would fully manifest the Nine Tails' form.
And yet, even with the eighth tail complete, Naruto hadn't attacked. He could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from Riku—calm, powerful, unwavering.
Riku observed Naruto as the jinchūriki circled him warily.
After several seconds of tense silence, the final tail finally took form.
Suddenly, Naruto let out a deep, primal roar. "Raaahhh—!"
The sound tore through the forest like a thunderclap, echoing for kilometers. It was like a mountain collapsing or a tsunami crashing ashore.
Trees within a hundred meters of Naruto were obliterated by the sheer force of his chakra. The ground beneath him fractured and crumbled, forming a massive crater tens of meters wide. The shockwave turned the surrounding area into a wasteland.
Even those outside the forest weren't spared—violent winds surged outward, sweeping up several Sunagakure shinobi into the air like ragdolls.
Kakashi and the Konoha shinobi braced themselves as the storm hit. Kakashi quickly formed hand seals, slamming his palm to the ground. "Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"
A defensive wall rose in front of them, but cracks soon appeared under the pressure of the storm.
Leaning against the wall, Kakashi called out over the roaring wind, "What kind of power can destroy an entire forest like this? Can Riku really handle it?"
Sakura, shielding her face against the howling wind, stared toward the eye of the storm where Riku and Naruto stood. "Riku, Naruto… please come back safe…"
Veteran Sunagakure shinobi could once again feel the dreadful might of the tailed beasts.
And this time, the eruption of the Nine Tails' chakra was far more overwhelming than the One Tail's.
It was like watching the First and Second Hokage clash—Senju Tobirama's chakra formidable, but still dwarfed by the might of Senju Hashirama.
There was no comparison between the Nine Tails and the One Tail.
Its power was on a whole other level.
"ROARRR!"
Another deafening roar shook the ground.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The earth trembled under the colossal weight of the fully manifested Nine Tails. Cracks spiderwebbed through the terrain, and the shockwaves lifted those hiding behind the earth wall slightly off their feet.
Some stared in horror. "No… don't tell me…"
Their worst fear was coming true.
Naruto had completely transformed into the Nine Tails.
The storm raged for another ten seconds before finally subsiding.
The moment it ended, everyone leapt atop the cracked remains of the earth wall to see what had happened.
The forest was gone—flattened by chakra. The trees had been obliterated, the ground laid bare.
And standing in the ruins was a crimson fox, taller than seventy meters, its nine massive tails waving ominously behind it.
Everyone froze.
"The Nine Tails… the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!"
Not only Konoha's shinobi, but even those from the other great villages felt their blood run cold.
Especially the older ninja—those who had lived through the First Hokage's era.
They had seen the true terror of the tailed beasts.
And now, staring at the fully manifested Nine Tails, both Konoha and Suna shinobi were overwhelmed by fear.
Kakashi and Guy were no different. Eyes wide, they stared in disbelief.
"T-That's… the Nine Tailed Demon Fox. Naruto's lost control."
Yet in front of the towering beast, a lone figure stood calmly—small in stature, but unmoved.
It was Riku.
He stared up at the Nine Tails, unwavering.
Sakura clenched her fists. "Kakashi-sensei… what do we do now? How can we help Riku? That's the Nine Tails…"
But Kakashi shook his head. "The Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine Tails inside Naruto to protect the village… and he paid with his life. Right now, none of us can stand against that beast. Even if we all attacked together, we'd be crushed in an instant. We can only trust Riku now."
The Nine Tails let out a roar, its fury directed squarely at Riku.
But Riku didn't flinch. In fact, he looked intrigued.
"The Nine Tails… it really is different from the others," he muttered. "Smarter. Stronger."
"Even with only half its chakra, its power eclipses the other tailed beasts."
He could feel it. The sheer volume of chakra coming from the Nine Tails was beyond anything he'd encountered before.
Riku smirked. "Interesting. A full transformation. I didn't expect it to reach this point."
By now, Naruto's consciousness had been completely consumed. The Nine Tails was in total control.
"Heh… so my annoying little jailor is finally gone," the beast growled. "Now you'll see the true power of this old man."
It raised a massive paw and slammed it down toward Riku.
BOOOOM!
The ground exploded under the impact. A crater dozens of meters wide opened up, and shockwaves spread for hundreds of meters. Spiderweb-like cracks split the earth.
But Riku had already vanished.
He reappeared far away, teleporting to a spot several hundred meters in the opposite direction from where Kakashi and the others were hiding.
He knew the battle ahead would be catastrophic.
He couldn't risk anyone else getting caught in the crossfire.
After retreating five to six hundred meters, Riku stood firm.
Though Kakashi and the others could still see him—after all, the Nine Tails' gigantic form was impossible to miss—their distance should keep them safe.
The Nine Tails narrowed its eyes, realizing Riku's intentions.
"Hah! So you're trying to keep them safe, huh? How noble."
"But it's pointless. I could wipe them out with a single Tailed Beast Bomb."
Riku met the beast's gaze, calm and steady.
"I believe… you won't."
The Nine Tails paused.
That calmness—those words—struck a nerve.
Its crimson eyes narrowed further. "My Tailed Beast Bombs aren't like those weaklings'," it growled. "I don't need to charge them up for long…"
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