"Ha! It's been a long time since this old man came out for fresh air! You'll be the first ones I kill!"
Shukaku's massive body towered over the battlefield as he looked down at Orochimaru and Tsunade. His monstrous grin widened, and as he opened his mouth, two distinct chakra currents began to merge.
Blue Yang-attribute sage chakra and dark red Yin-attribute sage chakra swirled together violently, compressing into a dense, purplish-black sphere.
Tsunade's expression changed instantly.
"What is that?!"
The sheer density of chakra compressed within the sphere made her heart tighten.
"A Tailed Beast Ball," Orochimaru said calmly.
The next second, Shukaku roared and launched it.
The Tailed Beast Ball tore through the air, warping space with its sheer destructive power. If it exploded here, everyone on the battlefield—Suna and Konoha alike—would be annihilated.
Bunbuku was unconscious. Even if the blast wiped out friend and foe indiscriminately, he would never know.
And Shukaku?
He was a natural disaster given form. Why would he care about human lives?
Orochimaru stepped forward, placing himself between Tsunade and the incoming attack. His hands moved instantly.
A massive Flying Thunder God formula unfolded in front of him like a spreading net of light.
The Tailed Beast Ball vanished.
In the distant desert of the Land of Wind, an enormous explosion bloomed like a second sun.
When Orochimaru had once visited Sunagakure, he had casually left behind a Flying Thunder God marking. He never imagined it would save thousands of lives one day.
He had no other choice.
He had even been forced to use the Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder technique.
Far away, the people of Rōran watched in horror as a blinding flash erupted beyond the horizon, followed by a shockwave that rattled the desert sands.
Shukaku's eyes widened.
"Where is my Tailed Beast Ball?!"
It had disappeared right before his eyes.
Then rage replaced shock.
"Fine! I'll make another!"
He began gathering chakra again.
But this time, Orochimaru did not allow him the chance.
"Sage Art: White Snake Scale Blade!"
Under the amplification of sage chakra, the white serpent tail extending from Orochimaru's body elongated and hardened. Its scales lifted slightly, each edge gleaming like sharpened steel.
Orochimaru twisted his body—
The serpent tail lashed out and slammed into Shukaku's jaw.
Shukaku howled in pain. The incomplete Tailed Beast Ball in his mouth destabilized—
Boom!
Even unfinished, its explosion was catastrophic.
The nearest Suna and Konoha ninja were blasted off their feet. Sand, water, and debris filled the sky.
When the dust settled, survivors crawled up from the ground in shock.
Chiyo stared at the distant Shukaku, her face pale.
She had known Tailed Beasts were powerful.
She had not expected this.
If that first Tailed Beast Ball had exploded here…
Her heart clenched.
Not only Konoha—Sunagakure's own forces would have been wiped out.
Cracks spread across a massive rock shell nearby.
It shattered.
Orochimaru and Tsunade stepped out from within.
"Orochimaru, are you alright?" Tsunade asked.
He had used high-level techniques repeatedly. Even she knew how draining that would be.
"The Yin Seal still contains plenty of sage chakra," he replied calmly.
He bit his finger.
"Summoning Technique!"
Smoke exploded outward.
A massive serpent figure appeared.
"Lady Orochimaru," the serpent said, its voice low and controlled. "I sense the presence of a Tailed Beast."
Void.
The artificial being Orochimaru had created.
The "Zero" once carved into his mask-like face had long been erased at his own request—a symbol of his rejection of the artificial Tailed Beast identity forced upon him.
Tsunade studied him briefly.
So this was a serpent from Ryūchi Cave…
Shukaku narrowed his eyes.
The chakra emanating from Void felt disturbingly similar to that of the Nine-Tails.
It disgusted him.
Void opened his jagged mouth slightly.
"Lady Orochimaru, may I eat it?"
"You may try," Orochimaru shrugged. "If you can."
Shukaku roared in fury.
"Ugly creature! You dare speak of eating me?!"
Void paused.
After a moment, he shook his head.
"Too ugly. I don't want to."
Instinctively, he resisted the idea. Devouring Shukaku might strengthen him—but it would forever bind him to the identity he despised.
Natural energy was far purer.
He would follow Orochimaru's greater design instead.
"Orochimaru, I'm going to the battlefield," Tsunade said suddenly.
"Stay."
His tone was quiet.
"If I stay, I'll only slow you down!"
Lightning burst from her body. In a flash of Lightning Release: Lightning Stimulation, she vanished.
Shukaku roared.
"I'll kill you all! Wind Release: Sand Bullet!"
Countless compressed sand projectiles rained down.
Void extended numerous arms from his body, blocking every attack directed at Orochimaru.
"Then how about this?!"
The ground beneath Shukaku liquefied into sand.
A massive sand tsunami surged forward.
"Sage Art: Water Release – Colliding Wave!"
Orochimaru leapt onto Void's head. His hands blurred.
An enormous torrent erupted from his mouth, forming a towering wave that crashed against the sand tsunami.
Water and sand mixed violently.
Moments later, a vast lake had formed—submerging Shukaku halfway.
Suna and Konoha ninja retreated again and again, stunned.
This was beyond conventional ninjutsu.
Meanwhile, Tsunade arrived near the regrouping forces.
To her surprise, Konoha and Suna ninja had temporarily ceased fighting.
"Konoha's little princess," Chiyo said calmly, "this is not the moment to decide victory."
The true battlefield was elsewhere.
"Void," Orochimaru said, "buy me time. I'll prepare a sealing technique."
He had no intention of prolonging this fight.
"Understood."
Void moved across the water's surface at astonishing speed, extending his limbs to bind Shukaku.
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
Shukaku opened mouths across his body, firing compressed wind spheres relentlessly.
Void twisted and stretched, dodging while tightening his grip.
"Let me go! I'll kill you all!"
Shukaku began forming another Tailed Beast Ball.
Even incomplete, it would be lethal.
"Four Symbols Seal!"
Orochimaru slammed his palm onto Shukaku's head.
Sealing formulas spread rapidly across the Tailed Beast's body.
The forming Tailed Beast Ball dispersed.
Shukaku roared unwillingly as his massive form shrank.
"Retreat!" Chiyo ordered immediately.
She understood perfectly.
Once Shukaku was sealed, they would be next.
Suna ninja withdrew without hesitation.
Tsunade moved to pursue—
But Katsuyu's voice stopped her.
"Lady Tsunade, Orochimaru does not want pursuit. We already hold the most valuable hostage. And the antidote's effectiveness is limited."
The poisoned Konoha ninja could not afford extended combat.
Tsunade clenched her fists—but stood down.
"Good work, Void."
Orochimaru descended from the serpent's head, holding the unconscious Bunbuku by the collar.
"Lady Orochimaru… Tailed Beasts aren't that impressive," Void said.
Orochimaru glanced at him coolly.
"As if I didn't seal you once before."
Void fell silent and vanished in smoke.
Orochimaru lifted Bunbuku easily and began walking back.
How to handle this old monk would be Sarutobi-sensei's headache.
Shukaku was invaluable to Sunagakure.
Without him, and having failed their attack, Suna would have little choice but negotiation—unless the Third Kazekage personally led another war.
Redeem Shukaku with money?
Given Sunagakure's finances…
That would be difficult.
"Orochimaru, how is he?" Tsunade asked, stepping close.
"Alive," he replied. "A very important prisoner."
As Shukaku's jinchūriki, Bunbuku was worth more than Chiyo's entire force.
"Lady Orochimaru!" the Konoha ninja called excitedly.
"We'll prepare antidotes first," Orochimaru said. "Then we return to Konoha—with him."
It had been fortunate that he and Tsunade were assigned here.
Otherwise, Sunagakure's plan might have succeeded.
At the temporary medical camp, medical ninja rushed forward, guiding poisoned shinobi into tents.
Orochimaru approached the captain of the logistics unit.
"Furofuki, prepare a tent. I need to examine Tsunade."
Furofuki glanced at Tsunade's torn clothing and the blood staining her abdomen.
"I'll arrange it immediately."
Inside the tent, Tsunade hesitated.
"Orochimaru… I…"
"You overextended," he said calmly. "Sit."
For once, she did not argue.
Outside, the war had paused.
But the true battle—political, strategic, and economic—had only just begun.
And Konoha now held the strongest bargaining chip of all.
A Tailed Beast.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)