"You look strained," Uchiha Haru observed, glancing at the fierce struggle between man and beast.
"Strained?" Yuki Seisui shook his head with a smile. "Not at all."
His appearance of struggle was nothing more than an act.
At this moment, Yuki Seisui's eyes were completely void of emotion.
"Only through consumption and loss can the major powers remain in balance."
His crimson gaze swept over the Sand and Leaf ninja fighting below, his voice devoid of warmth.
"Only by maintaining this balance can I buy enough time to realize the world I envision."
Haru frowned, looking at the combatants with concern.
"Do you need me to do anything?"
"No," Seisui replied, shaking his head. "Just stay here."
As he spoke, the Susanoo wrapping Kurama disappeared in an instant, leaving only a faint black residue. To outsiders, it seemed as though he could no longer maintain it.
The moment Seisui touched the Susanoo, Kurama felt hollowed out.
Its power hadn't decreased at all—but it felt empty, unsteady, and uncomfortable.
Shukaku watched this with delight, speaking up in its usual crude tone.
"Hahaha, so you rely on humans, you stinking fox!"
"Want to bark a little for me right now?!"
"Hahaha!"
Shukaku was boastful and wild, but Kurama swiped a claw in the next moment.
"Even without that armor, I am still the strongest Tailed Beast!"
"What are you barking about?"
Another slap followed, and Shukaku tried to retaliate—but the four golden chains of Seisui's bind held it fast, leaving it powerless.
As Shukaku continued its verbal attacks, Kurama struck again.
Seisui, standing atop Kurama, made no move himself, only tightening the chains flying from behind him.
Three consecutive slaps from Kurama, combined with the tightening chains, left Shukaku utterly aggrieved.
Family… who understands?
Once, it had lived happily in the desert. But then people captured and sealed it in a temple.
Decades later, a tattooed bald man freed it for research.
When he discovered nothing new, it was sealed into a young monk.
Now, finally freed again, it faced this stinking fox's assault. Worse, it was being bound while beaten.
Shukaku recalled its life—the Six Paths Sage splitting the Ten-Tails, creating the nine Tailed Beasts. Back then, it was young, without such power or knowledge.
Yet that time was the happiest.
The world is lost. Let it burn!
Shukaku, despondent, gathered chakra, muttering:
"If I could… I'd go back to the past."
It looked at Kurama sorrowfully.
Kurama remained silent, then grabbed Shukaku's mouth. The Tailed Beast Ball it had gathered was swallowed in an instant.
As before, a strike on its head detonated the ball immediately.
"Playing the victim here?" Kurama's claw struck Shukaku's head.
"Damn you, Kurama!"
"I'll fight you to the death!"
Summoning strength from somewhere, Shukaku stopped resisting Seisui's chains and used the pull to lunge faster at Kurama.
Seeing this, Seisui jumped away with Haru, retracting the chains.
"Kurama, it's all yours!"
"No problem!" Kurama grinned. "Stinking tanuki, your end is near!"
The two Tailed Beasts clashed—no Tailed Beast Balls, no ninjutsu—just raw combat.
Their movements drew them closer to the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Minato cut down Sand ninja mercilessly.
The chaos suited him perfectly. Using Flying Raijin, one kunai leapt continuously across the battlefield while the other hand wielded a Rasengan—each instant move ending a life.
"Tonight, Sunagakure shall be erased!"
Tsunade, spotting Seisui and Haru dashing past, dodged Chiyo's puppet attacks. She had minor scratches but was otherwise unharmed.
Chiyo, skilled with puppetry, faced a hand-to-hand expert in Tsunade, even with her puppet aiding her.
Tsunade's arm had a cut; Chiyo's abdomen bore a clear boot mark. Both were battered.
"Konoha won't have it easy either!" Chiyo gritted her teeth, noticing Seisui approaching.
"Your suffering isn't for you to decide!"
Tsunade struck from above; Chiyo flipped in the air to adjust.
"Retreat! Retreat!" Chiyo shouted upon landing.
The Sand ninja, hearing this, began withdrawing.
War without hope was the cruelest.
"Retreat? Now?" Seisui smiled. Both sides were nearly exhausted—it was his turn.
"Too late to retreat now!"
Seisui flourished his blade, red light flashing in his right eye:
"Dojutsu: Infinite Flying Raijin Slash!"
Immediately, for every Sand ninja in his sight, a golden chakra-clad shadow clone appeared.
Blood splattered everywhere, screams filled the air.
Over a hundred Sand ninja died in that instant.
The devastation came at a cost—Seisui's right eye bled, his vision impaired.
Not blinded, but enough to strain him.
"Are you alright?" Haru asked, worried.
Seisui covered his right eye. "I'm fine. Just… the cost was high."
Seeing him poised to act again, Haru intervened, holding her Uchiha war fan.
"Stop! Leave it to me!"
Before Seisui could respond, Haru vanished instantly:
"Kunitsukami: Ten Thousand Strikes!"
With her joining, the fleeing Sand ninja fell like ripe crops under a scythe.
Seisui watched, smiling faintly. Let them think my vision is impaired—perhaps I can bait a few more fish.
He no longer focused on Minato and Haru in the crowd, but on Pakura facing Jiraiya.
"Tsk… utterly insane."