Kurama, Shukaku, and the Panda Sage.
Three colossal beasts, each dozens of meters tall, stood in the dueling arena.
Master Fukasaku and Master Shima exchanged a glance, their eyes heavy with seriousness.
Beneath Minato, the toad Gamabunta stared at the opposition—the Nine-Tails and an unknown but clearly powerful summoning beast—and felt utterly overwhelmed.
"Minato, you summoned me out just to fight enemies like this?" Gamabunta's voice was filled with disbelief.
Hearing this, Minato glanced at Yuki Seisui standing atop Kurama. Damn… he thought.
He had anticipated that Seisui would be strong, but he never imagined he'd summon both a Tailed Beast and the Panda Sage at the very start.
Hiruzen and Setsuna, who had already retreated some distance, swallowed hard upon seeing the three massive beings.
Who could possibly contend with a Yuki Seisui like this?
Hiruzen, due to Tsunade's guidance, knew a little about Seisui's eyes.
With the Uzumaki bloodline, Yuki Seisui's Mangekyo Sharingan could recover in a short time, as long as it didn't go blind.
In other words, anyone trying to fight him with a Tailed Beast must be prepared for their beast to be controlled by the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Without relying on Tailed Beasts, even an entire village mobilized would struggle to match Yuki Seisui.
Adding to this, he possessed Wood Release. Even if his Wood Release wasn't as strong as the First Hokage Senju Hashirama's, it was still Wood Release—a symbol of great significance in Konoha.
Its deterrent effect on other villages was immense.
Hiruzen was grateful that Yuki Seisui was a ninja of Konoha.
Even more, he was glad he had chosen him as the next Hokage.
Everything fell perfectly into place.
Setsuna's thoughts were simpler.
With Yuki Seisui's strength, his chances of becoming the Fourth Hokage were higher.
This was excellent for the Uchiha clan.
A Yuki Seisui this powerful would never hold the Uchiha in fear.
Having eliminated the radical faction in the clan, and with Seisui's presence, he would be the perfect son-in-law for the Uchiha!
Thinking this, Setsuna glanced at Seisui, feeling highly satisfied.
As expected of my granddaughter.
Love what you love!
I truly am a master of emotions!
Setsuna was thoroughly pleased.
In the arena, Yuki Seisui looked at Minato and smiled.
The Panda Sage spoke up:
"Ho! So these are the Nine-Tails and One-Tails, huh?"
"Never thought I'd one day fight alongside you."
"Truly, the world is unpredictable; the strong are lonely indeed."
The Panda Sage stood with hands behind his back, exuding the aura of an unrivaled warrior.
Kurama rolled his eyes at the giant panda next to him.
"Lonely, are you? In my presence, all others—human or beast—seem inadequate!"
"Just the two of you?" Shukaku didn't even glance at them. "The real strongest is me!"
"Hmph!" The Panda Sage snorted coldly.
"Who dares call themselves invincible? Even Uchiha Madara isn't in sight!"
"A mere Nine-Tails, easily controlled by Madara, isn't even worth tying my sandals!"
The Panda Sage's hands remained behind his back as he looked toward Minato.
"At my command, every panda in the bamboo forest will be summoned!"
"It's been too long since their last activity." The Panda Sage glared at Yuki Seisui atop Kurama.
"Do you have enough chakra?"
"Summon them all, and show these inexperienced yokels a proper lesson!"
Shukaku fumed at the Panda Sage. Annoying…
Yuki Seisui considered for a moment, then nodded.
The Panda Sage had once told him he could summon every panda—he'd never tried it. Now was the time.
He looked at Minato and smiled.
Seeing that smile, Minato tensed, secretly summoning a toad to carry his kunai far away from here.
Yuki Seisui brought his hands together. His current form was now linked with Shukaku and Kurama.
Together, their power was far beyond thirteen tails!
Normally, he wouldn't have enough chakra for this.
But now, with Kurama's chakra linked, the Nine-Tails' chakra was his—he had no fear of exhaustion.
As Yuki Seisui brought his hands together, a thick mist rose behind him, Shukaku, Kurama, and the Panda Sage forming a wall of support.
He had a contract with the Panda Clan; naturally, he could summon any panda he wished.
This time, every panda—except for juveniles—was summoned.
Hundreds of massive pandas, each tens of meters tall, appeared. Minato, Hiruzen, and Setsuna all gasped.
Is this even humanly possible?
Though summoning beasts aren't limited by size, larger ones are usually stronger.
These enormous pandas alone implied unimaginable power.
Seisui, standing with Setsuna and Hiruzen, noticed one panda—Ming, the one who previously refused her summoning.
"Now!" Seisui shouted, forming hand signs.
In the next instant, Hanahana appeared in her arms.
"Waaah?" The summoned panda cried, struggling in this unfamiliar place.
Realizing escape was impossible, it gave up, lying flat in Seisui's embrace.
Seeing this, Hiruzen glanced at Setsuna.
Setsuna snorted. "What? Do you have an objection?"
"Haha, whatever makes you happy." Hiruzen ignored the outburst and focused on the battlefield, stepping back a few paces.
This scene was overwhelming.
Far too overwhelming!
And it wasn't just him—Setsuna couldn't handle it either.
Even Minato, looking at the two sages on his shoulders and Gamabunta beneath him, forced a bitter smile.
This is insane…
Do I try to fight hundreds of pandas?
Don't they all know Sage Art?
These aren't pandas—they're mobile Vajra bodies!
Immune to genjutsu, impervious to weapons, capable of healing themselves, and massively enhancing strength and endurance.
Simply monstrous!
Yuki Seisui glanced at the panda army behind him and muttered:
I've really leveled up… I've got moving Vajra bodies in the dueling arena now.
Though the Panda Clan's Sage Arts aren't exactly Vajra bodies, at their size, they were close enough.
"Leader!" Hundreds of pandas' bodies radiated Sage light, shouting in unison:
"Hahaha! Let them witness the power of the Panda Clan!"
"I flourish in slaughter, yet bloom like flowers at dawn!"
…..
Completed version available on Available on [P]atreon.[c]om/Veltoria [remove brackets]