Deep in the heart of the Land of Earth, nestled within a bizarre stone forest sculpted by wind, sand, and time.
The air was thick with the scent of dry dust, with only the sound of the wind wailing as it whistled through the stone pillars.
At the center of this desolate place, a figure stood ready. He wore a simple, deep purple monk's robe with a slightly worn breastplate over it, signaling that he was no ordinary ascetic monk.
A thick beard covered his jaw, and a portion of his purple hair was neatly tied back into a short ponytail.
At this moment, the expression on his weather-beaten face was solemn, his muscles were tense, and his sharp gaze was locked dead ahead; this was the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails Son Goku, Roshi.
His opponent stood atop a towering stone pillar. The newcomer was completely shrouded in a voluminous black cloak, his form appearing blurred against the backlight, save for the mask on his face carved with eerie fox patterns, reflecting a cold and mysterious luster.
He looked down from above, silent and breathless, appearing as if he were one with this ancient stone forest, yet emitting a heart-palpitating sense of pressure.
"The Collector..."
Roshi's low voice broke the silence, carrying a trace of imperceptible dryness.
Even though he had left Iwagakure shortly after the Second Shinobi World War and had traveled for many years as an itinerant monk, it did not mean he was ignorant of the outside world.
The title of this mysterious person before him had long since spread throughout the shinobi world following the terrifying feat of single-handedly crushing Sunagakure and seizing the One-Tail's chakra.
The opponent's purpose for appearing here at this moment was already self-evident.
A heavy pressure loomed over Roshi.
He knew well that his own strength was not weak; as a Jinchuriki, he possessed the Lava Style Kekkei Genkai and the majestic chakra of the Four-Tails.
However, facing a "monster" capable of contending with an entire hidden village by himself, even he felt an unprecedented sense of alarm rising in his heart.
He asked himself inwardly and knew it was absolutely impossible for him to reach the same level as the opponent.
The only thing that brought a sliver of solace was the rumor that the Collector seemed interested only in the Tailed Beast chakra itself, usually taking only a portion of the Jinchuriki's power rather than their life.
But this faint hope did not shake Roshi's resolve in the slightest.
Surrender without a fight? Absolutely impossible!
As a shinobi of Iwagakure, even while wandering abroad, the intact Iwagakure forehead protector on his brow was his indelible brand and pride.
This pride would never allow him to surrender without a battle!
Atop the rock, Takuno—or rather, the Collector—calmly scrutinized the battle-ready Roshi below through the holes of the fox mask.
After ending his training, being able to immediately lock onto the trail of this Four-Tails Jinchuriki was indeed a good "harvest."
His intelligence network was quite efficient; not only had it captured Roshi's movements, but it had also brought sporadic news regarding the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, Utakata.
However, Utakata's movements were too erratic—the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth... almost everywhere in the shinobi world, with the exception of the Land of Water.
Presumably, the other party was being hunted by Kirigakure, so they naturally wouldn't take the initiative to run back to the Land of Water.
Therefore, without concrete intelligence, he naturally wouldn't waste time chasing an elusive target.
By comparison, Roshi's whereabouts were much clearer.
This powerhouse, who had left the village after the Second Shinobi World War due to a clash of ideals with the Tsuchikage Onoki, moved about as an itinerant monk, but in the depths of his heart, he had never truly severed his bonds with Iwagakure.
This point was evident from the intact Iwagakure forehead protector he always wore.
He was not a rogue ninja; he had simply chosen a different path.
In these chaotic times, his range of activity was almost limited to within the borders of the Land of Earth.
Perhaps, when Iwagakure encountered a true crisis, this estranged shinobi would still step forward without hesitation.
It was precisely this heart of concern and protection for his homeland that made his movements relatively easy to predict and made him, at this moment, the target locked onto by the Collector.
Within the stone forest, a murderous aura permeated.
Takuno stood atop a towering stone pillar, his gaze behind the mask calm and rippleless, as if the suffocating hostility below was nothing more than a passing breeze.
He looked down from his height, his voice carrying a sense of leisure:
"Since you recognize me, then what I require is surely something you know well?"
Responding to him was a cold snort filled with anger.
Below, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki Roshi had his hair and beard bristling, his chakra surging violently around him like a volcano about to erupt.
"Hmph! The Four-Tails chakra is right here with this old man!" he growled, his eyes burning with an unyielding fighting spirit, "If you have the ability, come and take it yourself!"
Before his voice had even faded, Roshi's skin instantly became like red-hot iron, and a blazing, lava-like crimson chakra surged out from his body, rapidly covering his entire frame.
That chakra was not an illusory energy but a viscous magma with substance, slowly flowing and rolling over his body, emitting a terrifyingly high temperature.
The air was scorched and distorted, and even the rocks beneath his feet began to soften and melt, making a sizzling sound and leaving behind charred marks.
Lava Style Chakra Mode!
This was the secret technique Roshi took pride in—offense and defense as one!
The flowing magma armor not only granted him peerless defensive power, but the extreme heat contained within it would melt anything it touched; it was a cloak of destruction in every sense of the word!
However, in Takuno's eyes, this seemingly powerful mode possessed a glaring weakness: speed.
It was far from being as comprehensive as Kumogakure's Lightning Style Chakra Mode.
"Ha!" Roshi gave a sudden shout, his entire being turning into a crimson meteor as he charged fiercely toward the stone pillar where Takuno stood, shrouded in a heatwave that could incinerate all things.
He did not choose to leap to the top of the pillar, as that would undoubtedly be placing himself in danger.
Instead, his magma-covered heavy fist smashed ruthlessly into the base of the thick stone pillar!
Boom!
The hard rock was like a fragile biscuit, crumbling and disintegrating inch by inch under the terrifying force and high temperature of the lava fist, sending crushed stones flying and dust billowing.
The stone pillar collapsed with a crash, and Takuno's figure drifted lightly to the ground along with it.
"Die!" Roshi pressed his advantage, his giant lava fist carrying a burning wind that tore through the air, smashing down toward the head of the newly landed Takuno with the force of a thunderbolt!
The scorching breath rushed toward him, as if it were going to vaporize a person instantly.
Facing this strike capable of melting gold and turning stone to liquid, Takuno appeared exceptionally composed.
He didn't even take a dodging stance; he simply and seemingly lightly raised his right fist to meet the blow.
However, at the very instant before the fists made contact, a sudden change occurred!
Takuno's originally normal skin tone was covered by a layer of deep dark hues the moment he threw the punch.
This was precisely the result of his training: the Perfect Sage Mode!
At this moment, if anyone could take off his mask, they would find that his face lacked the complex patterns of a typical Sage Mode, leaving only a mysterious and powerful purple eyeshadow, signaling his peak mastery over natural energy.
This punch was exactly the best touchstone to test this perfect power!
Witnessing the opponent's almost "arrogant" action, Roshi's eyes held complex emotions.
A flash of secret joy passed through him; such underestimation might be the very opportunity for his victory!
But following close behind was an even stronger sense of humiliation and anger—that the opponent dared to so despise the strength of a Jinchuriki like him!
"Roar!" Roshi's roar shook the rock cavern, pushing his entire strength and the violent nature of the Lava Style to the absolute limit. The crimson lava fist and the fist covered in dark Senjutsu chakra collided violently without any fancy tricks!
Bang!!!
A dull explosion of sound erupted!
The expected scene of overwhelming destruction did not appear; in its place was a jaw-dropping sight.
Roshi's massive lava body was actually hit as if by an invisible giant mountain, turning into a crimson cannonball without any power to resist, flying backward at an incredible speed!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Along the way, several thick stone pillars that would require multiple people to encircle snapped and shattered one after another like paper under the impact of Roshi's body!
Crushed stones and dust soared into the sky, and Roshi finally embedded himself ruthlessly into a distant rock wall before he could barely stop his momentum.
Absolute suppression of strength! What the Perfect Sage Mode granted Takuno was pure physical strength far exceeding that of Roshi under the enhancement of the Lava Style Mode!
Takuno slowly withdrew his fist and looked down at the back of his hand.
Even with the protection of pure Senjutsu chakra, the extreme heat and corrosiveness of the Lava Style chakra had still penetrated the defense, leaving a clear burn mark on his dark skin and bringing waves of stinging pain.
"The destructive power of the Lava Style indeed cannot be underestimated," Takuno thought to himself.
However, this small injury was a minor issue that could be recovered from in just a few breaths.
His gaze pierced through the permeating dust, locking onto the place where Roshi was buried under the rubble.
An extremely violent, chaotic chakra filled with the aura of destruction was madly brewing and expanding beneath that ruin, like a sleeping volcano!
The quality and quantity of that chakra had already far exceeded the human range!
Boom!!!
The pile of rubble exploded!
A torrent of blackish-red, substance-like viscous chakra soared into the sky, carrying heart-palpitating violence and madness!
The crushed stones were instantly ground into powder by this terrifying power.
The dust cleared, revealing Roshi's figure. At this moment, he was no longer human!
His body was covered in a black-and-red chakra cloak, and four thick, hideous black-and-red tails made of pure chakra danced and swayed wildly behind him. Each swing tore through the air, emitting a low wail.
Roshi had actually entered the Version 2 (Semi-Tailed Beast) Mode!
Takuno concentrated his perception on the surging chakra within Roshi's body opposite him, and his brow couldn't help but twitch slightly.
"Semi-Tailed Beast transformation... indeed extraordinary."
The amount of chakra Roshi emitted at this moment was truly majestic, like a volcano about to erupt, full of destructive power.
However, what caused a trace of surprise to Takuno was that while this power was strong, it no longer seemed as out of reach as when he perceived Tailed Beast chakra in the past.
This subtle difference was precisely the transformation brought about by Sage Mode.
When natural energy and his own chakra fused perfectly, his total chakra amount had undergone a qualitative leap.
Admittedly, compared to the actual body of a Tailed Beast, he was still lacking. However, the Roshi before him was ultimately only borrowing a portion of the Four-Tails Son Goku's power for this transformation.
Therefore, in Takuno's keen perception at this moment, the other party's daunting Semi-Tailed Beast chakra volume was actually nearly equal to his own chakra reserves under Sage Mode!
This discovery caused a flash of wonder to cross Takuno's mind, which then turned into deeper joy.
"After fusing with natural energy, has my chakra volume actually become this close to the level of a Tailed Beast?" A confident curve unconsciously hooked at the corner of his mouth.
He knew that compared to a full-bodied Tailed Beast—especially the legendary Nine-Tails Demon Fox—there was still a chasm, not to mention those beings with Six Paths power in the Fourth Shinobi World War whose chakra was as vast as a sea of stars, far exceeding the Tailed Beasts.
As for the final Otsutsuki Kaguya, she was even crowned with the terrifying title of "possessing the chakra of the entire shinobi world."
By comparison, what did his bit of power, even with natural energy, amount to? The road ahead was long, and he still needed to press forward!
As his thoughts flashed, the Roshi opposite him had already launched a fierce assault!
"Lava Style: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Accompanied by a low growl, Roshi opened his mouth abruptly. Several searing hot giant fireballs with dark red lava flowing inside shot out like meteors, tearing through the air and heading straight for Takuno with destructive high temperatures.
At almost the same time, Roshi's Semi-Tailed Beast body also turned into a crimson afterimage, shrouded in an aura several times more ferocious than before, charging fiercely right behind the lava balls!
Though his speed was not as ghostly as the Two-Tails before, the indomitable, incinerate-everything pressure carried by the burning lava on his body was even more terrifying.
Facing these overwhelming lava fireballs, Takuno's body only moved with extremely slight sways and side-steps. His movements were fluid and precise, as if he had predicted the trajectory of every fireball, easily and elegantly avoiding them all.
The scorching air currents brushed past him but failed to harm him in the slightest.
Following that, breaking through the heatwaves to arrive before his eyes, was the menacing Roshi, his entire body steaming with dark red lava vapor!
"Lava Style: Needle of the Sea!"
At this moment, the temperature of the lava condensed on Roshi's fists was high enough to be heart-palpitating.
Visually discernible distorted ripples wavered around his knuckles—that was the visual distortion produced by extreme heat scorching the air!
The power and heat contained in those fists were enough to vaporize steel in an instant; it was absolutely not something ordinary defense could withstand.
Takuno's eyes narrowed, no longer dealing with it as casually as before.
With a slight thought, the chakra of his Sage Mode instantly transformed into extreme Ice Style power.
Countless crystal-clear ice crystals emitting a piercing cold condensed and spread out of thin air on his right arm, quickly covering his entire forearm and fist, forming a set of ice crystal arm-guards radiating cold air.
Facing this punch from Roshi that was intended to burn mountains and boil seas with all his strength, Takuno did not retreat but advanced instead, his right fist wrapped in hard ice meeting the blow head-on!
Roshi's pupils shrank violently; he clearly recognized the Ice Style, but the assault was already an arrow off the string and could not be retracted.
Boom!
Ice and fire, extreme cold and extreme heat—two completely opposite yet equally violent powers collided fiercely once again!
A deafening roar accompanied a violent energy shockwave that spread in all directions.