The next moment, a bone chilling power struck without warning.
Even though the Two Tails Jinchuriki had already transformed into the shape of a massive cat, the speed of Thorne Ashveil's attack surpassed all expectations.
In the span of a heartbeat, the raging Two Tails was frozen solid, its body locked in a flawless sculpture of ice.
After completing the suppression and receiving his reward, Thorne Ashveil did not linger. His figure blurred, and he shot toward the next battlefield with terrifying speed.
Inside a distant cave, Kabuto watched the scene unfold, his lips twitching uncontrollably.
"This man… he is far too mysterious…"
Kabuto's eyes narrowed as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
"What exactly is his secret?"
No matter how deeply he analyzed it, no matter how many conclusions he tried to draw, Kabuto could not understand why Thorne Ashveil was doing any of this, or how he possessed such overwhelming power.
Meanwhile, the battlefield had descended into absolute chaos.
The Eight Tails, the Nine Tails, and several other Tailed Beasts clashed violently.
The Three Tails unleashed torrents of devastating Water Release techniques that shattered the ground. The Four Tails roared as molten magma surged once again from his body. Killer Bee relied entirely on the Eight Tails' extraordinary regenerative abilities to withstand the relentless assault.
"Uncle Killer Bee, are you alright?" Naruto shouted anxiously.
Killer Bee struck a confident pose despite the damage, his expression unfazed.
"Don't underestimate me, you idiot, fool!"
He delivered the words in his unmistakable rap rhythm, forcing Naruto to blink in surprise.
Only after confirming that Killer Bee was still standing did Naruto finally release a breath he did not realize he was holding.
Without hesitation, Naruto activated his Nine Tails Mode.
Golden chakra erupted from his body as the Nine Tails' cloak enveloped him, radiating immense pressure. The Five Tails responded instantly, releasing waves of scalding steam that distorted the air itself.
Yet with the chakra cloak protecting him, Naruto pushed through without slowing.
The Six Tails opened its jaws and spat out massive amounts of corrosive foam. The foaming blast struck Naruto head on, sending him flying backward under its sheer force.
High above the battlefield, the Seven Tails darted through the sky with incredible speed. Seeing an opening, she descended rapidly and launched an attack toward Naruto.
Watching this, Killer Bee shook his head.
"Naruto, you kid… you still have a lot of training ahead of you."
The next instant, Killer Bee extended a massive arm and grabbed the Seven Tails midair. However, the other Tailed Beasts reacted immediately, swarming forward and unleashing their attacks.
Magma, boiling bubbles, and explosive chakra slammed into Killer Bee's body in quick succession.
He winced in pain, his grip loosening.
The Seven Tails slipped free.
"Sorry, Uncle Killer Bee!" Naruto called out urgently.
"Don't apologize," Killer Bee replied, his tone serious now. "These guys aren't pushovers."
Naruto clenched his fists, his fighting spirit surging.
"In that case…"
"Uncle Killer Bee, let's decide this with Tailed Beast Bombs!"
The air trembled.
In the next moment, both of them began gathering massive amounts of chakra.
Naruto condensed the Nine Tails' power and combined it with his technique, forming a blazing Nine Tails Rasenshuriken. Killer Bee synchronized his chakra perfectly and manifested an enormous Tailed Beast Bomb.
Across from them, the other Jinchuriki did the same, each forming their own devastating attack.
This was the most terrifying destructive power known in the Shinobi world.
Just as both sides prepared to unleash their techniques, believing the next exchange would determine everything, a single figure appeared directly between them.
That figure was none other than Thorne Ashveil.
A deafening roar followed.
One Tailed Beast Bomb after another detonated directly against his body.
Smoke and shockwaves consumed the battlefield.
For several seconds, everything went silent.
Both sides stood frozen in disbelief.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"Uncle Killer Bee… I think I saw a flash of light just now," he said slowly. "And then all of our Tailed Beast Bombs exploded."
"What was that?" Naruto asked, genuinely confused. "Did you see anything?"
Even attacks of this magnitude should have obliterated anything in their path. What kind of existence could withstand such power?
Killer Bee adjusted his sunglasses, which reflected a lingering white glow.
"I couldn't see it clearly either, Naruto."
On the opposite side, the Jinchuriki stared toward the center of the smoke. The Seven Tails flapped her wings violently and flew straight into the haze, determined to see what had stopped the attacks.
The moment she caught sight of Thorne Ashveil's figure, her eyes widened in shock.
"So fast…"
"It's you, Thorne Ashveil!"
A flash of yellow light shot toward her in an instant. The Seven Tails twisted her body like a dragonfly, narrowly evading the strike.
The blast slammed into the ground and exploded violently.
Without hesitation, the Seven Tails turned and fled at full speed.
Watching her retreat, Thorne Ashveil exhaled slowly.
"The Seven Tails…"
"To be honest, I underestimated you."
He remained calm, his expression unreadable.
"I didn't pay much attention to you before, but dodging that flash was impressive."
Still, there was no chance he would let her escape.
This was valuable experience.
In the next instant, Thorne Ashveil activated his Conqueror's Haki, pushing his movement to a level comparable to the Fourth Hokage's Body Flicker.
He appeared behind the Seven Tails in the blink of an eye.
"You really are good at running," he said quietly.
A surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, and with overwhelming force, he tore through the Seven Tails' wings.
As the smoke finally cleared, every figure on the battlefield became visible once more.
Silence followed.
Several Jinchuriki stared in shock, having never seen Thorne Ashveil before.
"Who is that?"
"How did he do that to the Seven Tails?"
She was the fastest among them, with formidable combat power. To be overwhelmed so completely left them shaken.
Others recognized him immediately.
"I know him," Roshi of the Four Tails said hoarsely. "He's the one who captured me and handed me over to Akatsuki."
"And me…"
"And me too…"
One by one, the Jinchuriki confirmed it.
The realization hit them all at once.
The man standing before them was responsible for capturing most of them in the past.
Fear crept into their hearts, even though they had already died once before.
On the other side, Naruto stared at Thorne Ashveil, his expression tense.
"It's him… Thorne Ashveil."
Killer Bee's gaze hardened as well.
"I remember him," he said quietly. "If it weren't for the Eight Tails' recovery back then… I wouldn't be standing here now."
As Killer Bee began thinking of a strategy, Naruto suddenly charged forward.
"I still haven't gotten revenge for what he did before!"
"Naruto, wait!" Killer Bee shouted.
But it was too late.
Killer Bee clenched his teeth in frustration. He had noticed Thorne Ashveil attacking the other Jinchuriki earlier, which meant there was a chance he was not hostile toward them.
Naruto's impulsive charge ruined that possibility.
"Why are you always like this…" Killer Bee muttered, then rushed after him.
He knew better than anyone how terrifying Thorne Ashveil truly was.
Naruto was in danger.
Thorne Ashveil noticed Naruto's reckless pursuit and sighed inwardly.
He had nearly killed Naruto last time, yet here the boy was again, charging in without hesitation.
If it were anyone else, he would not grant a second chance.
But Naruto was different.
A future Six Paths level existence was not something he was willing to discard.
So Thorne Ashveil ignored him.
"Rasenshuriken!"
Naruto hurled the technique forward with all his strength.
The explosion shattered the Conqueror's Haki barrier surrounding Thorne Ashveil.
"It's working!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
He pushed harder, unleashing even more power.
Behind him, Killer Bee frowned.
Something felt wrong.
Thorne Ashveil was not this weak.
Then it happened.
Sensing the threat, Thorne Ashveil's power reacted automatically.
Shinra Tensei activated.
A massive repulsive force blasted outward.
Naruto was sent flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth despite the Nine Tails' protection.
Killer Bee extended the Eight Tails instantly and caught Naruto midair, preventing him from crashing into the ground.