The Tailed Beast Ball Shukaku condensed this time looked very small and inconspicuous, but its power was not to be underestimated, though it consumed a lot of Chakra.
Orochimaru wasn't much better; after summoning Manda earlier, fighting the Kage-level Ebizo for so long, and then repeatedly using the Snake Substitute, followed by a Five-Layer Rashomon, his Chakra was also more than half depleted, and he was panting and sweating coldly.
When the Tailed Beast Ball struck the first Rashomon, it was unsurprising that the Rashomon was pierced. Its small size gave it strong penetration.
After passing through the first Rashomon, the Tailed Beast Ball's direction had slightly deviated, and it deviated again when it pierced the second gate.
When it hit the third gate, its penetrating power was no longer sufficient, only able to strike the right edge of the Rashomon, directly causing the third Rashomon to tilt and fall.
However, when the Tailed Beast Ball finally exploded, it only shattered the third gate, while the fourth gate merely tilted slightly.
Nevertheless, the aftershock of the Tailed Beast Ball's explosion was indeed precisely aimed by Orochimaru, directly transforming into a crimson Chakra wave that swept towards the retreating Hidden Sand Village forces.
However, after its power was weakened layer by layer and traveled several hundred meters, it could be blocked by Hidden Sand Village's combined Earth Release Ninjutsu.
Although the Tailed Beast Ball's aftershock was blocked, it also blocked their chance to escape. The Konoha army seized the opportunity to further penetrate these Hidden Sand Village ninja.
For a time, shouts and screams rose and fell, Ninjutsu flew everywhere, and Ninjutsu was constantly being used. Both sides had become somewhat bloodshot.
Orochimaru looked at Bunpuku, who had completely lost his mind and transformed into a full Tailed Beast, becoming a fifty to sixty-meter-tall Ichibi Tailed Beast, and felt somewhat tricky.
He hated fighting against such tank-type opponents, especially when the opponent was a raging Tailed Beast. He felt he couldn't last much longer.
So he was hesitating whether to abandon the favorable situation and order a retreat. At this moment, he somewhat missed Uchiha Ling. If she were here, he could just relax and only need to command the battle.
However, Shukaku was a show-off. Having finally come out, he wanted to thoroughly vent the resentment of being confined for decades.
So Shukaku directly took heavy strides, quickly charging towards Orochimaru, who was hiding behind the Rashomon in front of him. His speed was incredibly fast, each step like an earthquake.
As Shukaku ran, the yellow sand on the ground continuously gathered, then transformed into a giant fist, which violently struck the remaining Rashomon.
It directly collapsed the last two Rashomon. Facing the rapidly approaching Shukaku, Orochimaru's legs transformed into snake tails, and he was swiftly moving away from the front lines of the battle, intending to lure Shukaku away.
His strategy was indeed successful. Shukaku only wanted to find a strong opponent for a good fight, not to kill weak ants.
Thus, Orochimaru, with his human head and snake body, surfed across the endless sea of sand, followed by a giant yellowish-brown tanuki, with huge waves of sand beneath his feet.
This scene was truly rare. Shukaku, from behind, continuously attacked with huge Renkudan and area-of-effect Sand Bullet attacks.
Meanwhile, the slimy snake dodged with snake-like movements while using Ninjutsu for defense or laying Exploding Tags along the path, then using Mutual Exploding Tags to bomb the yellowish-brown fat tanuki.
However, the desert was ultimately Shukaku's home ground, and the distance between them slowly narrowed. Facing the various Ninjutsu being launched, Orochimaru mainly focused on evasion.
Mainly, he didn't have much Chakra left, and he planned to save it for self-preservation. Once he lured Shukaku far enough, he would use the Reverse Summoning Technique to go to Ryūchi Cave and hide for a while.
By then, Shukaku might have left. After all, having just come out for some fresh air, it needed to play around properly. Waiting foolishly for a snake to return here was truly not worth it.
However, when Orochimaru saw a few birds in the sky, he immediately perked up and changed his mind. This time, he might even be able to capture a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki.
Actually, Second Body had remotely noticed two powerful Chakra signatures dozens of kilometers away using her Telescope Technique, which was why she changed direction to take a look.
She didn't expect to find anything, but she immediately saw a fat, yellowish-brown tanuki with black tattoos, several stories high, chasing and attacking a snake.
Needless to say, it must be the fat tanuki Shukaku fighting Orochimaru. Just as she was thinking of borrowing some cells from a Tailed Beast for research, a fat tanuki delivered itself to her doorstep.
Second Body immediately sped up and rushed towards the fat tanuki in the sky, but Pakura, beside her, turned pale. She knew that with the Wood Release user Uchiha Ling making a move, Hidden Sand Village's Tailed Beast would likely be lost.
"Oh, don't make such a sad face. You look better when you smile, and me capturing the fat tanuki is a good thing for both you and Hidden Sand Village."
Second Body naturally noticed Pakura's troubled expression. Being kind-hearted, she couldn't bear the suffering of others. She was a great person who brought good news and happiness!
"Think about it, as long as I capture the fat tanuki, and with you as a hostage, I might be able to threaten Rasa into surrendering. That way, both sides will be at peace, and you can return to the Village. Isn't that great?"
Second Body's eloquence couldn't change Pakura's inner thoughts. It seemed that only a small number of people could master this 'talk-no-jutsu' thing.
What Second Body was more skilled at was making people furious. Inflicting mental damage on enemies with words was also quite powerful, but Second Body only thought that enemies lacked magnanimity if they hated her to the bone just from a few provocative remarks.
Dealing with the fat tanuki in the desert was still quite difficult. Second Body felt a bit sorry for Orochimaru, mainly because the fat tanuki was even more like a canid than the big fox, and its temper was incredibly bad.
As the two sides rapidly approached, the fat tanuki, who was relentlessly chasing the slimy snake, also noticed the ten birds flying in the sky.
And Orochimaru finally let out a sigh of relief, his pale face, caused by excessive Chakra consumption, gaining some color.
Second Body controlled the birds to descend, preparing to greet the fat tanuki, but she didn't expect this fat tanuki to be so uncivilized, directly launching several Renkudan attacks.
However, Second Body, being an experienced Hime, had top-notch flying skills. With just a slight adjustment to her flight posture, she dodged the fat tanuki's 'greeting'.
"Hey! You chubby fat tanuki, do you have any manners? Throwing Ninjutsu around indiscriminately, is that how your elders taught you?"
Second Body put her hands on her hips, pointing at Shukaku squatting on the sand dune, and loudly accused him. This fat tanuki was so bad, it must be because the Sage of Six Paths didn't teach him well.
Second Body's 'talk-no-jutsu' indeed reminded Shukaku of his elder, the Six Paths Sage. Of course, the Sage of Six Paths had told him to coexist harmoniously and lovingly with humans.
However, due to their own strength, they were exploited by humans with hatred and fear, and their own Chakra was also contaminated by various negative emotions.
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