Karot's Transformation

"Since you're done attacking, it's my turn now."

The Raikage charged forward at incredible speed, bringing the force of a thunderbolt with him as he swung a punch at Hatake Sakumo. He planned to capture the leader and take down the rest.

Hatake Sakumo swung his sword to meet the attack. The blade struck the Raikage's fist with a clang, and trembled in Sakumo's hands. It was clear that Sakumo was no match for the Raikage's strength.

The Raikage pressed his advantage, attacking Hatake Sakumo with one punch after another and keeping him on the defensive. Sakumo could only keep swinging his sword as he retreated.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique."

Nara Shikaku used his clan's secret technique. A mass of shadow shot out from beneath his feet toward the Raikage, connecting with the Raikage's shadow in an instant.

"Got him."

Nara Shikaku said excitedly.

The Raikage's assault came to a halt. Hatake Sakumo went on the offensive, the blade in his hand blazing with dazzling lightning. Each slash came faster than the last, every strike aimed straight at the Raikage's vital points.

"Human Bullet Tank!"

Akimichi Choza pulled his head and limbs into his body, forming a ball, then rolled toward the Raikage at astonishing speed and with tremendous destructive force. He slammed into the Raikage's Lightning Cloak.

"Eight Branches Technique."

Orochimaru refused to be outdone. He transformed into the Eight-Headed Serpent and lashed his tail at the Raikage. As expected, the Raikage's Lightning Cloak was shattered by the three-pronged assault.

The Raikage had lost his strongest defense, and Hatake Sakumo's swordsmanship inevitably left wounds on him. The three had pinned the Raikage to the ground, leaving him nowhere to run. A triangle was the most stable formation, after all.

Karot relied on his exceptional perception to move through the battlefield like a fish in water. Even with his eyes closed, he wasn't hindered at all.

Just as Karot killed the last Cloud Ninja squad blocking his way, A appeared.

"Karot, I'm taking your life."

A's words had the same familiar arrogance as ever.

"Then come and try."

Karot called back. The two had fought many times and knew each other well.

A threw a vicious punch, carrying an unstoppable, powerful force. Lightning crackled around his fist as the thunder roared, and he drove it straight at Karot's chest.

The best defense was a good offense. Karot stepped forward and threw a punch of his own.

"Boom!"

Their fists collided. The resulting shockwave uprooted trees and sent rocks flying as the ground caved in around them.

After that first clash, they changed their moves in a flash. They traded blow after blow, each punch landing solidly.

A's fists cut through the air, each strike fierce and more brutal than the last, every one aimed at Karot's vital points. Karot, by contrast, was composed and balanced without sacrificing power. Their hand-to-hand skills were evenly matched.

A venomous snake in the darkness, patient and dangerous, waited only for the chance to strike a fatal blow. At last, patience paid off. A sword shot out of the darkness and hit its mark. Hatake Sakumo failed to dodge. He watched as the tip of the blade emerged from his abdomen, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Konoha shinobi present were stunned. Someone who shouldn't have been there had appeared on the battlefield: Killer B. His body was covered in bandages, and his wounds had yet to heal. Blood seeped through the wrappings, but he had delivered the strike that turned the tide.

This is bad.

Orochimaru and Ino-Shika-Cho thought in unison. One corner of their triangular defense had fallen, and the tiger was out of its cage.

With the advantage suddenly in his favor, the Raikage broke free. In a fury, he drove a powerful punch straight at Hatake Sakumo. Nara's Shadow Imitation Technique was broken in an instant. Caught completely off guard, Hatake Sakumo was struck and sent flying. He crashed through more than a dozen trees before falling unconscious. The situation on the battlefield changed in an instant.

"Lord Hatake!"

"Senior Hatake!"

Orochimaru and the others tried to check on Hatake Sakumo's injuries, but the Raikage blocked their way.

"Don't worry. You're next."

The Raikage's ferocious advance put immense pressure on Orochimaru and the others.

Karot sensed Hatake Sakumo being struck and sent flying by the Raikage. The entire battle hinged on keeping the Raikage occupied, so Karot had been watching that side of the battlefield the whole time. Then Killer B launched his surprise attack. Hatake Sakumo's fate was unknown.

"Father!"

Karot cried out.

A took advantage of the opening Karot had left. He unleashed a barrage of deadly kicks, each one striking Karot in the chest. Karot spat out blood with every blow.

Karot was kicked away and landed on his back.

This is bad.

Before he could stop himself, Karot opened his eyes as he flew through the air. Now he was staring straight up at the bright moon, his body trembling uncontrollably.

A watched Karot tremble, and a terror from deep in his soul warned him to get away from there.

A watched Karot's body swell and grow larger. His clothes burst under the strain of his expanding frame. Karot's appearance changed completely as fur sprouted all over his body. A stared in shock as Karot transformed from a human into a gigantic ape.

"Roar!"

After transforming into a Great Ape, Karot beat his chest and roared.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Each roar grew louder than the last. Shinobi across the entire battlefield stared in astonishment at the sudden appearance of the monster. They froze in place, and an eerie silence fell over the battlefield.

"Roar!"

The Great Ape Karot roared at the equally gigantic Matatabi. The immense amount of Chakra inside Matatabi made Karot view her as a threat. Matatabi roared back defiantly, and battle was about to erupt.

Karot charged forward at high speed, each footfall making the earth tremble. He uprooted a tree along the way and used it as a club. Did all monkeys like using clubs?

Moving at incredible speed, he leaped and brought the tree crashing down on Matatabi's head. "Bang!" The tree made intimate contact with Matatabi. The entire trunk exploded into splinters. It wasn't that Matatabi's head was especially hard; Karot's strength was simply too great, and he couldn't fully control it, causing his power to spill out.

Matatabi staggered, swaying from side to side.

"Roar!"

Matatabi was furious. When had she ever suffered such humiliation? Just because she was strong, did that mean she deserved to be beaten?

Matatabi had lost all reason. She only wanted to kill the monster in front of her and vent her fury.

Matatabi spewed a torrent of fire, using her specialty, Fire Release, in an attempt to burn Karot to death. But she had underestimated him. Karot thrust one hand out of the flames and clamped it tightly over Matatabi's mouth, forcing her to stop using Fire Release. Karot rubbed his eyes; the fire had made them unbearably uncomfortable.

Matatabi kept clawing at Karot's massive hand, trying to make him let go.

When Karot saw that Matatabi wasn't behaving, he grabbed her around the neck with both hands. He lifted her entire body into the air, then slammed her hard into the ground. "Boom!" The tremendous crash made the earth shake.

Karot still wasn't satisfied. He kept smashing her into the ground, once to the left, once to the right, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Everyone present was stunned by this. That was a Tailed Beast! When had one ever been treated like that?

Matatabi, with her tough, thick-skinned body, wrapped all four limbs around Karot's arm, forcing him to stop swinging her.

She opened her mouth and bit him. Karot cried out in pain and let go with both hands, allowing Matatabi to escape. She turned to snarl at him, her hind paws scraping at the ground as she searched for a chance to get revenge.