Shukaku Falls into Self-Doubt

Before Shukaku could react, the countless twisted faces on that enormous mountain of flesh opened their mouths in unison. "Sinners who dare defy the Lord should all go to hell!"

Ten thousand souls roared in fury at once. Endless waves of sound, like the whispers of Jashin, unleashed a powerful mental attack directly upon Shukaku's soul.

This soul-level attack had a tremendous effect on Shukaku.

It clutched its head in agony. The ceaselessly invading sound waves caused fine cracks to emerge across its body, and its outer shell shattered into sand beneath the vibrations.

Shukaku wanted to control the surrounding sand and interrupt the Apostle of Desire, but the moment it raised its head, it met a massive eye.

In an instant, it felt as though it had fallen into a bottomless abyss. Darkness surrounded it, without the slightest trace of light.

Suddenly, the sky turned blood-red. A figure emerged and opened his eyes, his pair of Rinnegan radiating a terrifying aura.

Then, a giant tree shot up into the endless darkness. Huge vines extended from the savage gaping mouth split open in its center, wrapping directly around Shukaku's body and dragging it toward the enormous maw.

"No! I don't want to go back, damn it!"

Shukaku used all its strength, digging its claws fiercely into the ground.

When it looked down, it discovered that its once enormous body had somehow shrunk into the juvenile form it had possessed just after separating from the Divine Tree!

With a body like this, it could not possibly resist the vines' pull. Shukaku could only watch helplessly as the giant tree dragged it away.

Suddenly, Shukaku's expression changed.

"No, this is Genjutsu!"

The moment it realized this, its aura surged explosively and its Chakra boiled, instantly shattering the illusion.

Although Shukaku reacted quickly,