Giant Ape Form

A distant boom echoed, and a sky full of yellow sand flew into the air. A giant tanuki made of sand appeared in the distance.

"Damn..."

Then another boom, and a vermilion toad appeared nearby.

Jimo rushed toward the battle site.

He saw Sakura bound tightly to a tree by Shukaku's sand, the immense pressure making it hard for her to breathe—she had already gone into shock. Sasuke lay slumped nearby, unconscious.

Jimo summoned a toad the size of two men and had it take them both back to the village first.

"Damn... even Boss Toad can't beat a monster like a tailed beast..."

Though Jimo knew Naruto would eventually wake Gaara with a single punch, the situation was critical now—he had to step in and end this fight.

"Got it!"

Jimo compressed most of the qi in his body into a sphere of light, which slowly grew larger.

"Not enough... still not enough..."

By then, Naruto and Gamabunta had already engaged Shukaku. Gamabunta slashed off one of Shukaku's arms with his short sword, but since the tailed beast's body was made of shifting sand, physical attacks were useless against him.

The two giant beasts clashed fiercely on the battlefield. Iron Cannonballs and Air Bullets collided violently in the air, the resulting torrents nearly creating a localized rainstorm.

Seeing the stalemate, Shukaku spat out two Air Bullets, striking Gamabunta squarely.

"Damn... even I can't take this kind of pure chakra blast for long," Gamabunta said, panting heavily.

"Kid... the best move now is to wake that guy up."

"How do I wake him up?!" Naruto asked, staring at the monster across from him.

"Simple—punch him once and knock him awake!"

Before Naruto could react, Gamabunta charged forward. But a toad had no claws or fangs, and Shukaku slipped smoothly out of his grip.

"Damn... kid, get ready to use the Transformation Technique! I won't last much longer..."

Just as Gamabunta was about to explain how to perform the technique, a jet of flame shot from afar, smashing directly into Shukaku's face.

"What?!"

Naruto and Gamabunta stared in shock at the direction the flame came from. A giant gorilla was beating its chest and charging toward them.

"Don't just stand there, Naruto!" a rough voice called out.

"How does he know... that's Jimo..." Naruto said in astonishment, staring at the giant ape.

"Kid! No time! I don't know how Jimo turned into an ape, but the main job now is to wake up that red-haired kid!"

Gamabunta snapped Naruto out of his daze.

Jimo wrapped his arms around Shukaku from behind, squeezing his body tight. But the sand-formed body was surprisingly soft, even sucking his arms in.

Fortunately, as a giant ape, Jimo's physical strength far exceeded normal, allowing him to withstand the pressure of the Sand Coffin without his bones being crushed by the sand.

"Stay still!"

Jimo punched Shukaku in the face. He didn't dare hit Gaara directly—if he accidentally killed him, he wasn't sure if that would fully release Shukaku.

Jimo spat a stream of flame from his mouth. The extreme heat vitrified Shukaku's claws, temporarily preventing them from regenerating.

"So this... is a Konoha ninja? Terrifying..."

Kankuro lay on the ground, staring at the giant ape fighting Shukaku in the distance. Temari, nearby, also watched in shock as Shukaku was held in check.

"Does Konoha have another monster like this..."

Thanks to Jimo and Gamabunta's distraction, Naruto managed to leap onto Shukaku's head and swung a punch.

But Shukaku, who could freely control sand, quickly used it to pin Naruto in front of Gaara.

Seeing Gaara within arm's reach, Naruto slammed his head forward into him. The sharp pain jolted Gaara awake.

Shukaku's form gradually faded.

The two stood atop a giant tree branch, watching each other warily.

A leaf fell... They charged at each other at the same time.

A punch thrown... a blow landed.

One figure crashed heavily to the ground.

"Gaara... lost..." Temari said in disbelief, watching Gaara fall.

Naruto, meanwhile, was caught steadily by the Flying Nimbus Jimo had summoned.

"I'd love to see what happens next... but I'm at my limit too," Gamabunta said wearily, casting a meaningful glance at Jimo, still in his Giant Ape Form.

"Kid... come visit Mount Myoboku sometime. I'd really like to spar with you in that form."

Bam. Gamabunta deliberately dispelled the summoning, dissolving into a puff of smoke that vanished into the forest.

Jimo's consciousness began to blur as well... his body, once as massive as Shukaku's, gradually shrank, the fur slowly receding from his skin.

Before long, he had reverted back to a normal human body.

"Right now, I don't even have the strength to wipe my own nose..."

Jimo muttered to himself in self-deprecation, then lost consciousness.

When awareness returned to his mind, Jimo slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying in a spacious, bright medical room.

White walls, pale blue curtains, and neatly arranged medical instruments—everything felt both unfamiliar and familiar.

Just then, a familiar figure came into his view. She was quietly lying prostrate beside his bed, as if she had been watching over him all along.

That iconic pomegranate-shaped hairstyle... Jimo couldn't help reaching out a hand, gently brushing her cheek.

Sensing Jimo's touch, the figure stirred slightly, then slowly lifted her head.

It was Anko! Her eyes were filled with surprise and concern: "You're awake?"

Hearing Anko's voice, Jimo tried to sit up, but a powerful wave of weakness washed over him.

He realized then that he was still under the debuff from his giant ape state, his body feeling as heavy as if crushed by a thousand-pound weight.

So he could only ask in a faint voice: "The battle... is it over?"

Seeing Jimo so weak, a flicker of pain passed through Anko's eyes. But soon, she nodded and replied softly: "Mm, it's over. We won... but we paid a heavy price."

As she said this, a barely concealed sadness spread across Anko's face.

"Even though Lord Jiraiya arrived in time... and successfully sealed the two former Hokage... Lord Third still used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal... to seal Orochimaru's hands..."

Anko's expression was one of dejection...

"I see... the old man is gone after all..."

Jimo gazed out the window. Some things really were fated... Perhaps at that moment, it was the best option available... taking away Orochimaru's hands.