The Tailed Beast Becomes Furry

Orochimaru controlled the four Hokage, launching the first wave of attacks.

Hashirama clapped his hands together, and countless thick branches erupted from the floor, surging straight toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped his Adamantine Enma Staff tightly, his figure flickering and shifting as he shattered several branches, successfully fending off the initial assault.

Tobirama finished his hand seals, condensing a torrent of floodwater to envelop his body as a Water Dragon Bullet took shape above his head.

Ōnoki glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi; he was currently entangled by Minato and unable to break free, so he performed hand seals to summon an Earth Style: Earth Wall for defense.

"The Flying Thunder God is truly troublesome." Cold sweat beaded on Hiruzen Sarutobi's forehead, and his Hokage robe was already riddled with tears.

If not for his seasoned experience and deep familiarity with Minato—coupled with the fact that Minato would offer warnings during his attacks—he would likely have been defeated by now.

Rasa's golden gold dust condensed in the air, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could barely parry the onslaught, showing signs of fatigue after only a short while.

Had it not been for Ōnoki's assistance, he would likely have already sacrificed himself.

Orochimaru stood in the rear, his snake-like pupils filled with mockery: "Teacher, how does it feel? These four are all top-tier powerhouses from history."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not spare the focus to respond.

Outside the barrier, Jingxin hovered in mid-air, his Mangekyō Sharingan fixed intently on the battle unfolding within.

The moment his attention wavered, a subtle fluctuation of chakra emanated from below.

Jingxin's pupils constricted, and his Sharingan snapped toward the exam grounds beneath him.

Shukaku's massive body had somehow quietly gathered a vast amount of chakra, and those enormous eyes were locked onto him, a flash of cunning flickering within them.

"Sealing Jutsu: Sand Curse Binding!"

Shukaku's shrill voice rang out, and countless grains of sand transformed into runic chains, erupting from the ground to instantly envelop Jingxin.

The runic chains shimmered with an ominous light; it was a sealing technique specifically designed to target chakra.

Shukaku had actually prepared this trap while he was distracted by the barrier!

In the split second before the chains fully bound him, the Mangekyō pattern in Jingxin's left eye spun rapidly.

Aragami!

"What?!" Shukaku's voice rang out in shock.

Black runic chains wrapped layer upon layer around its massive body, and sealing power surged madly into its core.

Shukaku felt its power being rapidly suppressed, its chakra flow becoming sluggish.

However, Jingxin was not faring well either; he hadn't had time to use Susanoo for defense before the Aragami rebound, and several runic chains had coiled around his limbs, the sealing power invading his meridians.

Jingxin could no longer maintain his Light-Weight Rock Technique and began to plummet toward the ground.

Karin, watching from the side, felt her heart tighten and rushed over.

But someone was faster than her.

Whoosh.

Karin only felt a gust of wind overtake her, as if someone had "stepped on her shoulders" to leap high into the air and catch Jingxin in their arms.

Karin: "?"

Kurotsuchi landed steadily, looking down at the Jingxin in her arms, and asked: "Are you alright?"

"What are you doing?" Karin ran over, displeased, and immediately snatched Jingxin away: "Do you even know how to use sealing jutsu?"

Kurotsuchi offered a wicked smile; never mind whether she knew how or not, she had seized the opportunity regardless.

Karin began to examine Jingxin.

Meanwhile, Jingxin himself was mobilizing the chakra within his body, battering against Shukaku's seal.

With Jingxin's self-rescue and Karin's assistance, the runic chains binding him shattered inch by inch, dissipating into specks of chakra light.

At the same time, Shukaku was struggling frantically.

After all, it was a Tailed Beast, and its chakra reserves were terrifyingly vast.

"Break for this Great One!"

Shukaku roared, forcibly shattering the sealing chains on its body, then looked up at Jingxin, its eyes filled with horror.

It had intended to take advantage of the moment to seal Jingxin and then escape.

But what was that ability just now?

To actually reflect an attack back without losing any of its potency?

Wait!

Why was that brat also freed from the seal?!

After Jingxin stood up, the Mangekyō Sharingan reappeared in his eyes, radiating a heart-stopping pressure that locked onto Shukaku almost instantly.

Shukaku subconsciously took a step back, its voice trembling: "W-wait! That was a misunderstanding! This Great One was just..."

Screw you!

Jingxin's expression hardened as a pure white Susanoo manifested around his body, its form rapidly expanding to shield himself, Kurotsuchi, and Karin within.

Fighting wasn't a stage play; there was no need for so much chatter!

"I... I apologize!" Shukaku hurriedly shouted, raising its massive claws in a gesture of surrender. "This Great One promises never to cause trouble again! I'll return to Gaara's body right now!"

Jingxin remained silent, focused solely on pushing the evolution of his Susanoo; within a few breaths, it had reached over a dozen meters in height and sprouted limbs.

Shukaku felt a chill run through its heart. Finding no success in begging, it grew desperate and opened its maw, where Tailed Beast chakra gathered frantically to rapidly form a pitch-black Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Oh no! It's a Tailed Beast Bomb!"

"Good heavens! Where are the jonin?"

"Sealing squad! Where is the sealing squad?!"

The scene descended into near-instant chaos as ninjas from Sunagakure and Konoha unleashed a barrage of ninjutsu toward Shukaku.

A massive quantity of sand surged around Shukaku, intercepting the incoming attacks.

BOOM!

The Tailed Beast Bomb in Shukaku's mouth hurtled toward Jingxin.

Everyone watched the scene in despair.

While that white chakra giant looked intimidating, they had never seen it before!

Could that thing really block a Tailed Beast Bomb?

Even if it did, the surrounding area would surely be left in ruins—how many people on the scene could possibly survive that?

Jingxin, however, appeared unhurried. His Susanoo swung its arm, the transparent white giant hand coated in a layer of Boil Release—a fusion of water and fire chakra—forming a "glove" constructed of scalding steam, which swiped the Tailed Beast Bomb from left to right.

BANG!

The Tailed Beast Bomb was compressed and deflected by the Boil Release, sent flying off into the distance.

BOOM!!!

Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb detonated, the intense shockwave sweeping across all of Konoha and sending people reeling.

When everyone looked back, they discovered that nearly half of Konoha had been reduced to ruins.

Dazed gazes turned toward Jingxin, who offered a faint smile.

He had done it on purpose.

He could have swatted it into the sky, yet he chose to...

Crackle, crackle~

The Susanoo began to walk, stepping across the Chunin Exams arena and leaving deep footprints in the earth with every stride, while the half-shattered wrist caused by the Tailed Beast Bomb was rapidly repaired by the ocular power of Jingxin's Mangekyō.

The Susanoo closed in on Shukaku, pinning it to the ground with its left hand while raising its right high, a formidable sealing power manifesting in its palm as it descended toward the top of Shukaku's head.

"Don't!"

Shukaku shrieked; as a creature familiar with sealing arts, it recognized that technique as the Four Symbols Seal.

If it were sealed by that thing, it could forget about harassing Gaara ever again.

"That thing is meant for the Nine-Tails! Not for me! No!!!"

"I beg you! Stop! This Great... I don't want to..."

Yet, Jingxin remained unmoved.

Under the stunned, wide-eyed gazes of the crowd, Shukaku looked like a violated beast.

Dense, black patterns began to bind its body.

Shukaku's form began to shrink rapidly until it was entirely pulled back into Gaara's body.

Gaara lay quietly on the ground, fast asleep, with a red, swirl-like seal appearing on his abdomen, hissing as it emitted white steam.

Was it over just like that?

The others remained unable to snap out of their stupor following the swift conclusion of the battle.

Jingxin escorted Kurotsuchi and Karin to a safe location, then dispelled his Susanoo and flew back into the high air, looking toward the barrier where the fighting still continued.