Shinnō was in a miserable state.
He had been humming a little tune, enjoying life aboard the Sky Warship, when an attack came out of nowhere.
The attacker was an enemy of his former employer. Shinnō had wanted to join him, but the man had rejected him and attacked outright.
After seeing what had happened to the Sky Ninja earlier, Shinnō did not hesitate. He mobilized his chakra and activated the Eight Gates Released Formation.
"Gate of Healing, open!"
"Gate of Life, open!"
As gate after gate opened, Shinnō's chakra swelled, and his body transformed into a monstrous mass of muscle.
Even so, with the Sixth Gate open, there was still a gulf between Shinnō's presence and Toneri's.
But letting Toneri probe his memories as he had those of the Sky Ninja was out of the question. There were far too many secrets in his head.
With his feet planted on the deck and the Sixth Gate open, Shinnō could now resist the attractive force. In a flash, he vanished from the deck.
The next instant, he appeared before Toneri and raised a fist the size of a cooking pot.
The howling wind from his punch stung the face.
Just then, Toneri extended his other palm. An overwhelming repulsive force surged out, sending Shinnō flying backward into the warship's outer wall.
When Shinnō got back up, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He became even more convinced that his opponent might possess the Rinnegan. Still, he could not accept losing like this.
Taking out the unfinished Zero-Tails, Shinnō began merging the tailed beast with himself.
Although the incomplete Zero-Tails posed enormous risks, this might be his last chance to become the Zero-Tails Jinchūriki.
Shinnō's method of merging with Zero-Tails was unusual. Rather than a gradual fusion, he brutally