"I remember you said seven years. But now it's only been three... You're way ahead of schedule. I guess I underestimated you."
With a final scoff, a thick tail whipped toward him at high speed, like a white afterimage.
Tōshirō's body flared with rising steam. He instantly activated his Steam Armor, kicked off the ground, and darted backward just in time to avoid the blow. In midair, he saw the thick tail smash into the ground, leaving a massive crater and forming a hollowed-out zone.
His heels landed with a splash, stirring concentric ripples on the water's surface. Tōshirō steadied himself and thought, If that had landed on me, things could've gotten really bad…
"Looks like mastering Boil Release has really inflated your ego. But don't forget who made your strength possible."
The Five-Tails stared fiercely at the steam rising from Tōshirō's body. Its rage churned the water around them, creating waves as if the surface itself were boiling.
"I know very well," Tōshirō said seriously. "If it were the past, I might have waited a few more years out of caution. But now, I've decided to take the risk."
"For that girl?"
"That's right."
"Hmph. Foolish emotions."
"The battlefield is filled with danger—one misstep, and it's all over. If I want to protect the one I love, I have to be stronger than anyone else." Facing the Five-Tails' ferocious gaze, Tōshirō declared earnestly, "And for that, your power is absolutely essential. Gobi…"
He paused, then shook his head and corrected himself, voice solemn: "Muō."
The shift in title marked a shift in attitude. There was no jest in Tōshirō's tone now, and the Five-Tails could clearly feel the sincerity deep in his heart.
"You sure talk big. I wonder how you'll fare when it comes to real action…"
As the Five-Tails' massive chakra surged, it was nothing short of overwhelming. Before, even a light stir of its chakra would send the water surging like the sea in a storm. But now, as it erupted fully, five towering jets of water shot into the air—mirroring the five tails behind it.
Facing such an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, Tōshirō actually smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting in excitement. "You're strong. But that's exactly why I have to do this, don't you think?"
After three years of focused training, today he could finally put his skills to the test.
Tōshirō formed a hand seal, gathering chakra within his body, preparing for release. As the final seal locked into place, he aimed at the Five-Tails charging toward him—and spat out a massive, blazing fireball.
It was the Uchiha Clan's signature technique—Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu.
Against an opponent like a tailed beast, a calamity-level entity, this technique was practically worthless. Even against regular ninja, its effect was limited.
To the Five-Tails, the Great Fireball Jutsu was laughable. A mere glance would be giving it too much credit.
So, rather than dodging, it deliberately took the fireball head-on, smashing through it in an instant and lunging toward Tōshirō.
So fast!
The sudden attack from such close range reflected in Tōshirō's shrinking pupils. The Five-Tails' white form loomed large in them.
No matter how many times he saw it, it was hard to believe something so massive could move so fast—so fast even he couldn't react…
Or so it seemed.
The Tōshirō that the Five-Tails rammed turned into liquid and scattered—revealing his deceptive trick.
"Crack… crack… crack…"
Just as the Five-Tails was about to celebrate its strike, it suddenly realized its entire body was wrapped in chains of ice.
"When did this happen…"
Following the trail of ice, it saw a young man in the distance to its right, hands locked in a sealing gesture.
Tōshirō's voice came, laced with a playful taunt:"Right when you were scoffing at the Great Fireball Jutsu~~"
Tōshirō knew better than anyone the actual power of the Great Fireball Jutsu. Using it to even slightly affect a tailed beast was wishful thinking at best.
So when he used the Great Fireball Jutsu, it was never meant to cause damage from the beginning. His true intent was to obscure the Five-Tails' vision for a moment, during which he used a Water Clone. Meanwhile, his real body used Water Release to submerge into the water and circle around to the back, where he unleashed Ice Release: Chains of Ice.
This kind of precise timing—off by even a second—would've ruined the plan. It was only possible thanks to the insight of the Sharingan.
Even with its entire body bound in chains of ice, the Five-Tails remained dismissive, drawing on the immense, seemingly bottomless chakra within its body to shatter the icy chains in one burst."You really think a jutsu of this level is enough to—"
Before it could finish, the Five-Tails suddenly realized these chains weren't just made with Ice Release—they also carried a sealing effect.
A flicker of surprise colored the Five-Tails' blue eyes.
This seal felt familiar—it had only sensed something like it once before, inside the body of the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
"This technique's not bad, right…"
Tōshirō's body surged with blue chakra, which condensed into a semi-transparent form resembling himself, floating behind him and connected to his body.
"I see now. You're trying to directly extract my chakra through this technique. In a way, I suppose you've won…"
"But if you think this is enough to restrain me, that's far too naïve. Compared to that woman's sealing technique, yours isn't even in the same league." The Five-Tails moved its mouth, its neutral voice harsh and unrelenting. "At most, it's a cheap imitation made with Ice Release."
This wasn't mockery, just a statement of fact grounded in reality.
"I know that without you telling me…"
Tōshirō had thought seriously about how to deal with a giant beast like the Five-Tails.
Unlike Naruto, who could just throw around Rasenshuriken, Giant Rasengan, and barrage after barrage of chakra-heavy techniques like he had infinite chakra, Tōshirō didn't have that kind of firepower.
If he wanted to defeat a tailed beast, he had to catch it off guard. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse his chances.
"Hmm…"
The Five-Tails visibly tensed, letting out a breath of white mist from its mouth. The cold vapor rose, swirled, and finally dissolved into the air.
Massive amounts of ice-element chakra surged through the Chains of Ice, flowing into its body. Its temperature began to drop. Even its fur started to freeze, covered in a layer of snow whiter than its own hide.
Tōshirō and the Five-Tails locked eyes from a distance. Bracing himself for what came next, Tōshirō drew in a deep breath. His hands clenched tighter into the sealing signs, as if to force more chakra from within.
"Haah—!"
With a low growl, veins bulging on his hands and temples pulsing, Tōshirō shouted:
"Ice Release – Ice Age!"
CRACK—CRACKLE—CRACK!
In the blink of an eye, frost swallowed the Five-Tails—its body, limbs, tails, and every corner of its form were encased. Ice reached into its bones, down to every capillary, turning it into a towering ice sculpture.
After executing the technique, Tōshirō stood gasping for breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead. A wave of heat burst from his nostrils and dripped into his mouth.
His tongue involuntarily licked it—warm, metallic. The taste of blood—his own.
To freeze a creature of the Five-Tails' caliber, Tōshirō couldn't afford to hold back. He had poured nearly all of his chakra into that one attack.
But as he stared at the enormous frozen statue before him, Tōshirō felt—it had been worth it.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Soul Land 2: Golden Dragon King]."
"If you want early access to nearly 35+ chapters , join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"