Twin orbs of devastating chakra formed in the mouths of the rampaging Tailed Beasts—Kokuō and Son Gokū.

High above, Ōnoki clasped his hands together, panting heavily. A massive cube, many times larger than his usual technique, began to take shape between his palms.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique - Limit Separation!" he roared.

This was his ultimate move—an enhanced version of his standard Dust Release. Larger, stronger, and with sustained destructive capacity. But it came at a steep cost.

With Ōnoki's dwindling stamina, he could only manage this technique three or four times at most. But with the battle now encroaching on the borders of the Land of Fire, there was no room for hesitation.

He clenched his teeth. That boy... he's a Konoha shinobi. We must eliminate him before the Fire Nation's forces can interfere.

The massive rectangular block of Dust Release grew, blotting out the sun as it moved forward, disintegrating everything in its path.

At the same moment, the two Tailed Beast Bombs launched from the ground below—hurtling upward, their impact capable of leveling mountains.

The Thunder Giant stood between them, surrounded on three sides—Tailed Beasts below, Dust Release above.

But Kaito remained calm atop his construct.

The spear in the giant's hand gleamed with concentrated energy. Lightning as white as pearl twisted around it, its presence distorting the very air.

Kaito narrowed his eyes.

The Thunder Giant raised its arm and hurled the spear with a flash of white heat.

Boom! Boom!

The spear pierced through both incoming Tailed Beast Bombs with ease, as if Kaito were shooting down twin suns. Explosions erupted, shaking the battlefield violently.

Dust and debris roared across the terrain, but the Thunder Giant stood firm, unmoved.

Above, the Dust Release technique loomed closer, blotting out the sky.

The Thunder Giant's eyes lit with renewed fury.

It extended its palm, lightning gathering at breakneck speed. In the blink of an eye, the spear it had just thrown reformed—reborn from raw energy into its outstretched hand.

Gripping the weapon tightly, the Thunder Giant thrust it directly into the descending cube of Dust Release.

No explosion.

No boom.

Only silence.

In the space between the spear and the cube, reality twisted. Red-black lightning danced through the distorted barrier, while any debris that wandered close simply... vanished.

In the distance, Jiraiya and the others stared in stunned silence.

Even in the Second Great Ninja War, when they faced Hanzo of the Salamander, it had never reached this level.

Hanzo had held back.

This? This was annihilation.

"What could drive Ōnoki and the Tailed Beasts to this extent?" Jiraiya muttered.

Beside him, Hyūga Hizashi answered solemnly, "We don't know. We were patrolling the border when we heard the fighting from Iwagakure's direction. There were no guards nearby, so we checked it out... and saw this."

"So, not even a reason..." Jiraiya grimaced.

"It's nearly over," Chōza Akimichi said softly.

Everyone turned toward the sky.

The cube of Dust Release was covered in cracks. Half of the lightning spear had already vanished under its pressure.

But the spear kept regenerating—constantly restored by the Thunder Giant's bottomless lightning.

Suddenly—

Buzz!

The Dust Release cube flared with blinding white light, as though the universe itself were igniting. For a brief moment, the sky became a sea of white.

And then, it vanished.

When the light cleared, the Thunder Giant's arm was gone. The one holding the spear had been completely erased.

Even Kaito's eyes narrowed. So even this much volts couldn't resist that...

He sighed quietly. "That's the power of a true Kekkei Tōta..."

But the battle wasn't over.

Lightning sparked furiously at the point where the giant's arm had vanished. In seconds, the missing limb reformed, as though nothing had happened.

In a flash, Kaito descended—appearing directly before the two weakened Tailed Beasts.

Before they could react, his enormous hands clamped around their necks.

Though they had no visible injuries, their minds were weary. The battle had exhausted them.

Crack! Crack!

White lightning burst from Kaito's palms, enveloping both beasts completely.

They thrashed, roaring in pain.

As the voltage surged, their massive forms began to shrink.

Seeing this, Kaito instantly released his grip. The electrical output of the Thunder Giant's hands was too much for the human hosts to endure.

Moments later, Rōshi and Han collapsed to the ground—unconscious.

The Thunder Giant dispersed into light, vanishing as Kaito hovered alone in midair.

He crossed his arms, silently considering his next move.

Should I take one of the Tailed Beasts as a summon? Slugs are good for support, but they lack firepower...

But there was a catch.

His Lightning Release—granted by the Goro Goro no Mi—wasn't naturally compatible with any of the nine tailed beasts. None of them used lightning-based chakra.

And besides, both Son Gokū and Kokuō were destined to be hunted down by the Akatsuki later. Taking them now wouldn't really disrupt the timeline.

Still...

Kaito frowned. How far am I from my original timeline? Ten years? Twenty? If I return to my own era, they might already be sealed again.

Too much uncertainty.

Forget it, Kaito thought, sighing.

He glanced once at Ōnoki, Jiraiya, and the others in the distance—then vanished with a flicker of lightning.

FWOOOSH!

Gone.

In the silence that followed, Jiraiya and the rest let out a collective breath.

Every Konoha shinobi suddenly relaxed, their tense bodies sagging with relief.

Just moments ago, even a passing glance from that man had made them feel like boulders were crushing their lungs.

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