When Rasa thought of Bunpuku's current state, he suddenly realized something. Shukaku, the One-Tail, had grown amidst the harsh winds and sands of the desert. It wasn't surprising that Bunpuku, now partially transformed, had inherited the ability to use Magnet Release. But what truly shocked Rasa was that the monk had managed to unleash the Iron Sand Secret Technique—the signature technique of the Third Kazekage.

High above, countless iron sand arrows formed silently, hovering ominously in the air. Under Bunpuku's control, they surged toward Kaito with terrifying speed and penetrating power.

The iron sand—like gold dust—could be gathered, scattered, and manipulated at will. It could pierce flesh with ease, making it a fearsome weapon.

But Kaito didn't flinch.

In an instant, a massive barrier of lightning flared to life around him, enveloping him in a protective dome of crackling energy.

Ding ding dong! Ding ding dong!

Ebizo's Wind Style blades struck the barrier like blades on steel, releasing sharp metallic echoes.

Then came the rain of iron sand arrows.

Kaito raised his hand, and the thunder field around him surged outward. It transformed into a vast sea of white lightning that swept up the falling arrows in midair.

Crack! Crack!

The lightning twisted into writhing serpents, vaporizing the iron sand with violent electric currents until nothing remained.

Though the exchange seemed long and fierce, it all happened in a flash.

Each fighter's expression told a different story. Bunpuku, cloaked in dark red chakra, showed nothing. Ebizo remained calm, having already witnessed Kaito's overwhelming power. But Rasa, who had hoped to make an example of him, looked utterly humiliated.

Despite not truly coordinating, the three of them had still effectively attacked together—and not one of them had landed a single blow. That humiliation burned deep.

"Ebizo, Bunpuku! Attack together!" Rasa roared, slamming his hands down.

A torrent of golden sand surged like a tidal wave.

Bunpuku followed suit, his tailed beast chakra flaring violently. Black iron sand erupted from the ground, wrapping around Rasa's golden sand like a flowing black veil.

Ebizo moved fast. He retrieved a scroll from within his robe and slammed it to the ground. Poof! A massive iron war fan emerged from the smoke.

Grabbing the fan, Ebizo leapt onto the swirling waves of sand and iron.

Forming rapid hand seals midair, his chakra surged.

"Wind Style: Great Scythe!" he bellowed.

With a mighty swing of the fan, a whirlwind burst forth. It was a tornado of compressed chakra-laced wind, filled with thousands of razor-sharp micro-blades capable of slicing through steel.

The gale merged with the storm of golden and black sand, forming a monstrous, swirling black tornado. The sky darkened, dust churning wildly, as if a natural disaster had come to wipe Kaito from existence.

After unleashing the attack, Ebizo vanished within the storm.

Kaito, however, remained calm. A faint smirk crossed his lips.

[Thunder Fruit: Post-evolution current output, 500 million volts.]

Iron sand? Gold dust? Both were highly conductive. And wind blades? Worthless against him.

With a casual wave of his hand, the white lightning within the Thunder Domain surged. A massive Lightning Dragon—dozens of meters tall—roared into existence.

It had two curved horns, whiskers that fluttered in the charged air, five fearsome claws, and a body cloaked in jagged scales of blinding white lightning.

Its glowing eyes lit up like twin stars.

Two beams of pure lightning shot from its eyes, slicing through the storm like spears.

The thunder dragon roared, coiling through the sky, stepping across storm clouds as it lunged toward the oncoming black tornado.

Seeing this, Rasa, Ebizo, and Bunpuku all reacted with visible dread. The chakra and destructive force behind the thunder dragon were undeniable—it was like a natural calamity.

The lightning dragon crashed into the black tornado, its claws rending through the waves of sand and iron. The compressed wind blades tried to respond, forming thousands of spinning micro-blades in retaliation.

Ding ding dong! Ding ding dong!

The blades sparked on contact with the lightning, but failed to pierce even the dragon's outer current. It tore through the storm unscathed.

Again and again it lashed through the tornado until the storm weakened, frayed, and finally dispersed.

Not even scorched, the thunder dragon coiled around the remaining mass of sand and iron. Its body blazed like a second sun, and then it shifted—folding inwards into a rectangular lightning barrier that encased the entire attack.

Within that glowing prison, arcs of electricity wriggled like serpents. In mere moments, the sandstorm inside was devoured, disintegrated into nothingness.

Kaito moved again, forming a second lightning dragon from the Thunder Domain and sending it hurtling toward the trio with a roar.

Rasa stood frozen, stunned that their combined jutsu had been erased so easily. His confidence shattered, he was unable to react.

But Ebizo and Bunpuku were veterans. They didn't freeze.

Ebizo quickly formed hand seals and swung his giant fan once more.

"Wind Style: Great Scythe!"

Another compressed hurricane screamed forth, filled with deadly wind blades. He knew it wouldn't be enough—but it might buy time.

Beside him, Bunpuku entered a deeper tailed beast state. His jaw opened wide as black and white chakra particles gathered at his throat.

In an instant, a swirling black orb formed—a Tailed Beast Ball.

BOOM!

Like a living turret, Bunpuku fired the devastating sphere straight at the lightning dragon barreling toward them.

The hurricane and the Tailed Beast Ball struck the thunder dragon head-on—

But they did nothing.

It tore through the storm like paper.

---

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