The white thunder dragon violently shattered the hurricane that had been compressed to the extreme, surging toward its target with remaining momentum.

Whoosh!

With a sharp screech, a black chakra sphere—like a dark cannonball—appeared in front of the thunder dragon.

The dragon's body coiled mid-air and encircled the Tailed Beast Ball in one swift motion.

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed as the Tailed Beast Ball detonated.

The dragon's body bulged from the pressure, releasing streams of dark smoke—yet no visible aftermath followed. It remained eerily intact.

The white thunder dragon shimmered like an illusion, yet remained unwavering.

"How is this possible?!" Rasa exclaimed in disbelief.

That was a Tailed Beast Ball! The ultimate technique of a Tailed Beast, capable of leveling villages with a single strike!

And yet, the thunder dragon had easily absorbed it. Earlier, it had dispelled a combined attack from three shinobi, dismantled Ebizo's Great Scythe, and now this?

It was becoming clear why this man had defeated Onoki, along with both the Four-Tails and Five-Tails.

Rasa began to regret using this monster of a shinobi as a demonstration of power.

"Enough hesitation! Remember your path—you're the future Fourth Kazekage!" Ebizo barked.

Meanwhile, a second Tailed Beast Ball formed in Bunpuku's maw and launched toward the thunder dragon.

Whoosh!

The black sphere sped through the air. In a flash, it was upon Haku.

The white thunder dragon slashed out its lightning claws and met the Tailed Beast Ball head-on.

Boom!

The impact echoed like the clash of titans. Light burst from the dragon like a miniature sun, illuminating the entire shinobi world.

The dark orb twisted space itself as its energy condensed into a black pearl. Light clashed with darkness—yin against yang—as the sky painted itself in hues of black and white, like a massive Tai Chi symbol.

At the epicenter, space warped visibly before stabilizing again.

On the battlefield below, the very earth churned. Columns of sand funneled upward, stretching out for nearly a kilometer.

The raw energy spawned hurricanes, hurling sand and dust across the horizon—like the end of days had arrived.

---

Border of the Land of Fire and Land of Wind

Two opposing armies stood at the brink.

On one side, Chiyo led the Sand forces, with Pakura standing close by.

Across from them, Nara Shikaku led the Konoha ranks, flanked by Namikaze Minato and other senior shinobi.

Shikaku's brow furrowed. His original plan had been to wait for Kaito to engage the Sand forces, then flank them. Ideally, the conflict would end swiftly.

But just as Konoha's forces moved, the full force of the Sand stood ready.

Among them stood Pakura, master of Scorch Release. She and Chiyo—who appeared barely conscious—had clearly returned with reinforcements.

Shikaku's mind raced. He didn't know exactly who their reinforcements were, but he recognized the telltale signs: multiple masked ANBU from the Sand Village.

Only one conclusion made sense. Magnet Style: Rasa—future Kazekage—had arrived personally to end this war.

With time running out, Shikaku made a decision. Regardless of her current stance, Konoha needed Tsunade.

The moment his orders went out, he saw something awe-inspiring.

A thunder dragon, colossal and shimmering, burst from the clouds. It collided with a distant sandstorm, swallowed it whole like a predator consuming prey, and soared forward, unabated.

"Shikaku-sama! There were three powerful chakra signatures in that sandstorm!" reported Hyuga Tokugawa, Byakugan activated.

Shikaku immediately grasped the identities: Ebizo, Rasa, and the One-Tail's jinchuriki, Bunpuku.

His face darkened.

If Kaito failed to win, Rasa's presence would tip the battle irreversibly.

Reinforcements from Konoha would take too long, and their best chance—supporting Kaito—was gone. The earlier blast had stirred Chiyo awake.

Despite her injuries, Chiyo was still a Kage-level opponent—one only Tsunade could stand against.

The gap between Kage and Jōnin wasn't just a rank, it was a chasm.

Only someone like Minato, master of space-time ninjutsu, could stand out as an exception.

Suddenly, a dark orb rocketed from the horizon and struck the thunder dragon.

Even without Tokugawa's report, Shikaku knew it was another Tailed Beast Ball.

But once again, the dragon coiled and consumed it with a single motion.

No backlash. No explosion. Only the roaring echo remained.

The sheer absurdity of it all left the shinobi on both sides speechless.

This was power reminiscent of the First Hokage himself.

Shikaku exhaled. He had made his choice.

"Attention, all Konoha shinobi! This is an official order from your acting commander! Hold your positions! Monitor every Sand Ninja in front of you! Do not let a single one escape until the battle between Tsunade-sama's fiancé and the Sand's high command concludes!"

He didn't care if it put Tsunade's reputation on the line. If invoking her relationship with Kaito could inspire the troops, then so be it.

They would need every ounce of morale.

___

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