Hokage: Ryo's Path

Chapter 59 : Shukaku

“Shukaku, he’s all yours. [Feigning Sleep Jutsu]!”

As Bunpuku closed his eyes, the desert’s sand began to gather around him. Soon after, a gigantic creature that’s even more massive than Gamahiro was on the battlefield.

Shukaku’s body was just like sand in color. It looked like a giant Tanuki with dark violet markings on its body, and a huge tail that throws off massive amount of yellow sand.

“Hey Ryo! Shukaku is out, this won’t be fun!” In terms of stature, Gamahiro wasn’t too fat off Shukaku. But the gap in strength between the two was immense.

“Oh yeah! After all, this is a Tailed Beast. If we’re not careful enough, we’ll probably end up dying.” Said Ryo wish a heavy face.

“Hugo! You’re using a tailed beast against a kid?!” Seeing Shukaku, Uchiha Chu’s face changed greatly. Ryo was really strong, especially when he had Gamahiro on his side. But he was by no means an opponent to the Ichibi.

“Haha, that’s the 4th Kazekage’s plan. This can only end in one way. That kid must die! His death is worth any sacrifice!”

Looking at Hugo’s madness on one hand and at Ryo on the other, Chu was only able to pray for Ryo’s survival.

“Ha Ha Ha! I’m finally able to immerge!” With its arrogant laughter, Shukaku woke up.

Feeling the beast’s frightening Chakra, Ryo’s face was getting paler and paler. Before facing it, he didn’t think that the Ichibi would be too strong for him to deal with. After all, Naruto and Gamabunta were able to dispel [Feigning Sleep Jutsu] while holding off Shukaku’s attacks.

However, what Ryo missed is that Gaara, who was the Jinchuriki in the manga, wasn’t at all in good terms with his Bijuu. They were more like fire and ice. Even though Gaara used the [Feigning Sleep Jutsu] back then to unleash Shukaku’s full power, he was still suppressing its full potential.

However, Bunpuku and Shukaku have been together for decades. With time, they learned to get along, and Punbaku was trusting Shukaku’s absolute defense far more than Gaara. This makes it possible to get his Bijuu’s full power by using the [Feigning Sleep Jutsu]. This is absolutely far more powerful than what Naruto had to face.

“Ha ha ha ha, “I shall celebrate my emergence, and that will start by killing you kid! [Futon: Air Bullets]!”

“Ryo, get off my back! [Water Release: Gunshot]!” Gamahiro told Ryo to run and attempted to counter Shukaku’s attack.

In the Manga, Gamabunta’s Gunshots were able to hold off some of Shukaku’s Air Bullets. But here, Gamahiro’s Gunshots weren’t able to deflect them.

He saw that his Water Gunshots were being scattered so he quickly jumped. Ryo also moved quickly to save himself.

“Ryo! What should I do? It is too strong!”

“I don’t know, in front of the absolute power of Shukaku, I don’t think that anything that we would do could have much of an effect.” Ryo answered with a grim face.

“Ryo, how about your ice?”

“That won’t work, here in the desert; I don’t have enough water to do something big enough.”

“You have all these men! Can’t you Yamanaka Ninjas transfer messages into the minds of your troops? Get them to use Water Release to help you out!”

Gamahiro’s proposal gave Ryo a way to get huge amounts of water. This is a great idea! With enough water, Ryo can go for what he has always imagined.

“Hiro, I need you to buy me some time!”

“This one is too strong; I don’t know how long I’m going to last.”

After reaching a consensus, Gamahiro pulled out his swords and jumped in to fight Shukaku. On all levels, he was absolutely incomparable to it.

Ryo left his state of Ice elementization and went for Sage mode to intensify his perception abilities. He used his clan’s technique to connect himself to all the ninjas on the battlefield. He was in too much of a pinch to try to distinguish between those of Konoha and those of the Sand.

“All Konoha Shinobis!” He sound rang across the minds of everybody on the battlefield making them pause for a moment.

“I am Ryo Yamanaka, and I am now fighting against the sand beast, the Ichibi Shukaku! Right now, I’m in desperate need for your help. Please, in 10 seconds, everyone near the center of the battle field use water release!”

Right as he finished his words, Ryo cut the connection. Even when in Sage Mode, it was still very taxing for him to send a message to so many people at one time.

He went back into Ice mode and fully released his Yin Seal. Ten seconds should be enough time for Konoha’s Ninjas to prepare themselves and for Gamahiro to retreat.

“I don’t know what he wants to do, but he’s just asking for Water Jutsus. I don’t think that would be a threat to Shukaku, and it should cost our enemies Chakra!” That’s what most Sand Ninjas were thinking. They didn’t try to interfere with Ryo’s plan.

On the other side, Konoha’s Ninjas were seeing the great battle against the monstrous Shukaku in the middle of the field, and felt sorry for Ryo. Now that they know that they could help him, they all prepared themselves. In ten seconds, Water was released in overwhelming amounts towards Shukaku.

Gamahiro Jumped away before the attack and Shukaku looked at them Ninjas on the battlefield disdainfully.

“Freeze!” With the help of the Natural energy coming from the [Yin Seal], Ryo was able to successfully freeze all the water, and huge amounts of Ice fell on Shukaku’s body getting it all riddled with holes.

The beast was wounded, and Konoha’s Ninjas rejoiced. The sand ninja were in disbelief. After all, they’ve thought that Shukaku’s defense was absolute!

Sure enough, it was still in the desert. Sand gathered around it, and holes in its body were repaired.

“You brat! That actually hurt! How dare you?! [Futon: Air Bullets]!”

Shukaku was angered by Ryo’s attack, and it started spitting out immensely powerful air bullets his way. Ryo hurriedly controlled the ice making a powerful Ice wall protecting him. The ice in his wall was fortified with natural energy, so the Air Bullets didn’t have much effect on it.

“Ryo, this will not stop it! It’s a Biju. It won’t run out of Chakra any time soon, and your ice wall will be destroyed sooner or later.” Gamahiro was worried as he said that.

“I’m preparing for a new technique, one that I’ve never used before. It’s just an idea, and it takes some time to be prepared. All I can do now is relying on this Ice wall.”

“What technique could ever deal with Shukaku? Are you sure you can pull it off?”

“I am facing a Biju, so I can never be sure that I’ll be winning. But if pull this technique, even if I don’t beat it, I shouldn’t lose to it.”

Gamahiro knew Ryo well enough to understand that his words are never hollow. Since he was so confident, Hiro chose to believe in him.

As the ice wall continued to be bombarded by Shikaku, it started to crack. However, Ryo still had his eyes closed and Gamahiro was getting worried.

“Hey hey!” The moment that the wall was shattered, Ryo opened his eyes. Ice around him began to gather.

Gamahiro felt that natural energy around him was pouring with an insane rate into the ice, and felt something that was about to erupt from within it.

“[Ice Colossus]!”