The Nen ability, Hyakushiki Kannon (Hundred-Type Guanyin), which Kawaki Aoba obtained through an altar-based transference ritual, not only possessed immense power but also inherited the combat instincts and martial arts mastery of Isaac Netero—the former Chairman of the Hunter Association in the Hunter x Hunter world.
Although Kawaki Aoba couldn't instantly absorb all of Netero's experience, the Guanyin manifestation behind him could operate on pure instinct, unleashing devastating attacks based on the reflexive muscle memory Netero honed over decades. As its controller, Aoba could gradually sync with the Guanyin, converting Netero's near-century of combat wisdom into his own usable skill set.
Who was Netero? A top-tier powerhouse of the Hunter x Hunter world. Even in his twilight years, at only half his prime strength, he remained one of the strongest humans alive—able to battle the Chimera Ant King, Meruem, head-on.
To gain mastery over the life-long combat techniques of such a monster through sheer learning felt like a dream come true to Aoba.
Once he fully internalized Netero's martial arts legacy, Aoba believed he would stand shoulder to shoulder with the most elite combatants in the shinobi world—perhaps even surpassing them.
Even Uchiha Madara might pause, give him a grudging nod, and call him formidable.
But to master such overwhelming battle instincts quickly, Aoba had to push the Guanyin to its limits in actual combat. The ideal opponent? A highly durable, chakra-rich target.
Unfortunately for Shukaku, the One-Tail, that made him the perfect candidate.
Was Shukaku suffering? The answer was painfully obvious.
Pummeled relentlessly by hundreds of massive, golden ethereal arms, he was getting flattened into the sand over and over again. It was the kind of beating only a Tailed Beast could survive—and even then, barely.
In the early days of the shinobi world, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and Uchiha Madara had once captured the tailed beasts together. All nine had tasted the wrath of Hashirama's Senpō: Mokuton — Shin Sūsenju and been locked in eye contact with Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Shukaku, ever the loudmouth, used to mock the other Tailed Beasts for those humiliating days. He'd ridiculed them through the psychic link they shared during their long, bored slumbers in sealed vessels.
But now? Karma had caught up.
The Hyakushiki Kannon left no openings—its offense and defense were seamless. Each strike thundered down with precision and explosive might.
Shukaku couldn't even launch a Tailed Beast Ball, let alone mount a proper counterattack. Every breath was a battle.
Internally battered and bruised, Shukaku realized that if this kept up, he might actually die here.
Not that death frightened him. As a chakra construct, he'd simply reincarnate somewhere in the world later—likely in a remote desert.
Still, being beaten to death by a mere human child? That was humiliating.
If Kurama ever found out... Shukaku shuddered. The mocking would be endless. That verbal hell would be worse than death itself.
And just as if the heavens heard his plea, the Hundred-Type Guanyin finally ceased its rampage. Gasping, coughing, and half-buried, Shukaku tried to savor the rare moment of peace.
"Cough… finally... He must be out of chakra…"
WHAM.
A single golden hand fell from the heavens, not violently this time—but with a playful, humiliating head pat, it shoved Shukaku's snout back into the crater.
Watching from a distance, a Chūnin carrying a Flying Thunder God kunai stood frozen.
Should he call for Lord Minato? Was there even a need? He fell into a deep existential dilemma.
Back on the battlefield, Aoba floated calmly before the towering Guanyin. He pulled out a medium-grade blue chakra replenishment potion, drained it in one gulp, and smacked his lips.
"The consumption rate is insane… Even with my monstrous reserves, I can't keep this up for long."
That last round had burned through five full 'cards' of chakra—equivalent to launching a Zero Hand, the Guanyin's ultimate technique. A single use of Zero Hand could probably vaporize Shukaku in one shot. But Aoba wasn't interested in flashy finishes.
Killing Shukaku would earn him glory, yes—but it wouldn't serve his long-term goal.
Keeping Shukaku alive meant access to Tailed Beast chakra—a precious resource he craved far more than fame.
Hovering above the crater, the golden statue looming behind him, Aoba asked with quiet menace:
"Shukaku... do you want to die, or do you want to live?"
"Cough… You damned brat! You think this great one fears you?!"
WHAM.
A golden palm flattened Shukaku's head into the dirt again.
"You little—!"
WHAM.
"This great one—!"
WHAM.
"I swear I'll—!"
WHAM.
"Enough—!"
WHAM.
No matter how many times Shukaku tried to rise and protest, each time he opened his mouth, a massive golden hand silenced him.
And so, the proudest of Tailed Beasts was taught humility.
After countless blows, Shukaku at the bottom of the pit finally stopped moving.
However—
Pa!
A golden palm slammed down again, this time with even more ruthless force than before.
"Heh, still trying to secretly form a Tailed Beast Ball? Not happening."
In the distance, a Konoha Chūnin holding a Flying Thunder God kunai had been watching the battle unfold for a while. After hesitating, he finally chose to activate the jutsu inscribed on the kunai.
Though it seemed that Lord Minato's support was no longer needed here, it was better to let him see the battlefield with his own eyes.
Soon after, Namikaze Minato appeared in a flash of yellow light, having teleported to the marker's location. What he saw froze him in place.
A massive golden Buddha statue towered in the distance, violently suppressing the One-Tail—Shukaku, the tailed beast of Sunagakure.
The sight left Minato stunned. His emotions were a complex swirl of shock and, beneath the surface, a faint sense of loss. To see a younger ninja—Kawaki Aoba—display such overwhelming power… No matter how humble a man was, surpassing him like this would leave a mark.
Yet, after a fleeting moment of self-reflection, Minato felt genuine joy. Joy for Kawaki Aoba. Joy for Konohagakure. Joy for the clear victory they were about to achieve.
As he scanned the battlefield, planning to return to his fight against Rasa, something unusual caught his attention—figures hidden in the shadows, motionless and concealed.
It didn't take a sensory-type to know what they were doing. These were Sunagakure's elite sealing squad, lying in wait for a chance to release the Nine-Tails sealed within Kawaki Aoba.
Minato didn't know all the details, but he understood enough.
Without hesitation, he flicked a kunai infused with the Flying Thunder God Formula into the shadows and vanished from his position, reappearing back on the main battlefield to distract Rasa again. After a brief exchange, he reappeared—this time above the hiding Sunagakure shinobi.
Meanwhile, Kawaki Aoba continued his relentless assault.
While controlling the Hundred-Armed Kannon, his immense golden construct, he maintained constant pressure on Shukaku, all the while keeping tabs on Minato's movements with his max-level Observation Haki.
Of course he had noticed the "rats" hiding nearby. He'd planned to deal with them himself after finishing off Shukaku, but since Minato was already on the job, that saved him the trouble.
Shukaku, however, was proving incredibly stubborn. Even after being pummeled over and over again, he refused to go down—only his mouth remained unyielding.
"Damn brat! If we were in the desert, I'd make you eat sand until you begged for mercy!"
Here we go again.
Kawaki Aoba sighed and gave him another resounding head-smack.
Shukaku tried several times to channel chakra into the earth and transform the area into a desert battlefield, but each time, Aoba interrupted the process before it could take root.
All Shukaku needed was a little time—time to assimilate the rocky mountain below into sand, a terrain where he could dominate.
But Aoba refused to give him even that.
The frustration ate away at Shukaku. He couldn't accept being humiliated like this. If only he had a different terrain. If only this brat weren't so relentless.
But the struggle wasn't one-sided.
Aoba couldn't extract and seal Shukaku's chakra effectively with Minato's old sealing techniques—not with Shukaku being this uncooperative. And if he held back, Shukaku would finish transforming the mountain into a desert, which would be disastrous for the Konoha forces.
Even if Aoba himself could manage in such conditions, the casualties among allied forces would be too high.
He needed a solution.
And then—after yet another thunderous strike—he realized something.
Shukaku wasn't afraid of pain. He wasn't afraid of death.
But there was one thing he might care about—his pride.
More specifically, his pride in front of the Nine-Tails.
Another tailed beast, seen as stronger, more majestic, more respected.
What if Shukaku were made to feel… inferior?
That would hurt more than any punch.
Kawaki Aoba smiled devilishly. A plan began to form.
He glanced down at the battered One-Tail, grinning.
"Say, Shukaku… You've been around the shinobi world for a long time, right? But I bet you've always been alone. Never had a partner."
Shukaku froze for a second, confused.
Partner?
Did this brat mean… a companion? Like animals that mated in pairs?
Ridiculous. Tailed beasts were pure chakra constructs. They didn't need "partners."
They didn't even have real genders—those were just appearances. Such attachments were meaningless to them.
So why was this brat bringing it up?
Before he could answer, Kawaki Aoba continued.
"What do you think about the toads of Mount Myōboku? Someone like Gamabunta might be a good match for you. Big guy. Strong build. I think you two would get along."
What the hell?!
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