章 153: Caught?
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The battlefield was set, a harsh spectacle against the beautiful, slowly darkening skyline. The golden rays of the setting sun served as the backdrop to this impending clash of titans. B and Yugito, now fully transformed into their tailed-beast forms, stood facing their challengers. Gaara, Roshi, and Utakata stood undeterred, the only indication of their readiness was the subtle shift in their stances.
Without warning, B lunged forward, a mountain of chakra-infused muscle bearing down on his opponents. His roar echoed through the rocky terrain, sending a chill down the spines of any who would hear. The Eight-Tails swung his massive tails, the wind pressure from the movement creating a powerful gust that churned up a blinding dust cloud.
Gaara, the former Jinchuriki of the One-Tail, responded in kind. His palms came together, summoning his iconic Sand Defense. The wall of sand rose swiftly, shielding the trio from the brunt of B's charge.
From behind the sand barrier, Roshi and Utakata sprang into action. Despite the loss of their tailed beasts, their battle prowess was still formidable. Roshi, the former Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails, was known for his mastery over lava-style ninjutsu, a deadly and destructive art. Utakata, once host to the Six-Tails, was adept at creating explosive bubble ninjutsu, his gentle appearance belying his lethal capabilities.
Roshi extended his hands forward, summoning a barrage of molten rocks from his mouth. The hardened lava bullets whizzed through the air towards B. At the same time, Utakata blew a series of large, translucent bubbles that followed closely behind Roshi's attack. Each bubble was a volatile time bomb, ready to detonate on impact.
Yugito, however, was not to be underestimated. Her agility as the Two-Tails was incredible, and she proved it by darting forward, skillfully maneuvering past B to intercept the incoming attacks. Her fiery chakra coated claws swiped through the air, intercepting Roshi's lava bullets mid-flight and causing Utakata's bubbles to explode harmlessly before reaching their target.
As the skirmish ensued, each move calculated yet carried out with a brutal ferocity, Gaara, Roshi, and Utakata gradually realized the unusual state of their adversaries. B and Yugito, though clearly skilled and seasoned fighters, lacked the usually overwhelming chakra of the tailed beasts. It was as if they were shadow puppets of their full potential, mimicking the forms without the true, raw power.
Roshi paused for a moment, pulling back from his onslaught to survey the scene with a discerning eye. "Did you overextend yourself while training?" he called out, his voice lacking mockery. "You don't seem to have any chakra left."
The taunt was met with silence. B, in the form of the Eight-Tails, simply glared at Roshi, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Yugito, too, kept her focus on their adversaries, her chakra-infused claws flickering with barely suppressed energy.
Orochimaru, standing safely on the sidelines, chuckled. His pale face was illuminated by the waning rays of the sunset, casting an eerie glow over his slitted eyes. "Well, it seems they don't feel like chatting. How disappointing," he drawled, a smirk playing on his lips.
Suddenly, the air around the battlefield crackled. Gaara's arms lifted, his hands splayed out in front of him as a torrent of sand erupted from the ground beneath him. The desert-born shinobi didn't have his former tailed beast's chakra to enhance his sand manipulation, but his personal reserves were still substantial.
"No more playing around," Gaara announced, his voice echoing in the silence of the rocky landscape. His eyes hardened with resolve. "Roshi, Utakata, let's end this quickly."
B and Yugito, despite their depleted chakra reserves, didn't flinch at Gaara's threat. Instead, they took on defensive stances. B's muscles rippled with anticipation, his tails swishing behind him as he braced for an attack. Beside him, Yugito was crouched low to the ground, her feline eyes aglow with a fierce determination.
As the air filled with the hum of chakra, Gaara made his move. His sand, acting as a physical extension of his will, rose in a massive wave. It surged forward, engulfing everything in its path. As the sand wave barreled towards them, B stepped forward, his beastly roar resonating in the vast plains.
Simultaneously, Roshi unleashed a barrage of lava bullets, while Utakata summoned a cluster of explosive bubbles. It was a coordinated assault designed to overwhelm and encase their opponents.
Without missing a beat, Yugito sprang into action. She leapt high into the air, evading the wall of sand while simultaneously extending her claws to intercept Roshi's lava bullets. The air was filled with the sizzle and pop of lava meeting chakra-infused claws.
Utakata, meanwhile, had maneuvered behind B and Yugito, his position providing a tactical advantage. He launched his bubble ninjutsu at B, intending to catch the Eight-Tails off guard.
Utakata's bubbles whizzed through the air, gaining on B who was preoccupied with dodging Gaara's relentless sand attacks. The element of surprise, it seemed, was working in Utakata's favor.
B, sensing the impending danger, turned just in time to see the array of bubbles coming at him. With a swift move, he tried to swat them away with his tail, but it was a half-hearted attempt at best.
The bubbles hit their mark, detonating upon impact. The force of the explosion sent B sprawling backwards. Yet, the Eight-Tails quickly regained his footing, shaking off the attack with a defiant growl.
Simultaneously, Yugito found herself trapped between Roshi's lava bullets and Gaara's encroaching sand. She snarled, her blazing eyes reflecting the molten projectiles as they hurtled towards her. With a swift swipe of her claws, she managed to deflect most of them, but a few struck their target, searing into her chakra-infused hide.
Despite the onslaught, B and Yugito refused to back down. They fought back with all their remaining strength, their determination clear in their feral roars. Every punch, every kick, every deflection was executed with an intensity that resonated through the battlefield, a testament to their formidable willpower.
However, the trio of Gaara, Roshi, and Utakata was unyielding. They pressed their assault with calculated precision, exploiting every opening, exploiting every weakness. Their moves were relentless and methodical, chipping away at B and Yugito's defenses bit by bit.
After what seemed like an eternity but was merely ten grueling minutes, B and Yugito finally began to falter. Their movements became sluggish, their roars less fierce. Their chakra, already low to begin with, was nearly depleted. The tailed beasts' forms flickered, threatening to give out at any moment.
And then, with one final, determined push from Gaara, Roshi, and Utakata, the inevitable happened. B, the once formidable Eight-Tails, fell to his knees. A low, exhausted growl rumbled from his throat as his form shrank, the chakra beast disappearing to reveal a heavily panting B.
Beside him, Yugito too had reached her limit. Her tailed beast form vanished, leaving a weary Yugito in its place. Her breaths came in harsh pants, her body slumped in exhaustion.
Gaara, Roshi, and Utakata halted their attacks, watching as B and Yugito struggled to maintain consciousness. The sight of the once formidable Jinchuriki in such a state was unexpected, to say the least. They had prepared themselves for a difficult battle, one that could potentially drain them of their own chakra. But instead, they were met with a far easier fight than they had anticipated.
"Could it really be?" Roshi mused aloud, his brows furrowing in contemplation. "Could they have exhausted themselves from training?"
Gaara remained silent, his eyes focused on the defeated duo. He wasn't quick to jump to conclusions, always cautious, always observant. But even he had to admit that it was a plausible explanation. The alternative, that B and Yugito had purposefully held back, didn't seem to make sense.
Utakata, too, seemed to share the same sentiment. "It would appear so," he finally agreed, albeit hesitantly. His gaze fell on B and Yugito, a flicker of sympathy passing over his features. As a former Jinchuriki, he understood all too well the burdens they carried, the expectations they were expected to meet. It was a heavy weight to bear, and today, it seemed, the weight had become too much for B and Yugito.
From a distance, Orochimaru watched the scene with an unreadable expression. His slitted eyes glinted with an inscrutable light, his lips curving into a faint, sardonic smile.
"Well, it appears we've won," he mused aloud, his voice breaking the charged silence. As the words echoed across the battlefield, they hung heavy in the air, a chilling reminder of the harsh reality of their situation.
B and Yugito had been defeated, their bodies now lying motionless on the rocky plains of Kumogakure. Their allies were absent, their village seemingly oblivious to the danger lurking at their doorstep. The Akatsuki had struck again, and this time, their mission had been a success.
"Take them," Orochimaru ordered, his gaze lingering on the fallen Jinchuriki. As Gaara, Roshi, and Utakata moved to comply, he turned his attention to the setting sun. Its dying rays cast long, ominous shadows over the rocky terrain, a fitting end to a day that had witnessed the fall of two mighty Jinchuriki.
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