Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

Boom… Amid the thick smoke and debris, Obito painfully climbed up from the Ten Tails' massive forehead.

Half of his cloak had been blown to shreds by the explosion, revealing his injured body and the Mangekyo Sharingan in his partially shattered mask. The tendrils that connected him to the Ten Tails flickered weakly, on the verge of detaching.

He cursed under his breath, feeling the lingering pain across his body. "What the hell was that…?"

As he replayed the events in his mind, realization dawned on him. "That attack… it was the Tailed Beast Bomb from the Ten Tails itself. But why did it appear next to me?"

Obito frowned. He knew better than anyone that Kamui did not have the ability to redirect attacks. That meant something—or someone—had interfered.

"The Kamui space… It's him again, isn't it? That pest!" Obito spat venomously. He recalled vividly how Kirito had once escaped his Kamui dimension, and it wasn't long before the truth became clear.

"That clone of his must still be hiding in the Kamui space. He used it to send back the Tailed Beast Bomb and attack me."

Obito's fists clenched tightly, his rage growing. "That annoying bug… When I become the Ten Tails' Jinchuriki, he'll be the first one I crush!"

At that moment, a deep growl from the Ten Tails shook the battlefield. Responding to Obito's anger, its massive Rinnegan eyes scanned the area, as though searching for traces of Kirito's space-time jutsu.

"First things first…" Obito muttered, pulling himself together. "I need to deal with this approaching army."

The Ten Tails let out another deafening roar as it slammed one of its massive tails into the ground, clearing away the smoke and dust. When the air settled, the advancing Ninja Alliance came into view.

"Now's our chance!"

Following their orders, the ninjas in the front formed seals.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Pillar!"

Hum! Blinding beams of white light surged across the battlefield, disorienting both Obito and the Ten Tails.

"Such petty tricks are useless against the Ten Tails!" Obito roared, his patience thinning. He commanded the Ten Tails to retaliate immediately.

"ROAR!!"

The Ten Tails, enraged by the interference, slammed its massive arms onto the ground.

BOOM!

The earth shattered like glass, cracks spiderwebbing across the terrain. The sheer force of the impact sent coalition ninjas scrambling to evade the destruction.

"Don't let it breach our ranks!" Tsunade's voice rang out, her tone urgent.

"Understood!" Kurotsuchi called back. "All Earth Style users, prepare to act!"

"Earth Style: Great Earthquake!"

Kurotsuchi and her squad knelt and slammed their hands onto the ground, attempting to counter the Ten Tails' destructive force.

But Obito smirked. "You think the same trick will work twice?"

The Ten Tails straightened its massive body and raised both fists high above its head. With an earth-shaking slam, it drove them into the ground again.

CRACK!

The entire battlefield split into two, a massive canyon forming beneath the coalition forces.

"Retreat!" Kurotsuchi shouted, realizing the futility of their efforts. The jagged crevice spread rapidly toward their position, threatening to swallow everything.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Crack!

Thick, twisting vines erupted from the ground, spreading across the battlefield like massive ropes. They coiled tightly to seal the cracks, stabilizing the fractured earth. The vines surged toward the Ten Tails, entangling its massive arms and body, holding it firmly in place.

"Wood Style…?" Kurotsuchi muttered in disbelief as she landed on one of the sturdy vines.

"Did he just use Wood Style?" some ninjas whispered in awe, their voices filled with hope.

"Good job!" Shikaku's voice echoed telepathically into Kirito's mind. "If we can bind the Ten Tails like this, we'll have a chance to eliminate the masked man. Without a controller, the Ten Tails will be far easier to deal with."

"Nice one!" TenTen exclaimed, looking at the sprawling vines. "This will give us a chance to move in."

But Kirito's expression remained serious. He shook his head slightly. "It's not that simple…"

"What do you mean?" TenTen asked, suddenly worried.

Kirito didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the writhing Ten Tails.

At the forefront of the battle, Onoki hovered in the air, marveling at the sight. "Wood Style on this scale… It's just like the First Hokage's…"

Raikage Ai smashed his fists together, his body crackling with lightning. "Then let's take this chance and end it!"

The Five Kage charged through the dense forest of vines, pushing forward with renewed determination.

When they reached the clearing, they saw the Ten Tails, now immobilized by the thick wooden bindings. On its forehead stood Obito, battered and weakened from the earlier explosion.

"Is that…?" Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes at the figure. "He looks seriously injured…"

Tsunade stepped forward, her face filled with shock as she finally got a closer look. "Wait… That person is—"

(End of this chapter)