Chapter 279 : Dead Ginkaku!

The forest was ablaze, the epicenter of the chaos marked by the clash between the Uchiha Dragon and Ginkaku illuminating the battlefield as debris rained down relentlessly.

In the aftermath, the once lush earth was reduced to three feet of sand, a deep ravine stretching into the distance like a gaping maw.

As the smoke cleared, a monstrous figure emerged from the crater.

The ravine, wrought by Ginkaku's onslaught, abruptly halted at this ironclad behemoth, exploding upon impact instead of piercing through.

A mass of darkness, rib-like and bristling with fangs, formed a spherical barrier.

Though Ginkaku's Tailed Beast Ball attack had lost considerable potency upon collision, the remaining force pummeled the resilient defense, leaving it scarred and blackened.

Yet, Takeshi's formidable Mokuton, infused with the potency of immortal sorcery, withstood the assault, even against the might of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

A distant roar echoed as Ginkaku, now revealed as a tailed creature, appeared once more. Its dissatisfaction evident, though its breath labored, for it was not a true being, its chakra reserves depleted by such exertion.

Driven by instinct, Ginkaku unleashed a barrage of chakra spheres, pulverizing Takeshi's wooden barrier into dust.

"Enough," Takeshi's voice cut through the chaos.

A faint azure flame enveloped the shattered wooden wall, imbuing it with an otherworldly resilience.

The chakra, tinged with a purplish hue, revitalized the shattered barrier, its surface adorned with wooden scales.

Empowered by chakra, the wall repelled Ginkaku's assault effortlessly.

A resounding roar erupted from Ginkaku, yet before it could retaliate, a massive hardwood pillar erupted from the earth, sending the creature flying.

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall," Takeshi declared calmly, emerging from the wooden barrier, his form cloaked in dark blue chakra, his eyes ablaze with the Mangekyō Sharingan's brilliance.

Observing the fear flickering in the beast-like eyes of his opponent, Takeshi smirked.

"It appears that Susanoo's power can indeed enhance other materials," he mused, swiftly forming hand seals and channeling chakra into the wooden barrier beneath him.

"Hiss—"

The massive black iron wall, infused with Takeshi's chakra, sprang to life once more. It resembled a pitch-black thorn-covered with murderous intent, transforming into countless purple-black snakes. Within moments, the formidable wooden wall disintegrated entirely, unleashing a terrifying tide of snakes surging towards Ginkaku.

"Roar--!"

Ginkaku, observing the black snakes cloaked in traces of purple flames, growled uneasily. He then unleashed a powerful roar, creating a ring-shaped shockwave and a sonic boom—an effective technique for Nine Tails to dispose of adversaries.

However, the black snakes, formed from Wood Release, weren't mere flesh and blood. While some disintegrated, others breached the gas barrier, swarming towards the horn.

"Ooooooooooooo-!"

These unique snakes, possessing Wood Release attributes to suppress Tailed Beast Chakra, began to bite and consume the Chakra on Ginkaku, eliciting a beastly scream from it. Under Takeshi's relentless pressure, the attack had been amplified exponentially.

"Boom!"

Forced to expend its remaining chakra, Ginkaku repelled the snake tide, retreating in distress.

"Haha, Wood Release technique: Four Pillar Prison!"

Observing the waning Nine Tails chakra, Takeshi ceased squandering his immortality's power. Four vine-like constructs emerged from the ground, binding the horn's limbs tightly. Despite its struggles, Ginkaku weakened as its chakra dwindled.

"Wood Release: Wood Golem Capture!"

Without delay, Takeshi conjured a massive wooden structure to encase Ginkaku, further suppressing its Tailed Beast Chakra.

Although these intricate Wood Release techniques were taught by Nightingale, Takeshi's execution differed from the first generation's, bearing unique characteristics.

Gradually, Ginkaku's eyelids drooped, and his strength ebbed away. His six tails sagged and retracted, the crimson chakra cloak fading to reveal his true form.

Flushed and unconscious, Ginkaku resembled a cooked shrimp, its body engulfed in feverish heat.

"It seems he won't awaken."

Without hesitation, Takeshi's hand glimmered, summoning a pale flame that pierced Ginkaku's forehead.

"Ugh—!"

As if possessed, the unconscious Ginkaku convulsed violently, screaming in agony as the Nine-Tailed Chakra surged once more.

Yet, despite Wood Release's suppression, the Nine Tails' power hadn't waned. With Ginkaku's demise, the chakras returned to its container, dormant once more.

"The largest portion of the Nine-Tailed Chakra, secured."

Takeshi finally exhaled, a smile playing across his lips.

A crimson-hued sand manifested, draping over the carcass of Ginkaku, cocooning it in a dense confinement.

Takeshi fashioned a casket out of wooden scorpions to ensnare Ginkaku, dispatching it with a colossal snake psychic beast.

The blood essence of the nine tails, Ginkaku, and the Kinkaku was no ordinary force; even with Takeshi's current prowess, it proved challenging to assimilate, necessitating careful consideration.

Surveying the area once more, Takeshi unearthed the six treasures of Ginkaku and Kinkaku from the wreckage.

For some reason, Kumogakure had refrained from utilizing them following the demise of Ginkaku and Kinkaku. Yet, to Takeshi, this arsenal remained of significant value.

Stowing them away, he harbored the belief that they might yet yield miraculous results in the future.

As his spent energy swiftly regenerated, Takeshi effaced the remnants of battle before casting his gaze into the distance.

"Tobirama, you truly exert yourself!"

Startled, Takeshi swiftly departed.

.....

"Hu-hu-"

Within the forest, Tobirama trudged forward at a sluggish pace.

It was less a flight and more a strategic withdrawal from the heart of the conflict, out of Takeshi's immediate line of sight.

"Hehe, Ginkaku has met its end too! It appears Uchiha Dragon retains some vigor."

Tobirama's countenance was pallid and drained of blood. Though his wounds weren't actively bleeding, neither were they healing; his blood had congealed.