SCORCH RELEASE.

 Grab your popcorn, Venerable readers.

"I am someone who is not from this world, someone from many stars away from here. I am Gilgamesh!" Gilgamesh declared, his arms spreading wide as a radiant golden light emanated from his form, bathing the desolate landscape in a celestial glow. The light illuminated the vast, cratered battlefield, casting long shadows over the scorched earth and the smouldering remains of trees, now reduced to mere ashes by the intense heat of battle. The sky above, once clear, was now filled with dark, swirling clouds as if the very heavens were reacting to the power on display.

Son Goku, the massive red ape-like figure looming over the battlefield, squinted through the golden light.

"Are you one of them? Are you an Otsutsuki?" The tailed beast's voice rumbled, filled with both curiosity and a trace of apprehension.

"What is that?" Gilgamesh asked, his voice tinged with genuine confusion as he tilted his head slightly. The name was foreign to him, but the presence of such a powerful being sparked his interest.

"Release me from this man. Let me go, I have no quarrel with you," Son Goku pleaded, his deep voice resonating across the barren land. The air around him shimmered with heat, creating an almost surreal, mirage-like effect as his massive body radiated an intense, fiery aura.

But Gilgamesh remained silent, his golden eyes narrowing as he regarded the beast with a mixture of disdain and cold indifference. Without warning, Son Goku appeared behind Gilgamesh, moving with a speed that betrayed his massive size, a large, pulsating red ball of energy in his hand.

'He's fast. He didn't move his body much,' Gilgamesh thought, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as he turned just in time to see the incoming attack.

"I am not just a tailed beast!" Son Goku roared, releasing the explosion from the ball at point-blank range. The detonation was deafening, sending shockwaves rippling through the air and flattening the already devastated landscape. The few remaining trees were obliterated, and the ground beneath them cracked and split, revealing molten lava bubbling below.

As the smoke and debris from the explosion began to clear, Gilgamesh's voice cut through the chaos, calm and unwavering.

"I will rise to the pinnacle of this world; you are but a mere stepping stone." His figure emerged from the smoke, his clothes tattered and singed, but his posture unyielding. His outstretched hands faced the great ape, and a faint, residual glow of absorbed energy surrounded him.

Son Goku's eyes widened in shock.

"You reduced the impact of the explosion by absorbing most of the chakra! But how? The rate of absorption was too quick! And how is your body intact after taking in so much positive and negative energy?" The tailed beast's voice quivered with a mix of disbelief and fear as it observed the impossibility before it.

"You dare gaze at me?" Gilgamesh said, his voice low and menacing as he casually stroked his hair back, restoring it to its iconic, regal appearance. With a simple motion, he summoned his blade, the air around it crackling with power.

"I CAN'T LET YOU DO AS YOU PLEASE, GILGAMESH!" Son Goku bellowed, desperation lacing his words as he unleashed a massive river of lava towards Gilgamesh. The molten flow surged forward, searing the ground it touched, but Gilgamesh countered with a gust of wind so cold it froze the lava mid-flow, turning it into jagged, stationary rocks.

Anticipating this, Son Goku launched a punch with such force that the very air trembled, and Gilgamesh, despite his speed, was unable to evade it entirely.

"ENUMA SLASH!" Gilgamesh's voice rang out as a devastating slash of energy was unleashed, severing Son Goku's hand with precision, despite the beast's formidable defences.

"How?" Son Goku retreated, his massive form stumbling as he used one of his tails to retrieve his severed hand.

"How can you cut my skin?" His voice was a mixture of pain and incredulity as he cradled the injured limb.

The blade, now glowing with residual energy, returned to Gilgamesh's hand, who held it ready for another strike. The entire area was now awash with lava, the intense heat causing the very air to ripple, but Gilgamesh stood unaffected, his gaze locked onto Son Goku.

Without warning, Gilgamesh hurled a lightning spear at the tailed beast, the projectile moving with such speed that it was nearly impossible to track. Son Goku barely managed to dodge, the spear grazing his side and leaving a searing wound.

"Follow me to the Hidden Stone, monkey. I need to speak with Ōnoki," Gilgamesh commanded, his voice carrying a tone of absolute authority as he turned his back on the giant beast.

Seeing an opportunity to attack, Son Goku readied an attack, hoping to end the boy before him. Surely, by now, he should have exhausted his chakra reserves. But just as the beast prepared to strike, it was met with a voiceless warning from Gilgamesh's piercing gaze—a gaze so intense that it froze the tailed beast in its tracks.

"Keep up with me," Gilgamesh ordered, his tone brooking no argument as he took to the sky, flying towards Iwagakure with the speed of a shooting star, leaving behind a golden streaking light.

"Fine," Son Goku grumbled, his voice tinged with frustration and anger as he reluctantly followed, his massive form crashing through the forest as they travelled at speeds that shattered the sound barrier.

Soon, the duo arrived at the towering walls of the Hidden Stone Village. The sun, now setting, cast a blood-red hue over the scene, the shadows of the village walls stretching long and foreboding. The guards stationed at the gate were initially unperturbed by the sight of the four tails, as Roshi was known to control his transformation with ease. But the absence of his team, and the sight of the lone figure hovering beside the tailed beast, filled them with unease.

Earlier, the duo had passed Roshi's team, who were retreating to the village after assuming the battle was over. The shockwaves from their passage had sent the team flying, unable to comprehend the source of the explosive power that tore through the forest in their wake. Roshi's teammates now understood why there had been orders to approach Gilgamesh with extreme caution if the battle continued.

Hovering high above the village, Gilgamesh turned to face the four tails, his expression unreadable. The air between them crackled with tension, the very ground beneath them trembling in anticipation.

"Switch with Roshi," Gilgamesh commanded, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority.

Son Goku, despite his defiance, felt an overwhelming compulsion to obey, but he resisted, his pride as a tailed beast preventing him from submitting so easily.

"Fine." Gilgamesh said the effects of Gilgamesh's barrier genjutsu expanded outward from his being, enveloping the beast and lulling it into a deep, inescapable sleep. The giant form of Son Goku began to shrink and recede until Roshi, battered and weary, stood in his place.

"Argh… my head. What happened?" Roshi groaned, struggling to his feet, his body trembling with exhaustion. His eyes once filled with fiery determination, now reflected only despair and defeat.

"Huh? Gil—Urk!" Roshi's words were cut off as Gilgamesh sent him flying into the sky with a swift earth wall jutsu, the force of the impact causing him to cough up blood. The once-proud Jinchuriki now hung limp in Gilgamesh's grasp.

"Ōnoki!" Gilgamesh's voice boomed across the village, amplified by a sound jutsu that made his words echo through every street and alleyway. The villagers, caught off guard by the sudden declaration, stopped in their tracks, their eyes drawn to the sky.

Gilgamesh held Roshi aloft, his grip firm and unyielding, the sight of the defeated Jinchuriki struck fear into the hearts of all who saw him.

"I can't believe I lost," Roshi muttered, his voice barely a whisper as he gazed down at the village below, his eyes filled with hopelessness.

The guards at the gate, who had been watching the scene unfold, now stood frozen in shock. The rumours of the 'Anbu Bully' and the 'Golden Sun' of the Leaf Village had not prepared them for this. What they were witnessing far surpassed anything they had heard, and fear gripped their hearts as they realized the magnitude of the threat before them.

As Gilgamesh's eyes closed momentarily, memories of his battle with Son Goku played in his mind. The guards, sensing a shift in his demeanour, tensed, readying their weapons. They knew they couldn't attack while he held Roshi, but they hoped reinforcements would arrive soon.

Suddenly, one of the guards dropped to his knees, clutching his throat.

"Senpai! Aargh…" Another guard fell, and then another, until the entire group by the entrance lay unconscious, felled by an unseen force.

Gilgamesh opened his eyes, his expression calm as he surveyed the fallen guards.

"WAIT! DO NOT APPROACH!" A tall, burly Stone Jounin shouted, his voice cutting through the silence.

"I never thought the ninja world would see another scorch release user. Tch!" The jounin said observing the state of his fallen comrades from afar.

"Scorch release? What is that Kitsuchi-sensei?" A stone shinobi appeared beside the burly man.

"Just don't approach Gilgamesh now. This is going to be a pain." Kitsuchi warned his ten-man team.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, we will be taking a break now to resume later, faster updates are available on patreon.com/heavenlyenel.

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