250. Remember to Check Rarity Before Catching Pokemon

“Don’t come any closer!”

Chōmei, who had thought it could dominate from the skies and rest easy, let out a pitiful scream when it saw the spiraling Isobu hurtling toward it with unstoppable momentum.

Truly, it was a sound to make the listeners weep.

“Damn it! Take this!”

Knowing there was no room to dodge within the confined barrier, the massive Seven-Tails realized its only option was to face Isobu head-on. Its survival depended on this gamble. If it couldn’t hold its ground, it would surely be crushed under Isobu’s overwhelming weight.

Dark energy rapidly condensed in front of Chōmei’s sharp proboscis, forming a tailed beast bomb. Chakra surged through its body, fueling the deadly sphere. Once it reached critical mass, the scorching energy was launched straight at the airborne Isobu.

Sensing the incoming pressure, the Three-Tails gritted its metaphorical teeth. Dodging was impossible for its bulky form, so Isobu made a snap decision. Its crimson eye gleamed fiercely as it halted its spin. From its armored maw, a sphere of dark energy grew rapidly—an equally powerful tailed beast bomb in retaliation.

“Boom!!!”

Another classic tailed beast bomb clash lit up the battlefield. Brilliant flashes of energy illuminated the arena, delivering a spectacle worthy of every ticket sold.

“Who will emerge victorious this time?”

Uchiha Gin, gripping his microphone tightly, squinted at the smoke-filled aftermath. Even he couldn’t predict the winner this round, and without control over the gambling outcomes, he wasn’t about to open the betting pool.

If he couldn’t rig the game, why bother hosting?

“Go, Isobu!”

Senju Itama clasped his hands in prayer, his eyes fixed on the field as he silently rooted for the Three-Tails to triumph.

A dull thud shattered the suspense. The sheer impact of a tailed beast hitting the ground cleared the smoke and revealed the outcome to all.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The winner is… Isobu, the Three-Tails! With its unyielding defense, it stands victorious. Let’s congratulate Uchiha Madara on this hard-fought win!”

Uchiha Gin wasted no time in making the announcement, raising his flag high for all to see. The battered Seven-Tails lay lifeless on the ground, its wings punctured beyond repair.

“Roar!!!”

Isobu roared triumphantly, its voice shaking the arena as it celebrated its hard-earned victory.

After years of being underestimated, the Three-Tails finally proved it wasn’t the weakest of the tailed beasts—except, perhaps, for Shukaku.

“Yay!”

In the stands, Senju Itama leapt with joy, waving glowing support sticks in each hand.

But her exuberance caught some disapproving glances. Her unusually busty figure caused nearby women to glance at their own physiques with quiet frustration, silently wondering, What is she eating to grow like that?

“I need an explanation,” grumbled Senju Hashirama. His grim expression fell on the last remaining tailed beast in his lineup, his tone cold and unforgiving.

“Well… I noticed Chōmei was a bit off from the start, probably still recovering from earlier injuries. Maybe its energy hasn’t fully returned,” stammered Kurama, its fur bristling under Hashirama’s oppressive aura.

“Hmm…”

Hashirama’s face softened slightly. With a meaningful glance at Kurama, he finally spoke: “Alright. The next match is yours. Don’t let me down.”

“Piece of cake!”

Relieved of the crushing pressure, Kurama regained its composure. With a confident nod, it leapt into the battlefield.

“Roar!”

The Nine-Tails landed with a ground-shaking roar, its nine tails swaying menacingly behind it. The crowd fell silent, their gazes drawn to the infamous beast of legend.

“Wow, so that’s the Nine-Tails Fox,” murmured someone in the audience. “It’s even scarier than the stories say.”

“It’s basically as strong as all the other beasts combined,” remarked Uchiha Hikaru, his icy gaze analyzing Kurama’s imposing figure.

“Go, Isobu! I believe in you!” cried Senju Itama, clenching her fists in support.

“Match five: Nine-Tails versus Three-Tails! Begin!”

Without hesitation, Isobu curled into a ball, its armored shell rolling at high speed toward Kurama like a massive wheel.

“It’s Isobu’s signature move—Shadow Spin! Can the Nine-Tails withstand this?” Uchiha Gin’s voice boomed over the crowd, his commentary keeping the tension high.

“How do you even know the move’s name?” Uchiha Madara asked, furrowing his brow.

“Just Googled it,” Gin replied with a grin.

Kurama, unbothered by Isobu’s charge, snorted disdainfully. “Pathetic.”

Opening its jaws wide, Kurama swiftly formed a tailed beast bomb with unparalleled speed. Before Isobu could close the distance, the Nine-Tails unleashed a searing beam of destructive energy.

The collision sent shockwaves through the arena, and when the light and smoke cleared, Isobu was embedded into the golden barrier, its body charred and steaming.

“Is it just me, or does it smell like grilled seafood?” someone whispered, breaking the silence.

“Sorry! It smells too good!” another voice confessed.

As the source of the sound, Akimichi Shinji's face flushed red. He clasped his hands together and apologized to the crowd.

The Akimichi clan was known for their enormous appetites, requiring seven or eight meals a day just to maintain their energy. Coming to watch the competition without snacks had left him starving after such a long time. When faced with such an enticing aroma, how could he resist?

Sarutobi Sasuke patted Akimichi Shinji's broad shoulder and pointed to Uchiha Madara's last remaining tailed beast. "Hang in there, Shinji. It’s almost over."

"Three-Tails has lost the ability to fight. This round goes to the Nine-Tails!"

As the referee, Uchiha Gin looked at the blackened tortoise embedded in the barrier, sighed, and shook his head. Skipping any further inspection, he directly announced the result.

"Hah! Too easy."

After firing a single Tailed Beast Bomb, which barely counted as a warm-up, the Nine-Tails sneered, baring its sharp teeth.

"Madara~ Hurry it up! Momoka is waiting for me to come home for dinner."

Senju Hashirama, his eyes gleaming with excitement, snapped out of his daze and taunted Madara from across the battlefield.

“Damn it!”

Madara gritted his teeth, his icy eyes locking onto the arrogant figure of the Nine-Tails, engraving the image deep in his memory.

"Can you win?"

Lowering his gaze, Madara’s frosty tone carried a hint of menace as he questioned the Eight-Tails under his command.

"I’ll give it my best... I mean, of course, no problem!"

The Eight-Tails nervously glanced at the battlefield, where the Three-Tails had been utterly defeated. Despite having one more tail, it still felt uncertain about its chances. But under the chilling glare of Madara, the Eight-Tails stood upright, patted its muscular chest, and struck a pose of confidence.

"If you lose, I'll turn you into steak and takoyaki."

Madara's monotone threat sent shivers down the Eight-Tails’ spine.

“Roar!!!”

Faced with certain doom either way, the Eight-Tails chose to fight with dignity.

Clenching its teeth, its eight tentacles lashed out as it leapt onto the battlefield, facing the Nine-Tails directly.

Win and return home victorious; lose and become dinner.

"Round Six: Nine-Tails vs. Eight-Tails, the final showdown begins!"

Finally, the long-winded battle for supremacy was coming to an end. Uchiha Gin, the referee, felt a wave of emotion as he announced the start of the last round.

"Octopus, are you sure you want to do this?"

The Nine-Tails smirked, licking its sharp teeth as it looked at the tense Eight-Tails.

"Life leaves me no choice," the Eight-Tails replied grimly, skipping the pleasantries. With no hesitation, it opened its massive jaws and launched a Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Looks like you didn’t get hit enough as a kid," the Nine-Tails scoffed. Watching the Eight-Tails charging up its attack triggered memories of childhood.

Back then, the Nine-Tails had often taken on all the other tailed beasts by itself.

Among them, the Eight-Tails was a master at escaping. Every time the fight got intense, it would flee before taking too much damage.

“Roar~ Consider this me making up for what you missed in your childhood.”

The Nine-Tails, ever so "kindhearted," decided to help the Eight-Tails experience what it had missed.

Boom!

With a resounding blast, a devastatingly compressed Tailed Beast Bomb fired from the Nine-Tails engulfed the Eight-Tails’ position.

The Eight-Tails knew it couldn’t withstand the attack directly. With a sharp intake of breath, it devoured its own Tailed Beast Bomb, using the explosive force to propel itself out of the danger zone at an astonishing speed.

The attack left a scorched crater in its wake.

"Still such a slippery one," the Nine-Tails muttered, scanning its surroundings. "But where do you think you can hide in here?"

Sensing the Eight-Tails' position, the Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, turning toward it with a sly grin.

"Roar!!!"

Realizing it had been discovered, the Eight-Tails emerged from its hiding spot. Without further hesitation, it unleashed a barrage of consecutive Tailed Beast Bombs, scattering the battlefield with explosions.

“What the...? It can fire that many Tailed Beast Bombs in a row?”

The alliance of ninja clans was shocked. They had watched the entire competition intently, but none of the other tailed beasts had demonstrated the ability to fire so many Tailed Beast Bombs consecutively.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of deafening explosions followed as the Eight-Tails’ attacks engulfed the Nine-Tails in a cloud of smoke and fire.

“Humph~”

Just as the crowd thought the Nine-Tails might be injured or worse, a disdainful snort echoed through the explosions, loud enough to drown out the noise.

"What?! It’s unharmed?"

As the dust began to settle, the Nine-Tails emerged with a graceful stride, its golden fur pristine and untouched. The sharp, yellow eyes of the fox gleamed with contempt, mocking the Eight-Tails’ futile efforts.



"Indeed, Tailed Beast Bombs at this level can’t hurt you much."

While realistic, this outcome didn’t surprise the Eight-Tails. It shook its massive head, looking at the Nine-Tails' thick chakra cloak. Its tone was calm, without much disappointment.

"You can still surrender now."

"Sorry, but look into my eyes—I don’t have a choice."

For this final battle, Uchiha Madara loosened his control, granting the Eight-Tails a degree of self-awareness. He wanted it to unleash its full power, unlike the aimless chaos of the Three-Tails.

"Fair enough. Then let’s continue."

The Nine-Tails glanced at the familiar pattern in the Eight-Tails' eyes, understanding the situation. It got into position, ready to send the Eight-Tails on its way, while silently scoffing:


These guys are so weak to fall under Indra’s descendants’ control so easily.

If it were the Nine-Tails, it would have broken free immediately—humans today were nowhere near as terrifying as Indra in his prime.

"Roar!"

With an unspoken agreement, the two beasts abandoned the reckless exchange of Tailed Beast Bombs, opting for raw, physical combat instead.

Boom!
Smash!

The two colossal creatures clashed in primal battle within the barrier. The Nine-Tails' razor-sharp claws tore deep, bone-revealing gashes across the Eight-Tails’ chest, while the Eight-Tails landed a solid punch on the Nine-Tails' massive head. The powerful blow even left the self-proclaimed strongest tailed beast slightly dazed.

"Eight Twists!"

Covered in claw marks, the Eight-Tails seized the Nine-Tails' momentary dizziness and executed its signature move. It wrapped its eight tentacles around itself, spinning rapidly to create a massive vortex.

Caught in the whirlwind, the Nine-Tails felt the world spin, its stomach churning violently as if it were about to vomit.

Crash!

After a long spin, the Nine-Tails was flung away. The spectators below craned their necks, trying to locate it.

"There! Up in the sky!"

Someone shouted, and all heads turned upward. To everyone’s shock, the Nine-Tails’ enormous body had been hurled hundreds of meters into the air by the Eight-Tails’ storm.

"Is it about to lose?"

The crowd began to believe the Nine-Tails might face defeat. Their eyes shifted to Uchiha Madara, who stood with arms crossed, as if ready to claim victory.

"Ha! Hashirama, this time, I’ve finally won."

Despite his cold demeanor, Madara couldn’t hide the upward curve of his lips. He lifted his head and directed his declaration toward the downtrodden Senju Hashirama.

But before he could finish, a voice interrupted him:

"Too soon to declare victory. Look closely!"

Senju Tobirama, who had been silent for most of the fight, now wore an expression of excitement. He pointed skyward, gesturing for everyone to observe the Nine-Tails.

The Uchiha clan, with their exceptional vision, were the first to notice.

"Whoa! What is that thing?"

Uchiha Izuna gawked at the sight of a massive black sphere, as large as a tailed beast, forming in the sky. His jaw dropped in disbelief.

Soon, everyone realized what was happening. Alongside the sun in the sky, a second "sun" had appeared—a massive black orb that grew larger as it descended.

"How do we even fight that?"

The Eight-Tails gulped, its face bitter. The enormous Tailed Beast Bomb had expanded to cover the entire barrier, leaving no escape. Even severing its tails wouldn’t help.

"Sorry, Eight-Tails, but when you have more chakra, you can do anything," the Nine-Tails quipped, shaking its head. As the Eight-Tails looked on in despair, the Nine-Tails unleashed the giant Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Damn that Sage of Six Paths for being so biased!"

The Eight-Tails could only curse Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Back when chakra was distributed, most of it had gone to the Nine-Tails, while the others had to make do with scraps.

"Wood Release: Five Rashomon Technique!"

But the barrier wasn’t empty; humans were still inside. Seeing the incoming devastation, Senju Hashirama immediately performed a high-level defensive jutsu. A menacing demon-faced wooden wall rose to block the attack.

Before the wall closed completely, Hashirama turned and shouted urgently to the others.
"Madara, Gin, get over here!"

"No need. Don’t worry, Cousin can handle it," Uchiha Gin replied, refusing Hashirama's protection. He leaped behind Madara, whose face had darkened.

"Don’t be discouraged. If you lose this time, there’s always next time," Gin said with a faint sigh, patting Madara on the shoulder.

Madara’s expression tightened. This guy really knew how to rub salt in the wound.

"Don’t give me that look. I’m a fair Uchiha referee!" Gin declared, dismissing any suggestion of bias.

"Humph."

Madara ignored him, focusing instead on the enormous blue-armored Susanoo that rose behind him. Its towering form enveloped both him and Gin in protective armor.

"Ha! Watching a Tailed Beast Bomb explode this close is a rare experience," Gin said cheerfully, showing no sign of sadness over Madara’s potential defeat.

"Cousin, why did I lose?" Madara asked, his tone unusually subdued. Gin was one of the few people he could speak to openly.

"Why, you ask..." Gin mused, scratching his messy hair as he stared at the massive black orb above.

"Well, the Hokage title comes with a lot to consider. You only have to think about winning or losing, but I’ve got much more on my mind—"

Suddenly, Gin’s eyes lit up. He smacked his palm and exclaimed, "I’ve got it! You must not have read the intelligence report. If you had, you’d know the tailed beasts’ rarity ranking. Based on that, you were bound to win!"

The battle for the Hokage position ended.

Next up: the Five Kage Summit.

"Heh, this one’s a game among friends."