Chapter 157
The thunderclouds rolled in, blotting out the sky that should have been bright. As the sun dipped below the horizon, only the fiery clouds remained, casting an eerie glow over the land.
Above, a massive dragon with emerald-green scales and a flowing crimson beard soared gracefully through the sky, weaving effortlessly among the flame-touched clouds. It did not roar, yet its mere gaze sent waves of pressure crashing down upon the shinobi below, making them feel as if a mountain were pressing against their chests, leaving them breathless.
"This... is this a new Tailed Beast?" The shinobi who had once participated in the sealing of the Tailed Beasts instinctively made the connection.
There were supposed to be only nine Tailed Beasts, originally split from the legendary Sage of Six Paths. Could it be that another one had existed all along, remaining undiscovered until now?
"A Tailed Beast... The sheer scale of this chakra! The overwhelming power! It has to be a Tailed Beast! No wonder this guy is so confident. I didn't expect him to be a Jinchūriki..."
Ōnoki, who had been deep in thought, suddenly realized something upon hearing the murmurs around him. No wonder Zixu had been so arrogant, even daring to rally the Great Nations against the Akatsuki. It all made sense now—he was a Jinchūriki.
Everyone knew that the Akatsuki were hunting the Tailed Beasts. They had already attacked the Eight-Tails and One-Tail hosts. With the Raikage gone, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki was also in imminent danger.
As a Jinchūriki himself, Zixu was naturally an enemy of the Akatsuki. There was no way he would allow them to continue their rampage. He had no choice but to act in self-preservation.
"Look at that dragon. Its form is identical to his. There's not even a hint of the Tailed Beast's usual characteristics. Could this be... a Perfect Jinchūriki transformation? No... perhaps something beyond that..."