A Tiger Among Sheep

As Fuma let out a mocking murmur, a tightly compressed beam of chakra shot out from his hand, tearing through the air with explosive ripples.

This chakra came from the energy Fuma had dismissed as unnecessary to absorb. It served no other purpose, so why not unleash it for a bit of spectacle?

The massive beam roared toward the distant fortress. Its surface was carefully wrapped in spiraling waves of blood energy, meticulously crafted to match Fuma's vision of the "Special Beam Cannon".

Since his transmigration, Fuma occasionally used his abilities to mimic the techniques of powerful figures from other dimensions.

While mostly a tribute, this practice allowed him to grasp the thought processes behind these techniques, which, in turn, helped him refine his own powers.

Above, the floating fortress slowly adjusted its trajectory. Its massive cannon locked onto Fuma's beam, retaliating with a barrage of enormous chakra bullets.

But the "Special Beam Cannon" didn't falter. The seemingly half-hearted attacks failed to stop its determined advance, and the beam relentlessly surged toward the fortress's center.

The floating fortress ceased its attacks, a purple-blue glow quickly gathering at the cannon's muzzle. Layers of chakra compressed and condensed, producing a deafening roar.

Moments later, the fortress unleashed a chakra beam several meters thick, its intensity surpassing even Fuma's "Special Beam Cannon".

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

The two colossal streams of chakra collided fiercely, culminating in a catastrophic explosion. The shockwaves on the ground flattened everything in their path, even affecting the ninjas hiding in underground bunkers.

The force of the explosion proved too much for the bunkers Orochimaru had painstakingly reinforced with Earth Release techniques. Stones of varying sizes began falling, signaling an impending collapse.

Minato exchanged a regretful glance with Orochimaru before the two reluctantly paused their discussion on kekkei genkai to reinforce the bunkers' structure.

Up in the sky, Fuma frowned slightly, sensing that something was off.

The strength displayed by these aerial ninjas far exceeded the power they would exhibit thirty years later during their revenge against Konoha. At that time, they were but remnants of a defeated force, their technological capabilities severely diminished.

Yet their current might seemed excessive. The energy unleashed by the fortress cannon could almost rival a standard Tailed Beast Bomb—a level of power they shouldn't possess.

Even with advancements in scientific ninja tools in the years to come, their technology shouldn't reach this level.

"If their cluster bombs rely on an industrial chain to achieve such force, then what powers this cannon, capable of outputting such massive chakra?"

"I recall that self-proclaimed Shinnō using the so-called 'Zero-Tails' power, which was based on a technique stolen from Konoha. Could it have been leaked already?"

"No, something doesn't add up. The Zero-Tails' power can't compare to even a partial Tailed Beast's chakra. Its output should've overloaded long before achieving this scale of destruction. It seems these aerial ninjas are hiding significant secrets."

Fuma shook his head and smirked cruelly, dismissing the complexity of the matter.

Capturing the fortress and interrogating a few aerial ninjas would provide the answers he needed.

The fortress once again began accumulating chakra, aiming its cannon at Fuma and firing repeatedly. Heavy machine guns emerged from its base, weaving a dense web of rockets.

Unfortunately for them, Fuma possessed incredible mobility. Dodging these attacks was child's play.

Earlier, Fuma had deliberately allowed himself to experience the aerial ninjas' technology firsthand to evaluate if leaving survivors was necessary. Otherwise, he could've destroyed the fortress with a single ambush long ago.

Now, his massive frame twisted and turned in the air, blood energy jetting from his back to propel him with additional force.

Despite the barrage of firepower, Fuma nimbly avoided the attacks, executing precise, elegant maneuvers that belied his size. His performance resembled a graceful waltz of evasion—a display of pure showmanship.

Watching this, Minato sighed in exasperation. Just the level of mastery in Fuma's movements highlighted how far he still had to go in honing his skills.

Meanwhile, the floating fortress began retreating, abandoning its earlier confident stance in favor of a hasty withdrawal.

But the speed difference between Fuma and the fortress was insurmountable. The chase's outcome had been decided from the very start.

Within moments, Fuma closed the distance. His colossal form compressed back into his humanoid shape in seconds as he landed on the fortress.

Casually inspecting the strange interior, Fuma pulled his hand free from the chests of several aerial ninjas, their bodies collapsing lifelessly to the ground—a massacre born of sheer power.

In most cases, relying on technology meant sacrificing individual strength. Once these aerial ninjas lost their aerial advantage and their tools failed, they were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

"You bastard! Do you even realize what you've done? You're interfering with the ninja world's progress and destroying the Sky Country's vision of peace!"

"Die!"

At the fortress's core, a group of aerial ninjas roared and charged, seemingly ready for a final stand against Fuma.

"Heh…"

A dark glint flashed in Fuma's eyes. The aerial ninjas froze mid-step before collapsing, unconscious.

These individuals held valuable information. While Fuma could extract intel from their corpses, live subjects were always preferable.

Just then, a man wearing a primitive ceremonial mask stood atop the fortress, holding a massive explosive device.

"You demon from hell! Accept the judgment of ancient technology! Remember this: no one can defeat us, guided by the gods!"

With that, he pressed the detonator, perishing in a violent explosion.

The blast seemed to activate some mechanism within the fortress. Alarms blared, and the lights turned red, signaling impending disaster.

Fuma frowned as his senses detected a massive chakra reaction deep within the fortress, one comparable to half of Shukaku's power.

In a flash, Fuma appeared in the control room, only to find it devoid of sophisticated instruments. Instead, at the center stood a massive array surrounding a glowing green stone pillar, pulsating with violent chakra.

"So, they've triggered a self-destruct sequence? Interesting design…"

Fuma stepped forward, plunging his thick hand into the pillar and releasing thick black smoke. The smoke began absorbing the energy radiating from the stone.

*ZZZZZZZ…*

The power of [Blissful Gluttony] devoured the chakra within the strange stones, flooding Fuma's body with pure energy, leaving him in a state of euphoric satisfaction.

The pillar's violent chakra reaction gradually subsided, eventually calming down entirely under Fuma's relentless extraction.

Fuma's eyes gleamed with delight as he intensified his absorption, savoring the rare, high-quality chakra.

After half an incense stick's time, Fuma reluctantly withdrew his hand, smacking his lips with regret.

"What a shame. If I didn't care about preserving this fortress, I'd have indulged to my heart's content today."

In his mind, new evolutionary pathways began to glow as the influx of chakra pushed them to the brink of activation.

Suddenly, the fortress began to shake violently. Without its power source, it started plummeting toward the ground.

Fuma sighed, slightly annoyed at his lack of restraint.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to put in some work. Consider it a long-overdue strength-training session."

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