Chapter 2: Not Only the Uchiha Can Pilot a Gundam

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"I'm finally free! Hahaha! HAHAHAHA!"

Amidst the endless yellow sands, a colossal tanuki adorned with intricate cursed seal patterns raised its sharp claws and howled at the sky.

"Yes, yes, you're out now," came a calm voice from the side.

"Who's there?" Shukaku snapped its head toward the source of the voice, its copper coin-like pupils narrowing in suspicion.

"It's you!" Shukaku growled as it spotted Jinghang, standing atop a nearby sand dune.

"Yes, it's me," Jinghang replied indifferently.

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Come on then, you stinking raccoon!" Jinghang taunted without a hint of fear. He pulled out a scroll, and with a loud "Bang!" a massive amount of black iron sand spilled out, instantly forming a steel barrier in front of him.

Shukaku ignored the defense before it, roaring furiously. "Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet! Wind Release: Sand Scatter Shot!"

Countless high-density wind bullets infused with Tailed Beast Chakra, along with sand bullets, rained down on Jinghang's iron wall. The attacks screeched against the steel, their sound grating on the ears. Shukaku unleashed its fury relentlessly, as if it intended to drown the small figure before it in an endless barrage of attacks.

Not far away, atop another sand dune, Pakura and Rasa sat in a temporary tent they had set up, leisurely brewing tea.

"How long has it been?" Pakura asked with concern as she glanced toward the direction of the battle.

"Still early, still early," Rasa replied without looking up, busying himself with the tea set in his hands. "It's only been two hours. Let the monk sleep a bit longer."

"Hey, look, Shukaku's stopped. Could it be preparing a Tailed Beast Bomb?" Pakura pointed toward the battle.

"Really? Haha, now it's getting exciting!" Rasa hurriedly handed Pakura a cup of tea, then grabbed a small stool and sat at the front for a better view.

In the distance, Shukaku opened its massive mouth, gathering an enormous amount of chakra at an alarming speed. A gigantic black chakra sphere began to form.

Sensing the lull in attacks, Jinghang quickly withdrew the iron sand barrier and pulled out two more scrolls, releasing even more black iron sand. His hands moved at lightning speed, forming a series of hand seals.

"Magnet Release: Gundam Technique!"

With a thunderous shout, the iron sand rapidly gathered and assembled itself. In a matter of moments, it transformed into a colossal steel giant, comparable in size to Shukaku. The giant was clad in armor, wielding twin maces, and resembled a fearsome guardian deity. Its imposing presence exuded an aura of invincibility.

"Cool!" Pakura and Rasa's eyes sparkled with admiration.

In an instant, the Tailed Beast Bomb was launched. The steel giant crossed its maces into an "X" shape, forcibly withstanding the rolling, destructive energy of the bomb. Sparks flew in all directions. Standing atop the giant's head, Jinghang let out a low shout, lifting the maces and hurling the Tailed Beast Bomb into the sky. The bomb exploded mid-air, scattering the once-dense clouds and leaving the sky eerily clear.

The steel giant took two quick steps forward and swung its mace at Shukaku. The Tailed Beast instinctively raised its right claw to block, but iron was heavier than sand. In an instant, Shukaku's right arm was smashed into pieces. Before it could recover, the giant's left mace struck again, shattering part of Shukaku's torso.

"That's what you get for being disobedient!" Jinghang muttered under his breath, but his hands showed no mercy. The twin maces swung relentlessly, pummeling Shukaku like a spinning top. Though the attacks caused no substantial harm to the Tailed Beast, the constant barrage prevented it from maintaining its form. Under the relentless assault, Shukaku gradually turned into a pile of "mud." With each strike, Shukaku let out a piercing scream, clearly in pain.

"How does Big Brother come up with such cool techniques?" Pakura's eyes were still filled with stars.

"I heard he developed this technique by studying the First Hokage Hashirama's Wood Golem Jutsu and the Uchiha clan's Susano'o. But only someone as monstrous as Big Brother, with his insane chakra reserves, could sustain the iron giant for this long. It's been three hours, and the giant hasn't even shown signs of dispersing. Incredible!" Rasa sipped his tea, speaking with admiration.

"By the way, how's your Gold Giant Technique coming along?" Pakura turned to ask.

"Ugh, don't even mention it. Even now, my gold giant is barely half the size of Big Brother's iron giant. Plus, gold is too heavy and hard to control. But it works well for sealing techniques," Rasa sighed deeply.

"Don't think only the Uchiha can pilot Gundams. My iron giant is just as good as theirs," Jinghang muttered to himself.

Indeed, this was Jinghang's self-developed jutsu, the Gundam Technique, based on his Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai. In the original story, the Third Kazekage was already a human puppet created by Sasori when he first appeared. His Magnet Release: Iron Sand Technique was merely used to manipulate iron sand mixed with poison into various shapes to stab or crush enemies. It was a waste of potential—a Magneto reduced to a mere wrecking ball.

Having been reborn, Jinghang refused to squander his talents. He developed a variety of powerful and specialized jutsu tailored to his abilities. The Gundam Technique was one of them, allowing him to shape iron sand into a battle-ready giant capable of changing forms. It was the perfect countermeasure against Tailed Beasts and Susano'o. Compared to Hashirama's Wood Golem Jutsu, it was arguably superior.

Ever since Jinghang perfected this technique, he would occasionally spar with Bunpuku. At this time, Bunpuku was far from being the perfect Jinchūriki he would later become. To suppress the restless Shukaku within him, Bunpuku often forced himself to stay awake, leaving him perpetually exhausted. Jinghang's sparring provided a solution: Bunpuku could use his False Sleep Technique to temporarily release Shukaku, while Jinghang used his Gundam Technique to subdue it. This not only allowed Jinghang to refine his jutsu but also gave Bunpuku much-needed rest. Over time, their battles lasted longer and longer, progressing from two-hour skirmishes to nearly seamless six-hour confrontations. Jinghang's strength steadily grew, reaching Kage-level proficiency.

"Six and a half hours already. The sun's about to set. Big Brother should eat dinner soon," Pakura said to Rasa.

"Right. Can't skip meals," Rasa replied, pulling out a firework from his pocket.

With a sharp whistle, the firework burst into the sky. Jinghang leapt down, landing beside the now-slumbering Bunpuku, who lay in a puddle of "mud." Jinghang gave the bald monk a playful flick to the forehead.

"Ah!" Bunpuku yawned contentedly, stretching with a satisfied smile. He bowed to Jinghang.

"Thank you, benefactor, for your kindness."

"No need to thank me. I'll be here for a while. Just call me whenever you feel sleepy."

"Heh, you're too kind. By the way, Shukaku told me earlier that your strikes are getting harsher. He says he can't take it anymore and promises not to cause trouble in the future. If I get tired, I can release him, and he guarantees he won't act up or hurt anyone."

"Oh, really? But Shukaku is always cunning. I'd better keep an eye on him for a while."

"Benefactor, you misunderstand. If one can truly accept each other, there is no difference between humans and Tailed Beasts."

"Fair enough. Chatting with Shukaku might be nice. We've never really talked properly—always fighting the moment we meet."

"Big Brother, here's the latest war report from the Rain Country frontlines. It's about a week old," Rasa said, handing over a stack of documents.

"Any news of Konoha or Iwagakure?" Jinghang asked as he skimmed through the reports.

"According to intel from Maki of the Anbu, a large number of Iwagakure ninjas have been spotted near the Rain Country and Earth Country border. Meanwhile, the Third Hokage of Konoha has ceased accepting missions and issued a ninja mobilization order."

"Not good," Jinghang muttered, sighing as he finished reading.

The battle between Amegakure and Sunagakure had reached a stalemate. Due to the Rain Country's constant rainfall, many of Sunagakure's jutsu were significantly weakened. Fortunately, Chiyo had neutralized all of Hanzo's poison gas and discovered a critical five-minute gap needed for the salamander to replenish its toxins, leaving Hanzo frustrated. While Sunagakure held the upper hand, a swift victory was no longer possible. Meanwhile, Iwagakure and Konoha were clearly preparing to intervene, further complicating the situation.

"Draft a letter to Elder Ebizō immediately," Jinghang instructed Pakura, who quickly pulled out paper and pen to take notes.

"Given the current severity of the war, I propose the following measures:

Raise Sunagakure's alert level and increase both stationary and mobile surveillance.

Request 50 million ryō in war funds from the Daimyō of the Land of Wind.

Suspend all missions for Chūnin and Genin not participating in the war. Instruct them to procure as much food as possible locally and transport it back to Sunagakure immediately. Mission breach penalties will be handled by the mission reception office.

Inventory all ninja tools and supplies, and assign personnel to guard the village's water wells.

Purchase a batch of ninja tools on credit from the Land of Craftsmen."

"Big Brother, even if we allocate all these resources to the frontlines, I doubt it'll be enough to win this war," Rasa said with a bitter expression.

"Who said I was doing this for the frontlines?" Jinghang looked up at the bright moon.

"This war is already lost. I'm preparing for the next one."