39: Lee's Hidden Strength: Forbidden Secret Jutsu!
Suiren Uzumaki: The disclaimer: I do not own Naruto cause if I did then Sakura wouldn't be a useless fangirl in pre-shippuden, and Naruto would have his father's smarts while keeping his mother's personality and knows about seals and how to use to them. I do, however, own Ryurama Senju, Yuki Senju nee Miran, Raika Miran (Senju), & the White Tiger Summoning Contract (A/N: If there is already a White Tiger Summoning Contract…then please ignore the last part). Remember to Read and Review to let me know what you think. Also, if you don't like any twist that I might make then stop reading and find something else to read plus don't leave a review that's a flame or I will find a way to block you. Ja ne!
...My Line...
"What?" Lee asked in shock.
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"What the?" Ino breathed in shock
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The green wearing Genin's eyes widen in shock at the sight of the sand armor.
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"An empty shell!"
"But, how?" Gai asked. "When did he do it!?"
"It was when you closed your eyes to pray," Kakashi answered as he looked at the other Jonin.
"Huh?"
Gai and Ino looked at him in surprise.
"In that moment, Lee closed his eyes, too, because of the pain," the Hatake informed them. "That's when he did it."
The green wearing Jonin grind his teeth together as he looked back at the battlefield.
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'Gaara.'
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"Thought so," Raika said as she stood with her arms crossed.
"Huh?"
Kankuro looked at her in surprise and confusion only for that confusion to grow when the green hair Genin turned her intense pair of glaring wine-red eyes onto him.
"Sunagakure as broken the treaty," she stated. "By bringing their unstable Jinchuuriki to our village's Chunin Exams."
Naruto felt a shiver run up his spin at the tone of voice that the greenette was using. The tone was a soft, normal, indoor voice and that was what made him fearful. As the tone she was using normally meant that Raika Mir…no Raika Senju was planning something vicious.
'Damn it,' Kankuro thought. 'How did she figure it out?'
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Gaara appeared behind Lee cackling in amusement.
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"Oh, no…it's…"
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"So, it's happens," Kankuro breathed. "Just as I thought. That look in his eyes. It could only mean…that the demon inside him awakened."
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Red hair Sand Genin smirked as he formed a hand sign and sand formed around him before launching at Lee, who managed to block, however, another wave slammed into him and forced the green wearing Genin to the ground.
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Gai looked on in worry for his student.
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Lee managed to turn around just as a third wave rushed him.
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"RUN LEE!" Naruto called out in worry.
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The third wave hit the older Genin and threw him into the wall only for a fourth wave to head right for him.
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"Poor kid's helpless," the black wearing Genin said. "He hasn't got anything left. Gaara's just toying with him now."
"Aniki."
"Yeah."
The blonde stood ready to jump into the arena encase it got way to out of hand.
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The redhead licked his lips a bit creepily.
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"I'm not sure that I follow," Ino spoke up as she looked at Team 9's sensei. "Why is Lee just standing there? With his speed, he should be able to get out of the way of those blasts. Why doesn't he just dodged them?"
"For a very simple reason," Gai answered. "He can't dodged them?"
"Say what?" the Yamanaka gasp in shock. "Why not?"
"The Lotus is what you might call a double-edge sword," Kakashi answered.
"Huh? What does that mean?"
"You know that it is a forbidden technique," the Hatake stated. "Why do you think that is?"
Asuma listened as he wondered if his student knew the answer as well.
"Well…"
"The Lotus isn't Ninjutsu nor Genjutsu," the Sarutobi spoke up making his blonde student to look at him. "It's Taijutsu. Requiring extreme physical effort. The strain that it puts on the body is unimaginable."
"Asuma is right," the silver hair Jonin agreed. "After all no one can sustain it for long." Ino looked back at Team 7's sensei. "Right now Lee is in so much pain that he can hardly move at all. Isn't that right, Gai?"
"But…" she trailed off as she looked back at the fight. "But, that means…"
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When the sand moved away, they all could all see Lee kneeling on one knee with his hands out in front of him before he managed to dodge the next three waves. However, he was quick to put up his arms in front of him in an X when Gaara placed his hands back into a sign.
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"No Ninjutsu or Genjutsu," Ino breathed in worry. "All he has is Taijutsu and not much of that either."
"There's no way he can win this," Choji added.
"Win?" the Nara asked. "He'll be lucky to survive."
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'Lee.'
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'Lee.'
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"Alright, you guys!" a male called out. "Keep it moving!" A class of academy students ran around the practice fields. "You want to run 200 more laps?"
"Dummy," a boy said. "Why bother? You'll never be a ninja."
This made the other students to laugh.
"Will, too!" a younger Lee said.
"There is no way a kid, who never can do ninjutsu, can ever be a ninja."
"Yes, I can."
"Whatever. I don't even get why you are even at this Ninja Academy when you can't do ninjutsu or genjutsu and your even worse than average at taijutsu. It's idiotic!"
Lee looked away at that.
"You do know what everyone is calling you right?"
This time the young Lee covered his ears.
"Dork Lee!"
"Dork Lee!"
They surrounded him this time.
"Dork Lee!"
"AH!"
Rock Lee took off running from them as the other students watched with a smirk.
"Hey!" an Academy teacher called. "Lee! Get back in line!"
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Gai laughed as he stood with Kakashi in the academy.
"So, that's the no talent overachiever that I have heard so much about?" the Might asked.
"Yeah," the Hatake answered as he looked at his friend and follow Jonin. "He kinda of reminds me of someone."
"Hmm?"
Gai looked at him in confusion.
"Especially around the eyebrows."
The Might laughed a bit more before looking out of the window.
'Rock Lee. The dork, who has nothing going for him, expect for a little lousy taijutsu.'
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Gai watched as the sand hit Lee, who screamed out.
'But, you kept at it, didn't you? You kept practicing you little lousy taijutsu.'
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"394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 400," Lee counted as he kicked a wooden post. "I cannot do 500 kicks then it's 2000 squats." He kept up the kicking. "404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410."
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Gai walked up just in time to hear him call 411.
"Someone else is here," the green wearing Jonin said to himself before hide behind a tree to watch a bit. 'I'll come back later.'
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"If I cannot a thousand squats then it is a thousand punches," Lee stated as he did his warm ups. "795, 796, 797, 798, 799, 800."
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Later that night upon returning, Gai saw that the child was still training.
'He's still at it,' he thought in shock.
"If I cannot do 2000 punches then I will have to do 2000 jump ropes," he heard Lee say.
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'You focuses everything on your taijutsu,' Gai thought. 'Training relentlessly. Until…'
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"As of today, you all Genin," Gai said as he stood in front of his students. "So, now tell me. Why you've done it? What are your goals? Hmm?"
"Oh!" his female student said as she raised her hand. "Me! Me, sensei! Me!"
"Yes, Tenten?"
"I want to be a legendary ninja," Tenten answered. "To one day, walk in the footsteps of the legendary kunoichi, Tsunade."
"I see," the Might said with a pleased smile. "And you?" He looked at the Hyuuga of the group. "Neji?"
"I whether not say," Neji answered.
"How about me, sensei!?" Lee asked as he raised his hand making Tenten to leaned away a bit. "I want to show that I can be a splendid ninja as well. If I do not have Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. I want to prove it to the whole world!"
'There's that look in eye,' Gai thought with a please smile.
Neji cackled a bit.
"What!?" the other male asked as he stood up and pointed at the Hyuuga. "What is so funny!? I mean it! I will prove that I can be a splendid ninja just by using Taijutsu and nothing else!"
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Lee ran from the sand.
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"It's painful to watch," Temari stated. "Why doesn't he just give up?"
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"He should quiet while he can," Kankuro stated. "It was just his bad luck that he got Gaara."
"Huh?"
The Senju cousins looked at him.
"Come on, busy brow," Naruto breathed as he looked back.
The greenette clasped her hands in front of her as she closed her eyes.
"Please be careful, Lee," Raika prayed.
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'Lee,' Neji thought as he watched.
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Lee and Neji were training together, however, the Hyuuga was obviously winning before he sent his teammate flying.
"Not yet," the other male of Team Gai said as he moved to get up.
"Lee?" Tenten asked before letting out a sigh. "This is stupid. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? You are never going to beat Neji because he's…well…he's a genius."
"Genuis, huh?" Lee asked as he turned around. "What does that word mean? Genuis? So, I wasn't born with a whole lot of natural talent? A gifted like Neji? But, I work hard and I never give. That is my gift! My Ninja Way!"
"It doesn't change a thing," Neji stated.
"Huh?"
"The sad fact is, you'll never beat me," the Hyuuga said. "No matter how hard you work. No matter how many times you've tried."
"That is not true!" Lee yelled. "And you know it! It is not true."
The young male looked away from the other two.
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'True or not,' thought Gai. 'You never listened to them. You never gave up.'
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The sand around Gaara rose up, launched at the dark hair, green wearing Genin, and sent him flying. Lee cried out as he slammed into the ground as Gaara was breathing hard while smirking. Rock Lee got back to his feet and held his arms in front of him.
"What good do you think that will do?" the redhead asked as the sand rose again.
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"I pity the kid," Kankuro stated. "Gaara will just toy with him until he bags for mercy."
"Well, then," Gai spoke up making the three Genin near the edge to look over at him. "Gaara is in for a very long match as that will never happen."
"Huh?"
"Lee doesn't know how to give up," the Might informed them.
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A torrent of sand slammed into Lee making him to crash into the ground again before another wave slammed into his back making him to cry out.
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'Lee will struggle on longer after the point where anyone else would have quit,' Gai thought.
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"If I cannot do 1200 without a mistake then it is 2000 kicks," Lee challenged himself. "1117, 1118, 1119, 11..."
However, the jump rope hit the tip of his shoes which tripped him up and had him crashing headfirst in the wooden post. Lee moved to try and get up only collapsed again with tears falling from his eyes.
"Lee!" Gai called out as he stopped hiding and appeared in the clearing. "Taking a break already?"
The young Genin stood up, whipped his eyes, and dusted himself off.
"What is it Gai-sensei?" he asked before he started to kick the training post. "If this is about my messing up on the last assignment, I have already said that I am sorry."
"Lee, it is true that you are different from Neji and the others," Gai spoke up. "You have no gift for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu and your Taijutsu needs work. But, then again you have a gift that Neji doesn't have. No as flashy, but perhaps even more important."
"You do not have to make me feel better," Lee told him.
"You idiot," the Jonin cackled a bit. "You think that I would waste my time with that? No. What I am saying is that you have the gift of perseverance and that's what makes you a genius, too."
This got the Genin by surprise.
"But, is that true sensei?" he asked. "I wonder. I use to think so. I use to believe that if I just train harder then Neji…2 to 3 times harder…that I would make myself strong enough. But, now I am not so sure. I do not know if I will be able to work hard to ever beat real talent. That's why I am always taking on Neji. I am always thinking that all of my efforts will pay off, but it is it always the same. I am no match for him at all. Every time, we have a ninja mission, my legs begin shaking. I do not know if I can take it. The whole thing seems like it is pointless. Like I am a loser and that I will always be a loser. I do not know what to do."
"You're right all the effort is pointless if you don't believe in yourself," Gai told him.
This took the crying boy by surprise.
…My Line…
"You know Lee," Gai spoke up as they sat on a rock nearby once it was dark. "We're a lot alike, you and I."
"You mean the eyebrows?" Lee asked.
"Huh, no I don't mean in our eyebrows," Gai deadpanned. "You see, I was a loser to once."
"What?" the Genin gasped in shock. "You were a loser!"
"Oh, yes, indeed," the Jonin answered. "But, I made myself an equal to any ninja even Kakashi and I did it through effort. You said that you want to be a splendid ninja even though you don't have all the gifts that others are blessed with. That's your nindo…your ninja way, right? I think that is a fine goal. A finer goal that I have ever heard and one worth sticking, too." Tears started to come to Lee's eyes. "Don't let anything steer you off the path that you have sat for yourself. Forge ahead to the end. Stick to it Lee. Make me, proud. Be everything that you can be." He went placed a hand on the boy's head. "Can you do that for me, Lee?"
'Yes, sir."
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Lee looked up at his teacher to see him smiling at the young boy.
'Gai-sensei, thank you,' he thought with a tear.
The sound of sand moving brought his attention back to his opponent.
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"He can't go on," Ino stated. "Make him quit before he gets himself killed."
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'Bushy bow.'
'Lee.'
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The Konoha Genin smirked as the wave of sand moved to attack only for his vanish before reappearing in front of Gaara.
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"What?"
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"He is still able…"
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"To move like that?"
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Gai smirked as he watched.
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'I will make your proud sensei,' Lee thought. 'I will forge ahead and follow my path to the end. Then become the ninja that I know that I can be.'
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"Lee's smiling," Raika gasped in shock. "He's running for his life…" Lee was dodging all the sand attacks. "And he's still smiling!"
"Yes," Gai agreed with her. "Now it is Gaara's turn to run."
"Huh?"
Both her and Ino looked at him in surprise.
"The Leaf Village's Lotus blooms twice," he told the two girls.
"Hold on?" Raika asked as she raised an eyebrow. "I think that I've heard that somewhere before." The greenette's eyes widen in shock. "Of course, Lee told me that! Back in the forest!"
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"Raika, the Lotus of the Leaf Village blooms twice," Lee told her. "And when we meet again, I will have become a stronger ninja."
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"But…" Kakashi spoke up as he looked at his rival. "No Gai, you didn't."
"Yes, Kakashi," Gai answered. "I did."
"So that Genin…that boy can open the 8 inner gates and use the Hidden Lotus?" the Hatake asked with a narrow eye.
'Hidden Lotus?' Neji asked with narrow eyes.
"Well," the silver hair Jonin spoke up. "If that isn't the most…ugh." He sighed. "Okay. How many of the inner gates is he able to open now?"
"5 gates," Gai answered him.
Raika stared at the green wearing Jonin in horror while Ino looked confused.
"Alright," the Yamanaka spoke up. "What in the world are these 8 inner gates that you are talking about? And the Hidden Lotus?"
"The 8 gates are like valves or chakra limiters that must be opened if one was to release the Hidden Lotus," Gai answered.
"I am not following," Ino stated.
The squad leader of team 7 turned back to the field and lifted up his hitai-ate to show his sharingan eye.
"There are gates along the chakra network," Kakashi said. "Located at those points in the body where the chakra is most heavily concentrated. Starting at the head; they are the Gates of opening, of rest, of life, of pain, of closing, of joy, of shock, and the gate of death. These are what is called the 8 inner gates. Their purpose is the limit the flow of chakra through the body, but the lotus extort pressure on these limiters eventually forcing these gates open. This releases the restraints on the chakra and the results is that a person's strengths can be increased by 10 folds…or more."
"The Primary Lotus opens only the first gate," Gai continued for the silver hair Jonin. "The gate of opening. Releasing the brains restraints on the muscles. Freeing a persons to bring forth its body to its fullest extent. You've seen the results."
"And…ah…what about the Hidden Lotus?" Ino asked.
"At the second gate, the gate of rest, one's strength is increased further," Gai answered. "And the third gate, the gate of life, one enters the Hidden Lotus."
"Wait," the platinum blonde gasped in shock. "Hold on a minute. Just the Primary Lotus almost destroyed him…he could barely move. What will happen to him if he goes further with it?"
"Exactly," Kakashi agreed making the Genin of team 10 to look at him. "By opening all 8 gates, you can obtain power beyond even the Hokages'. The only draw back is…you die." Ino gasped in shock at that. "I have no idea what this boy means to you, Gai, but I shouldn't have to tell you that we never bring out personal feelings into play. I wouldn't have thought that you were capable of this."
"You have no right," Gai stated. "You know nothing about him! Nothing at all!" The Hatake looked at him with narrow eyes. "That boy has something to prove and he is determined to do even at the cost of his life."
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"I want to show that I can be a splendid ninja as well. If I do not have Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. I want to prove it to the whole world!"
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"And I am determined to help him reach his goal," Gai added. "Not for his sake, but because that goal is worth reaching."
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"Alright, Lee," Gai spoke up as they were training. "I am going to be teaching you a new technique, so pay attention now."
"Ye-ye-yeah!" Lee cheered.
"Okay enough of that," the Might told him.
"A new technique! A new technique! A new technique! A new technique!"
"LEE, I SAID PAY ATTENTION!" Gai shouted as he punched the boy.
When Lee hit the ground, he was quick to get back up and just sat on the ground.
"Right," he agreed. "Pay attention, sir!"
"Now first, just let me say one thing," Gai went on. "This technique is even more forbidden then the Primary Lotus. It is not without danger, but it will be your trump card."
"It will?"
"But, listen," his teacher continued. "You can only use this forbidden technique one condition…one very strict condition. And that is…"
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'And that is…' thought Lee as he crossed his arms into an x in front of him while a strong pressure was felt.
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"What?"
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"I don't know what you are planning, but this match is over for you," Gaara stated as he moved to attack.
"You are right," Lee agreed. "It is over. One way or another." 'Neji, and Sasuke, and…'
"Huh?"
"I am not going to be the only one to lose here," the green wearing Genin growled.
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The green hair Senju grip the railing tightly as she watched in worry.
'Lee.'
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'Gai-sensei, please let this work? It is now nor never!'
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Gai watched Lee with a smirk.
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'To protect and maintain one's own ninja way!' Lee thought. 'The third gate; Gate of Life, Open!'
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Everyone in the viewing area watched in shock and narrow eyes as power just exploded from the year older Konoha Genin.
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Suiren Uzumaki: To the review left by danj09290 from the last chapter: Thank you. I am glad that you liked the last chapter. Well, Raika is the granddaughter of Tobirama Senju, so of course she is going be a bit of a genius...well...she also had her sensory ability to help with that. Oh my God! I had thought the something when I had first seen the episode and listened to Kankuro's explanation. After all, one shouldn't share intel of their village with someone from another village. I mean, it's like an USA soldier sharing intel with...let's say...someone from China in what is supposed to be a normal conversation and thus giving China some idea of how to attack us. Well, anyways, about the whole Lee winning Raika's heart...well...she will have a small crush on Lee that won't amount to anything as unfortunately, I have already decided that she will end up with Obito...well. I have thought of making it where someone of the Miran blood can only marry the one that they fall in love with, and Raika is already showing signs of being in love with Tobi aka Obito Uchiha. Kinda of like the Uchiha Curse of Hatred, but in a very roundabout way. What do you think of that idea.
P.S. You remember that suggestion that you made in your review back in Chapter 22? The one about Obito aka Tobi aka Madara aka the idiot in a lollipop mask kidnapping Raika only for them to end up fighting. I was actually thinking about that, but thought of adding a different twist to your idea. Do you remember that scene where Obito as the Ten-Tails Jinchuuriki summoned a tree that he was going to use to unleash four Tail Beast Bombs on the Allied Shinobi Forces?