Gyuki - The Eight-Tails (Hachibi)
Gyūki (牛鬼, Gyūki), more commonly known as the Eight-Tails (八尾, Hachibi), is one of the nine tailed beasts. It is currently sealed within Ryuu of Kirigakure after Fukai, Fukai's uncle, Fukai's father, and Killer B before him.
Background
Gyūki first came into being in the waning days of the Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, who used his Creation of All Things ability to separate the Ten-Tails' chakra from its body and divide it into nine separate constructs that would come to be known as tailed beasts in order to ensure that it would never resurface after his death. Some time after being created, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki sat down with all the young tailed beasts and told them that they would always be together, even when separated, and that one day they would become one entity again with different names and forms than they did. Then, when the time came, they would know what true power is. Gyūki eventually fell into the possession of Kumogakure.
However, its ferocity was so great that none of its former jinchūriki could control it. They would lose control, and Gyūki would go on a rampage and destroy the village, requiring the Third Raikage to form a special coalition to subdue it. During one of its rampages, the Third fought Gyūki alone allowing his comrades to escape. During this encounter the Third managed to cut all of the beast's tails off, but both him and Gyūki collapsed with their techniques before they could finish the battle. During another encounter, the Third extracted it from its previous jinchūriki, and sealed it within the Kohaku no Jōhei. In the anime, Orochimaru orchestrated the rampage, having given Fukai genjutsu inducing pills to draw out Gyūki. Due to the pills, Gyūki had no recollection of the rampage. Many villagers lost their lives during these episodes and Gyūki lost one of its four horns to A after the said horn pierced Motoi's father. It was ultimately sealed within Killer B, who was five at the time, through the Iron Armour Seal. B would go on to tame and control Gyūki through rigorous training within the Falls of Truth.
At some point in the past, one Kumo-nin attempted to mimic the Gold and Silver Brothers by eating one of Gyūki's chakra meat tentacles in the hopes of gaining the power like a jinchūriki, but died in the process
However, its ferocity was so great that none of its former jinchūriki could control it. They would lose control, and Gyūki would go on a rampage and destroy the village, requiring the Third Raikage to form a special coalition to subdue it. During one of its rampages, the Third fought Gyūki alone allowing his comrades to escape. During this encounter the Third managed to cut all of the beast's tails off, but both him and Gyūki collapsed with their techniques before they could finish the battle. During another encounter, the Third extracted it from its previous jinchūriki, and sealed it within the Kohaku no Jōhei. In the anime, Orochimaru orchestrated the rampage, having given Fukai genjutsu inducing pills to draw out Gyūki. Due to the pills, Gyūki had no recollection of the rampage. Many villagers lost their lives during these episodes and Gyūki lost one of its four horns to A after the said horn pierced Motoi's father. It was ultimately sealed within Killer B, who was five at the time, through the Iron Armour Seal. B would go on to tame and control Gyūki through rigorous training within the Falls of Truth.
At some point in the past, one Kumo-nin attempted to mimic the Gold and Silver Brothers by eating one of Gyūki's chakra meat tentacles in the hopes of gaining the power like a jinchūriki, but died in the process
Personality
Gyūki is characterised as a tough and serious individual. It uses "ore" (オレ) when referring to itself and often speaks in a somewhat rude dialect. In addition, Gyūki was also shown to have a good analytical ability, as it told Killer B that if he left Ponta and Sabu and ran away from them, Kisame and his water dome would follow him and they (Sabu and Ponta) would be freed. With regards to its relationship with the other tailed beasts, Gyūki mentioned that it and its brethren disliked Kurama for its habit of ranking their strength based on their number of tails. However, it insisted that was no reason for not helping Naruto to control Kurama's power, hinting a benevolent side. Since then, both Gyūki and B have taken a liking to Naruto.
In the past, Gyūki was infamous in Kumo for being wild and violent, as it went on countless rampages whenever its former jinchūriki would lose control of it. This was most likely due to its hatred against humans for oppressing and sealing it away many times. Gyūki kept on being that way until it was sealed within B, who would later change it after he bested it in one-on-one combat. Since then, Gyūki's relationship with B became more relaxed, with B even sitting on top of its muzzle while talking to Gyūki leisurely. However, B tends to annoy Gyūki to comical effect, as its no-nonsense demeanor often contrasts with B's tendency to goof off whenever he likes, adding fuel to Gyūki's irritation to its vessel. Gyūki is not above bad-mouthing B as a result. Gyūki is also known to reprimand him in serious occasions as shown when it criticized B for rapping in his fight with Kisame when he should have been completely focused on their opponent, and later when it comically bumped B in the head when the latter started to mention in a perverted manner how Yugito's chakra receivers were embedded in her left breast. Because of this, Gyūki appears to be much more noteworthy than B as far as responsibility is concerned.
While his relationship with B's predecessor Fukai was unknown in the manga, other than the fact that Gyūki would pounce on the "hole" in Fukai's heart and assume control over him, in the anime, Gyūki stated it had high hopes for him, indicating it bore no ill will towards its former host.
In the past, Gyūki was infamous in Kumo for being wild and violent, as it went on countless rampages whenever its former jinchūriki would lose control of it. This was most likely due to its hatred against humans for oppressing and sealing it away many times. Gyūki kept on being that way until it was sealed within B, who would later change it after he bested it in one-on-one combat. Since then, Gyūki's relationship with B became more relaxed, with B even sitting on top of its muzzle while talking to Gyūki leisurely. However, B tends to annoy Gyūki to comical effect, as its no-nonsense demeanor often contrasts with B's tendency to goof off whenever he likes, adding fuel to Gyūki's irritation to its vessel. Gyūki is not above bad-mouthing B as a result. Gyūki is also known to reprimand him in serious occasions as shown when it criticized B for rapping in his fight with Kisame when he should have been completely focused on their opponent, and later when it comically bumped B in the head when the latter started to mention in a perverted manner how Yugito's chakra receivers were embedded in her left breast. Because of this, Gyūki appears to be much more noteworthy than B as far as responsibility is concerned.
While his relationship with B's predecessor Fukai was unknown in the manga, other than the fact that Gyūki would pounce on the "hole" in Fukai's heart and assume control over him, in the anime, Gyūki stated it had high hopes for him, indicating it bore no ill will towards its former host.
Appearance
Gyūki is an ushi-oni with four long horns on its head, similar to that of a Jacob sheep. Like all tailed beasts, its an extremely massive creature, so much so that it dwarfs entire forests and towers over large rock formations and buildings. The lower left part of its horns was permanently sliced off in a battle with A, and the right horns were destroyed by its own point-blank Tailed Beast Ball when fighting the Ten-Tails. It also has straight teeth, one of which was blown off during the point-blank Tailed Beast Ball. It has a muscular upper-body structure, with a hunched back similar to an American bison, arms with spiked protrusions on the elbows, and hands with opposing thumbs like that of a human. It has no hind-legs, instead its lower half is made up of its tails which consist of eight tentacles that resemble the cephalopod arms of an octopus. These tails will grow back in the event that they are sliced off. It is also extremely massive, matching the Giant Squid in size. During the last remaining days of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, Gyūki was smaller and its horns were much shorter.
Abilities
As a tailed beast, Gyūki possesses a massive supply of chakra and is able to use the Tailed Beast Ball, as well as fire them in rapid succession at a target. A single Tailed Beast Ball from it could penetrate nine of the thirty-six barriers without even exploding. Going with its octopus theme, Gyūki can also produce ink to blind its enemies as well as form ink clones to bind them. It can also generate enormous tornadoes which can level an entire forest with ease. Its enormous horns are incredibly sharp, capable of easily impaling a human being.
Gyūki has immense physical strength, being able to temporarily restrain Kurama, contain a direct Tailed Beast Ball from the fox, and completely stop Isobu in full motion using only its extended tentacles, along with swiping Kokuō aside at the same time. It was able to endure being burned by Sasuke's Amaterasu for a considerable amount of time, continue battling after being gored by Kokuō and slammed by Son Gokū, and even survive its own Tailed Beast Ball that was deflected by the Ten-Tails. Gyūki's durability seems to be extremely high since its head could endure a direct hit from a combined explosion of Tailed Beast Balls from itself and the Ten-Tails that are condensed within the mouth of Ten-Tails, losing only one of its teeth and horn. Its tentacles offer it several additional appendages with which to interact with its surroundings and strike targets and can be used for defense tactics, capable of blocking explosion blast and shock wave from a collision of gigantic Tailed Beast Balls by several beasts, or slowing down the velocity of an immense sized Tailed Beast Ball by the Ten-Tails, but they are also easily severed by technique of great sharpness such as Chidori. Even with its immense size, it has shown a high level of speed when it attacks, and was even fast enough to block Amaterasu with its fist.
Gyūki has been shown to be very intelligent, explaining the mechanics of the Tailed Beast Ball to Naruto, the weaknesses of his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, as well as pointing out that until he and Kurama reach a formal agreement, Naruto will not be able to fully transform or perform the Tailed Beast Ball. Gyūki even coached B in tactics on how to counter Kisame's water-based techniques. He is also very perceptive as he later worked out that the Gold and Silver Brothers were revived, after witnessing Naruto sense Kurama's chakra coming from outside of the training place that he and B were confined, correctly deducing that Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation was being used by someone participating in the war.
Gyūki has immense physical strength, being able to temporarily restrain Kurama, contain a direct Tailed Beast Ball from the fox, and completely stop Isobu in full motion using only its extended tentacles, along with swiping Kokuō aside at the same time. It was able to endure being burned by Sasuke's Amaterasu for a considerable amount of time, continue battling after being gored by Kokuō and slammed by Son Gokū, and even survive its own Tailed Beast Ball that was deflected by the Ten-Tails. Gyūki's durability seems to be extremely high since its head could endure a direct hit from a combined explosion of Tailed Beast Balls from itself and the Ten-Tails that are condensed within the mouth of Ten-Tails, losing only one of its teeth and horn. Its tentacles offer it several additional appendages with which to interact with its surroundings and strike targets and can be used for defense tactics, capable of blocking explosion blast and shock wave from a collision of gigantic Tailed Beast Balls by several beasts, or slowing down the velocity of an immense sized Tailed Beast Ball by the Ten-Tails, but they are also easily severed by technique of great sharpness such as Chidori. Even with its immense size, it has shown a high level of speed when it attacks, and was even fast enough to block Amaterasu with its fist.
Gyūki has been shown to be very intelligent, explaining the mechanics of the Tailed Beast Ball to Naruto, the weaknesses of his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, as well as pointing out that until he and Kurama reach a formal agreement, Naruto will not be able to fully transform or perform the Tailed Beast Ball. Gyūki even coached B in tactics on how to counter Kisame's water-based techniques. He is also very perceptive as he later worked out that the Gold and Silver Brothers were revived, after witnessing Naruto sense Kurama's chakra coming from outside of the training place that he and B were confined, correctly deducing that Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation was being used by someone participating in the war.
Gyuki's Techniques
Chakra Transfer Technique
It is used by many users, each one of them has shown to use technique in different ways. Certain people, such as Minato Namikaze and Naruto Uzumaki could also mold the transferred chakra in order to adapt it to another person's specific chakra type. In the latter's case, due to Kurama's chakra, it also enveloped the recipients in a chakra cloak similar to his "Version 1" form, albeit with no tails. Once, the user transfers its chakra, he/she is able to manipulate that chakra.
Ink Creation
Ryuu is able to form ink in his mouth. The ink can be used for a variety of things, such as using his ink covered finger as a makeshift pencil or using the ink to blind an opponent. Killer B used this technique in greater extent when he was able to cover the whole water prison with his ink in order to blind Kisame. The ink can also be molded into a more solid form to create clones.
Tailed Beast Ball
The Tailed Beast Ball is the ultimate technique of a tailed beast and its jinchūriki.
- To form the attack, they gather both positive black chakra (+の黒チャクラ, purasu no kuro chakura), and negative white chakra (−の白チャクラ, mainasu no shiro chakura), then shape it into a sphere. The black and white chakra needs to be balanced at an 8:2 ratio respectively or it will backfire. The ball can be fired differently, either in sphere form, which can be detonated for a wave explosion or launched to form a dome-shaped blast which flattens and erases everything around it, or as a concentrated beam of energy which gives it explosive penetrative power. A Tailed Beast Ball is incredibly dense, as when Naruto Uzumaki in his four-tailed form created one, the ground around him sunk beneath his weight after he swallowed it. When used in close proximity to other tailed beasts performing the technique, the Tailed Beast Balls can be combined, vastly increasing the attack's destructive power and size. Despite its density, the Tailed Beast Ball is extremely fast when launched, able to cross an entire sea in a few seconds despite its trajectory being altered by Summoning: Quintuple Rashōmon when used by Kurama or when the Ten-Tails uses it the entire continent in minutes.
- The power of the attack is relative to the power of the user. A fully charged Tailed Beast Ball from Gyūki can fill an entire valley with the explosion as well as plow through a multiple layered barrier. Kurama's own Tailed Beast Ball can create an explosion that is far larger than the Hokage Monument and the mountains around it, as well as one that is equal to the size and power of a combined ball formed by five other tailed beasts. Individual Tailed Beast Balls from Matatabi, Isobu, Kokuō, Saiken, and Chōmei seem to be on the same level of destructive power since they all easily vaporized large mountains after Naruto deflected them with his speed and strength. When used by the Ten-Tails in its mature form, the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball took on a conical shape, and upon impact was able to destroy an entire village some distance away, as well as destroy entire mountain ranges and the explosion could be seen from extremely far away. When used by Obito, in his unique jinchūriki form, he summons a tree with many flower-like extensions on them; forming the ball in front of each flower.
Tailed Beast Chakra Arms
This is an ability a jinchūriki is able to perform when in a tailed form. The jinchūriki will use the raw chakra of the their Tailed Beast to form arms, which they can freely manipulate to attack their foes, able to strike an opponent faster than even a Sharingan user can react to. The chakra arms hands are clawed while the rest of the arm seems to lack any kind of joint, thus allowing them to have flexible movements that will generally be impossible for normal arms. The user can create any number of arms that they desire and they can also serve other purposes such as grappling hooks, to either grab onto objects or enemies from great distances, for offensive means, as merely touching one of these can cause fatal burns, due to the Nine-Tails' seething hatred within its chakra (though this is not always the case). Due to having chakra attached to his body, the chakra arms can grow in size and from the fourth tail up, Naruto, the arms, or any part of his body can divide into two or more fully operational appendages. Killer B has also been shown to use this technique though instead of arms, he can form horns which he uses for his Lariat technique.
In his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto can use the chakra arms to a greater extent, as he can use and release chakra arms from anywhere on his body on a small or large scale. These arms even have the power to crush stone without Naruto putting much thought into it. In the anime Naruto was able to crush a sword with a chakra arm just by tightening his grip. After some practice, he mastered the chakra arms, able to manipulate various stones and geometric shapes without crushing them. Now he is able to use them in an attempt to create a new technique: the Tailed Beast Rasengan since he was advised by the Eight-Tails against the use of shadow clones in this form. Naruto's mastery of the Tailed Beast Chakra Arms is so great that he is able to create several at once to launch attacks at several enemies, use them to pull enemies into the attack, and even create tiny ones around his finger. The arms also grant him a greater level of dexterity and maneuverability out of what would normally be a helpless situation, such as guiding his Rasenshuriken during his fight against the Third Raikage. Not only that, Naruto can control each individual shroud he gives out to protect his allies.
Obito is able to use this after becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki. He does so by exerting the Ten-Tails' chakra from the ten, spiky protrusions coming from his back. The arms are strong enough to rip apart the Hokage's Four Red Yang Formation apart with ease despite it being able to shield everyone from the Ten-Tails' gigantic Tailed Beast Ball.
In his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto can use the chakra arms to a greater extent, as he can use and release chakra arms from anywhere on his body on a small or large scale. These arms even have the power to crush stone without Naruto putting much thought into it. In the anime Naruto was able to crush a sword with a chakra arm just by tightening his grip. After some practice, he mastered the chakra arms, able to manipulate various stones and geometric shapes without crushing them. Now he is able to use them in an attempt to create a new technique: the Tailed Beast Rasengan since he was advised by the Eight-Tails against the use of shadow clones in this form. Naruto's mastery of the Tailed Beast Chakra Arms is so great that he is able to create several at once to launch attacks at several enemies, use them to pull enemies into the attack, and even create tiny ones around his finger. The arms also grant him a greater level of dexterity and maneuverability out of what would normally be a helpless situation, such as guiding his Rasenshuriken during his fight against the Third Raikage. Not only that, Naruto can control each individual shroud he gives out to protect his allies.
Obito is able to use this after becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki. He does so by exerting the Ten-Tails' chakra from the ten, spiky protrusions coming from his back. The arms are strong enough to rip apart the Hokage's Four Red Yang Formation apart with ease despite it being able to shield everyone from the Ten-Tails' gigantic Tailed Beast Ball.
Tailed Beast Eight Twists
After assuming his full Eight-Tails transformation, Ryuu tightly coils the beast's tails around himself, before extending them with an enormous amount of physical strength. This causes him to spin rapidly, resulting in the generation of tremendous gusts of wind that buffets everything in the surrounding area. This technique was powerful enough to level the terrain within a large range of the Eight-Tails.
Tailed Beast Telepathy
An innate skill possessed by all the tailed beasts, which allows them to communicate with one another without speaking. They have several plains to their subconscious minds known as the Mental World (精神世界, Seishin Sekai). It is accessible for all tailed beasts and their respective jinchūriki if the beast so wishes, however, it requires a jinchūriki and their tailed beast to be fully linked to gain access to the deeper plains. Furthermore, it is impossible for influences from the outside to reach this plain, even if the tailed beasts are being controlled.