His precious notebook was gone, just like that?
Destroying someone's notebook was no different from an unforgivable grudge soaked in blood!
That notebook contained all the classic rhymes and phrases Killer Bee had painstakingly created over the years.
Staring at the torn pages scattered on the ground, Killer Bee's eyes burned with anger.
"You dare destroy my precious notebook?!"
Without hesitation, he pulled the seven blades from his back and tossed them into the air. As they fell, he caught them in various parts of his body—his hands, elbows, shoulders, knees, and even his mouth.
Despite having perfectly good hands to wield two swords, he deliberately chose to hold them in bizarre and unconventional ways.
Watching Killer Bee replicate the exact same technique described in White Zetsu's intel, Ye Zi remained indifferent. He didn't take Killer Bee's words seriously. The only real threat was if he fully transformed into the Eight-Tails. As for this unorthodox sword style…
He had no intention of taking it seriously.
Tendrils of black lightning crackled across Ye Zi's body. His eerie, snake-like pupils shifted, transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan. Time was short, and Ye Zi had no interest in wasting it. He wanted to see if he could use genjutsu to increase his chances of successfully sealing his target.
"This guy must be Ye Zi, huh? Well, whatever! You wreck my book, you pay the price!"
Killer Bee's swords surged with lightning as he infused them with his signature technique: Supervibrato Lightning Release Swords. By injecting his chakra into the blades, he generated high-frequency vibrations, giving them cutting power that surpassed even Wind Release techniques.
This technique could cut through most weapons with ease, and when combined with his Acrobat Style, its effectiveness became even more terrifying.
"Bee, be careful of this guy," Gyūki warned.
"Yo, got it!"
Even without Gyūki's reminder, Killer Bee knew Ye Zi was dangerous.
With all seven blades charged with lightning chakra, Killer Bee dashed forward.
"Here he comes. He's fast, I need to find an opening to use genjutsu."
Ye Zi's eyes narrowed as he raised his blade to block Killer Bee's first strike. Clang! The sharp metallic clash shattered the silence of Unraikyō.
"Feel the wrath of my Acrobat Style! I'll slice right through your blade!"
Muttering his rhyme in his mind, Killer Bee suddenly flipped mid-air, spinning like a whirlwind. His seven blades came slashing down at Ye Zi from chaotic, unpredictable angles.
"Hm?"
Ye Zi was slightly taken aback. His arms moved rapidly, his black-lightning-coated sword intercepting Killer Bee's barrage of slashes. Sparks flew as the blades collided.
Both were masters of Lightning Release, meaning the electric paralysis effects of their weapons canceled each other out upon impact.
After exchanging blows, Ye Zi realized Killer Bee's swordsmanship was completely unorthodox, utterly devoid of any structured technique. Yet, its unpredictability made it extremely lethal and incredibly fast.
Who would have thought that holding swords in such strange positions would actually enhance his fighting style?
Using his body's momentum from his flips and rotations, Killer Bee launched relentless attacks from bizarre angles. Trying to rely on experience alone to counter them was a fool's errand.
Against such an unconventional technique, experience was useless, Ye Zi had to rely on his Mangekyō Sharingan to track the blades, combining it with his own taijutsu to block the incoming attacks.
"If I didn't have the Mangekyō Sharingan… I probably wouldn't be able to keep up. At this rate, I can't use genjutsu, I need to create some distance first."
Ye Zi knew that, based on swordsmanship alone, there was no way to take down Killer Bee quickly. If he wanted to capture him, Wood Release would be the key. But given Killer Bee's speed, he needed to slow him down before he could restrain him.
The clash between their sword techniques filled the air with an unending chorus of steel against steel. In just thirty seconds, Killer Bee had unleashed countless slashes, yet Ye Zi had managed to block every single one.
"This guy is crazy strong… And his sword is ridiculously tough. Must be because of that black lightning," Killer Bee thought to himself.
His Acrobat Style combined with Supervibrato Lightning Release Swords had never failed him against other swordsmen. Against any normal opponent, he was confident he could finish them off within a few exchanges.
But Ye Zi wasn't an ordinary opponent.
Ye Zi's eyes darted around, tracking every one of Killer Bee's movements. His blade work was fluid and precise, forming a near-perfect defense.
"This stalemate is pointless."
Suddenly, the black lightning coursing through Ye Zi's body intensified, growing thicker and more concentrated. The area around him crackled as the surge of chakra slightly expanded its range.
"What the—?! His chakra just spiked!"
Killer Bee was caught off guard by the sudden surge in power.
Ye Zi's plan was simple, if finesse wasn't getting him anywhere, then brute force would. He was going to end this ridiculous sword fight with raw strength.
Channeling even greater power into his arms, Ye Zi poured chakra into his blade and met Killer Bee's next strike head-on.
Clang!
This time, the sound was deafening being several times louder than before. A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending a powerful gust surging outward.
Killer Bee felt the overwhelming force from Ye Zi's blade and was pushed back a considerable distance.
Just as Ye Zi knew that relying solely on swordsmanship and taijutsu wouldn't be enough to take down Killer Bee, Killer Bee also realized that his Acrobat Style combined with Supervibrato Lightning Release Swords wouldn't be enough to handle Ye Zi.
Without hesitation, Killer Bee discarded all of his swords and grinned at Ye Zi.
"Out of all the opponents I've fought, you're the strongest!"
Ye Zi swiftly sheathed Chijin. In his sensory perception, he could feel that the Third Raikage and A were rapidly approaching. In fact, the final clash of their blades had already been heard by the approaching duo, meaning they were very close.
"Heh heh."
Seeing that Ye Zi had also put away his blade, Killer Bee chuckled. A faint red chakra cloak appeared over his body as he instantly entered his first Tailed Beast Transformation, then immediately transitioned into the second form.
"You're jumping straight to the second stage? That's not like you," Gyūki commented, surprised.
"Since he's strong, there's no need for a warm-up. Let's get straight to the main act—oh yeah!" Killer Bee shouted in his mind.
The faint red chakra deepened into a dark crimson, fully covering his body. Eight chakra tails emerged behind him, and two sharp, curved horns protruded from his head.
But it didn't stop there—he extended his arm, manifesting a massive, pale-white ox skull around his forearm. The enormous curved horns of the skeletal structure exuded an imposing aura, while the ox's lower jaw locked onto his arm in a fixed position.
"This form…"
Ye Zi's eyes widened slightly. He had captured several Jinchūriki before, but this was the first time he had seen a second-stage Tailed Beast Transformation where the host could manifest actual bones using chakra.
Both the Three-Tails and Two-Tails Jinchūriki could perfectly control their Tailed Beasts, but neither had displayed such an ability in their transformations. Clearly, Killer Bee was on a different level.
"Take this! Lariat!"
Killer Bee surged forward at an incredible speed, thrusting the ox skull on his arm straight toward Ye Zi's chest.
Genjutsu: Earth Bind!
Ye Zi's Mangekyō Sharingan locked onto the charging Killer Bee, and the Tenjin ability of his left eye activated, amplifying the genjutsu's strength tenfold.
In an instant, Killer Bee's body stiffened, his legs sinking into an illusionary swamp.
Sensing the genjutsu, Gyūki immediately intervened to dispel it.
Killer Bee, frozen for only a fleeting moment, regained his momentum and continued his charge, ramming the ox skull toward Ye Zi.
"Even amplified tenfold, it only held him for a fraction of a second? So, Jinchūriki who can fully control their Tailed Beasts are essentially immune to genjutsu."
Ye Zi frowned, realizing his plan to stall Killer Bee with illusions had completely failed.
In the blink of an eye, Killer Bee's Lariat was upon him.
Yet, Ye Zi made no effort to dodge.
The ox skull slammed directly into his chest.
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Currently on Chapter 556 - The Mark Left Behind