Earth Release: Underground Submersion!
As the tree net shattered, Hanekawa sank into the ground.
The solid sand and stones around him turned into fluid, allowing him to swim through the earth like a fish.
Though underground, Hanekawa could still sense the commotion above.
Compared to the Two-Tails, the Eight-Tails was unstoppable.
Especially since it still hadn't used its ultimate move, the Tailed Beast Bomb.
After much thought, Hanekawa concluded that the only way to defeat the Eight-Tails was through the Lightning Release Chakra Mode
In the original story, the Third Raikage had repeatedly suppressed the rampaging Eight-Tails using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and his ninja taijutsu.
Hanekawa's Lightning Release Chakra Mode also had a talent enhancement, providing a 200% boost to attack, speed, and defense.
However, the only risk was that it might be noticed by the Fourth Raikage and others.
After some consideration, Hanekawa decided to take the risk.
Of course, he wasn't without countermeasures.
He planned to use all his chakra to create an unprecedented Leaf Dragon God.
The more attention the Leaf Dragon God drew, the harder it would be to detect his Lightning Release Chakra Mode
"Bee, he's underground," the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, warned in Killer Bee's mind.
"Found you, you sneaky bastard!"
Under Killer Bee's control, the Eight-Tails' eight tails shot up and then slammed down.
Boom!
In an instant, a fierce gale erupted, and the ground suffered devastating compression. Trees and rocks were reduced to dust.
The immense force traveled underground, creating several deep, bottomless fissures.
"Hanekawa is struggling too much fighting the Eight-Tails alone. I need to help!"
Uchiha Shisui, despite the pain in his eyes, was about to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Wait!"
Hatake Sakumo heard the piercing chirping sound and said, "Hanekawa is fine!"
Uchiha Shisui instinctively looked over.
Countless lightning bolts illuminated one of the underground fissures.
It was Hatake Kakashi's Raikiri.
"This is really troublesome!"
The Fourth Raikage frowned as he glanced at the scene.
The longer this dragged on, the worse it was for Kumogakure.
But fortunately, the Eight-Tails wasn't the Two-Tails. It wasn't at a disadvantage against Hanekawa but instead held a significant advantage.
As long as the Eight-Tails defeated Hanekawa, Kumogakure could turn the tide.
"My student won't lose!"
Tsunade kicked out.
The Fourth Raikage quickly dodged backward.
At that moment, the entire ground shook violently.
"What's going on?"
Tsunade was stunned.
She didn't remember her kick having such an impact.
Tsunade looked around and found the source of the tremor—it was the massive fissure where Hanekawa was.
His figure still hadn't appeared, but a violent gust of wind shot into the sky.
Nearby trees, grass, rocks, and dust were blown away.
"Wind Release?"
The Fourth Raikage felt a sense of foreboding.
He had never seen a Wind Release of such magnitude.
The next second, a dragon's roar echoed.
Following it was a silver light that illuminated the sky.
It rose from the depths of the abyss, exuding a terrifying chakra aura.
"Is that... the Leaf Dragon God?
Tsunade was momentarily stunned, her face showing uncertainty.
She knew Hanekawa had learned the Leaf Dragon God and had seen Chen's version, but this was on a completely different level.
To the uninformed, it might seem like a jinchūriki had achieved a perfect Tailed Beast transformation.
Uchiha Shisui's eyes widened.
He realized that during their previous spar, Hanekawa hadn't shown his true strength.
Whether it was Wood Release or this awe-inspiring technique.
"Bee, be careful!"
The Eight-Tails, Gyūki, couldn't help but warn. "I sense danger."
"I know," Killer Bee replied. "This Wind Release doesn't look easy to handle."
Rumble!
The ground trembled, and the fissure expanded. The silver light finally revealed itself to everyone.
It was a silver-white dragon that spanned the sky.
It had horns, glowing orange eyes, and whiskers that fluttered like ribbons in the wind.
The combination of the Yin Seal: Release, Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and Leaf Dragon God made this dragon several times larger than Chen's version.
In terms of length, it was no less imposing than the Eight-Tails.
"Is that... Lord Hanekawa?!"
"What kind of ninjutsu can rival the power of a Tailed Beast?"
"Konoha will win! Lord Hanekawa will win!"
The Konoha ninjas were both shocked and excited, their morale soaring.
In contrast, the Kumogakure ninjas felt as if their world was collapsing.
"How strong is he?"
Samui's heart sank.
She could understand the Two-Tails losing to Hanekawa.
But if even the Eight-Tails couldn't defeat him, what could Kumogakure do?
"How can such a ninjutsu exist?"
Mabui clenched her fists, her mind in turmoil.
No matter how high her IQ was, she was at a loss.
Tailed Beast Eight Twists!
The Eight-Tails roared, its eight tails extending and wrapping around its body.
Its massive form turned into a spinning ball of flesh.
The ball rotated, causing the ground to shake and fierce winds to sweep through, leaving destruction in its wake.
The silver-white dragon descended from the sky like a silver spear, piercing toward the Eight-Tails.
The two spinning monsters collided.
In an instant, a superstorm was born.
The shockwave swept everything on the ground, sending debris flying in all directions.
"Everyone, defend!"
Hyūga Hizashi shouted gravely.
With his Byakugan active, he could see the overwhelming chakra in the air.
Any ordinary ninja would die instantly if they touched it.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Water Release: Water-Style Wall
Earthen walls and water barriers rose in front of the ninjas.
The shockwave crashed into them, creating cuts as if slashed by countless blades.
Both Kumogakure and Konoha ninjas took the opportunity to retreat, giving the Eight-Tails and the silver dragon space.
The Eight-Tails roared in pain.
Though it had the advantage in strength, the Leaf Dragon God combined taijutsu with Wind Release.
Theoretically, it was a constantly rotating tornado of blades.
The Eight-Tails collided with the blades, and its eight tails were instantly cut.
Fortunately, the Tailed Beast's chakra had powerful regenerative abilities, so its tails weren't severed.
But the pain was unavoidable.
The Eight-Tails quickly retracted its tails and swung its fists.
Its hands were cut, but the silver dragon was also sent flying.
After flying dozens of meters, the dragon abruptly stopped and charged back at the Eight-Tails.
The Eight-Tails shook its hands and swung again.
But the dragon suddenly veered, dodging the fists and wrapping its massive body around the Eight-Tails.
The dragon's body was made of sharp wind, cutting countless wounds into the Eight-Tails' outer body.
Enduring the pain, the Eight-Tails grabbed the dragon's body with its hands and tails.
A tremendous pulling force erupted.
The dragon's body shattered, and the raging chakra swept in all directions, vanishing in an instant.
But in the next second, a new dragon body regenerated.
The silver-white dragon was created by Hanekawa's continuous rotation.
Theoretically, it had no physical form or life.
As long as Hanekawa kept spinning, it would not die.
"Bastard!"
The Eight-Tails roared in pain but charged forward again.
A dragon and an octopus entangled together.
Shockwaves rolled, chakra roared, the ground cracked, and countless clouds of dust rose.
"Is this something a human can do?"
The ninjas on both sides were dumbfounded.
The power of the Tailed Beasts was well-known, so they were not surprised.
But what about Hanekawa?
How could a human possess such terrifying strength?
The Fourth Raikage now had one thought.
After returning, he would definitely dismember the ninja who sent Hanekawa to Konoha.
Such a powerhouse should have belonged to Kumogakure!
Samui bit her lip hard.
She felt a sense of powerlessness.
In front of such a monster, she was nothing but an ant, completely useless.
Mabui's expression was grim.
She was already considering what Kumogakure should do if the Eight-Tails lost.
The current situation had repeatedly exceeded her expectations, forcing her to prepare for the worst.
Mabui looked at the Fourth Raikage.
Anyone else could die, but not him.
She thought of her Heavenly Transfer Technique. If it really came to that, she would teleport him away to preserve the last spark of hope.
"Has Hanekawa's strength reached this level?"
Uchiha Shisui watched in awe.
He felt that even if his Susanoo reached its complete form, it might not be able to defeat Hanekawa.
As for Sarutobi Asuma, he could only show despair.
If Uchiha Shisui could still exchange a few moves with Hanekawa, he would be instantly killed.
It was an insurmountable gap!
Far away from where Hanekawa and the Eight-Tails were fighting, a group of people was on the move.
They were all Konoha ninjas, led by Orochimaru and Shimura Danzō.
Sending Hanekawa and Tsunade to deal with the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee was not the goal.
Their real goal was to take advantage of the situation when both sides were weakened.
After Hanekawa and Tsunade led a thousand ninjas away, they waited for half an hour before heading to Kumogakure's new camp.
The half-hour wait was to eliminate Kumogakure's scouts and ensure they could reach the battlefield unnoticed.
Only then could they launch a surprise attack.
"Was that an earthquake?"
Shimura Danzō stopped in his tracks, somewhat puzzled.
"No, it's not an earthquake," Orochimaru crouched down, placing his hand on the ground, and said softly, "It must be the Tailed Beasts fighting."
"It seems Tsunade and Hanekawa won't last much longer."
Shimura Danzō laughed upon hearing this.
He remembered that both Yugito and Killer Bee could fully transform into their Tailed Beasts.
Without Kushina Uzumaki, how could Tsunade and Hanekawa possibly stand against them?
At best, they could defeat the Two-Tails, but the Eight-Tails would be beyond their capabilities.
Not to mention the Fourth Raikage was also there.
"Let's go," Orochimaru nodded slightly and said, "We need to get there before they're defeated."
Kumogakure's new camp.
The mountain that once stood there had now completely collapsed under the rampage of the two monsters.
"Damn brat!"
The Eight-Tails stepped back, gritting its teeth in pain.
It was covered in cuts all over its body. Although they would heal quickly, the pain only made it more frustrated.
"It's time to end this!"
The Eight-Tails raised its bull-like head and opened its mouth wide.
A terrifying amount of chakra rapidly condensed, forming a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Compared to the Two-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb, the Eight-Tails' version was even more horrifying.
The Eight-Tails shuddered and spat out the Tailed Beast Bomb.
The Tailed Beast Bomb shot toward the silver-white dragon at incredible speed.
But Hanekawa was faster.
The Leaf Dragon God combined taijutsu with Wind Release.
Wind Release had two main characteristics: sharpness and speed.
Moreover, Hanekawa had activated the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The moment Hanekawa saw the Eight-Tails raise its head, he quickly fled into the distance.
In the eyes of everyone, the silver-white dragon seemed to transform into light, moving as fast as lightning.
Boom!
The Tailed Beast Bomb hit the ground, and a terrifying shockwave rose into the sky, resembling a mushroom cloud.
Everything within its range was reduced to ashes.
The intense shockwave blew in all directions, forcing both Konoha and Kumogakure ninjas to cease fighting and dodge frantically.
"How is he so fast?!"
The Fourth Raikage was shocked.
He had thought that using the Tailed Beast Bomb would end the battle, but he never expected Hanekawa to dodge it.
In the Fourth Raikage's memory, only three people could dodge a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Himself, the Third Raikage, and Minato Namikaze.
All three shared the trait of being incredibly fast.
And Hanekawa's speed just now was not slower than his own when using the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
Could Wind Release really be this fast?
The Fourth Raikage didn't have time to think further, as he was once again locked in combat with Tsunade.
In addition, he had to guard against Hatake Sakumo's sneak attacks.
After ensuring Uchiha Shisui was safe, Hatake Sakumo joined the battle.
Tsunade took the lead in the attack, while he played the role of an assassin.
"Even the Tailed Beast Bomb is useless?"
Mabui's face turned pale.
The Tailed Beast Bomb was the strongest technique of the Tailed Beasts and their jinchūriki. If even that didn't work, it meant the Eight-Tails had no way to deal with Hanekawa.
"Not necessarily," Samui tried to comfort her. "Hanekawa is still human. He can't maintain this form for long."
"I hope so," Mabui muttered, though she wasn't convinced.
"Well done!"
On Konoha's side, everyone was energized.
Seeing that its attack had missed, the Eight-Tails took a breath and spat out another Tailed Beast Bomb.
The raging chakra rampaged, and as the Tailed Beast Ball struck the ground, a massive burst of white light erupted, obliterating everything in the vicinity.
But the silver-white dragon escaped before the explosion.
"Damn it!"
The Eight-Tails was furious but hadn't lost its rationality. It roared, "All Kumogakure ninjas, retreat!"
The Fourth Raikage suddenly thought of something, his expression turning grim as he quickly disengaged from Tsunade and Hatake Sakumo.
"What's going on?"
Tsunade was momentarily stunned but reacted quickly. "Everyone, retreat!"
Continuous Tailed Beast Bombs!
The Eight-Tails looked at the silver-white dragon and opened its mouth.
An unimaginable amount of chakra condensed and compressed in its mouth, and then one Tailed Beast Bomb after another was spat out.
In an instant, five Tailed Beast Bombs tore through the air.
"Hanekawa!"
Tsunade couldn't help but shout.
Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Shisui, and the others all showed concern.
But there was no way they could reach him now. They could only protect themselves.
After all, these were five Tailed Beast Bombs.
Their combined power was far beyond that of a single Tailed Beast Bomb.
The first Tailed Beast Bomb landed, piercing through the ground and leaving a massive crater.
Hanekawa leaped into the air, and the silver-white dragon weaved through the sky, narrowly avoiding most of the blast.
The residual shockwave hit him, but it was offset by the Leaf Dragon God and the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
But the next second, another Tailed Beast Bomb came crashing down.
A blinding white light erupted, and an endless shockwave engulfed Hanekawa.
The Leaf Dragon God around his body shattered into fragments of light.
Body Flicker Technique!
Since everything was bathed in white light, Hanekawa wasn't afraid of exposing his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. His body turned into a blur as he escaped.
Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!
Hanekawa fell into the forest, and under his control, the forest came to life.
Countless trees grew wildly, and branches and vines shot into the sky, rushing toward the third Tailed Beast Bomb.
The third Tailed Beast Bomb, struck by the attack, detonated prematurely, resembling a sun that incinerated all the branches and vines.
Water Release: Great Water Collision Wave!
Hanekawa formed hand seals at the fastest speed of his life.
Before the remaining two Tailed Beast Bombs arrived, he spat out an endless sea.
Water Transformation Technique!
Hanekawa's body melted into the water.
The two Tailed Beast Bombs, one after the other, almost simultaneously collided with the towering waves rising from the sea.
The violent chakra instantly poured out in all directions without restraint.
The seawater vaporized, the ground shattered, and the remnants of the forest were reduced to streaks of light.
After what felt like an eternity, the chaotic situation finally subsided.
The Eight-Tails stood in place, panting heavily.
It had used seven Tailed Beast Bombs in total. Even for the Eight-Tails, this was its limit.
Of course, the main reason was that Killer Bee could no longer hold on.
The Eight-Tails' massive body trembled and then shrank, transforming back into its human form.
Killer Bee collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat, his entire body aching and weak.
But he didn't care about his own condition. Instead, he scanned the area, trying to find Hanekawa.
Tsunade spat out some dust and stood up from the rubble.
She had been caught in the blast, but her strength allowed her to remain unharmed.
However, the other ninjas weren't so lucky.
Tsunade glanced around and saw a group of people lying scattered, all injured to some degree.
Aside from the people, the ground was the most devastated.
It was riddled with craters, not a single patch of land intact, with only occasional puddles of water visible.
"Hanekawa!"
Tsunade snapped back to reality and shouted anxiously.
The Fourth Raikage was in shock.
He had never imagined that Kumogakure would be pushed to the brink of exhaustion because of Hanekawa.
"Lord Raikage!"
Mabui appeared in front of the Fourth Raikage using the Body Flicker Technique.
Samui and the others who were still able to move also gathered around him.
"Where's Hanekawa?"
The Fourth Raikage ignored them and scanned the area.
Without exaggeration, the outcome of this battle hinged on whether Hanekawa was still alive.
If he was dead, Kumogakure would have won at a great cost.
But if he was alive, it meant Kumogakure would face the worst possible outcome.
"Big brother!"
Killer Bee struggled to his feet, a smug look on his face. "He's definitely dead! Five Tailed Beast Bombs—there's no way he could survive!"
"Shut up!"
Tsunade's face turned livid upon hearing this.
"Is that so?"
A familiar voice came from behind Killer Bee.
"You... you..."
Killer Bee instinctively turned around and was stunned speechless at the sight of Hanekawa, completely unharmed.
"This is the end, Killer Bee."
Hanekawa calmly clenched his fist.
Before Killer Bee could react, he was punched unconscious and collapsed to the ground.
Everyone fell into complete silence.
Both Kumogakure and Konoha were utterly shocked by Hanekawa's astonishing performance.
At that moment, three lines of text appeared before Hanekawa's eyes.
He raised an eyebrow.
This was clearly the activation of a new talent.
[S-Rank Talent: Substitute Death.]
[Activation Condition: Defeat the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.]
[Effect: Can designate an object as a substitute to avoid death once.]
After reading it, Hanekawa's heart shook.
This is amazing!
Isn't this basically a resurrection coin?
Hanekawa had initially thought that defeating the Eight-Tails would grant him some kind of Water Release or taijutsu enhancement, but instead, he got such an overpowered ability.
But upon closer thought, it made sense.
In the original story, when a jinchūriki had their Tailed Beast extracted, they would die.
But Killer Bee was an exception.
Because the Eight-Tails left behind a tentacle, allowing him to survive.
Truly befitting of the Eight-Tails and an S-Rank talent.
Although this talent didn't directly increase combat power, gaining an extra life was incredibly valuable.
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