Jigen's kicks were devastating. Even A and Killer Bee, whose physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary shinobi, found themselves unable to move after taking the brunt of his assault.
The crimson chakra of the Tailed Beast surged violently out of Killer Bee's body, but before he could form even a cloak of protection, Jigen absorbed it with ease.
Standing above the two fallen shinobi, Jigen's voice was as cold as steel.
"Lowly creatures dare to resist me? Utterly foolish."
A gritted his teeth, forcing his battered body to move. With rage burning in his eyes, he shouted,
"Take my life if you must, but let my brother go!"
"Boring."
Without emotion, Jigen kicked A aside. His hand then pressed firmly onto Killer Bee's back, and in moments, the Eight-Tails was completely extracted. The overwhelming chakra of the beast flooded into Jigen, twisting his expression into one of intoxicated pleasure, while Killer Bee collapsed lifelessly on the ground.
A, barely conscious, watched in horror. To him, there was no doubt—Killer Bee was dead. Everyone knew that once a Jinchūriki lost their Tailed Beast, death was inevitable. His chest heaved with fury as he roared,
"Bastard! The Hidden Cloud has already submitted to Konoha! Hokage-sama will never let you get away with this!"
Though it sounded ironic even to him, in his heart there was only one man he could cling to now: Uchiha Chiga.
Jigen's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"Hokage? Are you speaking of Uchiha Chiga?"
A didn't respond. His body gave out, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Jigen extended his arm. From his sleeve, a black rod slid out, gleaming with deadly intent. He stepped over Killer Bee's body, poised to drive the rod into A—
But before the strike landed, another black rod flew from the side, clashing violently with his own.
"What!?" Jigen's expression shifted for the first time as he retreated cautiously.
A figure in a white mask appeared before him. He too wielded a black rod, his stance steady as his eyes swept over the battlefield. It was Obito.
His voice was calm, yet carried sharp disapproval.
"Isn't your method a bit too ruthless?"
Jigen gave a mocking smile.
"Ruthless? They are nothing but insects. Would you feel remorse stepping on ants?"
Obito's Sharingan glowed scarlet, a flicker of anger flashing within them.
"Your arrogance is disturbing."
Jigen tilted his head, curious.
"Those eyes… Sharingan. Are you Uchiha Chiga?"
Obito shook his head, his tone deep and unwavering.
"I am not Chiga-sama."
"Chiga-sama?" Jigen chuckled darkly. "So, you're his subordinate. Excellent. That means you may have useful information for me."
With killing intent, Jigen lunged. Obito immediately activated Kamui, his body phasing just as Jigen's black rod swept through him.
"Hm!?" Jigen froze mid-strike, eyes narrowing. "Not solid?"
Anyone encountering Kamui for the first time would be stunned, and Jigen was no exception.
Obito's breath quickened, cold sweat forming on his brow. Jigen's speed had been beyond comprehension—even the Sharingan barely tracked his movement. This wasn't the strength of an ordinary man. Worse still, Jigen wielded Yin-Yang Release. If not for Kamui, Obito would have already lost.
No wonder Chiga-sama warned me not to engage recklessly… this man is a monster.
Not wasting another moment, Obito seized A's body and warped both of them into Kamui's pocket dimension.
Jigen stared at the empty space where they vanished. His gaze sharpened as he murmured,
"Space-time ninjutsu? Must be the power of his eyes. Interesting… I couldn't even grasp his coordinates."
Inside Kamui, Obito landed heavily with A in his arms. He gasped for air before steadying his breath.
"That was close. He has spatial techniques of his own. If I'd revealed too much of Kamui, he might have traced this dimension. That would have been the end."
The thought of Jigen's terrifying power left him uneasy. Still, he roused A with a shake.
A's eyes snapped open, filled with panic.
"Bee! Bee, where are you!?"
Obito's gaze dimmed as he replied quietly,
"The Tailed Beast has been extracted. You already know what that means."
A froze, tears streaming down his face. He slammed his fist into the ground, roaring with bloodshot eyes,
"I'll kill that bastard!"
But Obito shook his head firmly. His words were like ice piercing A's heart.
"You cannot. You are not on his level. Only Chiga-sama can fight him."
The truth struck deeper than any blade. A coughed up blood, staggering under the weight of helpless fury. Yet his rage consumed him, and he hurled himself at Obito with a desperate punch.
To Obito, whose Sharingan read every movement, A was no faster than a stumbling child. He tilted his head aside, conjured a black rod, and with surgical precision pinned A's shoulder to the ground.
A winced, but his voice cracked out desperately,
"Sharingan… are you a subordinate of Hokage-sama?"
Obito nodded.
"My mission is complete. Whatever else you seek, wait until you see Chiga-sama."
But A lifted his head again, tears and blood mixing on his face. His voice trembled as he begged,
"Bee's body is still out there… Please, bring him too."
Obito was silent. Finally, he gave a small nod.
"I will honor that request. But you'll have to wait. That man may still linger."
Relief flooded A's eyes. He lowered his head, knocking it against the ground in gratitude.
After a time, Obito left Kamui, returning to the battlefield. Jigen was gone. He quickly secured Killer Bee's motionless body and warped it into Kamui.
When A laid eyes on his brother again, his tears flowed freely.
"Bee…" he choked out.
And then, against all odds, Killer Bee's lips trembled. A faint whisper escaped them.
"Big brother…"