"Bee! You're still alive!?"
Killer Bee's voice was weak, but to A, it was the sweetest sound in the world.
Obito calmly pulled out the Black Rod stuck in A's shoulder. A didn't flinch. He immediately rushed to Killer Bee's side and caught him in his arms.
Killer Bee glanced at Obito and asked,
"Big Brother, who is he?"
A wiped away a tear, answering in a low but steady tone,
"He's Lord Hokage's subordinate. If it weren't for him, I would have died at Jigen's hands."
Bee coughed twice before muttering,
"I see... thank you... so much..."
He tried to get up from A's embrace, but the brutal battle with Jigen and the loss of Gyūki had left him completely drained. His body collapsed again into A's arms, powerless.
Seeing this, A quickly asked,
"Bee, how are you holding up?"
Bee weakly raised his hand and forced a smile.
"Gyūki left me a tail... it saved my life."
Obito's eyes narrowed. He remembered when Nagato went after the Eight-Tails and returned with nothing but an octopus tentacle. It seemed Gyūki truly had the strongest life-preserving ability among the Tailed Beasts.
But survival alone wasn't enough. Bee's heart weighed heavy, because Gyūki wasn't just a Tailed Beast to him. After years together, Gyūki had become family.
A clenched his jaw, knowing full well the bond between his brother and the Eight-Tails. He sighed, then turned to Obito.
"You are Lord Hokage's subordinate. Can you take us to him?"
Obito gave a short nod. He had come here searching for Jigen. Now that he had found him, it was time to return and report. With a single thought, he opened a portal and guided the two brothers through.
When they stepped out, Bee and A blinked in confusion.
"This is... Konoha?"
The three of them stood before the Hokage Building. Two ANBU operatives appeared instantly, recognizing A as the Fourth Raikage—but their eyes lingered uncertainly on Obito.
Obito spoke simply, "I am Uchiha Chiga's subordinate." His Sharingan glowed faintly, ensuring their respect.
One of the masked ANBU was about to report when the door opened and Itachi stepped out. He nodded toward Obito before speaking to the ANBU.
"You two may stand down. He's one of us."
The ANBU gave a short salute and vanished. Itachi then guided them to the Hokage's office door before departing silently.
Obito knocked. A steady voice called from inside,
"Enter."
The door swung open. Bee and A exchanged a nervous glance, an unusual unease settling in their hearts.
Inside, Uchiha Chiga sat behind his desk, his Sharingan eyes glinting in the dim light. He studied the battered brothers as they entered.
"What happened to them?"
Obito explained everything that had transpired in the Cloud-Lightning Gorge. Chiga's expression darkened as he listened, sparing a sympathetic glance toward A.
The Hidden Cloud had already been raided by Pain for food supplies, and now Jigen had taken the Eight-Tails. Their misfortune was relentless.
This time, A did not posture with arrogance. Instead, he bowed deeply.
"Chiga sama, thank you for saving me and Killer Bee."
Chiga raised a hand lightly.
"Don't thank me. It was Obito who saved you."
Bee forced out a tired but grateful smile.
"Thank you... both."
Chiga rose and stepped closer. His eyes settled on the bloodied hole in A's shoulder.
"Jigen did this to you?"
"Yes..." A answered, shifting uneasily.
Obito almost corrected him but remained silent.
Chiga nodded, recognizing the weapon. Jigen often used Black Rods in his Karma state, and the wound matched perfectly. He placed a hand on A's shoulder, channeling Yang Release Chakra.
Before their eyes, the wound closed rapidly until not a trace of it remained.
Chiga turned toward Bee next, but Bee quickly waved him off.
"No need to trouble you, Chiga sama. The chakra Gyūki left me... it's enough for my recovery."
But at the mention of Gyūki, Bee's expression faltered with grief. Chiga placed a firm hand on his shoulder in silent comfort.
Still, the situation weighed heavily on Chiga's mind. Jigen had absorbed the Eight-Tails. Why now? And why target the Tailed Beasts again? With all other Bijū chakra absorbed into Kaguya already, it meant Jigen's next move could very well be toward her.
He turned to Obito.
"Take them to Minato and let him make the arrangements. I'll go meet this Jigen myself."
"Understood." Obito bowed.
In a dense forest, Jigen held a Mist Shinobi by the throat, lifting him effortlessly. Around them, several lifeless bodies of Mist Shinobi lay scattered across the ground.
The terrified shinobi croaked, "She... she went to Konoha with Uchiha Chiga!"
"Is that so?" Jigen's golden eye glowed with cold indifference.
"P-please... that's all I know... spare—"
Crack.
The shinobi's neck snapped, and his body dropped limply to the ground.
Jigen stared at the corpse, murmuring to himself,
"So, that woman is with Uchiha Chiga now?"
He had been too focused on absorbing the Eight-Tails during the last battle, neglecting to discover Kaguya's whereabouts. Now, the scraps of information he wrested from the Mist shinobi painted a clearer picture.
But the name—Uchiha Chiga—troubled him. Who exactly was this man, and why would Kaguya follow him?
His current vessel was nearing its limit. To fight Kaguya head-on now was a risk he could not afford. If his body collapsed, he would be finished.
The thought festered, filling him with rage. Betrayed by Kaguya—his own partner, his own guardian. The humiliation was unbearable.
Grinding his teeth, he opened a portal to leave. But before he could step through, a voice echoed above him.
"Found you... Ōtsutsuki Isshiki."
_____
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