A few minutes later.
The Eight-Tails Gyuki, drained completely and stripped of one-third of its chakra, finally retreated back into Killer Bee's body.
At the same time, the massive loss of chakra caused Killer Bee to fall unconscious.
Shortly after, Shimoku picked up the now-unconscious Killer Bee and returned to where the Kumo training grounds had been.
Of course, this place had long since turned into a ruined wasteland.
The entire mountain had collapsed, leaving only scattered boulders and debris behind.
Furthermore, the massive commotion here quickly attracted a large number of Kumogakure ninja.
They surrounded the remains of the mountain entirely, watching Shimoku and his companions warily—battle seemed on the verge of erupting at any moment.
"Welcome back, Young Master!"
"Are you alright?"
Seeing Shimoku return, Riyō and the others showed immediate relief.
"I'm fine."
"As for this guy?"
"He's the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki from Kumogakure. He ambushed me with the [Tailed Beast Ball] just now."
"Oh!"
Riyō and the others immediately understood, their hearts shaken even further.
After all, how many minutes had actually passed since the Young Master left?
And yet he had captured the village's jinchuriki alive?
That's way too intense!
Not to mention that flying [Perfect Susanoo]—that's seriously impressive!
Wouldn't it be amazing if I could summon something like that too!
...
"Tie him up and hoist him high."
"If any of those Cloud ninjas dare attack, just off him immediately!"
Shimoku tossed the unconscious Killer Bee toward Riyō, coldly issuing his command.
Although these nearby Kumo ninja posed little threat to him personally,
If they all rushed in together, it would still be a nuisance.
But now that they held the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki in their hands,
And were ready to kill him at the slightest provocation,
He doubted the Kumogakure ninja would dare launch an all-out assault.
Just as expected.
When they saw Shimoku's group had captured Killer Bee, the Kumo side became extremely cautious.
Everyone hesitated, nobody daring to make the first move.
"Young Master, what should we do next?"
"Wait."
"Wait?"
"The old man Raikage A might be seriously injured, but he's probably not dead."
"We'll restart the talks once he arrives."
Shimoku grabbed a large rock, sliced it flat with a single stroke, then sat down to rest.
Riyō and the others exchanged glances before positioning themselves around the stone as guards.
Poor Killer Bee was raised upright and pinned in place, a kunai blade pressed to his throat, serving as a living threat to the encircling Cloud ninjas.
Thus,
After both sides remained locked in tension for about ten minutes,
Finally, the mainstay of Kumogakure—the Fourth Raikage A—arrived on the scene.
Raikage A, the Fourth leaned heavily on Tarui for support.
Beside him, Xi continuously applied healing ninjutsu to treat Raikage A's wounds.
Even so, Raikage A looked more battered than anyone had ever seen him.
His entire body was covered in wounds, blood streaking from the corner of his mouth. His chest was deeply caved in—who knew how many ribs were broken.
To an ordinary person,
Such severe injuries alone would have meant certain death.
Yet thanks to his rigorously trained, incredibly robust physique,
He had somehow survived and made it back here.
"Lord Raikage, Lord Raikage!"
As Raikage A appeared, the Kumo ninja felt much more at ease and gained significant confidence.
In fact, quite a few of them were already eager to launch an attack.
"Cough, cough—"
The Raikage spat out another couple mouthfuls of blood, his face growing even paler.
"Chief!"
Raikage waved his hand, signaling Darui that he wasn't dying yet.
He then swept his gaze across the gathered Cloud ninjas.
Though his breath was weak and his body bore countless wounds,
Fourth Raikage A still possessed those sharp, lion-like eyes and that unmistakable domineering aura that instantly subdued all the Cloud ninjas.
Those who had been about to attack held back their actions.
...
"Ho! Lord Raikage, you're still alive?"
Shimoku hopped down from the stone bench, calling out to the distant Raikage with a smirk.
Raikage gathered his strength, pushed away Darui who was supporting him, and strode forward toward Shimoku on his own.
With a loud laugh, he powerfully responded:
"I'm not going anywhere! Let's go another round whenever you want!"
"Actually, I underestimated you, kid!"
"Shimoku Uchiha..."
"Good. I'll remember this name. You're way stronger than that Fugaku!"
"After so many years, the Uchiha Clan has finally produced another powerhouse."
This time, Raikage A had truly been beaten into submission.
Of course, with his straightforward and fiery personality, he never saw value in hiding defeat.
A loss is a loss.
No excuses, no complaints.
Especially since this opponent had openly defeated him head-on during their match.
If he continued making excuses, what would separate him from a coward?
Plus,
[Kumo] itself valued martial prowess and revered strength.
Therefore, Raikage A finally changed his perception of Shimoku, recognizing him as a true powerhouse.
Perhaps even holding just a bit of admiration now.
Shimoku: "So then, does this mean I won our little match?"
"Yes."
"I lost!"
"And as promised, whatever deal you wanted, I agree to it!"
Raikage A said cheerfully without hesitation.
Hearing this, Shimoku raised an eyebrow, his heart leaping with excitement.
He actually kind of admired this straightforward, bold approach of Kumo's.
Losing meant losing.
The agreed-upon terms must absolutely be honored—no backing out.
Unlike Konoha,
Where they'd always find excuses to launch sneaky attacks behind the scenes even after a loss.
Of course, admiration aside,
When it came to fighting for personal interests, Shimoku wouldn't yield an inch.
After all, initially, Kumogakure's attitude toward him had indeed been terrible.
"Alright, we'll discuss the transaction details later."
"Now, first things first—let's talk about compensation!"
Raikage A froze: "?!!"
Compensation? For what?
His entire mountain, this huge training ground—all smashed to pieces by Shimoku's Susano'o.
He hadn't even asked for compensation himself!
Now the other party is asking for it?
Who does he think he is?
"This is your younger brother Killer Bee, right?"
Shimoku patted the captive Beside him.
"Yes! What did you do to B?"
Mentioning B immediately caused a slight stir in Raikage A's heart, making him somewhat emotional.
After all, B is not only a jinchuriki but also his own blood brother!
Over the years, the two had forged a bond far deeper than ordinary brothers!
What's more, if it weren't for Killer Bee's sudden intervention just now, he might've been killed!
"Don't worry, I didn't kill him."
"Our match wasn't finished yet."
"He suddenly stepped in and attacked me, right?"
"The esteemed Raikage A himself—what an embarrassing scandal: disrupting a duel, going back on one's word, ganging up against one opponent."
"If this spreads through the ninja world..."
"...everyone would look down upon Kumo with disgrace!"
"Or perhaps you'd like previous Raikages, now resting in peace, to hear such shame as well?"
"Of course, whether this leaks out or not depends entirely on the Raikage's decision."
Shimoku smirked coldly, speaking without holding back.
Each word hit like a dagger to the chest.
He made his intentions crystal clear—what he really wanted was 'hush money' and 'compensation for psychological distress'.
Such biting sarcasm made Raikage A increasingly uncomfortable, his face growing darker by the second.
After all, what the other side said was true.
Regardless of the reasons.
From the outside, it indeed looked like they had interrupted the duel and ganged up on their opponent.
And not only that—they had suffered a humiliating defeat.
Once such disgrace spreads,
Raikage A personally wouldn't care much about his own reputation,
but it would certainly stain Kumo's honor!
Likewise, he absolutely couldn't allow this incident to bring dishonor upon his father, the Third Raikage.
Nor could he let the honorable legacy painstakingly built by past Raikages be destroyed by him!
Therefore, looks like there's no choice but to pay some compensation and bury this scandal quietly.
Of course, the ultimate solution would be eliminating the witness permanently.
But if another fight broke out now—
It was uncertain who exactly would eliminate whom!
Plus, Killer Bee's life still hung in the balance within their opponent's grasp.
So after a long silence,
Raikage A finally gave in.
"Fine! I agree."
"Raikage, so decisive!" Shimoku narrowed his eyes and cheerfully gave a thumb-up, clearly having gotten his way.
"Let's continue this discussion elsewhere. This place isn't suitable."
Raikage glanced at the surroundings and suggested.
Obviously, negotiating compensation matters in front of hundreds of Kumo ninja would severely damage his dignity!
"Alright."
"Oh right, we haven't had lunch yet. Raikage, I heard your Full-Beef Banquet is unparalleled in the ninja world?"
"You got it! We've got anything you'd want to eat!"
Raikage replied with a dark expression.
All he could think right now was that today would spell a huge blow to Kumo's reputation!
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