"Get back, quick! Don't get caught in the crossfire between me and the Hachibi!" Kazama shouted.
Snapped out of their daze, the crowd scrambled to retreat.
ROAR!
The Hachibi, now consumed by bloodlust, charged at Kazama's Susano'o. The impact seemed simple but carried the full force of the Eight-Tails. Even Kazama's complete Susano'o was sent flying backward.
"Hmph, not bad. It's been a while since I faced an opponent this strong," Kazama said, grinning instead of getting mad.
With ten strange flames at his disposal, he had no reason to fear the Hachibi. Add to that his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and Kazama was more than equipped to take on the beast.
He coated his Susano'o entirely with the ten strange flames and infused its twin swords with their full power. His complete Susano'o was now a fortress of ultimate defense and offense. When the Hachibi charged again, Kazama easily blocked it. With a swing of his Susano'o's swords, the earth shook, and the Hachibi's nearly indestructible body was slashed deep enough to expose bone.
Tailed Beasts could heal automatically, and the Hachibi's wounds closed almost instantly. Seeing its near-immortal nature, Kazama decided he didn't need to hold back. He went all out, slashing, stabbing, and weaving through the Hachibi's counterattacks. His Susano'o was pure offense, untouchable by the Hachibi's strikes.
Furious, the Hachibi unleashed dozens of Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Bombs). Kazama didn't flinch. He deflected some, batted others back, and kept pressing forward. After a few exchanges, the once-ferocious Hachibi was retreating, battered by Kazama's relentless Susano'o.
"This is awesome! I haven't felt this pumped in ages. Let's see what ninjutsu can do in complete Susano'o mode!" Kazama said, knowing techniques cast through Susano'o were even more powerful.
"*Raiton: Kirin!*" (Lightning Release: Kirin)
"*Ranton: Raiun Kyōha!*" (Storm Release: Thundercloud Cavity Wave)
"*Suiton: Tenkyū!*" (Water Release: Heavenly Weeping)
"*Mokuton: Jukon Bakusō!*" (Wood Release: Tree Root Explosion Burial)
The barrage of ninjutsu left the Hachibi battered and barely clinging to consciousness.
"Time for the strange flames!" Kazama declared, ready to test all ten on the Hachibi.
But Darui, watching from below, urgently shouted to the Yondaime Raikage, "Lord Raikage, stop him! If he keeps going, the Hachibi will die, and if that happens, Killer Bee-sama will…"
"Right!" The Raikage, who'd been stunned by the battle, snapped back to reality. He rushed to the foot of Kazama's Susano'o.
"Hey, Kazama, little brother, rein it in! Killer Bee's my brother—you can't kill the Hachibi!" he pleaded.
"Damn it! I totally forgot!" Kazama muttered, caught up in the heat of battle. He'd meant to subdue the Hachibi, not destroy it.
Scratching his head awkwardly, Kazama cast Tsukuyomi, a powerful illusion, on the weakened Hachibi, forcing it back into Killer Bee's body.