Killer Bee vs. Taiyi
Working alongside Teacher Chen was an elite Jōnin from the Yuan Lai clan. He had already taken his position by the time Teacher Chen intercepted Hirata's attack aimed at Xiao Guang.
After all, the primary mission was to protect Xiao Guang — supporting the Village came second.
When Yuan Lai Jōnin saw Teacher Chen successfully block Hirata's strike, he caught the subtle signal from his senior and melted back into the shadows, preparing to strike in coordination with him.
Was this unfair? Hardly. They were shinobi — in battle, victory mattered more than honor.
Still, their secret plan didn't involve anyone else. For that reason, Might Dai's sudden appearance was completely unexpected.
After all, at this time, Dai was known only as a somewhat infamous "Eternal Genin" — a man with a good heart but a reputation for mediocrity.
So, when Dai appeared beside them, Teacher Chen was momentarily surprised — though thankfully, Dai's interference didn't disrupt their operation.
"Well done, keep it up!" Teacher Chen said, flashing a rare grin. "You're a Taijutsu specialist too, aren't you? Might Dai, was it?"
"Yes, sir! I'm honored that you remember me!" Dai exclaimed with heartfelt enthusiasm, bowing deeply.
"Hehe, alright. Let's move — the mission's not done yet."
"Yes, Teacher Chen!"
The two quickly headed toward the main battlefield, leaving the Yuan Lai Jōnin behind to guard Xiao Guang.
On the other side, Uchiha Yuexuan had already slain the Cloud-ninja attacking Miyue. He and Uchiha Tsuki stood guard over her while another Uchiha went to reinforce Konoha's defensive line.
Scenes like this explained why so many villages sought to curb the power of their clans. Even though the Uchiha and Yuan Lai were both Konoha clans, their loyalty was first to blood, then to the Village.
Fortunately, Konoha's foundation — built by the Senju brothers and strengthened by the Will of Fire — balanced things out. Many non-clan shinobi were strong, and some clan shinobi had also adopted the Village-first ideology, softening the old Sengoku-era divisions.
Even so, old habits lingered. Their first duty was to protect their clansmen. Only after that would they send someone to aid the Village. In other nations, most clans wouldn't even bother staying once their own were safe.
This loyalty was one of the reasons Konoha thrived and grew stronger after every war — until Danzo's meddling and Madara's schemes tore everything apart.
Indeed, Danzo and Hiruzen's cooperation had turned what could have been a royal flush of Konoha's dominance into nothing more than a weak pair of threes.
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When Teacher Chen and his team finished dealing with Hirata, Taiyi had already switched opponents — engaging Killer Bee directly.
After the change, Taiyi's pressure lessened considerably. At least this one he could hit. His previous opponent, A, the future Fourth Raikage, had simply shrugged off Taiyi's strikes using his Lightning Release Armor, blocking blows that could've sliced through solid rock.
Fighting someone like A was hopeless — his strength and defense were overwhelming. You could land ten hits and he'd barely flinch, but a single counterpunch from him could send you to the afterlife.
Realizing this, Taiyi wisely exchanged opponents with Shirō.
He wasn't worried. Shirō was a complete shinobi — well-rounded and adaptable, with no obvious weaknesses. Though he knew a little of everything, he possessed a solid core in battle and wasn't easily shaken by shifts in tempo.
So, Taiyi trusted Shirō to handle Ay.
However, Killer Bee was no simple replacement.
That strange, rhythmic Seven Swords Dance of his — wielding seven blades in unorthodox positions with his arms, legs, elbows, and neck — was as unpredictable as it was deadly. Facing it was like fighting a human hedgehog; there was no safe angle to approach from.
Taiyi activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Only the heightened perception of those eyes allowed him to track Killer Bee's lightning-fast, erratic movements.
Fortunately, Killer Bee's swordplay was still in its early stages — not yet as refined as it would be in the future when he became the Eight-Tails' perfect jinchūriki.
Even so, Taiyi had to stay on edge.
As for Killer Bee, he didn't flinch even when he noticed the Sharingan. Though not yet a perfect host, Bee's bond with the Eight-Tails already granted him high resistance to genjutsu.
However, when his gaze met Taiyi's scarlet eyes, Bee suddenly felt the presence of the Eight-Tails waver — the bijū's chakra briefly receding.
The hesitation lasted only a split second, but Bee immediately noticed. The Eight-Tails, Gyūki, seemed to have gone silent — not in fear, but in memory.
Bee quickly pieced it together.
According to the intelligence from Kumogakure, most of the tailed beasts — aside from the One-Tail — had once been subdued by a single man: Uchiha Madara.
So when the Eight-Tails sensed a Sharingan, it must've recalled the terror of being dominated by that same crimson gaze. Rather than interfere, it left Bee to fight freely — perhaps to reclaim its pride.
And Bee did not disappoint.
Without the Eight-Tails' chakra suppressing him, Bee's movements grew sharper, his rhythm more precise. The lightning coursing through his seven blades crackled with deadly vigor.
Taiyi, however, was no easy opponent. Over the past year, his greatest progress — aside from his mastery of genjutsu — had been in ninjutsu and chakra control.
His physique had also strengthened since awakening the full Three-Tomoe Sharingan. The Uchiha's dōjutsu wasn't just an eye technique — it altered the user's body itself, refining the flow of chakra and enhancing reflexes.
Each stage of the Sharingan's evolution subtly reshaped the body to better withstand its power. But advancing too quickly came with a cost — overstraining the eyes and the body led to degeneration, the so-called Kekkei Genkai disease.
(Itachi, in the original canon, suffered from a similar condition — a mix of illness and overuse of the Mangekyō.)
Taiyi, however, had trained carefully and recovered properly after each evolution. His foundation was stable — no self-destruction, only strength.
Thus, even though Killer Bee's offense grew fiercer, Taiyi countered with powerful ninjutsu and precision control, matching him blow for blow.
Sparks flew across the battlefield — lightning against chakra blades, steel against illusion. The air itself vibrated with the clash of two prodigies.
And then—
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion ripped across the field, shaking the ground and drawing every pair of eyes toward its source.
Something — or someone — had just changed the flow of battle.
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