Whoosh!
Shion's black-and-red silhouette surged forward. His speed and strength in this state were clearly beyond what he had shown just moments before.
In an instant, a massive fist filled with overwhelming chakra came crashing toward him.
"This form! I'm the strongest! Fool, idiot!"
BOOM!!!
The tremendous impact shattered the nearby hill. Dust and rubble scattered everywhere—yet within the crater, Shion's figure remained untouched.
"Behind you, Bee!"
The Eight-Tails' voice roared in Killer Bee's mind. In a flash, one of his tails whipped back in defense.
Clang!
Flames roared as Shion's blazing blade clashed with Bee's black-red chakra fist. The shockwave swept the dust away in every direction.
A sharp crack rang out. Shion retreated a step, glancing at his weapon. The long blade's edge was fractured.
Looks like I'll need to forge a sturdier sword once I return.
With a flick, Shion hurled the broken blade into the ground, where it sank upright into the dirt.
Still, he had managed to draw blood just now. But with Bee's current state, even if he sliced him wide open, the blood would evaporate instantly and the wounds would seal just as fast. Extracting any blood had become impossible. I'll have to find another way—slowly, over time.
"Konoha brat!" Bee bellowed. "No blade? You wanna throw fists with Lord Bee? Oh yeah!"
His forced rhymes spilling out of that feral form only made the scene more bizarre.
Shion chuckled lightly. "Bee, my fists hurt more than you think."
Steam hissed from Bee's lips as he grinned arrogantly. "Come at me, fool, idiot!"
Whoosh!
Shion appeared right in front of Bee in an instant—but Bee's punch was already swinging toward his face.
Before the blow could land, Shion's body flickered and vanished.
Boom!
He reappeared above, driving a fist down that smashed Bee's massive form into the earth.
"Raaaarghhh!!!"
With a roar of pain, Bee tried to rise—only to hear Shion's calm voice.
"Don't yell so loud. This is just the beginning. We're far from done."
Whoosh!
Bee's tails and fists swung wildly in every direction—but not one touched Shion's body.
Within Shion's spinning Mangekyō Sharingan, the ability Word of Fate had already locked the flow of events for two whole seconds. Every strike had been pre-read, every move accounted for.
Boom!
Shion's first punch drove Bee back into the ground.
Boom…!
A second blow buried his entire body deeper into the gorge floor.
BOOM!!!
A third punch crashed down, slamming Bee's head into the dirt.
"Raaaarghhh!!!"
The anguished bellow echoed as the crimson chakra cloak around him burst apart.
Shion's own hands were burned by the chakra's heat—but he only waved casually. The injuries healed instantly, leaving his fists unscathed.
"Damn! You bastard!"
Once again, crimson chakra surged around Bee, wrapping him in all eight tails.
"Boom!"
Spinning like a giant top, he twisted free of Shion's fourth strike and hurled himself backward to gain distance.
"Gravity fists! Insane speed! You're tough, brat—damn, that hurt!"
Breathing heavily, Bee shifted forms again—his body swelling into a half-transformed Eight-Tails, horns and tails stretching wide.
In the air, chakra gathered rapidly at the beast's mouth, condensing into a dense, glowing sphere—
a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Shion's lips curved faintly. "If you launch that, you might not hit me—but you'll wipe out the entire Cloud and Thunder Gorge."
Bee froze.
Then slowly, the growing Tailed Beast Bomb dissipated, fading into nothing.
Killer Bee reverted to human form, landing with a weary breath. "This fight… I didn't lose, but I didn't win either. Next time we meet, we'll battle again! Yeah!"
Shion's reply was cool, almost indifferent. "Fine by me. But if it's not just a spar next time… you may not survive."
Bee's rapping cadence faltered mid-step. After a pause, he shot back, "Don't count me out, brat. Underestimating the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki will get you beaten badly."
Shion only waved dismissively, turning to leave. "A perfect Jinchūriki really is different. There are still things I need to figure out. When I do… that's when destiny will begin."
With those cryptic words, Shion's silhouette vanished from the gorge.
Bee sat cross-legged, conversing with the Eight-Tails inside him.
"Bee," Gyūki's deep voice rumbled, "that Uchiha… he carries chakra no less vast than a Tailed Beast's."
Bee's eyes narrowed. "An Uchiha with chakra that massive?"
"I can't be certain. But he also wields the ability to heal battle wounds instantly. Other than Jinchūriki, I've only seen such power in one man."
"Who?"
"The one called the God of Shinobi—the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
As Gyūki spoke, its senses detected approaching figures. Its voice faded away from Bee's mind.
Whoosh…
Two silhouettes landed before him.
The Fourth Raikage studied his younger brother's battered appearance. "Even with the Eight-Tails' power, you couldn't win, Bee?"
Bee shook his head. "It was just a spar. I couldn't unleash the full might of the Tailed Beast. I didn't lose—but I didn't win either."
Mabui, standing behind the Raikage, thought for a moment before speaking. "Lord Bee is a perfect Jinchūriki. But in one-on-one combat, a Tailed Beast's strength doesn't shine as it does on the battlefield."
Bee rose quietly to his feet. As he passed his brother, he muttered, "I know you're not entirely right, but… I'll still support your decision, Brother."
With that, Bee walked away, leaving the Cloud and Thunder Gorge behind.
Another Kumogakure shinobi appeared and bowed. "Lord Raikage, the Konoha shinobi have requested permission to leave the village and return home."
The Raikage paused, then replied, "Let them go. Tell them our envoys will depart for Konoha in one month."
"Yes, sir!"
At Kumogakure's Gates
Kakashi glanced at Shion's sleeve, torn and stained. "You fought the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki?"
Shion nodded. "Neither of us won or lost. It was just a spar. He didn't use his full Tailed Beast Bomb, and I didn't call upon Susanoo."
Kakashi hesitated. "…And your eyes?"
Shion smiled faintly. "It's not that bad. During my months in the ANBU, I rarely used my Mangekyō powers. Just the three-tomoe genjutsu and body flicker are more than enough."
As he spoke, he noticed Guy waving wildly, reluctant to leave Kumogakure. After a moment's thought, Shion asked, "Guy, can you teach me the Eight Gates?"
Guy froze mid-wave, his hand stiff in the air, his body trembling slightly.
Shion scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "If not, that's fine. Sorry for asking."
"No!!"
Guy whirled around, eyes brimming with tears, his voice shaking with passion.
"Finally! Finally, a genius of the Uchiha acknowledges me! This is the greatest recognition my youth could ever receive!"
"Don't worry, Shion—I'll give you everything I have. I'll teach you the Eight Gates with all my might! For youth!!"
"…Uh."
Shion hesitated, then lifted a thumb in imitation. "For youth?"
Beside them, Kakashi's gaze had grown noticeably more serious.