"Kurama! What the hell do you mean by that?!"
Even Matatabi—gentlest of the tailed beasts—couldn't hold back her anger after being blasted with Kurama's indiscriminate verbal assault.
"Heh. Exactly what I said."
Kurama glanced at her coldly.
"If that's your attitude, then I won't hold back either."
Gyūki's deep voice rumbled.
"Hold back?" Kurama sneered. "Gyūki, have you still not recognized the gap between us?"
At this point, Kurama was in full indiscriminate trash-talk mode.
"Is that so?"
Even Gyūki's patience was wearing thin.
"Kurama. Get ready."
Kyūsei's expression turned serious as he looked at the four tailed beasts ahead.
In the original timeline, half of Kurama had once fought six tailed beasts at once.
But those beasts had been under Uchiha Obito's control—mindless, acting on instinct.
This was different.
Every one of them was fully conscious.
And Gyūki stood among them.
Aside from Kurama, the Eight-Tails was the strongest of the tailed beasts.
Even with absolute faith in Kurama, Kyūsei did not dare take this lightly.
Then—
The stalemate broke.
Chōmei moved.
His massive armored body charged at Kurama without hesitation!
"…Since when was this guy so brave?"
Not just Kurama—Matatabi, Kokuō, and even Gyūki were stunned.
Chōmei was the most timid of them all.
And now he was the first to charge Kurama?
That was suicide.
But since he came looking for a beating—
Kurama would oblige.
With a roar, Kurama leapt hundreds of meters into the air!
The moment he moved, the fragile balance shattered.
Kaoru engaged A.
Sakumo clashed with the Third Kazekage.
Orochimaru and Tsunade took on Gyūki.
Matatabi, Kokuō, and Chōmei surrounded Kyūsei.
Meanwhile—
Yagura wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and looked helplessly at the man floating before him.
Ōnoki.
Great. So because I'm not technically Konoha, I get the worst one?
Yes.
On the Allied side, the most troublesome opponent was the Third Tsuchikage.
Even the Eight-Tails was nothing before him.
Dust Release was practically an instant-kill technique.
No one wanted to fight that old man.
"Uh… how about we just watch them fight?"
Yagura suggested awkwardly.
"Hmph. The Five Great Villages truly decline with each generation."
"The Raikage is a hotheaded brat."
"And the Mizukage? A literal child."
Arms crossed, Ōnoki floated above Yagura, looking down with disdain.
"???"
"You senile old fossil—who are you calling a child?!"
Yagura's forehead bulged with a vein.
Because of his height and baby-faced appearance, people constantly mistook him for a kid.
He was thirty years old!
"Hmph. Am I wrong?"
Ōnoki obviously knew he wasn't a child.
But old age brought stubborn pride.
And he enjoyed provoking others.
"Fine! Fine!"
"You old bastard!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Yagura formed hand seals, launching a roaring water dragon straight at Ōnoki.
"Heh. Child's play."
"Hidden Mist truly has fallen."
"You call this Kage-level?"
Ōnoki's hands joined.
A terrifying white light formed between them.
Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!
The white beam sliced through the water dragon like a blade of judgment, then surged toward Yagura!
Yet—
Yagura smiled.
Got you.
As the mastermind who had once split the shinobi world into two opposing factions, how could he be that impulsive?
Everything he did was to provoke Ōnoki into attacking first.
He pulled the iron staff from his back.
With a light motion—
A mirror-like surface of water materialized in midair.
Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!
Within the water mirror—
Reflected perfectly—
Was Ōnoki performing Dust Release.
In the Tsuchikage's stunned gaze—
The reflection completed the same hand signs.
And an identical Dust Release shot out!
The two beams collided in the night sky!
Blinding white light erupted!
No matter how much chakra Ōnoki poured into his technique—
The mirror matched it perfectly.
Exactly the same.
When Ōnoki ceased his attack—
The reflection stopped too.
"You…!"
Ōnoki stared at the Fourth Mizukage with deep caution.
Dust Release—
Created by the Second Tsuchikage through the fusion of wind, fire, and earth chakra.
A unique kekkei tōta.
Unparalleled destructive power.
Since its creation, nothing had ever clashed with it head-on.
Had Hashirama lived longer, Ōnoki had even believed Wood Release might not surpass it.
And yet—
His three-nature fusion technique had just been neutralized—
By a single water-based jutsu.
Unacceptable.
"I told you."
"Can't we just watch them fight?"
"You and I won't settle this easily."
Yagura said calmly.
"You think copying my jutsu means you can defeat me?"
Ōnoki's aged hands clenched audibly.
"I never said I could beat you."
Yagura lifted his iron staff.
"But you won't beat me either."
"Good. Good!"
Ōnoki laughed in anger and shot forward!
Earth Style: Weighted Rock Technique!
Seeing him charge, Yagura did not hesitate.
Once more—
Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!
This time—
The reflected Ōnoki stepped directly out of the mirror—
And collided fist-to-fist with the charging Tsuchikage!
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