{Got it...}
Izuna chuckled.
{Does a jinchūriki teaming up with his tailed beast two-on-one make you feel impressive?}
{There are two of us too...}
The mark of Yata Spirit Invocation on the back of Tobirama's neck flickered. Izuna's power rapidly flowed throughout his entire body, making the two of them seem almost as though they had merged into one.
Tobirama's three tomoe spun rapidly, merging into the pattern of Izuna's Mangekyō Sharingan.
In contrast to Killer B's black-and-red cloak of tailed-beast chakra, ominous purple-black chakra now surged around Tobirama as well.
Like a ghostly shadow, yet almost alive, it coiled and churned around his body.
Mangekyō Dōjutsu: Ankotsu no Mikoto!
A technique that wrapped the user in killing intent, greatly enhancing speed, strength, and neural reaction speed.
Chakra poured into Tōenmaru, igniting a blood-red blaze!
Killer B's pupils contracted. Without slowing his assault, he exchanged a split-second telepathic message with the Eight-Tails.
{A Mangekyō Uchiha? And he's got chakra coming from an outside source!}
{This one's trouble! Be careful, B. His ocular power is making me uneasy...}
The Eight-Tails immediately replied, {I'll give you as much chakra as I can!}
To the Eight-Tails' senses, the ocular power produced by Tobirama and Izuna together bore a striking resemblance to Madara's.
Just seeing it was enough to trigger the octopus.
That was also one of the reasons Madara didn't want to reveal his identity.
His reputation throughout the shinobi world could, in a sense, actually serve to dissolve old grudges. The various hidden villages might very well unite first and figure out how to deal with him...
Of course, that no longer applied to Konoha. Madara had already become a relatively positive historical figure in the village.
Killer B unleashed all his strength. Seven blades spun and danced around him, forming an impenetrable wall of steel as they attacked Tobirama from every direction!
Tobirama exhaled softly.
Through his Mangekyō Sharingan, Killer B's speed seemed almost slowed down. His extraordinary dynamic vision caught every trace of killing intent within Killer B's swordsmanship.
'Kumogakure certainly has no shortage of talent. This brat's swordsmanship and explosive power are remarkable...'
Tobirama narrowed his eyes. By his estimation, an ordinary Mangekyō Uchiha might be able to see the trajectories of Killer B's blades, but their body wouldn't necessarily be able to react in time.
'But my neural reaction speed is a different matter. Not to mention, a certain someone isn't an ordinary Mangekyō user either...'
The clash of steel rang across the battlefield!
A blood-red blade tore through the air, precisely intercepting the deadliest of the seven swords.
Immediately afterward, Tobirama turned his wrist. Tōenmaru traced an uncanny arc, deflecting the edges of all seven blades in sequence. Then, in the instant before Killer B could launch his next offensive, Tobirama slashed straight for his throat!
At that very moment, one of the blades positioned near Killer B's knee had actually already closed in on Tobirama's thigh.
But Tobirama ignored it completely, because his own blade was aimed at a far more vital spot.
Besides, Tobirama had the Flying Thunder God Technique. Trading injury for injury against him was nowhere near that simple.
Killer B's pupils contracted sharply. He hurriedly twisted aside, and the blade grazed his neck, spraying a streak of crimson!
'So fast!'
Killer B's heart jolted. He no longer dared let his guard down in the slightest.
Blade crashed against blade, the ringing of steel merging into a continuous barrage so dense it made the eardrums ache.
The two figures moved in a frenzy, leaving countless afterimages behind them.
Killer B had pushed his Seven Swords Dance to its absolute limit. Every movement was almost inconceivable, his blades attacking Tobirama's vital points from one unexpected angle after another.
But no matter how fast his blades were or how tricky their angles, Tobirama always anticipated his movements a step ahead, precisely blocking them with Tōenmaru before immediately launching an even fiercer counterattack.
They had exchanged no more than thirty rounds of blade strikes when Killer B began to feel pressure unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
His strength was unquestionably top-tier among those of his generation. In fact, even when fighting his big brother, the Fourth A, Killer B had gradually begun to quietly accommodate him.
But now, every time their blades collided, Killer B could feel that his opponent's strength was in no way inferior to his own. The recoil left the webbing between his thumb and forefinger numb and aching.
The Senju Clan's distinctive Monster Strength technique!
What shocked Killer B even more was Tobirama's speed.
The speed Killer B took such pride in gave him absolutely no advantage against Tobirama!
He had been steadily suppressed from the very beginning and had been forced several times to erupt with tailed-beast chakra just to reset the exchange.
'So this is what makes the Mangekyō Sharingan so powerful in close combat...'
'No wonder Izuna fights with a sword like a rabid dog. It's basically like watching the enemy's movements in slow motion. As long as your neural reactions can keep up, there's simply no reason to lose...'
Tobirama marveled sincerely.
'And with Ankotsu no Mikoto enhancing him on top of that... Good thing that bastard hadn't awakened this dōjutsu back when we used to cross blades, or I would've been in serious trouble!'
With killing intent wrapped around his body, Tobirama even felt that Izuna might be capable of blocking his Flying Thunder God Slash!
Squelch!
Another spray of blood burst into the air.
Tobirama drew a deep breath. Recalling Izuna's rabid-dog fighting style, he began imitating it move for move.
It wasn't as though Tobirama was going out of his way to pay tribute to Izuna.
It was simply that, with this body and these eyes, the fighting style best suited for close-quarters combat was the same one Izuna used.
After all, the hardware was basically identical, and now the software had been installed too...
Tobirama's blade grew faster and faster. He seemed to completely disregard Killer B's attacks, looking as though he intended to take his opponent down with him!
'Two can play at that game!'
Anger flared in Killer B's heart. The two long blades tucked behind his knees stabbed violently toward the base of Tobirama's thighs, and he stopped trying to evade the attacks aimed at his own vital points.
Because Tobirama was faster, he would always attack Killer B's most vital spots first, forcing him to abandon his own offensive and defend himself. It was the absolute embodiment of "all offense, no defense."
But Killer B had figured it out as well.
If this continued, he would only fall completely into his opponent's rhythm. Rather than keep defending, he might as well go for broke and trade injury for injury!
He had a jinchūriki's regenerative ability and a tailed-beast cloak anyway. As long as he could avoid damage to his most critical vital points, he would definitely come out ahead in an exchange of wounds!
Killer B's pupils tightened behind his sunglasses. He stopped singing and gritted his teeth.
He was already prepared to take a slash from Tobirama, then drive the twin blades behind his knees straight through Tobirama's body...
Tobirama smiled faintly. Instead of pulling back, he leaned into the strike and brought his blade down on Killer B with even greater force!
Blood instantly sprayed everywhere!
At the last possible moment, Killer B barely managed to move his neck out of the blade's path. He turned and surged forward, taking the slash on his shoulder while forcefully thrusting the twin blades behind his knees toward Tobirama!
But then something happened that left Killer B stunned.
Both blades struck nothing but empty air, because Tobirama had vanished from where he stood.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Yet the very next second, just as the blades swept past, Tobirama flashed back in front of Killer B, bringing Tōenmaru down with tremendous force!
The blade tore through the tailed-beast cloak over the Eight-Tails jinchūriki's chest, carving a deep wound that exposed bone!
The gleaming blade was beautiful and deadly as Tobirama struck again and again!
Thigh, shoulder, arm...
Blood sprayed from wounds all over Killer B's body!
{B, I'll take over your body. Fall back!} the Eight-Tails roared. Eight tails burst from Killer B's back, whipping outward and forcing Tobirama away.
{All right, Eight-O, I'm counting on you! Didn't expect you to be this proactive today...} Killer B managed through the pain.
Although Killer B could currently undergo partial tailed-beast transformation and make use of the Eight-Tails' chakra, he and the Eight-Tails had not yet reached the point of complete mutual understanding.
Even so, their relationship was already far better than that of most jinchūriki and their tailed beasts.
It was simply that today, the Eight-Tails could no longer sit back. It had no choice but to join Killer B in playing the role of a truly perfect jinchūriki.
The ocular power that, in its eyes, bore such a strong resemblance to Madara's forced the Eight-Tails to set aside the little points of friction it still had with Killer B and throw itself completely into the battle.
If Killer B ended up captured by an Uchiha who resembled Madara this much, how could things possibly end well for it?
It had to fight with everything it had, fight to the death, hold absolutely nothing back!
Tailed Beast Transformation: Version 2!
Compared to Yugito in this form, Killer B looked even more ferocious. Not only was his entire body wrapped in dense tailed-beast chakra, but two chilling white bones also protruded from his elbows.
'Oh?'
Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
'So he ended up using this form after all. But judging by how smoothly he transformed, that was much faster than our intelligence suggested...'
Killer B's greatest mistake had been failing to enter this form, which could withstand most sword strikes, from the very beginning. But that too was part of his usual combat strategy.
Normally, he would suddenly enter Version 2 in the middle of a stalemate.
With his strength, speed, and defense all surging dramatically, he could quickly overwhelm an enemy who hadn't had time to adjust.
But unexpectedly, the rabid-dog fighting style produced by Tobirama and Izuna's fusion had kept the blade practically glued to Killer B's body, giving him no opportunity whatsoever to gather chakra. Only the Eight-Tails going all out had finally allowed him to break free.
'Can he actually improve in the middle of a battle? Why is the Eight-Tails helping him this much...' Tobirama narrowed his eyes. Killer B's current form reminded him of Uzumaki Shio.
Against shinobi who relied purely on swordsmanship or taijutsu, the nigh-impervious defense of Version 2 was indeed a natural counter.
"Brat, just looking at those eyes of yours fills me with disgust..."
"What is your relationship with Madara?"
The transformed Killer B spoke, but the voice coming from his mouth belonged to the Eight-Tails.
Tobirama froze for a moment, then immediately understood.
So Izuna's ocular power had triggered the Eight-Tails?
Tobirama thought back to the things Madara had once done—treating the tailed beasts like livestock, dragging them around with Susanoo without the slightest regard for their dignity, all while constantly mocking them...
"Well, that explains it. That explains everything..." Tobirama and Izuna said with pointed sarcasm, their tone almost sounding as though they sympathized with the Eight-Tails.
{If it's the Great Clan Head we're talking about, getting a tailed beast to set aside its differences with its jinchūriki so they can unite against a common enemy is nothing unusual. He can even get the entire shinobi world to unite!}
After all, the number-one Madara hater in the shinobi world was Tobirama.
Izuna coughed lightly.
Why did this kid always have to tell the truth?
Still, Izuna didn't suspect anything. From the very beginning, Tobirama had been waving Madara's banner, openly rallying support for him at the Uchiha Clan assembly and even taking the initiative to confront Danzō.
He had established the persona thoroughly from the very start.
So now, with Madara inspiring the enemy's fighting spirit, it was perfectly normal for him to show a little displeasure.
'Seisui is still a teenager, after all. A little rebellious...'
Izuna reassured himself.
He had noticed that back when even the Uchiha Clan didn't dare bring up Madara, "Seisui" had been the only one who openly sought to restore Madara's reputation without caring what anyone else thought.
Yet once Hiruzen stepped in and restored Madara's standing, "Seisui" instead seemed to lose much of his enthusiasm for him. Every now and then, while chatting with Izuna, he would even poke fun at Madara's absurd approach to diplomacy...
Izuna naturally chalked it up to adolescent rebelliousness. Teenagers liked being contrary...
But in reality, Tobirama simply couldn't hold it in anymore...
{Well, about that...}
{Madara-nii did capture a large number of tailed beasts for Konoha, after all. His methods were a little rough, so it's inevitable that he left behind a somewhat unfriendly impression.}
{That's all in the past. No point talking about it, no point...}
Izuna laughed it off.
Killer B and Tobirama remained locked in a standoff.
Even though Killer B was now in this form and couldn't maintain it for very long, Tobirama's bizarre abilities still made the Eight-Tails wary of acting rashly.
Blindly attacking was pointless. This was a shinobi who could use the Flying Thunder God Technique.
'All I can do is keep him tied down here and hope the Fourth A can break through on his side...'
The Eight-Tails glanced over from the corner of its eye, and its heart tightened slightly.
Things over there weren't looking good either...
At that moment.
The Fourth A and Minato were like two streaks of blue and yellow light, constantly weaving together and colliding!
'He's so fast...'
Once the battle began, this was no longer a spar against fellow villagers or Ninja Academy students. Minato stopped spouting the strange lines he'd picked up from Hokage-sama and focused completely on trading blows with the Fourth A!
Flying Thunder God kunai collided with fists!
Neither side gave an inch. Every clash of fist and leg carried tremendous force, sending shock waves bursting outward one after another and kicking clouds of dust high into the air.
The longer the Fourth A fought, the more bewildered he became. He had the disorienting feeling that he was fighting against himself.
The Fourth A was certain that Minato had trained in a technique similar to Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The way the Fourth A could feel it firsthand, along with the faint currents of electricity surging across Minato's body despite not forming a Lightning Release armor, proved that he was using lightning to thoroughly stimulate his body.
"How do you know one of Kumogakure's techniques?!" the Fourth A finally retreated and demanded sharply.
By now, his body was also covered in wounds left by Minato's Flying Thunder God kunai.
When Minato put his full strength behind his slashes, they could effectively cut through the Fourth A's Lightning Release armor.
The armor reduced some of their force, but that hardly mattered. Minato simply had to slash him a few more times.
In raw strength, the Fourth A had the edge over Minato.
The problem was that Minato was a full tier above him in both speed and neural reaction time.
As a result, the Fourth A could only endure Minato's attacks while looking for opportunities to counterattack.
Whenever he occasionally came close to hitting Minato, Minato would simply teleport away with the Flying Thunder God Technique, then return and begin the cycle all over again.
The overall pattern of the battle was almost identical to Tobirama's fight against Killer B...
"Why would you even ask something like that...?" Minato asked, genuinely curious.
At the moment, the only signs of battle on him were a few wrinkles in his clothes from their collisions. He remained completely uninjured.
That was simply how Minato fought. As long as his opponent's fighting system had no way to counter his Flying Thunder God, then regardless of what abilities they possessed, Minato could effectively "mark" them as harmless, turning the fight into a completely one-sided beating.
Unless, of course, he encountered a particularly "distinctive" shinobi—someone like the Third Raikage, who could simply ignore his slashes.
"If I'm remembering correctly, isn't Kumogakure particularly fond of stealing the secret techniques and Kekkei Genkai of other hidden villages? New kinds of ninja tools too..."
"What, you're the only ones allowed to steal from others?"
Minato continued softly.
"You guessed right. What I'm using is the genuine Lightning Release Chakra Mode. I just haven't developed it into Lightning Release armor. The later stages don't suit the way I fight."
"Though I misspoke just now. I didn't steal it. I obtained it from the minds of Kumogakure spies who infiltrated Konoha and whom we killed, so it's a perfectly legitimate spoil of self-defense."
The Fourth A's expression darkened.
Naturally, he knew that several years earlier, when the Eight-Tails jinchūriki had been attacked, a group of elite Kumogakure spies had infiltrated the various hidden villages to gather intelligence.
Quite a few of those teams had highly capable shinobi leading them, so most of the spies sent to the other hidden villages had returned without incident.
Only the group sent to Konoha had been completely wiped out. Among them had been one of A's friends, a shinobi with considerable expertise in the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
He had been a talented shinobi.
"Hmph. If you took it, then that was your ability!" After holding it in for a long moment, the Fourth A ultimately didn't bother offering any high-minded justification.
In a sense, Kumogakure's values and logic were quite straightforward.
Among their own, they valued loyalty and bonds. Toward outsiders, they valued taking what they wanted.
Ultimately, though, whoever had the bigger fist was the one whose words carried weight. Moral grandstanding wasn't something Kumogakure particularly cared for.
Seeing the Fourth A's reaction, Minato couldn't help laughing.
'What kind of savage is this?'
'He's actually pretty interesting...'
"Here's some advice..."
"Go tell your father, the Third Raikage, to withdraw his forces now and start thinking about war reparations and the terms of a surrender agreement. Fewer Kumogakure shinobi will die that way. Stop keeping your eyes fixed on Konoha all the time. It won't do anyone any good."
Minato sighed. Although he never hesitated when it came time to kill, he personally hated war.
As for Hiruzen's policy of pursuing peaceful development while rapidly raising the village's strength...
Together with the ideals of shared development, using Konoha's might to deter the shinobi world, and mediating conflicts, Minato supported them wholeheartedly.
"Not a chance!"
"The Third Hokage may genuinely be an honest man who wants peace, but the very foundations of Konoha contain the Shura of the Shinobi World..."
The Fourth A spoke in a deep voice.
"The Third Hokage is already getting old. How much longer can he remain Hokage?"
"Not to mention, the Uchiha Clan has already restored Madara's reputation! Whatever they're planning might be enough to fool the Hokage, but do you really think they can fool the other hidden villages too? Don't make me laugh!"
"And now there's even a young Madara!"
The Fourth A swept out an arm, pointing toward Tobirama, who was still facing off against Killer B nearby.
Between the Eight-Tails' wariness, its sudden willingness to cooperate, and Tobirama's current identity as an Uchiha, it was obvious what the Eight-Tails was afraid of...
His words left both Tobirama and Minato momentarily stunned.
What was that supposed to mean...?
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---