Chapter 389: The Third Raikage vs. Killer Bee
Ōnoki turned his gaze toward his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. His weathered face was tight, the deep lines around his mouth carved like stone.
"A trap?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low.
"This is a provocation!" Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth, her fists clenched at her sides. "It's blatant humiliation!"
"With Uchiha Akira's current strength, he doesn't need to hide anything," Ōnoki muttered, his eyes narrowing into dark slits. "He left these traces behind specifically to tell this old man..."
He paused, the reality of the situation tasting like ash in his mouth.
"He was the one who captured Han."
The silence in the room grew heavy.
"His goal," Ōnoki continued, each word dripping with cold realization, "is to make Iwagakure surrender. To force us to actively submit to Konoha!"
The Third Tsuchikage took a deep, ragged breath, forcefully suppressing the molten anger threatening to erupt from his chest. The capture of the Five-Tails Jinchuriki was a devastating blow. It wasn't just a catastrophic loss of military power; it was a vicious slap to Iwagakure's pride.
If they swallowed this insult without retaliation, the morale of the entire village would shatter.
Ōnoki's body slowly levitated off the ground, his chakra flaring.
"Give the order!" His voice boomed, echoing violently through the stone canyon. "Iwagakure is to enter Level One battle readiness! All shinobi currently deployed on external missions are to be recalled immediately!"
...On the other side of the continent.
Cloud Gorge, deep within the mountainous borders of the Land of Lightning.
This jagged, desolate valley served as the exclusive training ground for Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. The sky above was perpetually choked with rolling thunderclouds, the air heavy with the sharp scent of ozone and the continuous, deafening roar of lightning strikes.
"Today's mood is also idiotic and bastardly~"
"Only enka can soothe This Great Lord's soul~"
Killer Bee sat cross-legged atop a massive boulder, a small, worn notebook balanced on his knee. He swayed his head to an erratic rhythm, humming in a strange, off-beat tone while scribbling down lyrics.
Despite his frivolous, carefree demeanor, his muscles told a different story. Beneath his dark skin, every fiber of his being was coiled tight, maintained in a state of subtle, absolute tension. As a perfect Jinchuriki, his attunement to his surroundings was flawless. His perception of malice was sharper than a freshly honed blade.
Suddenly, the pencil snapped.
Killer Bee stopped his rap mid-verse.
Beneath the dark tint of his sunglasses, his eyes instantly sharpened into a predatory glare. He slowly turned his head toward the narrow entrance of Cloud Gorge.
Two figures were slowly emerging from the shadows of the canyon walls. They didn't sneak; they simply walked in with brazen, unhurried steps.
Killer Bee slowly stood up, the notebook slipping from his lap. Deep within his mindscape, the massive form of the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, stirred.
"Bee, be careful," the colossal beast warned, its deep voice vibrating with unease. "These two guys... something's wrong."
Killer Bee remained uncharacteristically silent. His gaze locked onto the towering, heavily muscled figure leading the way.
"How is this possible..." Killer Bee breathed, his eyes widening behind his shades.
"Fa... father?"
It was no illusion. The man approaching was none other than the absolute legend of Kumogakure, the monster who had once fought ten thousand shinobi single-handedly until his dying breath.
The Third Raikage.
And standing casually by the Third Raikage's side was another ghost from the past. He wore a high-collared trench coat, a thin mustache resting above a cynical smirk. It was the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu.
"Oh dear," Gengetsu sighed, scratching the back of his head as he looked around the desolate gorge with a look of utter helplessness. "Seriously. Even after death, they won't let us rest in peace."
He inspected his own ash-flaking hands, his expression twisting in disgust. "To actually be brought back by such a revolting jutsu."
Gengetsu glanced sideways at the hulking figure of the Third Raikage and pouted. "Hey, old man Raikage. It seems we have to deal with an acquaintance of yours."
The Third Raikage completely ignored the Mizukage's complaints. His body moved on its own, taking a heavy, involuntary step forward.
"Bee..."
The Third Raikage's voice was hoarse, grating like grinding stones, yet it carried a heavy trace of unconcealed, complex emotion. "I never expected... to meet again in such a way."
Killer Bee took a slow, deep breath. The air felt unnaturally cold. Though he didn't fully understand the mechanics of what had happened, the man standing before him was undeniably his adoptive father, a man who had perished years ago.
"Father..." Killer Bee's hands reached back, his fingers wrapping tightly around the hilts of his swords. "What's going on?"
"Bee, this is Edo Tensei!" the Third Raikage warned, his dark sclera contrasting with his fierce gaze. "A forbidden jutsu invented by the Second Hokage!"
A surge of pure fury ignited within Killer Bee.
"Edo Tensei..." he growled, his grip tightening until his knuckles popped. "Playing with the souls of the dead. Unforgivable! Idiot! Bastard!"
The Third Raikage looked at his son, taking in the flawless fighting stance Bee had assumed. A fleeting hint of pride and relief flashed in the dead man's eyes, quickly swallowed by deep helplessness.
"I can't control my body now," the Third Raikage warned, his tone urgent. "The caster has given me an absolute order to capture the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
Instantly, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode erupted.
Terrifying arcs of dark blue lightning exploded from the Third Raikage, enveloping his massive frame in an impenetrable armor of crackling energy. The sheer intensity of the chakra scorched the earth beneath his feet.
Before the echo of his warning even faded, his figure vanished.
'Too fast.'
It was a speed so blindingly absolute that even Killer Bee, a master of lightning-enhanced reflexes, barely registered the blur.
A piercing screech of tortured metal tore through the sky. Killer Bee had drawn all seven of his swords in a fraction of a heartbeat, crossing them over his chest in a desperate guard.
They barely managed to block the Third Raikage's single, extended finger.
Killer Bee let out a choked grunt. A tremendous, overwhelming force traveled down the blades, directly pulverizing the solid bedrock beneath his boots.
Like a cannonball fired from a siege weapon, Bee was launched backward. He crashed violently through three massive stone pillars, shattering them into dust, before finally digging his heels into the dirt to halt his momentum.
"So strong..." Killer Bee gasped, shaking his violently trembling arms.
He looked down. With just one strike, all seven of his carefully forged swords sported jagged, chipped edges.
"Don't zone out!" Gyuki roared from within. "That's your father! If you don't want to die, give it your all! Partial Tailed Beast Transformation!"
"Yeah!"
Dark red, dense chakra erupted skyward like a geyser. Eight massive, fleshy tails materialized, swaying wildly behind him. Killer Bee instantly entered his Version 2 state, his body coated in the bubbling, dark crimson shroud of the Tailed Beast.
Since standard blades were utterly useless against the ultimate spear and shield, he would answer with raw, unadulterated beast power.
Killer Bee let out a feral roar, transforming into a dark red blur of lightning as he charged head-on toward his father.
The Third Raikage stood his ground. He didn't shift his weight to dodge. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity and raised his heavily muscled arm, assuming the exact same stance.
The Lariat.
"Let this old man see," the Third Raikage bellowed, his voice cutting through the crackling thunder, "how much you've improved over the years!"
Two streaks of lightning, one dark blue, the other blood-red, collided fiercely in the dead center of Cloud Gorge.
A deafening explosion erupted. A terrifying shockwave instantly swept outward, flattening the terrain. The previously calm surface of a nearby lake was forcefully churned, sending giant waves tens of meters into the air. Shattered rocks flew like shrapnel through the dust cloud.
As the smoke violently dispersed, the result of the clash was revealed.
Killer Bee maintained his forward-charging posture, his Tailed Beast cloak fluctuating violently as he strained every muscle in his body.
Opposite him, the Third Raikage remained completely motionless. He hadn't been pushed back a single inch.
"How is this possible..." Killer Bee's pupils contracted to pinpricks.
Even a full-powered Lariat in his Version 2 state couldn't budge his father in the slightest?
The Third Raikage let out a thunderous roar. With a brutal backhand motion, he grabbed Killer Bee's shoulder, his fingers digging into the dense chakra shroud.
"With this level of power," the Third Raikage shouted, "you want to protect Kumogakure? Too naive!"
He violently twisted his waist, exerting a monstrous amount of force, and slammed Killer Bee directly into the solid bedrock.
The earth cratered instantly, spiderweb cracks spreading for dozens of meters. Killer Bee spat out a mouthful of blood, the impact jarring his internal organs and making it feel as though every bone in his spine was about to shatter.
"Hey, hey, hey. Old man Raikage, you're being far too harsh on the kid."
The Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, strolled over casually, having watched the brutal exchange from the sidelines. Though his tone was laced with lazy sarcasm, his hands moved with lethal precision.
"Water Release: Water Gun Technique!"
Gengetsu raised his right hand, pointing his index finger at Killer Bee, who was still pinned in the crater. It was a seemingly casual gesture, like a child mimicking a pistol.
Yet, every instinct in Killer Bee's body screamed fatal danger.
A highly compressed drop of water shot from Gengetsu's fingertip with the velocity of a sniper bullet. It cleanly pierced straight through Killer Bee's shoulder, bypassing the Tailed Beast shroud and bringing forth a bright spray of blood.
"It's not over yet," Gengetsu murmured, his hands blurring into a series of seals.
The surrounding air suddenly grew thick and clammy. A dense, unnatural fog rapidly billowed outward, instantly swallowing the entire battlefield in an opaque white veil.
"Mirage."
Killer Bee gritted his teeth, forcing himself up and climbing out of the shattered pit. He crouched low, cautiously scanning his surroundings. His vision was completely obstructed by the heavy mist, and worse, his sensory perception was entirely scrambled.
"Damn it," Killer Bee cursed under his breath, blood dripping from his chin. "I can't sense the location of those two guys at all."
"We can only use the full transformation!" Gyuki's voice echoed urgently in his mind. "That water-wielding guy is incredibly troublesome. Add that to your father's absolute defense and offense... if we don't fight with our lives on the line right now, we will really die!"
"Understood!"
Killer Bee didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second.
"ROAR!!!"
An devastating bellow tore through the gorge, vibrating the very air. The gigantic, nightmarish form of the Eight-Tails, Gyuki, materialized out of thin air. Its colossal, mountainous body instantly displaced the thick mist, casting a massive shadow over the canyon.
"Tailed Beast Ball!"
Without wasting a single breath on posturing, the Eight-Tails unhinged its massive jaw. Dense, black and white chakra began to furiously condense, spinning into a hyper-dense sphere of absolute destruction.
A colossal Tailed Beast Ball instantly formed, humming with apocalyptic power.
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