The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B, suddenly realized that his body had frozen in place, completely beyond his control.
A sinking feeling immediately washed over him.
'I actually fell for this guy's genjutsu.'
Suddenly, a surge of Tailed Beast chakra erupted within his body.
Only then did B feel himself regaining control over his movements.
A flicker of fear touched his gaze.
This man's genjutsu was incredibly potent; he could control anyone who simply looked into his eyes.
"Eight-Tails, thanks."
"If not for you, I'd probably be done for by now."
Killer B knew he would have to be far more cautious for the rest of the battle.
He could no longer look the man in the eye.
He shifted his gaze downward, focusing on the opponent's torso. This allowed him to track the man's movements and read his actions while avoiding any direct eye contact.
The Eight-Tails' voice resonated within B's mind.
"B, stay sharp. Those eyes aren't ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Could they be the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
B was startled.
"What's the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
The Eight-Tails explained.
"It is an evolution beyond the Mangekyō. Those eyes do not lose their light due to the consumption of ocular power."
"In terms of sheer prowess, they far surpass the standard Mangekyō."
B was profoundly shocked.
'There's actually a level even higher than the Mangekyō?'
He couldn't help but ask the Eight-Tails internally.
"Is it possible that this guy is Uchiha Madara?"
The Eight-Tails paused for a moment before answering.
"It's possible."
"In the shinobi world, no one else possesses eyes that feel this sinister."
"If it really is Uchiha Madara, B, you should find a way to escape as quickly as possible."
"Even if your strength has improved significantly, you are still no match for this person."
It was rare for the beast to find a Jinchūriki it actually got along with, so it naturally didn't want to see B die.
Besides, it had no desire to fall into Uchiha Madara's hands again.
It refused to become a mere puppet for that man.
Those eyes exerted a powerful, intimidating pressure even on the Tailed Beast itself.
Hearing the Eight-Tails' warning, B felt the pressure mounting.
If the man in black possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, then it truly might be Uchiha Madara.
'I doubt even Uchiha Ryōsuke, the strongest ninja in the Leaf Village right now, has eyes like these.'
It seemed the Eight-Tails was right.
If he continued to fight this man, he might be able to stall for a while, but defeat was inevitable.
He had to find an opportunity to retreat.
However, the opponent wasn't about to just let him walk away.
He needed to use a distraction.
More Tailed Beast chakra began to pour out from his body.
In an instant, his entire form was enveloped in a shroud of red chakra.
He looked like a miniature Tailed Beast.
Six tails lashed out aggressively behind him.
A terrifying aura emanated from him.
This was his Version 2 Tailed Beast state.
At this stage, he was essentially a mini-Tailed Beast.
Opening his mouth wide, he began to condense a black sphere of energy.
When Ryōsuke saw this move, he recognized it immediately as the Tailed Beast Bomb—a devastating attack capable of leveling a small mountain with unstoppable force.
But seeing it sparked a sudden, creative idea in his mind.
'My chakra reserves are already comparable to the Nine-Tails.'
'I'm basically a Tailed Beast myself.'
'Logically, I should be able to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb as well.'
Wasn't the principle of the Tailed Beast Bomb simply concentrated chakra that produced a massive explosion upon impact?
With his current physical capabilities, he was more than capable of compressing his own chakra into a sphere.
If he then fired it off, it would naturally function as a Tailed Beast Bomb.
As soon as the thought occurred to him, he put it into action.
He held his hands out in front of his chest and utilized the Chakra Refinement Technique to gather blue chakra between his palms.
Slowly, a small blue orb began to take shape.
It continued to grow larger and larger.
Killer B, in his Version 2 state, watched the scene with disbelief.
His eyes were wide with shock.
'What is this?'
'Is he actually mimicking a Tailed Beast by condensing a Tailed Beast Bomb?'
From what he could sense, the amount of chakra condensed in that blue orb was no less than his own Tailed Beast Bomb.
B could only perform this feat by drawing upon the Eight-Tails' power within him.
But his opponent was human—how could a human possibly possess such a terrifying volume of chakra?
As his black Tailed Beast Bomb grew, the masked man's blue sphere expanded in tandem.
B spat his condensed Tailed Beast Bomb toward his foe.
At the same time, Ryōsuke finished forming his blue chakra orb.
It was his first time attempting it, so he was a bit clumsy.
Despite its small size, the blue sphere contained a staggering amount of chakra.
If it detonated, the resulting explosion would be anything but small.
Seeing the black Tailed Beast Bomb approaching,
he swung his arm and hurled the blue sphere forward.
The two energy orbs collided in mid-air.
With a deafening roar, they exploded. The sound was ear-splitting.
A shockwave swept outward, carrying dust and rocks in every direction.
A small mushroom cloud even rose from the point of impact.
The entire island shuddered violently.
Even the Cloud Village ninjas inside the island's base were knocked off balance.
Their faces were pale with shock.
"What on earth is happening?"
"Don't tell me B lost control!"
"Nonsense! B became a perfect Jinchūriki long ago. After two years of training, losing control is impossible."
"We need to get out there and see for ourselves."
The Cloud ninjas rushed outside.
They had barely stepped out when they saw the sky filled with smoke in the distance, their expressions turning to pure shock.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Is B testing out a Tailed Beast Bomb?"
"Even if he's testing it, couldn't he have aimed it at the ocean?"
Seeing such a massive explosion, the Cloud ninjas naturally assumed it was their Jinchūriki's doing.
Only the Tailed Beast's ultimate attack, the Tailed Beast Bomb, could cause such a massive explosion.
They didn't mind him testing his powers, but there was a perfectly good ocean right next to them.
Why couldn't he just throw it there?
Just then, a figure covered in a Tailed Beast shroud sprinted toward them.
He was covered in grime and dirt.
It was the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki.
His face was etched with fear.
The masked man in black could actually fire a Tailed Beast Bomb just like a Tailed Beast.
This proved that the man's chakra reserves were no less than those of a Tailed Beast.
He was nothing short of a human monster.
Compared to him, B had lost even his primary advantage as a Jinchūriki.
He was at a disadvantage in every other respect as well.
Using the shockwave of the explosion as cover, he had made his escape.
Before leaving, he made sure to alert the ninjas on the island to call the village for reinforcements.
Only by notifying the village and getting the Fourth Raikage, A, to help
could they possibly resolve this crisis.
Like him, A had trained intensely since the war with Konoha; his strength must have improved significantly.
This man calling himself Uchiha Madara was too terrifying.
Though he had only shown a fraction of his power,
both the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and that artificial Tailed Beast Bomb had shaken B to his core.