Kiyohara stood where he was, calmly watching the enormous fireball rushing ever closer.
The scorching winds stirred by the blazing sphere whipped his long hair into the air.
Facing such a terrifying attack, Kiyohara merely raised one hand.
Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!
Just before the fireball could strike him, both Kiyohara and the gigantic mass of flames disappeared simultaneously.
An instant later, an earth shaking explosion echoed from the distant mountain range.
BOOM!!!
The summit of a mountain exploded apart. Countless rocks were blasted into the sky while towering flames erupted from the shattered peak.
Standing at the edge of the battlefield, Minato watched the scene and could not help sighing.
"Kiyohara's understanding of space time ninjutsu is already catching up to mine."
A moment later, he shook his head and corrected himself.
"No... perhaps he's already surpassed me."
Standing beside him, Kakashi silently nodded.
"Kiyohara really is incredibly strong now."
Minato smiled faintly before shifting his gaze toward the Fourth Raikage in the distance.
"Our turn."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure disappeared.
The next instant, Minato appeared directly before the Fourth Raikage, his Flying Thunder God kunai held horizontally before his chest.
"We meet again, Lord Raikage."
The Fourth Raikage frowned deeply.
For some reason, facing Minato actually made him feel relieved.
That youngster Kiyohara had placed an overwhelming pressure on him.
Minato was troublesome because of his unbelievable speed.
Kiyohara, however, possessed not only incredible speed but also monstrous physical strength.
That combination made him an exceptionally difficult opponent.
"Come!"
The Fourth Raikage charged once again.
Minato flashed away, instantly teleporting onto a Flying Thunder God kunai embedded high within a tree canopy.
The next moment, a pale blue chakra sphere appeared in his hand.
Rasengan!
Seeing this, the Fourth Raikage immediately dodged to the side.
While the two of them clashed, Kiyohara's battle never paused.
Seeing her massive fireball effortlessly redirected elsewhere, Yugito's anger intensified.
Controlling the Two Tails once more, she opened its enormous mouth and prepared to launch another attack.
But Kiyohara gave her no opportunity.
"Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique."
Chakra surged outward.
A gigantic shark rapidly formed before him.
Its entire body was composed of flowing water. Opening a massive mouth lined with razor sharp liquid fangs, it lunged directly toward the Two Tails.
The Two Tails released another gigantic fireball.
The two techniques collided violently.
However, the Two Tails was stunned to discover something impossible.
The enormous water shark was actually devouring its flames.
The chakra contained within the fireball was continuously absorbed by the Great Shark Bullet.
The more it devoured, the larger it became.
The more chakra it consumed, the fiercer it grew.
In the end, the shark completely swallowed the enormous fireball before continuing its charge toward the Two Tails.
Unable to dodge in time, the Two Tails could only raise one massive forepaw to block.
BOOM!
Water exploded in every direction.
The Two Tails staggered backward several steps, its dark blue flames flickering violently across its body.
It had only just regained its footing when it suddenly felt its tail tighten.
Looking down, it saw Kiyohara gripping one of its tails tightly.
The next moment, an irresistible force erupted from that grip.
The entire gigantic body of the Two Tails was lifted into the air.
It traced a massive arc across the sky.
Bang!
It crashed into the ground over a hundred meters away.
The impact blasted out an enormous crater as shattered rocks scattered everywhere.
The Two Tails lay motionless at the bottom of the crater, unable to rise for quite some time.
"How is this possible..."
Yugito frowned deeply.
That strength...
That overwhelming strength...
It simply was not something a human should possess.
Standing beside the crater, Kiyohara looked down at her calmly.
"I told you."
"You are no match for me."
Anger flashed within the Two Tails' enormous eyes.
"Two Tails..."
Yugito whispered silently inside her heart.
An immense wave of the Two Tails' chakra burst forth from within her body.
Dark blue flames once again enveloped its entire form.
Seeing that she had finally decided to fight with everything she had, Kiyohara became interested.
Then he began forming hand seals.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal upon his forehead bloomed like a flower.
Dark markings rapidly spread across his skin, intertwining in every direction.
"Yin Seal..."
Yugito's expression became increasingly grim.
Kiyohara already possessed astonishing reserves of chakra.
Now that he had access to the enormous chakra stored within the Yin Seal, he would become even more troublesome.
The greatest advantage of a Jinchuriki lay in possessing nearly endless chakra during prolonged battles.
If Kiyohara defeated her before exhausting himself, then even that advantage would disappear.
'No... There are simply too many Leaf shinobi.'
Yugito thought anxiously.
Originally, she had intended to order the Raikage and the others to retreat together.
However, she suddenly noticed wave after wave of Leaf shinobi surrounding them.
Even members of the Hyuga Clan had already circled around and blocked their escape route.
The trap had already been completed.
They had become turtles caught inside a jar.
What Yugito could not understand was why Konoha had dared to commit so many shinobis in one operation.
If this mission failed, the losses Konoha suffered would be enormous.
"You're actually allowing yourself to be distracted in the middle of a battle?"
Kiyohara looked at Yugito with an indifferent expression.
Only then did Yugito snap back to reality.
That guy...
He had not even attempted to launch a sneak attack while she had been distracted?
She frowned.
At that moment, Kiyohara completed another series of hand seals.
White smoke rapidly spread across the battlefield.
Within the thick smoke, an enormous silhouette gradually emerged.
It continued growing larger.
Taller.
Even taller.
Finally, it broke through the veil of smoke and revealed itself completely before everyone's eyes.
Eight gigantic serpent heads towered proudly into the sky.
Each possessed golden vertical pupils that gazed down upon the battlefield from a different direction.
Every mouth opened wide, revealing rows of terrifying white fangs.
Eight Branches Technique!
Empowered by the immense chakra stored within the Yin Seal, Kiyohara's transformed body had become even larger than the fully transformed Two Tails.
Yugito's expression changed.
She vaguely remembered intelligence reports claiming that Kiyohara had once used a secret snake transformation technique in the Land of Snow.
But witnessing it from such close range was still deeply shocking.
She soon realized something astonishing.
It was not Kiyohara's flesh that had transformed into a snake.
Instead...
His chakra itself had taken on the form of a colossal serpent, enveloping his body like an enormous living armor.
"Isn't that..."
"Lord Orochimaru's technique?"
Among the gathered Konoha forces, one of Root's undercover agents stared at the scene in disbelief.
Although Danzo had already returned to the village, he had still left Root operatives hidden within the battlefield.
Unfortunately for him, Kiyohara had moved far too quickly.
Danzo had still been calculating when the battle would begin.
Instead, Kiyohara had simply gathered everyone together and launched the assault immediately.
"If I remember correctly..."
"Even Lord Orochimaru never completely perfected this technique and yet Kiyohara actually succeeded..."
The Root shinobi belonged to the Intelligence Division.
He had become the replacement for Nono after her departure.
His intelligence gathering abilities were exceptionally powerful.
Naturally, he knew quite a few of Orochimaru's secrets.
"Hmph! So what if you've become bigger?"
Within the Two Tails' mouth, blue and purple chakra bubbles rapidly gathered.
A pitch black sphere slowly condensed.
Tailed Beast Bomb!
Naturally, Kiyohara had no intention of standing still while Yugito completed such a devastating attack.
The eight serpent heads each began gathering different chakra attributes.
Before Yugito could finish condensing the Tailed Beast Bomb, Kiyohara struck first.
Lightning Release.
Fire Release.
Wind Release.
Earth Release.
Water Release.
Five different chakra natures erupted simultaneously.
Then, within the remaining three serpent heads, he condensed the powers of Storm Release and Magnet Release respectively.
As for the final serpent head...
He directly controlled it to lunge forward.
Its enormous jaws clamped tightly over the Two Tails' mouth, preventing it from continuing to gather chakra.
Rumble!!
Flames.
Lightning.
Towering waves.
Violent hurricanes.
Every attack crashed directly into the Two Tails.
Seven Release: Great Combo Technique!
The original Five Release: Great Combo Technique that Hiruzen Sarutobi had taught Kiyohara had now been modified by him.
He had incorporated two entirely new chakra natures into it.
Storm Release.
And Magnet Release.
One serpent head unleashed a blue laser resembling flowing water intertwined with lightning.
Another manipulated golden magnetic sand, compressing it into countless razor sharp spears before firing them across the battlefield.
The gigantic body of the Two Tails was blasted completely into the air.
It tumbled across the ground more than a dozen times, carving an enormous trench through the earth before finally managing to stop.
The dark blue flames covering its body flickered weakly.
Its fur had become scorched black in many places, while deep tears covered its massive frame.
Inside the Two Tails, Yugito lay panting heavily.
Her chakra was draining at an alarming rate.
For some inexplicable reason, a terrifying thought suddenly appeared in her mind.
Kiyohara...
Was he not even fighting seriously?
Was he simply using her as a test subject to experiment with newly created ninjutsu?
That possibility alone placed unimaginable pressure upon her.
With both the Two Tails and the Fourth Raikage occupied, the rest of the battlefield had descended into complete chaos.
By the time Killer B finally arrived, all he could see was utter disorder.
Without hesitation, he drew all seven of his swords.
He tucked them between his arms, legs, shoulders, and neck before weaving gracefully through the battlefield like a bizarre dance.
The surrounding Konoha shinobi hurriedly retreated from his path.
Uchiha Tekka charged forward at the front.
"Protect the honor of the Uchiha!"
His hands rapidly formed seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A gigantic fireball burst from his mouth.
Killer B twisted his body and easily avoided it.
In the same motion, he swung one of his blades toward Tekka's waist.
Tekka had no time to evade.
Just as the sword was about to cut into him...
A flash of silver appeared.
Clang!
Yangmamaru firmly intercepted the strike.
Kakashi appeared beside him.
His Sharingan spun rapidly, carefully capturing every subtle movement of Killer B's unique kenjutsu.
"Don't act recklessly."
Kakashi spoke calmly.
Tekka took a deep breath, suppressing the anger welling up inside him toward Killer B before retreating several steps.
"Thanks."
Tekka nodded gratefully.
Kakashi gave a slight nod in return.
Killer B looked at him, surprise flashing through the eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.
"So you're the White Fang's son. You've really got some skills."
A grin spread across Killer B's face.
"But the White Fang is already dead."
The moment those words fell, dark crimson chakra erupted violently from his body.
Complete Tailed Beast Transformation!
An enormous tailed beast appeared upon the battlefield.
The Eight Tails, Gyūki!
It raised one of its massive tails before slamming it viciously toward Kakashi.
Kakashi's figure blurred as he instantly dodged aside.
The gigantic tail smashed into the earth, carving out a deep ravine. Countless rocks exploded into the air as a tremendous shockwave swept across the battlefield.
Even more Konoha shinobi charged forward.
Fugaku rapidly formed hand seals before unleashing a gigantic Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
Meanwhile, the Hyuga Clan activated their Byakugan, carefully searching for weaknesses within the Eight Tails' enormous body.
Members of the Aburame Clan released swarms of kikaichu insects that surged forward like black clouds, attempting to devour Gyūki's chakra.
Unfortunately...
The Eight Tails was simply too enormous.
Every swing of one of its tentacles or tails sent more than a dozen shinobi flying.
Every deafening roar caused the blood and chakra of those nearby to churn violently.
"We can't stop it!"
Someone shouted desperately.
Watching the scene unfold, Shisui hesitated for only a brief moment.
Then the three tomoe within his Sharingan began spinning rapidly, twisting together into a new pattern.
Mangekyo Sharingan!
At the same time, immense amounts of emerald green chakra erupted around his body.
The chakra quickly formed into a gigantic rib cage.
Then a spine appeared.
Soon afterward, the skeletal frame expanded into the shape of a towering green skeleton.
Within moments, layers of green chakra resembling muscles, tendons, and flesh wrapped around the skeletal structure.
Susanoo!
The half-bodied Susanoo reached out and seized one of the Eight Tails' massive tails.
Standing within the chest of the Susanoo, Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan rotated continuously.
His complexion was deathly pale.
A thin trail of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Originally, Shisui had not wanted to reveal this technique.
Doing so could easily stir the ambitions of the Uchiha Clan.
However...
With a genius like Kiyohara already standing within Konoha, Shisui no longer felt the need to be so cautious.
Because Kiyohara would very likely become the next Hokage.
If that happened, then there would be no reason whatsoever for the Uchiha Clan to attempt a coup.
In Shisui's eyes, it was only a matter of time before Kiyohara awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan himself.
In fact...
Even without the Mangekyo Sharingan, Kiyohara was already stronger than he was.
Unless, of course, Shisui used the Mangekyo's unique ocular abilities.
Even so, those techniques required preparation.
He first had to reveal his Mangekyo before he could activate them.
"...?!"
"What is that?"
Killer B frowned as he prepared to control another tail to smash toward the strange green giant.
"Susanoo: Yasaka Magatama!"
Shisui opened the chest armor of the Susanoo.
Within its chest floated a gigantic crimson magatama.
In the next instant...
Countless emerald chakra arrows burst forth from within, streaking across the battlefield like brilliant green lasers.
Every single arrow struck the Eight Tails' massive body.
The gigantic beast roared furiously in pain.
Immediately afterward, Shisui controlled the half-bodied Susanoo and threw a tremendous punch into the Eight Tails' abdomen.
BOOM!!
The enormous body of Gyūki was knocked backward before crashing heavily onto the ground.
The entire battlefield trembled violently.
Far away, the Fourth Raikage, who was still locked in combat against Minato, suddenly turned his head toward the disturbance.
What was that?!
That gigantic green skeleton...
That horrifying amount of chakra...
"What... kind of ninjutsu is that?"
The Fourth Raikage frowned deeply.
Through the translucent green chakra, he could clearly see Shisui's pale face inside.
That alone told him one thing.
This technique carried an enormous burden on its user.
"Yugito can't hold on much longer."
At that moment, Samui noticed Yugito's increasingly poor condition.
"The Tailed Beast's regenerative ability has limits. And drawing upon too much of the Tailed Beast's chakra all at once places an enormous burden on the Jinchūriki."
Mabui nodded in agreement.
Both women had noticed Yugito's predicament.
From beginning to end...
She had been completely overwhelmed by Kiyohara.
However, Yugito's body had its limits.
A Tailed Beast was a double edged sword.
It granted immense power, but that power came with equally severe consequences.
That was why not just anyone could become a Jinchūriki.
Those unable to endure the Tailed Beast's chakra would either die immediately or lose control entirely, allowing the beast to rampage unchecked.
Near the battlefield where Yugito and Kiyohara were fighting, no shinobi dared approach.
However, many combatants stole occasional glances toward the battles involving the Two Tails and the Eight Tails.
After all...
The destructive power of a Tailed Beast Bomb was terrifying.
A single blast possessed enough force to erase an entire mountain.
Moreover, such attacks did not distinguish between friend and foe.
If Yugito completely lost herself in battle...
Everyone nearby might lose their lives without warning.
"So you've finally reached your limit."
As Yugito's opponent, Kiyohara naturally sensed her deteriorating condition.
The next moment...
Eight massive water dragons burst roaring from the mouths of his eight serpent heads.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Fueled by Kiyohara's immense chakra reserves, every dragon was as enormous as a real dragon's body.
Their scales were formed from countless layers of rapidly rotating water currents.
Charging simultaneously from eight different directions, they rushed toward the Two Tails.
"ROAR!"
The Two Tails let out another furious roar.
Dark blue flames exploded from every part of its body.
The temperature of those flames was astonishing.
Steel would melt almost instantly upon contact.
The instant the flames collided with the first water dragon, countless explosions of steam erupted skyward.
But then the second dragon arrived.
Followed immediately by the third.
Then the fourth.
Then the fifth...
The endless collisions between water and fire created continuous explosions that echoed throughout the battlefield.
Steam grew thicker and thicker.
Soon it covered the entire battlefield.
The sky itself seemed hidden beneath an endless sea of white mist.
Within the dense steam, the silhouette of the Two Tails appeared and disappeared intermittently.
Its blazing flames continuously evaporated the rushing water.
But there was simply too much of it.
Every time one water dragon vanished into steam...
Another immediately wrapped itself around the beast.
Not long afterward, the dense steam gradually dispersed.
The sight that greeted everyone left them speechless.
The eight water dragons had transformed into gigantic chains.
They wrapped tightly around the Two Tails' enormous body from every direction.
The flowing water constricted deep into its dark blue fur.
Where water and flame met, steam still hissed continuously.
Yet the once overwhelming flames had already been suppressed until only a thin layer remained.
The Two Tails now resembled a dying bonfire.
Most of its blazing aura had already been extinguished.
Through the weakened chakra cloak, Yugito's true body could now vaguely be seen.
The Two Tails struggled violently.
It poured chakra endlessly into its flames, desperately attempting to burn away the dragons restraining it.
The dark blue flames surged back to life.
They burned even hotter than before, finally evaporating the two nearest water dragons.
However...
Kiyohara's chakra surged once more.
New water dragons roared from the mouths of the remaining serpent heads.
They immediately filled the gaps before wrapping around the Two Tails once again.
"Damn it... Damn it!"
Yugito's furious voice echoed from within the Two Tails.
She could clearly feel her chakra disappearing at an alarming rate.
"Yugito!"
From the edge of the battlefield, Mabui's voice pierced through the lingering steam.
Standing there, her beautiful face was tense as her hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
Beside her, Samui's expression was equally grim.
Watching Yugito being relentlessly beaten by Kiyohara reminded her of her own miserable experience.
That damned Kiyohara!
The thought alone made Samui grind her teeth in frustration.
Hearing the voices of her companions, Yugito bit down hard.
At that moment...
She felt it.
The power of bonds!
"The bond between my comrades and me will never be broken!"
"I will defeat you, Kiyohara!"
Yugito declared loudly.
The Two Tails' chakra poured out from the seal once again, rapidly repairing the wounds torn open by the water dragons.
Dark blue flames flared back to life, evaporating three more water dragons.
Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.
Really?
Now Yugito was pulling out the power of friendship?
Thinking about it, his expression became rather strange.
Why did this make him feel like the villain?
A group of Cloud shinobi charging toward him while shouting about friendship and bonds...
Did that really make any sense?
"I think you've misunderstood something."
Kiyohara slowly shook his head.
"You Kumogakure shinobis are the invading force."
After all...
They were currently standing upon the borderlands of the Land of Fire.
Then Kiyohara raised one hand.
Curse Mark patterns immediately spread across one of the serpent heads.
The next moment, an extremely narrow jet of water burst from its mouth.
Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
This was a technique developed by the Second Hokage.
By compressing Water Release chakra to extraordinarily high pressure before firing it outward, it became as sharp as the finest blade, capable of slicing through virtually anything.
It was also one of the ninjutsu Kiyohara had exchanged for using his military merits.
Yugito only managed to catch a brief flash of water.
The next instant...
The beam had already pierced completely through the Two Tails.
It entered through the chest.
Then exited through the back.
A fist sized hole remained where it had passed.
Blood sprayed into the air.
The Two Tails let out a miserable, agonized howl that instinctively drew the attention of every nearby shinobi.
Yugito was overwhelmed by unbearable pain.
That attack had not merely pierced through the Two Tails' chakra cloak.
It had also passed completely through her own body.
Lowering her head, she saw the bloody hole in her chest.
Blood continued pouring from the wound, soaking her tight fitting combat uniform before flowing down across her waist and abdomen, staining her clothing crimson.
"Ugh...!"
She let out a muffled groan.
Her body went limp as she collapsed weakly inside the Two Tails.
(End of Chapter)