The body of the Two Tails was beginning to separate from Yugito.
Its enormous form was visibly fading, on the verge of dispersing before everyone's eyes.
At that moment, the Two Tails' chakra surged out from the depths of the seal, rapidly repairing Yugito's injuries.
If Yugito died, then as her Tailed Beast, the Two Tails would die as well.
Although Tailed Beasts would eventually revive after death, no one knew exactly how long that rebirth would take.
Moreover, after reviving, they would have to slowly recover their chakra before returning to their former level of strength.
"Don't heal my injuries yet. I need to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb."
After the bleeding had finally stopped, Yugito controlled the Two Tails' body. Like an agile wild cat, it bounded swiftly across the mountains, retreating deeper into the range.
"The Two Tails is running away?"
Kurenai looked at Yugito disappearing into the mountains with a puzzled expression.
"No. She's probably trying to release a Tailed Beast Bomb."
Shizune shook her head.
At the same time, she casually threw a poisoned senbon into the body of a Cloud shinobi blocking her path before continuing,
"She already tried to use it just now, but Kiyohara interrupted her."
Hearing that, Kurenai immediately understood.
Just moments ago, Kiyohara had indeed interrupted Yugito before she could complete the Tailed Beast Bomb.
Naturally, the Cloud shinobi had also realized what she intended to do.
A bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the sky toward Kiyohara.
The thunderbolt was as thick as a human body.
The Eight-Headed Serpent that Kiyohara had transformed into had several scales shattered by the strike, but in the very next second, those broken scales regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"What incredible regeneration..."
The one who had attacked was Toyotomi Osamu of Kumogakure.
He was an experienced Lightning Release master who specialized in manipulating the storm clouds overhead to summon heavenly lightning.
After all, the power of natural lightning far exceeded the ordinary Lightning Release techniques created purely with chakra.
BOOM!
Only after the lightning had already struck Kiyohara did the deafening clap of thunder echo across the battlefield.
"So you're drawing down natural lightning..."
Kiyohara glanced back.
Just as he had been preparing to pursue Yugito, an enormous lightning bolt had intercepted him.
Although lightning did not travel at the speed of light, its speed still ranged from roughly ten thousand to one hundred thousand kilometers per second.
Sound, however, propagated at only about three kilometers per second.
"Interesting."
The three tomoe within Kiyohara's Sharingan slowly rotated.
This technique bore a strong resemblance to Lightning Release: Kirin.
However, what interested Kiyohara even more was how his opponent had quietly completed the preparation for such a technique high above the battlefield without anyone noticing.
After a brief moment of thought, Kiyohara decided not to chase Yugito immediately.
Her objective was obvious.
She simply wanted to launch a Tailed Beast Bomb.
But during their earlier clash, he had already secretly placed a Flying Thunder God marker on her body.
He could teleport to her location at any moment.
Having made his decision, Kiyohara dispelled the Eight Branches Technique.
Using Lightning Release: Lightning Body Flicker, his figure flashed away.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared directly before Toyotomi Osamu.
Just as Toyotomi was about to form hand seals again, Kiyohara trapped him inside a genjutsu.
Before the man could react, Kiyohara immediately followed with a sealing technique, completely sealing him away.
He intended to keep Toyotomi alive as a prisoner for future research.
After all, Kumogakure possessed more Lightning Release specialists than any other shinobi village.
Naturally, the number of unique Lightning Release techniques they had developed far surpassed those of other hidden villages.
Kiyohara intended to study them thoroughly.
"Now..."
"It's your turn, Yugito."
He looked back, already prepared to teleport.
Meanwhile, Yugito had already escaped far into the mountains.
"This is too dangerous."
Inside Yugito's spiritual world, the Two Tails shook its head.
"This is the only way."
Ignoring the Two Tails' objections, Yugito directly diverted the chakra that had been restoring her injuries and instead poured it into creating a Tailed Beast Bomb.
To prevent Kiyohara from interrupting her again, she condensed only part of the sphere before immediately swallowing it into her mouth.
"That's..."
Seeing the scene unfold, Fugaku suddenly shouted,
"It's a Tailed Beast Bomb! Everyone, evade!"
At the same time, hesitation flashed through his mind.
Should he also reveal the power of his Mangekyo Sharingan?
"Everyone, be careful!"
Hyuga Natsu could clearly see the terrifying amount of chakra compressed inside the Tailed Beast Bomb.
The destructive force contained within that sphere was enough to flatten the entire battlefield.
The Konoha shinobi immediately began retreating.
"Lady Katsuyu!"
Tsunade's voice rang out across the battlefield.
Standing at the edge of the battlefield, her hands maintained a hand seal.
The Strength of a Hundred Seal on her forehead had already been fully released.
Dark markings spread across her entire body.
Bang!
A massive cloud of white smoke exploded outward.
An enormous slug appeared upon the battlefield.
Its colossal body covered nearly half the battlefield.
It slowly raised its head before its soft body split apart into countless miniature slugs that rapidly crawled toward every Konoha shinobi present.
"Hurry!"
"Let Katsuyu cover your bodies!"
Tsunade shouted.
The Konoha shinobi had no time to think.
They allowed the tiny slugs to climb onto their bodies one after another.
The soft creatures wrapped tightly around them, forming layer after layer of protective coverings.
However...
Just as Yugito controlled the Two Tails and was about to spit out the Tailed Beast Bomb...
The enormous body of the Two Tails suddenly disappeared.
An instant later, everyone witnessed a gigantic mushroom cloud erupt from the mountain range far behind the battlefield.
The tremendous shockwave swept across dozens of kilometers.
Smoke and dust billowed into the sky.
"Kiyohara used the Flying Thunder God Technique."
To outsiders, the event merely looked spectacular.
But those who truly understood Flying Thunder God immediately recognized what had happened.
This advanced application had originally been developed by the Second Hokage.
Therefore, both Kiyohara and Minato were familiar with the technique.
Its principle was simple.
By using the Flying Thunder God Technique, the user teleported both themselves and the enemy to another location.
"Hmph."
Seeing Minato's attention briefly shift toward Kiyohara, the Fourth Raikage immediately seized the opportunity to throw a devastating punch.
Unfortunately...
Minato's figure flashed.
The punch struck nothing but empty air.
While the two continued exchanging blows...
The enormous body of the Two Tails crashed directly into the massive crater below.
Just moments earlier, Yugito had attempted to spit out the Tailed Beast Bomb she had stored inside her mouth.
But Kiyohara had interrupted her once again.
As a result...
The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded at point blank range.
Rumble...
The mountain collapsed.
Huge boulders tumbled down the slopes as thick clouds of dust rose into the air.
Yugito could no longer maintain her complete Tailed Beast transformation.
The gigantic feline body crumbled like grains of sand before dissolving into countless dark blue particles of light that gradually disappeared into the atmosphere.
Yugito herself lay upon the scorched black earth.
Most of her tight-fitting combat suit had been torn apart, exposing large areas of smooth, fair skin.
Only a few tattered strips of cloth remained over her chest, barely concealing her full curves.
Even those remnants had been ripped open, revealing even deeper glimpses beneath.
The bloody hole in her abdomen had almost completely healed under the Two Tails' restorative chakra.
Only a scar remained.
"You look rather miserable."
Kiyohara looked down at Yugito from above.
Her legs lay limply apart.
Her shinobi sandals had long since disappeared.
Her bare feet were completely exposed, the soles stained black with ash and dirt.
Kiyohara then crouched beside her.
Using a single finger, he gently lifted Yugito's chin.
Her face was forced upward until her eyes met those scarlet Sharingan.
Sweat covered her face.
Her golden hair clung damply to her forehead.
Excessive chakra consumption and the lingering pain from her injuries had left her complexion pale as paper.
Even her lips had lost every trace of color.
Yet despite everything...
She still refused to yield.
She maintained the last remnants of her pride.
The next moment, Kiyohara voluntarily began treating her injuries.
He had no intention of letting her die.
His hand rested upon Yugito's abdomen.
Even through the blood-soaked fabric, he could clearly feel the firmness of her abdominal muscles and the warmth of her body.
Yugito likewise felt a steady stream of warm chakra continuously flowing into her body.
What surprised her most, however, was that Kiyohara still possessed so much chakra after fighting for so long.
The amount he was using for healing was more than sufficient.
In fact, because he poured in so much chakra, Yugito even felt an odd sensation of fullness building inside her lower abdomen.
"Yugito!"
Mabui's horrified cry echoed from the distance.
Beside her, Samui bit her lower lip.
Within her normally cold and indifferent eyes was unmistakable concern for her companion.
Not only Yugito...
Many Kumogakure shinobi also desperately tried to rush toward her.
The battlefield had descended into complete chaos.
Konoha shinobi surged forward from every direction, engaging Kumogakure's remaining forces in fierce combat.
The Fourth Raikage remained completely tied down by Minato.
Every time he attempted to break through toward Yugito...
That golden flash would instantly appear before him.
"Lord Raikage."
"Your opponent is me."
Minato spoke calmly.
The Fourth Raikage gritted his teeth.
He could clearly feel that Minato's speed exceeded his own by a considerable margin.
Every attempt to rush toward Yugito was predicted in advance.
Minato intercepted him every single time.
Elsewhere...
The Eight Tails, Gyuki, let out a roar that shook the heavens.
Killer B had already entered complete Tailed Beast transformation.
The gigantic ox-octopus wildly swung its eight massive tentacle-like tails, launching relentless attacks against the surrounding Konoha shinobi.
Shisui's Susanoo still stood firm.
The enormous green skeletal warrior tightly gripped two of Gyuki's tails with both hands while green chakra arrows continuously shot from its chest, piercing the Eight Tails' gigantic body.
But...
The Eight Tails' strength was simply overwhelming.
It violently twisted its massive body.
The remaining six tails repeatedly slammed into the green skeleton with terrifying force.
Every impact caused new cracks to spread across the surface of the Susanoo.
Shisui's face became increasingly pale.
Bloody tears slowly flowed from both of his eyes.
The Mangekyo Sharingan within his eye sockets spun rapidly.
His ocular power was being consumed at an alarming rate.
Yet even so...
He still could not suppress the Eight Tails' berserk strength.
"Shisui!"
Uchiha Tekka shouted from below.
Standing together with the other Uchiha clan shinobi, they all formed hand seals simultaneously, preparing to launch Fire Release techniques in support.
However...
Shisui merely gave a faint shake of his head.
"Don't... come over..."
His voice was weak.
The instant his words fell...
One of the Eight Tails' massive tails slammed heavily into the chest of the Susanoo.
Crack!
The fractures instantly spread outward from the chest until they covered the entire skeletal body.
The enormous green skeleton trembled violently.
Then...
It completely vanished.
The power of the Mangekyo Sharingan was undeniably extraordinary.
But for the still young Shisui...
The burden was simply too great.
His body was blasted backward before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Blood continuously poured from the corner of his mouth.
Inside his eye sockets, the Mangekyo Sharingan automatically deactivated, reverting once more into a pair of ordinary black eyes.
"Shisui!"
Fugaku's voice rang out from the side.
He stood not far away, his hands still frozen in the middle of a series of hand seals.
His gaze fell upon Shisui, who lay collapsed in a pool of blood.
He watched as the shattered remnants of Susanoo slowly crumbled away into nothingness.
He watched as the enormous body of the Eight Tails, Gyuki, continued advancing toward them.
His fists slowly tightened.
Inside his eye sockets, the three tomoe of his Sharingan began spinning faster and faster.
The Mangekyo...
As long as he awakened the Mangekyo...
He could stop the Eight Tails.
As long as he awakened the Mangekyo...
He could save Shisui.
As long as...
His eyes swept across the battlefield.
Members of the Uchiha Clan were fighting desperately, covered in blood.
Konoha's shinobi were risking their lives to hold back the Eight Tails.
In the distance, Kiyohara was dealing with the Two Tails' jinchuriki...
And he himself...
Was the head of the Uchiha Clan.
He should step forward.
He had to step forward.
But...
Fugaku still could not decide whether he should reveal that power.
His way of thinking was completely different from Shisui's.
The greater one's power became...
The more suspicion and hostility it would attract.
That was Fugaku's belief.
Because if neither he nor Kiyohara ultimately became Hokage, then there was a real possibility that the members of the Uchiha Clan would disregard his wishes, place him at the forefront, and force him into leading a coup using the Mangekyo Sharingan.
At the same time...
The villagers would become even more wary of the Uchiha.
After all, he was the clan head of the Uchiha.
He was not like Kiyohara, who belonged to the Hokage's faction and had spent most of his childhood living outside the village.
"Lord Fugaku!"
A voice suddenly called out from beside him.
Fugaku turned his head to see Uchiha Yashiro running toward him with an anxious expression.
"Lord Fugaku, Shisui needs immediate treatment! Lady Tsunade has already sent medical support!"
Fugaku looked toward Shisui.
Sure enough, a large slug had already crawled to his side.
Green medical chakra continuously flowed into Shisui's wounds.
Not far away, Tsunade stood with her eyes closed, maintaining her hand seals.
Her chakra was constantly being transmitted through Katsuyu to heal every injured shinobi on the battlefield.
Her complexion had grown noticeably pale.
Tiny beads of sweat slowly formed at her temples.
Fugaku took a deep breath.
He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.
"...I understand."
"Continue fighting."
...
At the bottom of the enormous circular crater...
"Why did you save me?"
Having regained a little strength, Yugito looked up at Kiyohara.
"If you die, then I won't have a prisoner anymore."
Kiyohara smiled faintly.
He wanted to learn the method behind Yugito's blue flames.
Just as the Third Raikage had developed his unique black Lightning Release...
Yugito's blue fire was equally extraordinary.
It was most likely an ability she had acquired from the Two Tails.
"I'll never tell you anything."
Yugito answered firmly.
"Then you can explain everything to my Sharingan later."
Kiyohara's response immediately left Yugito speechless.
Genjutsu truly was one of the most terrifying interrogation methods.
Thinking about it...
Even the proud Yugito could not help feeling discouraged.
The more she thought about today's battle...
The more wronged and frustrated she felt.
She had trained so hard for so many years...
Yet she had still been completely defeated by Kiyohara.
There was even a good chance she would become a prisoner before the day was over.
Yugito quietly looked at him.
Perhaps...
She would never have another opportunity to avenge herself.
Without warning...
She suddenly bit down on the finger of Kiyohara's other hand, the one that was still holding up her chin.
Her soft lips closed around his finger.
Her warm breath brushed against his skin.
She clenched her teeth with all her strength, trying to pierce his flesh.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed.
Yugito suddenly froze.
Kiyohara's finger had turned pitch black.
It had become as hard and solid as steel.
Steel Release!
"Y... your finger..."
Her words came out muffled, since his finger was still inside her mouth.
Looking at her current appearance, Kiyohara could not help curling the corner of his lips into a smile.
"You can't bite through it."
He said calmly.
Yugito's face instantly turned bright red.
She hurriedly released his finger.
"Pah! Pah!"
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand while glaring fiercely at him.
"Y... you did that on purpose!"
Even her voice had become distorted with anger.
"You let me bite it just so I'd chip my teeth?"
Kiyohara withdrew his hand and glanced at the fading black metallic sheen covering his finger.
"You were the one who bit me."
"I didn't do anything."
Yugito's chest rose and fell violently in anger.
The curves beneath her torn clothing swayed noticeably with every breath, making their outline even more distinct.
If Kiyohara had lowered his gaze, he would have been able to glimpse even more beneath the torn fabric.
"Kiyohara!"
She ground out his name through clenched teeth.
However...
In the next instant, Kiyohara released her abdomen and instead pinched her cheeks open.
Then...
He pushed the same finger back into her mouth.
"My Sharingan is still active."
"And you thought you could sneak an attack on me?"
His finger moved inside her mouth, gently lifting her tongue aside as he carefully examined her teeth and the area underneath.
He was checking whether she had hidden a poison capsule.
Some shinobi carried poison capsules concealed inside their mouths.
If they were captured, they would simply bite down on the capsule and commit suicide, ensuring that no information could be extracted from them.
"Very good."
Satisfied, Kiyohara withdrew his finger.
He casually wiped the saliva from it on Yugito's clothing.
Yugito stared blankly.
She had already abandoned her dignity and attempted a sneak attack.
Yet...
Kiyohara had still stopped her effortlessly.
That hateful devil!
Was she really destined to remain trapped within his grasp for the rest of her life?
Her eyes immediately turned red.
Tears nearly welled up and spilled over.
At the end of the day...
She was still only a teenage girl.
"Don't worry."
"The treatment for prisoners won't be that bad."
Kiyohara took one of his spare combat uniforms from a sealing scroll.
He carefully placed it over Yugito's body, preventing any further exposure.
Then...
Chakra gathered at his fingertips.
The chakra flowed from Yugito's shoulder.
It followed the graceful curve of her waist.
Wrapped around her flat abdomen.
Then continued winding downward.
Yugito clearly felt those black markings coiling around her body like ribbons.
They gradually tightened.
Then completely restrained her.
"A Curse Mark..."
She lowered her head toward her thigh.
Black markings circled around it again and again.
They hugged her toned legs tightly enough to leave shallow indentations.
Although they did not cut into her skin, they clung tightly to her body, making even the slightest movement impossible.
"W... what are you doing?!"
Yugito's voice carried obvious panic.
She struggled.
But the markings did not move in the slightest.
Instead...
Every struggle only caused them to tighten further around her body, pressing deeper into the fabric of her combat uniform.
Kiyohara slowly stood up.
Looking down at her, he answered calmly.
"To stop you from doing anything reckless again."
He was naturally referring to the fact that she had just tried to bite his finger.
Yugito's face became completely flushed with embarrassment and anger.
She bit her lower lip.
Her eyes burned with furious hatred.
Yet...
She could not say a single word.
Because she could clearly feel that those black markings had not only restrained her body.
They had also sealed away her chakra.
Now...
She could not even move a single finger.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Kiyohara formed another series of hand seals.
Bang!
A puff of smoke exploded beside him.
An identical figure appeared at his side.
The clone possessed the same handsome appearance.
The same tall, straight posture.
"Watch her."
Kiyohara instructed.
"If anyone comes to rescue her, relocate immediately."
The Shadow Clone nodded.
"Understood."
Kiyohara cast one final glance toward Yugito.
Those stubborn eyes were still glaring at him.
Her lips remained tightly pressed together.
Her chest continued rising and falling with emotion.
"Wait here until I return."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
The instant his words ended...
His figure disappeared from the crater.
Only Yugito and the Shadow Clone remained within the enormous circular pit.
She lay upon the dusty ground.
The black curse markings bound her body so tightly that she could not move even an inch.
Yugito bit her lip.
She stared at the place where Kiyohara had disappeared.
Gradually...
A mist of grievance and helplessness filled her reddening eyes.
...
Back on the battlefield...
When Kiyohara's figure reappeared, Tsunade immediately sensed his chakra returning nearby.
She quietly let out a sigh of relief.
If the Tailed Beast Bomb had truly detonated on the battlefield...
She did not believe anyone could have withstood that kind of power head-on.
Even if Kiyohara possessed hardening techniques capable of greatly increasing his defense...
He still would not have escaped unscathed.
(End of Chapter)