Chapter 60: A Spark of Hope Amidst Despair
And now, both Yugito Nii and Killer Bee stood ready, their formidable power weighing heavily upon the battlefield.
The Leaf forces' confidence faltered as they looked on in despair. Could anyone survive this?
Even Shisui, lying on the ground covered in blood, had lost consciousness. The Akimichi elite were grievously wounded, barely clinging to life.
Despair. Sheer, unavoidable despair.
"Yo-yo~" Killer Bee sang, casting a taunting glance at Yugito. "You're gettin' wrecked, girl. Are they too tough, or are you too weak? Ha-ha!"
"Shut it, Bee!" Yugito growled, slapping him on the back. "I can't keep this form up forever. Quit rapping and get serious!"
Killer Bee rolled his eyes and adopted a more serious tone. "Yeah, yeah, Yugito. Big Bro sent me to make sure these Leaf shinobi pay the price. Let's finish this."
"Watch out for that Leaf Anbu," she reminded him. "They say he's cunning, a real ghost on the battlefield. Even the Raikage had trouble with him."
"I know," Yugito replied, nodding coolly. She'd read the reports on that one—a ghost in the night who supposedly wielded Flying Thunder God Jutsu to eliminate foes in a flash. But that had to be Leaf propaganda to scare the others. No one was that strong.
Just then, Samui, the Cloud kunoichi from earlier, joined them, her golden hair gleaming under the dim battlefield sky.
"Let me know as soon as that Leaf Anbu shows himself," Killer Bee said sternly. "I'll handle him myself."
Standing beside him was Samui, a member of the Hidden Cloud's intelligence network and a figure of high standing back in the village. This mission wasn't just about strategy; it was about making a name for herself.
After all, with two Jinchuriki out front, victory should be in the bag.
"Yes, Lord Bee," Samui replied, clenching her fists as a look of frustration crossed her face. She would ensure that troublesome Leaf Anbu paid the price.
"Now then… Let the games begin!" Killer Bee bellowed, his intense aura surging around him as his chakra spiked, casting an ominous glow. The sheer force of his presence sent shockwaves through the Leaf ranks, and the tension was palpable.
Some of the Leaf shinobi visibly hesitated, backing up instinctively as dread seeped into their bones. How are we supposed to stand against two Jinchuriki? they thought. This wasn't a fight; it was a death sentence.
"It's over…" Akimichi Chouza muttered from the ground, his face pale. He had come here to help hold off the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, only to be nearly incapacitated in moments. He's gotten stronger in these three years…
Nearby, Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened as he too realized how dire the situation had become. With their commander looking this grim, the morale among the Leaf shinobi began to crumble.
But just as the Hidden Cloud's forces celebrated their inevitable victory and the Leaf shinobi stared into the face of despair—
Swish!
A flash of light tore through the battlefield.
In a heartbeat, a white blur appeared beside Killer Bee, kunai in hand, carving a deep wound across his chest.
Thud!
The immense force sent Killer Bee crashing backward, blood spraying from the wound.
"What…?!" Samui and Yugito's eyes widened in shock.
Too fast.
They hadn't even seen him move, yet Killer Bee had been sent reeling with one strike.
"There you are," Kazuya said with a calm smile, facing the half-transformed Yugito without a trace of fear.
This is it? he thought, observing the enraged Jinchuriki. With her skills, she was about as strong as a mid-level Kage. But for him? Just a formidable experience boost, not much else.
But Kazuya's sudden appearance had brought the entire battlefield to a halt. Both the Cloud and Leaf shinobi stared, stunned by what they had just witnessed.
Shock. Awe. Admiration. Disbelief.
It didn't matter which side they were on; all eyes were now fixed on him, their emotions a swirling mix of amazement and dread.
For the Hidden Cloud shinobi, the unthinkable had happened. Lord Bee, their powerhouse, had been taken down with a single strike by a Leaf Anbu.
"Who… who is he?" one of the Cloud shinobi stammered.
"He got the jump on Lord Bee…?" another whispered, his voice shaking with disbelief.
In that instant, their so-called unstoppable powerhouse had been overpowered by a single Leaf shinobi. This figure, with nothing but a flash and a kunai, had managed to rattle the Cloud's morale to its core.
On the other side, the Leaf forces broke into jubilant cheers.
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
"That's the man they've been talking about—the one who held back the Fourth Raikage and wounded Orochimaru—Lord Kazuya!"
"It has to be him! That light—that was Flying Thunder God Jutsu!"
Just that brief display of strength reignited the Leaf shinobi's spirits, and their voices surged back into battle cries, emboldened by the sight of their hero.
Roar!
Then, a furious scream shook the battlefield.
"Leaf Anbu! So it's you," Killer Bee snarled, pulling himself to his feet, blood dripping from his wounds. "Yugito, we're gonna take this guy down together! The rest of the Leaf? Leave them! We're going after him first!"
The two Jinchuriki transformed in unison, their chakra shrouds intensifying as waves of raw power pulsed around them.
Crash!
Without a second thought, Bee charged back in, crimson chakra surrounding him, forming eight fiery tails that whipped around menacingly.
It was his ultimate form—Partial Transformation.
Even though Killer Bee wasn't yet as powerful as he'd later become, the fact that he was a perfect Jinchuriki, completely in sync with the Eight-Tails, made him a force to be reckoned with.
"Fine by me," Yugito said coldly, her eyes glowing with murderous intent as she too activated her partial-tailed Tailed Beast form.
Both Jinchuriki charged Kazuya, their chakra roaring so loudly it sounded like thunder crashing overhead.
Kazuya kept his calm as the notifications flooded his vision:
[500 Chakra points acquired]
[Another 500 Chakra points acquired]
[400 points of Tailed Beast energy collected]
[300 more points of Tailed Beast energy collected]
With each step, the energy radiating from the two Jinchuriki fueled Kazuya's power. In a few seconds, his chakra reserves had already risen by thousands.
[Current Chakra Level: LV5 (26,500/1,000,000)]
Behind his mask, Kazuya gave a small, knowing smile.
"I guess… too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing."
To have such powerful experience boosts before him was a rare opportunity, but he realized the downside. With these two juggernauts now focused solely on him, the Leaf didn't have anyone else strong enough to hold them back.
Even Shisui, one of their most promising prodigies, was barely holding his own. Without his Mangekyo Sharingan, he'd almost been obliterated by Killer Bee.
Which left Kazuya with one option: to step in.