Chapter 170

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Standing atop the Two-Tails, Kyomu exudes a triumphant air.

The ninja army behind him, though less than a thousand strong, is equally imposing, facing an enemy six times their number without faltering.

Everything hinges on the man leading them.

With him, they would dare to storm across even a cliff.

On the Cloud Shinobi side.

When Kyomu, standing on the Two-Tails and commanding all around, swung his sword forward, the entire Cloud Shinobi army instinctively retreated, a sense of fear sprouting from deep within.

It's not that they lack the will to fight; it's just that their morale naturally diminishes in the face of Kyomu.

Moreover, no one on their side could stand up to Kyomu.

Neither the Fourth Raikage nor the Eight Tails Jinchuriki, Killer Bee, could manage it. Since the last battle, even the Eight Tails has developed a complex.

Is it my fault?

It's not that the Two-Tails has always been under his pressure, but after switching to Kyomu's side, the Two-Tails has become agile in a way that utterly suppresses him.

And because Killer Bee needs to consider his comrades, he can't let the Eight Tails unleash its full power, a frustration that nearly kills the Eight Tails.

"Retreat!"

The Fourth Raikage orders a retreat, but the Leaf Shinobi under Kyomu, led by Fugaku, refuse to comply and pursue.

The Fourth Raikage covers the retreat of the Cloud Shinobi and engages Fugaku in battle, while Kyomu and the Two-Tails are left to Killer Bee.

But Kyomu doesn't even glance at Killer Bee, his mind full of the scattering Cloud Shinobi forces.

Now, it's about who has the broader range of attack, who's more agile, and who has stronger burst power.

After killing and wounding many Cloud Shinobi, Kyomu will have all the time he needs to deal with Killer Bee.

Roar!

At Killer Bee's urging, the Eight Tails reluctantly completes its full Tailed Beast transformation, risking another beating to stand in front of Kyomu and the Two-Tails.

"Kill them all, haha!" Inside her mental space, Yugito laughs joyously, albeit a bit maniacally.

The Two-Tails, deeply worried, looks down at Yugito, seeing her psychological issues worsening.

But the next second, the Two-Tails gets excited too.

Last time he beat the Eight Tails while under the control of the Sharingan, though aware of what was happening, being controlled infuriated him, leaving no room for enjoyment.

But now it's different.

Although still in cooperation with Kyomu, this time the Two-Tails and Yugito are acting of their own volition, without any signs of being controlled.

Thus, beating the Eight Tails this time counts more significantly towards his own achievements.

Having been suppressed by the Eight Tails for over a thousand years and having been beaten by him numerous times, their relationship isn't exactly stiff. But now that he has the power to retaliate, he strikes hard and joyfully.

"Yugito, can your body handle it?" the Two-Tails asks worriedly, "The frequency and amount of chakra Kyomu borrows from me are outrageous."

"I can handle it," Yugito answers with a smile, "With Kyomu this powerful, no one but me is fit to kill him. Every enemy in front of me and him must be killed, every single one!

When that time comes, I can quietly carry out our 141st assassination attempt, uninterrupted until I succeed."

The Two-Tails doesn't respond; he knows Yugito is beyond saving. Her dependency on Kyomu isn't just about 'killing him'; it's all-encompassing.

Perhaps she isn't aware of it herself, but the outcome is clear: Yugito will follow Kyomu in her deranged and incurable state until death.

In reality.

Kyomu freely extracts the Tailed Beast chakra from the Two-Tails beneath him. First, teleporting twice in quick succession with the Two-Tails, he disorients the Eight Tails in front, then launches a primal attack.

Boom.

A massive cat claw strikes unexpectedly from a bizarre angle atop the Eight Tails' head. As it stumbles, Kyomu and the Two-Tails vanish from the spot, reappearing a kilometer away on the Cloud Shinobi's retreat path.

Blue Flame - Skyline!

With a fierce slash Kyomu cuts down with his sword, not focusing on the losses among the Cloud Shinobi troops as the blade has yet to hit the ground.

Before it does, he teleports again with the Two-Tails, reappearing directly above the Eight Tails.

"How do you like following my lead?" Kyomu asks with a smile.

"Mediocre," the Two-Tails surprisingly responds, an unexpected retort that even Kyomu hadn't anticipated.

But quickly, Kyomu's smile grows, "How about following me to claim the title of the strongest Tailed Beast in the shinobi world?"

"I only serve Yugito; you're just a bonus," the Two-Tails maintains its pride, "As for what you suggested, I'm interested, but it's not that I owe you; you owe me."

"Alright, alright, let's beat the Eight Tails first, and if there's a chance in the future, we'll take on the Nine-Tails."

Kyomu isn't just dreaming big; he's confident in his future capabilities.

Boom.

With a powerful and heavy strike, the Two-Tails' massive cat paw flips the unresponsive Eight Tails. Before the counterattack arrives, Kyomu uses his space-time bloodline limit to disappear with the Two-Tails from the spot.

It's an underhanded tactic, and the Eight Tails can do nothing but roar in impotent rage.

"I can't take it anymore!"

In the mental space, the Eight Tails complains, "Killer Bee, I'm using all my strength this time, I don't care about the rest!"

"First, we retreat," Killer Bee remains calm, "We're no match for Kyomu and the Two-Tails. Let's cover the main forces' retreat, then we escape."

"I knew it would end like this!" the Eight Tails grumbles and then falls silent.

What else can be done?

Just suffer through it and take the beating.

But the cost of being beaten is substantial.

After several skirmishes, with the underhanded help of Kyomu's space-time bloodline limit, the Two-Tails once again manages to press the Eight Tails beneath it.

Although the Two-Tails' Tailed Beast chakra is significantly drained, Yugito's body is still holding up, and the Two-Tails is indifferent.

His chakra levels may not match the Nine-Tails, but what he supplies to Kyomu is sufficient, and there's even leftover Tailed Beast chakra for launching Tailed Beast Bombs.

With both paws pressing down on the Eight Tails, the Two-Tails opens its mouth for a close-range Tailed Beast Bomb.

Unlike a regular Tailed Beast Bomb, this version involves swallowing the formed bomb and then, like Godzilla, expelling a beam of light from the mouth to attack, trading area damage for single-point impact damage.

Boom!

The chakra beam targets the Eight Tails' head, a direct hit could be disastrous.

Swiftly dodging, the Eight Tails narrowly escapes, but one of its horns is shattered by the blast.

With a massive upward thrust, the Eight Tails dislodges the Two-Tails and, without a second thought, flees into the distance.

"Don't chase," Kyomu commands, stopping the Two-Tails who wants to pursue, "Yugito's body can't take much more."

Without responding to Kyomu, the Two-Tails retracts back into Yugito, who appears slightly dazed and stumbles into Kyomu's arms.

Without thinking, Kyomu catches her, but Yugito, with a sinister smile, suddenly transforms her right hand into a cat's claw and stabs it towards Kyomu's chest.

The 141st assassination attempt!

Kyomu reacts swiftly, dodging to the side while grabbing Yugito's wrist, flipping her over and pinning her arms.

"Stop messing around," Kyomu says gently, "Rest here for a bit while I chase down the Cloud Shinobi main forces."

"No, you have to take me with you," Yugito insists after her failed assassination attempt, "I won't let you out of my sight. How can I kill you if you run away?"

Aragami Kyomu sighs in frustration, "Then together it is."

"You carry me," Yugito climbs onto Kyomu's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, "I can enter a mode to borrow Tailed Beast chakra and even share some with you."

"Can your body handle it?" Aragami Kyomu asks again, a sign of concern.

"Of course," Yugito whispers close to his ear, "Don't worry about me. Use the Tailed Beast chakra however you want, as much as you need. And thanks for caring about me just now... so I've decided not to kill you today or tomorrow."

Kyomu doesn't know how to respond, just nodding as Yugito envelops them both in pale blue Tailed Beast chakra.

It feels pretty good.

Not as overwhelming as the full-body chakra of the Two-Tails, and not allowing Kyomu to use it freely, but in this state, his physical capabilities, especially self-healing, are incredibly enhanced.

Flight Technique.

Kyomu doesn't dwell on the changes in his body; chakra steadily bursts from beneath his feet, lifting him into the air as he speeds towards the fleeing Cloud Shinobi.

How can he let the Cloud Shinobi retreat so easily?

Something must be left behind.

"Is this what flying feels like?" Yugito, hearing the rushing wind by her ears, whispers close to Kyomu's ear, "It's my first time this high."

"You're in a dangerous state right now," Kyomu responds, "Aren't you supposed to kill me? Better focus."

"Does this affect my killing you?" Yugito smiles maniacally, "Getting closer to you just makes it easier for me to strike. After all, Kyomu, you're always so open-hearted with your own people. How about being open-hearted with me?"

You wish!

Kyomu scoffs, his comrades are open-hearted towards him, but Yugito genuinely wants to open up his chest to see his heart and lungs.

"Hahaha..."

Without getting an answer from Kyomu, Yugito laughs joyously, her eyes gleaming with excitement, never leaving Kyomu's face for a moment.

In the brief exchange between the two, Kyomu has already caught up with the retreating Cloud Shinobi.

Yugito's body is no longer able to support a second transformation into the Tailed Beast, nor can it support Kyomu's unrestrained extraction of Tailed Beast chakra.

"You get down."

"Oh," Yugito obediently climbs down from Kyomu's back, "A bit reluctant... I had a chance to kill you just now."

"Yes, you had a chance," Kyomu drops the comment as his body sparks with electrical arcs.

Lightning Release: Eight Gates, the Gate of Wonder, open!

Whoosh.

His entire body becomes a streak of light, Kyomu single-handedly intercepts the Cloud Shinobi retreat directly ahead.

"Without leaving something behind, don't think about running," Kyomu draws Yoei, casually twirling the blade.

"You all keep retreating; we'll hold him off!" Samui speaks up, drawing a short knife from behind.

Observing Samui's lovely face and figure, Kyomu grins broadly.

"It's a pity I didn't kill you last time."

Zzzap.

A flash of lightning marks where Kyomu was standing, leaving a scorched mark and a deep footprint.

Clang!

Samui raises her knife to block, sparks flying as her body nearly topples from the sheer force transmitted by Yoei's blade.

"The quality of the knife isn't bad."

Kyomu's ethereal voice sounds as his body flickers, reappearing behind Samui, Yoei thrusting forward again.

Szzt.

Samui twists her body in a flash, dodging the blade which slices through her clothes without hitting vitally, but leaves a deep gash on her body.

Samui swings her knife in retaliation!

Clang, ting.

Kyomu blocks with Yoei, his blade precisely hitting the notch on Samui's short knife, breaking it in two.

Yoei continues forward, aiming for Samui's shoulder.

But at that moment, a sudden flash of light crosses Kyomu's vision, blinding him momentarily.

Instinctively, his body flickers, moving him ten meters away; soon after, he senses something wrong with the world around him.

A genjutsu?

When?

At the same time, Cloud Shinobi elite ninja C appears beside Samui, looking warily at Kyomu ten meters away.

"He's caught in my genjutsu, now's the time!" C signals, and they start running towards Kyomu from both sides.

But as they charge, Yugito intercepts C.

"Yugito, you..."

"Only I can kill Kyomu. Whoever lays a hand on him, I kill," Yugito states coldly, clad in a Tailed Beast cloak.

But while C is stopped, Samui's fatal attack is almost upon Kyomu.

Panic crosses Yugito's eyes, but the next second, she smiles broadly.

Thud.

Kyomu suddenly moves, crossing paths with Samui as Yoei's blade drips with blood.

Staggering forward, Samui looks down in shock at her chest where a large bloodstain spreads rapidly.

"He was... how could the genjutsu..."

Struggling for words, Samui falls straight down, her blood quickly saturating the ground beneath her, staining it dark red.

At this moment.

The icy flower of Hidden Cloud, wilts on this battlefield.

"Samui!"

"Forget it, you're going to die too," Yugito grins, "How about I kill you, considering our past comradeship? Haha!"

Meanwhile, Kyomu has already appeared behind C , his ethereal voice emanating from where Samui died.

"Lightning Release Illusion: Lightning Illusion Pillar, truly a remarkable genjutsu."

If it weren't for Kyomu having some prior knowledge of this genjutsu, he might have indeed been caught.

Thud.

Yoei's blade pierces C from behind, and Yugito's long cat claws also penetrate him from the front, the fair-haired, gentle-looking C also loses his life.

"Continue."

Kyomu doesn't linger, and Yugito follows closely, continuing to surround and block the fleeing Cloud Shinobi.

(End of Chapter)