Chapter 79: The First Year of War

Time flies.

When the first snowflake fell in the Land of Hot Water, the ninja world was still soaked in blood.

This year's snow came late; it had been winter for a long time before the snowflakes finally arrived.

For shinobi wars, snowfall was beneficial. With their chakra, they didn't fear the cold. The thick snow could cover and even freeze corpses, reducing the likelihood of epidemics.

From the early spring when the war broke out to the deep winter now, the war had been going on for nearly a year, with heavy losses on all sides.

A few days ago, the five great nations released a classified document for internal reference, counting the number of dead shinobi and affected civilians. The numbers were grim. Each village had lost or severely injured around three thousand shinobi, and the number of affected civilians was twenty times that.

Both the economy and population suffered huge blows, and prosperity was no more. Last winter's joyful families might now be left with only old women and children depending on each other for survival.

Of course, these statistics only applied to the "Five Great Nations" and the "Five Great Shinobi Villages."

As for the small countries and minor shinobi villages scattered around... they no longer had the resources to conduct a "population census."

How many of them had died? Only the Sage of Six Paths knew.

At the beginning, many young and passionate shinobi rushed to the battlefield, trying to make a name for their families and villages with their kunai, hoping to become as dazzling as the "Legendary Sannin." But as the war progressed, no matter how passionate one was, they eventually became numb.

They either got killed, went with the flow, or seized the chance to become a superstar. But in a war, very few could transform into the last type.

Most shinobi were just inconspicuous numbers in the war records.

Of course, true geniuses always emerged, carrying the hopes of countless people and becoming the proud future of their villages.

For example, the "Yellow Flash" Minato Namikaze, who had already made a name for himself.

And though not as famous as Minato, yet not to be underestimated, was "Lone Lion" Yuto Hyuga, known by enemies as "the strongest Byakugan user within fifty years of Konoha's establishment."

...

In a snow-covered valley in the Land of Hot Water.

"Ooooooooh—"

A strange howl with a peculiar rhythm echoed through the valley. A burst of violent, evil chakra swept across the sky. Even if an ordinary shinobi stood beside it doing nothing, their skin would be torn apart.

A four-tailed beast suddenly appeared on one side of the battlefield.

"Damn! It's the Eight-Tails jinchuriki!"

"When did he get here... Wasn't he supposed to be recovering?"

"Fool! Stop thinking about that! Call for reinforcements! Defense team! Defense team!"

The Konoha shinobi looked at Killer B, wrapped in the Tailed Beast Cloak, with chills running down their spines. But at this stage of the war, many squad leaders were seasoned veterans. They quickly organized a defense, attempting to withdraw from the valley.

Cheers erupted from the Kumogakure side. Amid the shouts of "Lord Killer B is here!" the jinchuriki opened his mouth wide, releasing a highly concentrated chakra ball:

"Battle star bright, Eight-Tails might, oh what a sight!"

Though his rap was still off-beat and clumsy, sounding comical, the Konoha shinobi only felt death approaching. The ferocity of the high-density chakra was such that even the snowflakes in the air melted hundreds of meters away.

"Killer B, I remember telling you the first time we met that you really don't have a talent for being a rapper."

At this moment, a clear voice came from afar.

Immediately, a thunderous lion's roar erupted in the valley.

Killer B shrieked and turned, launching a Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Lion's—"

Few heard this word. The newcomer was too fast, and the sound was heavily distorted, exploding with a roaring boom that drowned out the original pronunciation.

"Fang Bite!"

Five fingers clenched tightly, roaring furiously, boldly meeting the Tailed Beast Bomb head-on.

Boom!

A massive shockwave erupted on one side of the valley, cracking the ground. Shinobi who were a bit too close were blown away, and the unlucky ones who hit the cliffs were knocked unconscious on the spot.

Unlike that night when the "Sealing Absorption Seal" dissipated the Tailed Beast Bomb, this time, it was a direct clash!

"Ugh!"

Killer B retreated a few steps, the ferocious red Tailed Beast Cloak flickering, reflecting his unease.

The boy with the lion's strength stopped, gazing at Killer B from a distance.

He had a handsome face, wore a large white robe embroidered with the Hyuga and Senju clan emblems, with Konoha's standard Jonin armor over it, and his right arm was wrapped in black bandages.

He was "Lone Lion" Yuto Hyuga!

"Killer B, should we continue? Or should we move somewhere else? There are many Konoha and Kumogakure shinobi here."

Yuto retracted his arm guard and laughed lightly, pretending to be relaxed while secretly using medical ninjutsu to heal himself.

Using "Lion's Fang Bite" with "Strength of a Hundred Seal · Chakra Enhanced Strength" to directly counter the Tailed Beast Bomb was indeed challenging. The destructive power of a jinchuriki was truly... it seemed he needed to further enhance his attack power...

He subtly moved his fingers, and an explosive tag with complex summoning chains quietly wrapped around his index finger.

The next Lion's Fang Bite would carry infinite explosions!

Killer B's Tailed Beast Cloak, with its bull-like horns, twitched. The next moment, the red cloak vanished, revealing the jinchuriki's true form.

Yuto's eyes narrowed slightly, clicking his tongue in his mind.

Killer B's outfit was unique. Instead of his usual revealing single-shoulder shirt, he wore a white tight-fitting suit with a coat inscribed with medical symbols. Dozens of metal wires extended from his chest, flowing with green chakra unique to medical ninjutsu, visible through Yuto's Byakugan.

"Live with these injuries from now on. Spread my name to the world, telling everyone that the man who gave you this scar... is named Aizen Sōsuke!"

This statement had indeed become a reality.

"Murakumo Slash" was not just a "physical penetration"; it was the power of the Half-Awakened Tenseigan, acting on multiple layers, leaving scars and pain that couldn't be healed by normal means when it penetrated Killer B's body.

To completely heal it, an equivalent level of ocular power was needed.

Kumogakure had embedded complex medical instruments into Killer B's chest, constantly generating chakra to maintain his state, allowing him to jump around as usual.

But this body had ultimately been destroyed by the immense ocular power of the "Half-Awakened Tenseigan."

—Killer B using only the four-tailed chakra cloak to fight Yuto was the best proof!

(End of Chapter)