Chapter 361: Black Zetsu's Perception
Boom!
The Eight-Tails landed on the river at the mountain's base. Its fierce maw opened wide as it… began rapping.
"Yo yo… Is this all the Akatsuki's got? Then I'll send you straight to hell, baby!"
Just as he was about to gather a Tailed Beast Bomb, the water beneath him surged. Suigetsu, using his Hydration Technique, manipulated a massive volume of water to form a colossal water-elemental beast that crashed into the Eight-Tails.
Interrupted mid-attack, the Eight-Tails let out a furious growl and immediately began brawling with Suigetsu's water beast.
Taking the chance, Karin rolled up her sleeve and held her arm to Sasuke's mouth.
"Quick, Sasuke!"
Crunch!
Without hesitation, Sasuke bit down. The wounds left by Killer Bee's swords rapidly healed, his chakra surged back, and even the pain in his eyes subsided greatly.
"Taste my Tailed Beast Bomb, oh yeah!"
Although the water beast was large, it was still a construct from Suigetsu's chakra—not a true monster. The Eight-Tails forcefully pushed it aside and took the opportunity to unleash his attack.
BOOM!
The Tailed Beast Bomb was hastily fired before fully forming into a sphere.
Still, even half-formed, the resulting explosion instantly vaporized the massive water creature, smashed through two mountains, and only then began to settle.
The devastating noise immediately alerted the surrounding Kumogakure shinobi.
"That's where Lord Killer Bee was training!"
"This is bad—he's under attack!"
Some ninja rushed toward Killer Bee's location, while others returned to the village to report to the Fourth Raikage and call for reinforcements.
On the river's surface, Suigetsu now looked like a melting ginseng root, his chakra barely holding onto a sliver of life.
From a distant mountaintop, Li Yao's Obito clone observed Suigetsu's state, slightly surprised.
Suigetsu's Hydration Technique had evolved—no longer merely immune to physical attacks.
He had essentially become a water-elemental lifeform. At a critical moment, he could enter a dehydration-like suspended state, preserving his body in a deathlike stasis.
In this form, his life force was incredibly resilient.
Even after taking a close-range hit from a Tailed Beast Bomb, he survived.
"Not bad,"
Li Yao's Obito clone praised.
"Looks like Sasuke's mission to capture the Eight-Tails is about to fail."
From the ground nearby, Black Zetsu emerged and commented.
"No rush. Sasuke still hasn't used his trump card," the Obito clone said calmly.
"Ah, the Mangekyō Sharingan ability," Black Zetsu's eyes gleamed with curiosity. He, too, was eager to see what Sasuke's Mangekyō could do.
"One down… oh yeah!"
On the river, Killer Bee glanced at the unconscious Suigetsu and then set his sights on Sasuke.
"Ah!"
Karin let out a terrified cry as Killer Bee's massive bull-like eye stared at her. She quickly hid behind Sasuke.
Sasuke glanced at the floating remains of Suigetsu and then back at the towering Eight-Tails. Feeling the stinging pain in his eyes, he knew—he had to rely solely on himself now.
He widened his eyes and activated his Mangekyō Sharingan once more. The left eye spun rapidly, and enormous amounts of chakra surged into it, causing intense pressure as blood seeped from the corners.
"Amaterasu!"
The moment Killer Bee charged forward, Sasuke unleashed his left eye's ability. Black flames erupted from his focal point—right on Killer Bee's bull-headed face.
"Argh…"
The black flames of Amaterasu could burn anything, even chakra itself. Killer Bee's body was soon engulfed in the deadly fire.
Howling in pain, the Eight-Tails charged anyway, whipping its tails toward Sasuke and Karin.
BOOM!
The ground shattered under one of the tails. Karin, having barely dodged, stumbled. A second tail descended from above—just as it was about to crush her, Sasuke intervened, using Chidori Sharp Spear to sever it. But Karin had already been touched by the Amaterasu flames.
"Ahhh…" Karin screamed in pain. Even submerging herself in the river didn't help—the black flames continued to burn.
She soon fainted from the agony and floated back to the surface, flames still blazing on her back.
Panting heavily, Sasuke stared.
Karin couldn't die. Without her healing chakra, he had no way to escape, and Kumogakure's ninja were closing in fast.
Determined, Sasuke's right Mangekyō spun at full speed. Infusing it with chakra, he focused hard on the flames on Karin's back.
Soon, the Amaterasu flames disappeared.
Sasuke then turned his gaze back to the Eight-Tails. Shortly after, the flames on its body vanished too. Killer Bee reverted from Full Tailed Beast Mode, his charred body floating on the water.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Sasuke summoned a giant hawk. After hauling Killer Bee onto it, he grabbed both Karin and Suigetsu and quickly fled.
The Kumogakure shinobi arriving from afar caught sight of the scene through their binoculars.
"Amaterasu, just like Itachi's… a fine ability."
Black Zetsu, who had observed everything, spoke flatly—though he was unmoved inside.
Amaterasu was still just a physical attack. Against Obito or Madara, it was useless. Both could counter it with ease.
"Now only the Nine-Tails remains."
"Let's head ba—hmm?" Black Zetsu turned to see that Obito wasn't moving. "What's wrong?"
Li Yao's Obito clone also looked at Black Zetsu, puzzled.
Why did it feel like this world's Black Zetsu had trash-tier sensory abilities?
Didn't he sense that Killer Bee had escaped using a tail?
The real Killer Bee had hidden himself in the severed tentacle Sasuke had cut off.
Sasuke had only taken a piece of the Eight-Tails.
In Li Yao's chakra perception, the real Killer Bee's massive chakra was still present and obvious. There was no way to miss it.
He'd thought Black Zetsu would have sensed it too.
Now it seemed, though Black Zetsu had some perception ability, he was weak when it came to detecting clones. He couldn't distinguish between a clone and the real body—especially one created from a tentacle, which was nearly indistinguishable.
"What is it, Obito?"
Black Zetsu felt a chill under Obito's gaze. Something was slipping beyond his expectations, but he couldn't tell what. That scared him enough to call Obito by name.
The Obito clone shook his head. "Killer Bee wasn't captured. Sasuke took only a tentacle transformed into a clone."
"Impossible!"
Black Zetsu was stunned. How could a clone survive Amaterasu's flames and still maintain form?
Unless… He suddenly realized a possibility.
"You're right," the Obito clone said coldly. "Killer Bee never took Sasuke's team seriously. He was just playing with them."
(END CHAPTER)
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