Akihito brought his sword down, and roaring flames instantly swallowed the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee whole.
He exhaled slowly.
"It's finally ending…"
Suddenly—
An overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from within the sea of fire.
Akihito's eyes sharpened.
The Eight-Tails.
"Tailed Beast Eight Scrolls!"
Within the inferno, Bee shielded the Raikage with Gyūki's tentacles and began spinning at terrifying speed.
As the Eight-Tails rotated, a violent vortex took shape.
Whoooosh—
The storm twisted the terrain itself, scattering Akihito's sea of flames completely.
"So this is the Eight-Tails' power…"
"How terrifying."
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Bee had used this very move to knock out six jinchūriki in one blow.
Gyūki truly deserved his reputation as second only to Kurama.
Though he had broken the flame prison, Bee dropped to one knee, exhausted.
The Raikage shot him a grateful look.
"Sorry, Bee."
"You carried that."
Bee was panting heavily.
"B-big bro… be careful."
"Need a breather before round two…"
The Raikage waved a hand confidently.
"I was careless earlier."
"It won't happen again."
Akihito clicked his tongue.
"Two Kage-level opponents…"
"What a tough bone to chew."
After repeatedly activating Susanoo and Epitaph, his chakra and ocular power were clearly waning.
He held the advantage—
But finishing them would cost him.
The Raikage, battle-hardened and sharp, had already devised a countermeasure.
Most Uchiha genjutsu required eye contact.
Fine.
Then he simply wouldn't look.
If he fought with his eyes closed, the Sharingan would lose its edge.
With Lightning Release Chakra Mode boosting both offense and defense, even blind, he could wreak havoc. As long as he dragged Akihito to exhaustion—
Victory would still belong to the AB Combo.
Decision made.
"Bee. Stay put."
"I'll handle him alone."
In a flash of lightning, the Raikage charged.
"Lariat!"
Akihito's right eye activated instinctively.
Epitaph.
He sidestepped lightly—the Raikage missed.
But the assault didn't stop.
The Raikage became a streak of light, dashing unpredictably across the battlefield, striking from erratic angles.
"…I see."
Akihito's expression tightened.
Foresight was powerful—
But chaotic, patternless attacks were far harder to predict.
The Raikage had stumbled upon a solution akin to Luffy's Snake-Man form: relentless, irregular offense.
Troublesome.
"Fine."
"Then let's clash head-on."
If lightning was unstoppable—
Then let it crash against something unbreakable.
"Yata Mirror!"
Another spiritual weapon manifested.
With the tengu-armored Susanoo and the Yata Mirror combined—
The Raikage's furious barrage became little more than scratching.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
After hammering away relentlessly, the Raikage finally dropped to one knee, arms numb, breathing ragged.
"Damn it…"
"Why's this thing harder than a turtle shell?!"
Akihito was breathing heavier too.
He hadn't taken damage—
But maintaining this form was draining him rapidly.
A dangerous smile curved his lips.
"Accept it, Fourth Raikage."
"This ends now."
He drew his blade slowly.
Even exhausted, the Raikage barked back stubbornly:
"Don't get cocky, Uchiha brat."
"It's not over yet."
A horizontal slash tore through the air.
The Raikage tried to block—
But the sword energy blasted him flying.
Bee's pupils shrank.
Not good.
Big brother was reaching his limit.
Without hesitation, Bee rushed forward.
"You're not touching my brother!"
"Your opponent is me—Killer Bee!"
He launched into his Eight-Blades assault, forcing Akihito to divert his pursuit.
Though Akihito evaded effortlessly with Epitaph, he had to abandon finishing the Raikage.
Bee forced more chakra out, entering partial tailed-beast form.
"Bro—go!"
"I'll handle Uchiha Akihito!"
The Raikage's eyes reddened.
He understood immediately.
Bee intended to stay behind—
To cover his retreat.
"Bee. We leave together."
He gripped Bee's transformed arm, veins bulging.
Bee smiled freely.
"Don't be reckless, bro."
"You're the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure."
One sentence.
And the Raikage fell silent.
His brother was wagering his life to preserve the dignity of the Raikage.
He couldn't waste that sacrifice.
With a roar, Bee hurled the Raikage away.
Turning back, he began rapping at Akihito.
"Don't even think about chasing my brother!"
"I'm your guy!"
"Bakayaro, konoyaro!"
The rhythm was as awkward as ever—
But Akihito felt genuine respect.
Killer Bee.
No wonder the Fourth Hokage once called him a "Ninja Killer."
Akihito's blade descended.
The spiritual weapon's sealing power activated instantly.
Bee stiffened—
Bound.
Akihito did not pursue the retreating Raikage.
His Mangekyō was not yet Eternal.
Overusing his ocular power risked permanent damage.
His eyes—
Had to be used sparingly.
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