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Kabuto Yakushi departed last night, heading for the venue of the Five Kage Summit to wait for his opportunity.
Meanwhile, on Azure Moon Island, within the serene tatami room, Sasuke—purified and cleansed of the journey's dust—waited for the imminent Sevenfold Battle!
The Sevenfold Battle meant facing the 'Five Kage' and 'Obito'. The order would depend entirely on… the success or failure of the Eight-Tails hunt!
Because this Eight-Tails operation was a multi-layered plan intertwined with objectives like 'rescuing Nagato' and 'finding Fugaku's eyes', Suigetsu and Jūgo's actions became the primary driving factor!
The tea in the cup before him had long gone cold.
Sasuke stared at the ripples dancing on its surface, his mind anything but calm.
Sitting formally across from him, Orochimaru saw through his disciple's turmoil. "Worried about Suigetsu and Jūgo's safety?" he asked softly.
Sasuke nodded, voicing his thoughts. "Those two are risking their lives to pave the way for me. If something really happens to them… I won't be able to live with it. Orochimaru, let's go. Now."
Orochimaru thought to himself: As expected. Only when it involves his former comrades does Sasuke-kun lose his composure.
"Sasuke-kun, steady yourself," Orochimaru said. "You personally evaluated and chose those two as members of Team Hawk. They are not weak. They merely lack experience. Believe that after this, they will become even more capable allies. Trust my judgment… and trust your own eyes."
Sasuke had no reply. He could only clench his fist, knuckles white… and wait for Suigetsu and Jūgo to succeed, to pour their chakra into the Flying Thunder God kunai.
…
BOOM…!!!
On the battlefield of the outer sea island, as the chaotic curtain of the Tailed Beast Eight Twists: Slash settled, the water prison of the Great Exploding Water Collision Wave also burst apart…!
RUMBLE…!!
Torrents of water surged in every direction!
Seeing his exhausted, yet completely unharmed, old rival!
Killer B rapped: "YO, holy sh*t~! Shark salaryman#? Overtime overload#? Midnight croak#? Get the boot~?!"
Kisame ignored Killer B's taunts. Instead, he glanced sideways at Suigetsu, a faint smile curling his lips. He bit his thumb and formed the summoning seal!
―Summoning: One Thousand Feeding Sharks!!
SPLASH-SPLASH-SPLASH…!!
A thousand sharks materialized in the churning waters, launching a suicidal assault on the Eight-Tails!
"Suigetsu! While he's busy with the sharks, give me a nice octopus skewer!"
"Got it!"
Suigetsu sprinted across the waves, Jūgo close behind. Using the Sharingan's insight, they weaved through the current of sharks.
From the start, Kisame's sharp eyes had noticed: the Longsword: Sewing Needle that had been tucked at Suigetsu's waist was gone. It must have been planted somewhere during the fierce opening exchanges.
He thought with appreciation: This kid Suigetsu… still green, but surprisingly cunning…
Facing the onslaught of a thousand sharks, the Eight-Tails fired a rapid-fire barrage of miniature Tailed Beast Balls from its mouth… Amidst the relentless explosions, the shark swarm vanished into puffs of white smoke at a terrifying rate!
Using the Sharingan's predictive sight, Suigetsu navigated the explosions, closing in on the beast's flank. Baring his sharp teeth, he flicked two fingers upward!
―Longsword Ninja Art: Earth Spider Stitch!
SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK…!
The wires buried underground along with the Longsword: Sewing Needle erupted, tearing the earth in a spider-web pattern, lashing and entangling the Eight-Tails' colossal body all at once, tightening viciously!!!
"OH!!!"
The giant beast thrashed. The razor-sharp wires bit deep into its flesh. The pain made Killer B rap-scream.
"Wires? Damn~? Bleeding Octopus's Lament~! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW…!!!"
The Eight-Tails snorted, mustering its immense ox-like strength. Ignoring the pain, it pulled against the wires with raw power!!
CREAK-CREAK-CREAK-CREAK-CREAK… CRACK!!!
At a certain critical point, the Longsword: Sewing Needle anchoring the wires deep underground was violently wrenched free and sent flying into the sky…!!!
Under absolute power, all tricks were meaningless!
The constricting wires went slack. The Eight-Tails tore the wires from its bleeding flesh with one massive hand, fixing a furious glare on Suigetsu!!
Suigetsu's courage faltered instantly. He thought of retreating. But his peripheral vision caught the dark figure observing from the sidelines… He remembered the mission.
That was secondary. His real reason for joining Akatsuki and staying by Obito's side after being captured at the northern outpost… was to get justice for his brother, 'Hōzuki Mangetsu', and for the Bloody Mist Village Obito had controlled.
Dammit… I've come this far. Can't back down now. If it's possible… I still want to avenge my brother!!!
Suigetsu steeled himself and charged. He unfurled the explosive tag scroll of the Explosion Sword: Foam, encircling the Eight-Tails' giant form!
―Explosion Sword Technique: Detonation Binding Death!
KABOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM…!!!
Wave after wave of explosions swallowed the Eight-Tails!
When the fiery blasts subsided, the beast stood steaming, bearing only negligible superficial wounds. But being toyed with repeatedly had clearly pushed Killer B's anger to the limit.
"Bakayarou!!! Kuso yarou, I'll blast you to smithereens and send you home###!!!"
WHOOSH!! The Eight-Tails raised its horned head. A terrifying Tailed Beast Ball rapidly coalesced in its maw, aimed to sweep Suigetsu from existence!!
Suigetsu's face went pale. "I'm done for…!!!"
But then… Jūgo, standing behind Suigetsu, made a shocking move!!!
Imitating Nagato, he used his Cursed Seal to grow spindle-shaped propulsion vents on his back, blasting chakra downward!
Understanding Jūgo's intent, Suigetsu's eyes widened. "Hey, are you insane…!!!"
Jūgo smiled, his profile determined. "In the dream… you did the same thing. This time, it's my turn."
BOOM!!!
The next instant, Jūgo launched himself into the sky, hurling himself without hesitation toward the orb of destruction forming in the Eight-Tails' mouth.
In that split second, he unleashed his killing intent and Cursed Seal to the absolute limit—
―Cursed Seal: State Three!
―"JŪGO…!!!"
KABOOOOOOOM…!!!
A golden torrent of light swallowed Jūgo's form. The roar of the explosion drowned out Suigetsu's scream.
WHOOSH…! Blown back a hundred meters by the shockwave, Suigetsu stared, eyes wide with horror.
"Damn you…! Since when were we on those kinds of terms?! Who told you to do something so unnecessary!!!"
That dream Suigetsu had always just noted but never truly taken to heart flashed through his mind. Fragments of a past life, moments spent with Jūgo in this one—they all surfaced as Jūgo's body, now only a head and half a chest, plummeted toward the sea.
For the first time in his life, Suigetsu tasted the pain of losing someone… someone other than his brother.
Obito watched Suigetsu's right eye, his own narrowing slowly. "Now this… is an unexpected harvest…"
FZZT! Then, amidst the overwhelming surge of emotion…
The three tomoe in Suigetsu's right eye—inherited from 'Izumi'—rotated and blossomed into a brand-new pattern!
In response, the left eye paired with it, Izumi's eye within the barely-breathing Jūgo, synchronized and transformed as well!
The pattern in those eyes was unseen, unknown… like a four-leaf clover.
―Mangekyō Sharingan!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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