"Yugito Nii?"
"All of Kumogakure's top fighters are here?"
"Is the Fourth Raikage trying to start the final battle early?"
Hearing the Fourth Raikage's shouts, Jie Uchiha frowned, briefly analyzing the situation. He quickly brushed off his concerns. With his abilities fully activated, he was at the absolute peak of his strength. Since the Raikage had brought his elite forces straight to him, he might as well take this opportunity to defeat and capture them all, ending the war right here and now.
Although doing so meant the rest of the Uchiha clan wouldn't get the combat experience they needed, it also meant the Sarutobi clan would avoid taking losses. Still, for Jie, crushing Kumogakure in one fell swoop guaranteed a massive payout when the [System] finally tallied his rewards.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Jie spotted a female shinobi with straight, beige-blonde hair woven into a long braid that reached her waist.
"Lord B, are you alright? I need to get you out of here right now."
Yugito took Killer B from the Fourth Raikage, immediately turning to sprint toward the distant Kumogakure camp.
"Did you ask for my permission to leave?" A hint of mockery flashed in Jie's eyes. The crimson-gold light of his Susanoo flared, instantly repairing the insignificant cracks the Raikage had inflicted on its armor.
'Strong Fist!'
As the thought crossed Jie's mind, his massive Susanoo clenched its right fist and slammed it down viciously toward Yugito's position. Though the Strong Fist was a basic, straightforward punch, the unparalleled pressure generated by the giant avatar's sheer size made Yugito's pupils shrink instinctively.
"Yugito, dodge! Or you'll die!" Matatabi urged anxiously from within her mind.
Instantly, the blue chakra patterns of the Two-Tails manifested across Yugito's skin. Her long braid snapped undone, letting her hair float wildly in the surging energy.
"Hey! Your opponent is me!" the Fourth Raikage roared, blinding lightning erupting from his right arm.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
Massive amounts of berserk Lightning chakra concentrated at the Raikage's elbow, driven forward by his formidable physical strength. Two seemingly incomparable strikes collided.
Under that overwhelming force, the bedrock beneath the Fourth Raikage's feet shattered instantly, forming a massive crater over a hundred meters wide. A devastating shockwave blasted outward from the point of impact, kicking up thick, blinding layers of dust.
Crack! Crunch! Hearing the sharp fractures, Yugito was surprised to see several fissures spiderwebbing across the crimson-gold giant's arm.
'Did Lord Raikage win?' A wave of relief and joy washed over her.
When Yugito shifted her gaze to the Fourth Raikage, however, she could hardly believe her eyes. The same man who had once severed the Eight-Tails' horn with a single, barehanded chop now had his right arm hanging limply at his side. Beads of cold sweat poured down his forehead.
In a clash of pure physical power, the Fourth Raikage had actually lost. His arm was completely broken.
'I underestimated him!' The Raikage's expression was incredibly grim.
He had assumed the Susanoo's strength lay entirely in its absolute defense and that golden sword of light. As for its brute physical power, he figured that while strong, it wouldn't be anything insurmountable. After all, there was no such thing as a truly flawless jutsu—one that granted impenetrable defense alongside unparalleled destructive force.
Even though the Fourth Raikage believed he had taken his opponent seriously, he had still miscalculated. If his body weren't so exceptionally resilient, that single punch would have reduced him to meat paste on the spot.
"Yugito, run! Leave me!" the Fourth Raikage barked. "Take B back to the camp! As long as you two get out of here, these guys won't be able to hold me down."
"Yes, Lord Raikage!" Yugito shouted instinctively. A cold reality quickly set in; the Fourth Raikage intended to do exactly what his father had done before him. He was going to hold off the enemy entirely on his own to cover his comrades' escape.
"Jie, I'll handle the Fourth Raikage. You intercept the Jinchuriki," Fugaku Uchiha commanded, grasping the tactical layout.
For this ambush, Kumogakure had deployed both of their Jinchuriki, and even the Fourth Raikage had taken the field personally. Had Jie's strength not vastly exceeded enemy expectations, Konoha would have suffered devastating losses today.
But now, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was critically injured, and the Fourth Raikage was down an arm, severely crippling his combat prowess. If they could capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki as well, Konoha would seize absolute control over the war. After all, if the Raikage and both his ultimate weapons were taken, what hope did Kumogakure have for a comeback?
Fugaku knew his limits, of course. While he possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, he was far out of his league against the Fourth Raikage in terms of raw power. Furthermore, as a Jinchuriki, Yugito was likely more than he could handle alone. But with the Raikage severely handicapped, Fugaku saw his opening. As long as he could stall the Raikage for a short while, Jie could finish off the Two-Tails. Then, they could catch the Raikage in a pincer attack, ensuring he wouldn't escape.
Jie didn't overthink it; capturing one target was as good as capturing the other. At Fugaku's words, he immediately piloted his Susanoo to chase down Yugito.
"Fire Release: Scattering Fireballs!"
Seeing Jie's approach, Yugito rapidly wove hand signs, spitting out a flaming, mouse-shaped projectile.
Jie didn't even try to dodge, letting the attack smash directly into his Susanoo's left arm. Upon impact, the fireball splintered into clusters of eerie blue flames that clung to the spectral armor, burning fiercely. For a brief moment, the Susanoo's crimson-gold arm looked like it had been fully engulfed.
However, the Mouse Hairball wasn't the inextinguishable black flame of Amaterasu. Without a continuous supply of chakra, the blue fire quickly died out. When the smoke cleared, the crimson-gold chakra remained entirely unscathed—not even a scorch mark was left behind.
Witnessing this terrifying defense, despair began to creep into Yugito's heart. Even though she had perfectly mastered the power of the Two-Tails, Matatabi's strength paled in comparison to the Eight-Tails. And this man had just effortlessly crushed the Eight-Tails.
"Tailed Beast Transformation!"
Unlike the other beasts, Matatabi's chakra was an eerie spectral blue. Cloaked in that heavy aura, Yugito's eyes went completely white. She continuously drew out the beast's chakra, forcing herself to enter a complete Tailed Beast State. It was the only way she would have the sheer mass and power to face Jie's Susanoo.
"Tailed Beast Transformation again?" Jie remarked flatly. "It's always the same trick over and over. How obnoxious."
He took a step forward, his towering avatar casting a long shadow over her.
"If that's all you have, then just go to sleep," he said, locking his gaze onto hers. "Look into my eyes. Kotoamatsukami: Radiance!"
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