288. Slash

"Lord Jiraiya, we should retreat now!"

At a military fortress on the border, the border troops led by Jiraiya were desperately resisting an assault from the Cloud ninjas.

"These damn Cloud ninjas, did they take some kind of stimulant? Why are they suddenly launching such a fierce attack?!" Jiraiya used his long hair to deflect incoming kunai, his expression grim as he watched the relentless onslaught of Cloud ninjas.

Since last night, the Cloud ninjas had launched a full-scale attack on the fortress as if they had received some kind of order.

Despite the advantage of fortifications, the Leaf ninjas were suffering heavy losses due to their numerical disadvantage.

"Perhaps it's because the village has officially declared war on the Cloud," Jiraiya's aide speculated. "They might be trying to capture this fortress before our reinforcements arrive."

"Have the reinforcements from the village arrived yet?" Jiraiya asked sharply, turning to his aide.

The aide shook his head, replying helplessly, "The village said reinforcements would arrive today, but given the distance, even if they were dispatched immediately, it's unlikely they could get here so quickly."

Hearing this, Jiraiya's heart grew even heavier.

But the next development on the battlefield plunged his spirits to new depths.

The Cloud's reinforcements had arrived!

Leading this reinforcement force was none other than the Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee!

"Look at these Leaf ninjas, they're as weak as rotten leaves! Yeah!" Killer Bee, wearing sunglasses, continued to force his clumsy rhymes.

Fortunately, the Fourth Raikage didn't offer any cold remarks this time, instead quietly observing the situation.

After confirming that the only major threat on the enemy side was Jiraiya, he felt reassured.

"Father wants us to capture this fortress and then rendezvous with the assault team," the Fourth Raikage said decisively. "No time to waste, Bee. Enter your Eight-Tails form and break through this fortress!"

The Fourth Raikage's approach to battle was as straightforward as his personality. He immediately chose to have Killer Bee use his Tailed Beast form for a direct assault.

After all, the massive size and powerful Tailed Beast Bombs of a Tailed Beast made it the perfect siege weapon and super artillery!

Hearing his brother's command, Killer Bee didn't hesitate. He patted his chest and declared, "Got it, bro! Watch me tear these rotten Leaf ninjas to shreds! Yo!"

He made a rapping gesture and then shouted, "Gyūki, let's go!"

"Understood!"

As the Eight-Tails, Gyūki, responded in his mind, eight thick octopus tentacles burst forth from Killer Bee's back.

Crimson chakra erupted from his body, and his form swelled to the size of a small mountain. An evil, icy aura swept across the battlefield.

Seeing the monstrous creature rise before him, Jiraiya's face was filled with gravity.

"Dammit, they're bringing out the Tailed Beast so soon?!"

Typically, the Tailed Beasts of the major villages were their trump cards, only deployed in dire situations.

Not only did they risk going berserk, but they could also be killed outright, as seen with the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han, from the Hidden Stone Village.

But the Cloud Village had a complete Jinchūriki training system, and they had cultivated a perfect Jinchūriki in Killer Bee.

He could fully utilize the Tailed Beast's power without risking it going berserk, allowing him to fight freely alongside his brother, the Fourth Raikage, forming the famous "A-B Combo."

Once the Eight-Tails revealed its full form, the Leaf's military fortress became insignificant.

The massive Tailed Beast opened its mouth and fired one small Tailed Beast Bomb after another. These crimson orbs of energy shot toward the fortress like artillery shells.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!"

With deafening explosions, the once-sturdy fortress walls were blown apart. Seeing this, the Cloud ninjas' morale soared.

Killer Bee, leading the charge with the Eight-Tails, used its massive size to bulldoze toward the fortress.

"Dammit!" Jiraiya cursed as the explosive shockwaves sent his silver hair flying wildly. He bit his thumb and turned to his aide. "Take all the ninjas and retreat. I'll hold off this monster!"

With that, he performed the Summoning Technique. Three massive pillars of smoke erupted as the Toad Trio from Mount Myōboku appeared on the battlefield.

"The Eight-Tails again?" Gamabunta, holding a pipe, looked somewhat resigned. His scarred frog eyes showed a hint of frustration.

This damn Jiraiya, always getting into trouble with Tailed Beasts.

Jiraiya sighed. "No choice, it's an emergency. Help me stop this thing!"

"Tch, fine, I'll help you one more time!" Despite his complaints, Gamabunta was all about loyalty.

Hearing Jiraiya's plea, he immediately drew his giant sword and slashed at the Eight-Tails. But the Eight-Tails was no ordinary Tailed Beast.

It swiftly wrapped its tentacles around Gamabunta's arm, then used its muscular limbs to grab his shoulders and headbutted him with tremendous force.

The impact shook the entire battlefield, sending Gamabunta flying hundreds of meters.

"Boss Gamabunta!" The other two toads rushed to help, but they met a similar fate, easily swatted away by the Eight-Tails' tentacles.

"Stupid toads, take this from your Grandpa Gyūki!!" Killer Bee, using the Eight-Tails' body, laughed mockingly. Just as he was about to continue his taunts, the Fourth Raikage's voice cut in.

"Bee, stop playing around. Take down Jiraiya now!"

Reluctantly, Killer Bee obeyed. "Alright, alright!" He waved his hand and opened the Eight-Tails' mouth again.


A terrifying aura surged from the beast as red and blue chakra condensed into a deep purple energy sphere—a Tailed Beast Bomb.

This time, it wasn't a small, rapid-fire Tailed Beast Bomb. It was the real deal, capable of obliterating an entire town in an instant. And its target was none other than Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.

Feeling the overwhelming power, Jiraiya took a deep breath. Gamabunta quickly spoke up, "Jiraiya, I can't block this. Maybe we should have the old man use the Reverse Summoning Technique to get you back to Mount Myōboku."

The giant toad offered a suggestion, but Jiraiya shook his head. "There are still so many Leaf ninjas here. How can I retreat?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the massive Tailed Beast Bomb shot toward him. The enormous black-purple sphere crushed everything in its path, trees and buildings alike, bearing down on Jiraiya with unimaginable force.

Seeing this, Jiraiya quickly released the Summoning Technique, sending Gamabunta back to Mount Myōboku. Then, he clasped his hands together and began absorbing natural energy, forcibly entering Sage Mode. He was preparing to face the Tailed Beast Bomb head-on with his senjutsu.

"Idiot, the power of a Tailed Beast isn't something you can handle alone!" Killer Bee watched the battlefield with confidence.

"Bring it on!" Jiraiya's face began to show red markings as his features gradually took on a more frog-like appearance. Just as the Tailed Beast Bomb was about to hit him, two figures suddenly appeared in front of him.

It was Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui, who had come to reinforce him. They exchanged a glance, and their Mangekyō Sharingan erupted with astonishing power. Blue and green chakra surged into the sky, forming two massive half-bodied giants that stood on the battlefield. One wielded a massive shield, while the other held a green spiral spear. Like gatekeepers, they swung their weapons and slammed them into the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb.

Even so, the terrifying force of the Tailed Beast Bomb pushed the two Susanoo constructs backward. Fortunately, the speed of the bomb gradually slowed. The moment it stopped, Fugaku and Shisui exerted their strength simultaneously, batting the Tailed Beast Bomb upward like a baseball.

Cracks began to spread across the black-purple sphere, followed by a blinding white light that lit up the entire sky like a second sun!!

——————————
On the other side, the Cloud ninjas glared at the "Darkness of the Shinobi" with murderous intent.

The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "As expected of the 'Konoha's War God,' such bold words. Call out the subordinates you've hidden in the shadows. No need to hold back!"

At his words, the Cloud ninjas immediately became alert, scanning their surroundings. The sensory ninjas, in particular, tried to detect any hidden Leaf ninjas, but no matter how hard they searched, they found nothing.

Seeing this, Danzo smirked disdainfully and said lightly, "No need to probe. I came alone this time."

Hearing this, the Third Raikage's eyes filled with suspicion.

This guy, charging into battle alone? Unbelievable!

He turned to his trusted sensory ninja, but the latter shook his head, confirming that there were no other Leaf ninjas nearby, just as Danzo had said.

This deepened the Third Raikage's confusion.

Danzo didn't seem like the type to charge into battle alone. But the reality was right in front of him. Danzo had indeed appeared alone, standing before hundreds of elite Cloud ninjas by himself.

With no other options, the Third Raikage's eyes flashed with killing intent. "You'll pay for your arrogance, Shimura Danzo!"

At his command, arcs of electricity crackled around the Cloud ninjas as they charged at Danzo from all directions, weapons in hand.

Danzo's lips curled into a faint smile. Finally... they took the bait.

If they had hesitated any longer, Danzo might have lost his patience. But now that they were moving...

Danzo's Mangekyō Sharingan reflected the world before him. Countless figures were rushing toward him, but on their bodies, numerous dots suddenly appeared.

[Shatter Space]

As the terrifying power of his Mangekyō erupted, the world seemed to freeze. Around Danzo, the ground was instantly cut into neat squares. The air, the dust, and the charging Cloud ninjas were all subjected to an unimaginably swift series of slashes.

In the blink of an eye, their bodies were covered in intricate black lines.

The next moment, blood gushed from these lines as the brave Cloud ninjas, unaware of what had happened, were sliced into pieces, their remains scattering across the ground.