Missing Yue Shu Returns
Killer Bee's abdomen had been pierced clean through by Chiba.
The Raikage, A, immediately launched a fierce counterattack. Seizing the opening created by Chiba's evasion, he moved swiftly to separate Killer Bee from the battlefield.
"Bee! Are you alright?" A asked, his voice laced with concern.
"I'm fine, big bro..." Killer Bee groaned, releasing his hand from his abdomen.
To A's relief, the gaping wound was already closing—thanks to the Eight-Tails' regenerative abilities. But relief turned back into tension as reality settled in. Even with both of them fighting in tandem, they were no match for Chiba.
Their ninjutsu were being rendered useless. Unless they figured out why their techniques were failing, defeat was inevitable.
"Could it be the Mangekyō Sharingan's ability?" A muttered grimly.
As the heir to the Raikage title, A had been taught the secrets and bloodline limits of every major shinobi village. The Sharingan was well-known—its ability to track motion, predict attacks, and cast powerful genjutsu made it one of the most feared dōjutsu in existence. But the Mangekyō Sharingan was still shrouded in mystery. Aside from Madara Uchiha and his brother Izuna, very few were known to have awakened it. The only consistent detail: each eye manifested unique abilities, and together, they unlocked a third hidden power.
They lacked intel on Chiba's specific Mangekyō techniques, but one thing was clear—any ninjutsu within range was being neutralized. That left only taijutsu.
A turned to Bee. "Bee, we have to rely on pure physical force. Use chakra to propel our bodies directly. Even if our jutsu are neutralized, the raw momentum will still carry through!"
Killer Bee nodded, uncharacteristically serious. "Understood!"
With a crack of lightning, A activated the Lightning Release: Body Flicker Technique, vanishing in a bolt of blue. He re-engaged his Lightning Release Armor at full power. At the same time, Killer Bee increased his tailed beast cloak to a partial transformation—three visible chakra tails now danced behind him.
"In unison!" the brothers shouted, their bodies blurring forward.
"Double Lariat!"
Their signature move—one attacking from the front, the other from the rear—closed in on Chiba at blinding speed.
But Chiba's Mangekyō Sharingan were already in motion.
His right eye spun violently—'Miyamazakura', the eye technique, had been absorbing and analyzing A and Bee's jutsu ever since the battle began. The use of tailed beast chakra accelerated the process. He was nearly ready to release the stored power.
As the brothers neared, their arms extended to deliver the finishing twist that could decapitate a Bijū—Chiba's left eye activated.
'Ban Kyohi'.
The chakra enveloping A and Killer Bee instantly collapsed, as if rejected by the very air around Chiba.
At that same moment, the recording in Miyamazakura reached completion.
Chiba smirked. "It's over."
"Miyamazakura: Technique Return."
An explosion of violent chakra erupted from Chiba's core, a shockwave tearing through the forest.
Trees were uprooted and hurled into the sky. Even the seven Konoha shinobi hiding in the distance were thrown back by the blast.
When the storm finally settled, a massive crater had formed where Chiba stood. The land was scorched and leveled. In the center stood Chiba, panting, his right eye shut tight as he clutched it in pain.
Releasing the full power of Miyamazakura had nearly blinded him.
"It's... stronger than I imagined," he muttered. His vision swam with pain. "But I won't be able to use my right eye again for a while."
Chiba scanned the battlefield with his left eye. Not far away, A and Killer Bee lay motionless—battered, broken, and unmoving.
Chiba approached cautiously.
Their bodies were a mess of blood, scorched flesh, and torn clothing. But something felt... off.
He narrowed his eyes.
Raising his ninjatō, Chiba murmured, "Thunder Breathing – Fifth Form: Heat Haze."
A flash of lightning surged from his blade as he unleashed a burning, high-frequency slash upon the bodies.
The corpses distorted and dissolved—reverting into a single massive octopus tentacle.
"As I thought. A substitution jutsu."
Not even his Mangekyō had seen through the trick.
What tipped him off was the positioning. A and Bee had attacked from opposite sides—if they had been caught in an omnidirectional explosion, they wouldn't have landed side by side. Their "deaths" had been too convenient.
Brushing aside the tentacle, Chiba found a tunnel beneath it.
They had escaped underground, using the Eight-Tails' tentacle as a decoy.
Still, they wouldn't leave unscathed. The blast had certainly caused serious injury.
Chiba didn't pursue. Killing either of them—especially the son of the Third Raikage or the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki—would mean war with the Hidden Cloud. That wasn't his mission.
Stopping them was enough.
Chiba sheathed his blade and exhaled slowly. He pulled out a blank scroll, sealed the tentacle within it, and turned away.
As he passed the seven Konoha ninja—still shaken from the blast—they stared at him with a mixture of awe and dread.
He had just fought two of Kumogakure's strongest and forced them to retreat.
But what frightened them more than his power was the cold indifference in his eyes. He didn't even glance their way.
---
Meanwhile...
Beneath the forest canopy, Killer Bee emerged from the tunnel, dragging his brother with one arm and leaping through the trees.
A's condition was dire—his right shoulder to his ribs was a mangled mess. Blood leaked with every movement, staining Bee's cloak red.
Killer Bee's own wounds were healing slowly thanks to the Eight-Tails' chakra, but exhaustion crept up on him.
"Hold on, bro! We're getting back to the outpost—you'll be alright!" Bee grunted.
A coughed, blood splashing onto his lips. "I'm... not dead yet... Thanks to you blocking the worst of that explosion with the Eight-Tails' tentacle."
He grimaced. "Chiba... That power, those eyes... He's beyond anything we expected. Faster than me. Stronger than me."
A fell silent for a moment, then said solemnly, "Bee... That man is our enemy now. A true one."
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters