As time passed, the number of Cloud Ninja killed by Yahiko and Konan had become countless.
Their cloaks were soaked in blood, their faces splattered with it.
Their once pleasant appearances now looked terrifying.
The battle between Minato and the AB pair was reaching its final stages.
B in his half-Tailed Beast form was panting heavily; his wounds were no longer healing as quickly as before.
The Fourth Raikage A's Lightning Release Armor had lost its initial brilliance.
Only Minato remained in Sage Mode without showing any signs of exhaustion.
Had Kitsuchi and Rōshi been there, they surely would've called Minato a fraud.
His secret jutsu lasted over ten minutes!
"Ready to face your death?"
Minato looked toward the AB pair, a victorious smile curling the corners of his lips.
"You're celebrating too soon."
Despite his nearly drained chakra, the Fourth Raikage A still refused to give up.
B didn't say a word. He simply glared at Minato.
The fighting intent in his eyes spoke volumes.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Then let me show you what real despair feels like."
At the moment those words left his mouth, a massive surge of power erupted from Minato.
The crimson chakra exploded outward like a powerful wave, violently surging from its center across the battlefield.
This chakra radiated pure malice laced with overwhelming violence.
Even just this presence alone felt like a raging storm, instantly seizing the attention of everyone nearby.
Many witnesses turned their heads in alarm, unable to hide their shock and fear.
Under the pressure of this immense power, the Tailed Beast cloak completely enveloped Minato. Behind him, nine tails of chakra flared in the wind.
The oppressive force he now emitted was on a completely different level than before.
"So it truly is the Nine-Tails."
Inside B's body, Gyūki wore an expression of smug understanding.
At first, it was uncertain—but now, there was no doubt.
Not that it mattered to Gyūki anyway. What did it matter? At most, it would only take several years before it became a free Tailed Beast again.
This kid was beyond hope—no matter how much he tried, even if he survived today, there was no guarantee he'd live through next time.
In short, Gyūki had already accepted everything and stopped resisting completely.
Truly the most detached among all the Tailed Beasts.
"You knew all along?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
B's angry voice echoed within the sealing realm.
"Ridiculous. Why should I tell you?"
"Do you think you can set me free?"
Gyūki's tone remained calm and emotionless.
"I..."
B hesitated, at a loss for words.
After all, if not for Gyūki, he probably would've died long ago. How could he even dare to question it?
"Even if I told you, what could you do?"
"You must clearly understand the gap between yourself and this Konoha ninja, don't you?"
Gyūki's two questions shattered B completely, draining every trace of fight from his eyes.
Witnessing this, Gyūki's expression finally shifted. A faint smirk of triumph curled the corner of his mouth.
However, The Fourth Raikage A didn't notice the change in B's demeanor.
"Y-You're actually... a jinchūriki?!"
The Fourth Raikage A's eyes widened in disbelief. His gaze seemed to scream that what was unfolding before him defied all expectations.
He stared directly at Minato, and a glimmer of despair flickered faintly in his eyes.
The Fourth Raikage A well knew that even with B by his side, they originally stood no chance against Minato.
And now, Minato had also gained the enhancement of tailed beast power.
His mind reeled, one thought cutting through the chaos: "How could they possibly fight back now?"
"Do you still think I'm rejoicing too early?"
Minato merely raised an arm, and the tailed-beast cloak surged outward, morphing into a massive claw that lunged toward B.
*Bang!*
B went flying from the impact, unconscious before he could even react.
"B!"
The Fourth Raikage A bellowed. Without thinking further, he charged straight at Minato.
He knew only by attacking could he possibly slow down Minato's progress.
Yet he hadn't expected—Minato's main target had always been him.
*Whoosh!*
Minato's figure flickered. Instantly activating the [Flying Thunder God Technique], his entire form disappeared like a ghost right from the spot.
In the next moment, he had already appeared behind The Fourth Raikage A, raising high a [Wind Release: Rasenshuriken] infused with Nine-Tails' chakra, just like a wraith.
"You still have the heart to worry about others?"
As Minato's voice reached The Fourth Raikage A's ears, the Rasenshuriken slammed fiercely into his back.
With a deafening *BOOM*, it sounded like thunder exploding beside one's ear, shaking the air itself with a buzzing vibration.
The Fourth Raikage A's pupils instantly constricted, and blood spewed from his mouth.
That blood splattered across the sea's surface, causing rippling waves.
Intense pain surged from his back, spreading like a tide through his entire body. He felt as though his internal organs had been crushed into pieces in that single instant.
Propelled by the immense force of impact, his body uncontrollably flew forward.
*Plop! Plop! Plop!...*
The Fourth Raikage A's body bounced across the sea multiple times in succession.
Each collision with the water sent sprays of droplets soaring high.
And with each hit, his body kept rolling and twisting painfully.
Eventually, his body crashed heavily onto the sea like a sack of sand.
The Fourth Raikage A struggled desperately to rise, but his body refused to respond to his commands.
His vision started blurring, everything before his eyes blurred behind a thick haze.
Minato's silhouette flickered faintly within that haze, yet at this moment, The Fourth Raikage A no longer possessed any strength left to resist.
"How... could this be..."
The Fourth Raikage A managed to utter these words with great difficulty, his voice barely above a whisper, fragile like a candle sputtering in the wind, on the verge of extinction.
"Rest in peace."
As those few words emerged from Minato's distant lips, The Fourth Raikage A's eyes slowly dulled.
"Roar~"
Killer B let out an inhuman roar, and in an instant, his entire body rapidly swelled and grew.
Before long, a massive ox emerged on the spot, its head crowned with two horns and eight octopus-like tentacles for tails.
Clearly, Gyūki had completely overtaken B's mind.
In other words, it had gained temporary freedom.
Seeing a Tailed Beast once again, the ninja on the battlefield had grown somewhat numb to the shock.
First came the Two-Tails, then the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, followed by the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
You damn bastards—when will you stop?
Before they could process any further, Gyūki spoke first.
"At last, I'm out again."
Gyūki's voice buzzed with menace. The Third Raikage's expression changed drastically at once.
His son had just died, and now the Eight-Tails had reappeared.
Gyūki bore deep resentment toward him and was far harder to deal with than the Two-Tails.
He cast another glance toward Nagato, realizing he was facing the worst-case scenario.
"Old man, why the gloomy face?"
Just as the Third Raikage had expected, the moment Gyūki appeared, it aimed its words directly at him.
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