"Don't lower the barrier, or we're all dead!"
Seeing that Shichibi had unleashed a Tailed Beast Ball, Tsuchikage immediately halted any attempt to remove the barrier.
He quickly used Doton to erect a wall around the barrier's perimeter.
As Tsuchikage, he knew all too well the terrifying power of a Tailed Beast Ball.
If the barrier were dropped, forget the onlookers—even the five Kage would be reduced to pulp.
A deafening explosion shook the arena.
The barrier, along with the outer wall, was obliterated in an instant, reduced to rubble.
Tsunade, seeing no sign of Kazama on the arena, assumed he'd been killed by the Tailed Beast Ball. Her heart sank in grief.
"Tsuchikage! You deliberately let Kazama die in there!"
"Tsunade, don't be ungrateful!" Tsuchikage snapped, his face flushed with anger at her accusation.
"Don't you know how powerful a Tailed Beast Ball is? If we'd dropped the barrier, not only would the five of us Kage, closest to the blast, be caught in it, but so would everyone watching. Do you really want us all to die just for Kazama? Even if we'd lowered the barrier, Kazama wouldn't have survived a direct hit!"
"No! I believe Kazama's still alive!" Terumī Mei murmured, staring at the ruined arena.
"What?" Tsuchikage scoffed, finding her words laughable.
"Mizukage, are you out of your mind? No one in this world can survive a direct hit from a Tailed Beast Ball!"
"Well, if you say that, I guess I'd be pretty embarrassed to still be standing here, wouldn't I?"
Just as Tsuchikage confidently declared Kazama's death, a voice rang out from above the arena.
The voice belonged to none other than Kazama, who had absorbed Shichibi's power.
Ding! Successfully absorbed Shichibi's Tailed Beast Ball. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the power of the Eight-Tails Gyūki, allowing transformation into the Eight-Tails Gyūki itself!
Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the twentieth Strange Flame, Golden Emperor Sky-Burning Flame. This flame can transform into a flame giant, reducing everything in its path to nothingness, even burning through space itself!
The sight of Kazama surviving a Tailed Beast Ball left everyone stunned.
Hokage, Tsuchikage, Mizukage, Raikage, and Kazekage were all dumbfounded.
Even Terumī Mei, who knew Kazama could counter Tailed Beasts, was utterly shocked.
Tsuchikage, who had been certain of Kazama's death, was now speechless, his worldview shattered by the fact that Kazama still lived.
Meanwhile, Hokage, Raikage, and Kazekage, along with the martial arts tournament spectators, stood frozen, jaws dropped in disbelief.
But the most shocked of all was Zetsu, the mastermind behind the attack.
He never imagined Kazama could withstand a Tailed Beast Ball.
Zetsu had hoped a rampaging Shichibi would kill Kazama, venting his pent-up rage.
Now, it seemed that rage would fester a while longer.
"What's going on? Did Kazama actually absorb the Tailed Beast Ball?" Sasuke, aware of Kazama's ability to absorb attacks, immediately questioned Zetsu.
"Hmph! You're giving Kazama too much credit. What is he, some nobody who can absorb a Tailed Beast Ball? Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Zetsu shook his head like a rattle, refusing to believe it, even though he knew Sasuke's theory might be true.
"Kazama knows space-time ninjutsu. He must've used it to dodge the Tailed Beast Ball. But he might dodge once, not twice!"
As Zetsu spoke, Kazama, on the arena, absorbed Shichibi's second Tailed Beast Ball.
He then transformed into the Eight-Tails Gyūki and hurled Shichibi Chōmei's massive body toward Zetsu's direction.