Under Orochimaru's control, the Third Mizukage and Blue B slowly stepped out of their coffins, their eyes gradually opening.
"This place is…"
The Third Mizukage scanned the surroundings, his gaze falling on Kiyosuke. There was a vague sense of familiarity, as though he had seen him somewhere before, but the memory refused to surface.
Blue B's reaction was far simpler. The moment he spotted Orochimaru, he exploded with rage.
"Orochimaru, you bastard! What the hell are you doing here? No—why am I even alive?!"
He clearly remembered his own death—slain by the rampage of the Eight-Tails. How could he still be breathing?
Of course, this was the necessary confusion that came with the Edo Tensei.
The well-informed Third Mizukage sighed.
"This is the Second Hokage's forbidden technique, Edo Tensei. I never imagined I'd see the day I'd be dragged back with it. Damn it… to be reduced to nothing more than a tool."
Humiliation burned inside him, but beyond speaking, he had no control over his own body.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Third Mizukage, take a good look at your opponent. He's the one who killed you. Your death cemented his reputation, making him a hero of the Third Great Ninja War, on par with the Fourth Hokage."
"Killed me… So you're that brat, Asakawa Kiyosuke? What irony."
The Third Mizukage sneered, perversely delighted by the twisted reality of Orochimaru and Kiyosuke's current relationship.
"Just another corpse. Don't get cocky, Third Mizukage."
Kiyosuke's expression darkened. He was moments away from smashing the man apart.
Blue B, meanwhile, slowly drew his blade.
"Careful. I can't control my body."
Though Kiyosuke had been the one indirectly responsible for his death, Blue B still gave him a warning. It wasn't kindness—it was strategy. He couldn't allow this man to die, not when Kiyosuke might help him deal with Orochimaru.
"The previous Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, huh? Don't worry. I'm not afraid of you. I've already fought the current one, and even the Fourth Raikage."
"Bee… and the Fourth? I see… So the Third is already gone."
Blue B's tone wavered.
"How's Bee? Is he alright?"
"He's doing more than alright. He became a perfect Jinchūriki, mastered the Eight-Tails' power, and now serves as the Fourth Raikage A's right-hand man. He's absurdly strong. As for that muscle-brained Raikage… tch, not even worth mentioning."
Relief and pride washed over Blue B.
"So, Bee… you did it."
His chest felt lighter than it had in years. Becoming a Jinchūriki had left him with an empty void in his heart, a gnawing hollow he had never been able to fill. He searched endlessly for something to ease that emptiness, but before he found it, Orochimaru had tricked him. The Eight-Tails broke free, went berserk, and ended his life.
But knowing he had entrusted the beast to Bee, and that Bee had risen to such heights—at least that gave him peace.
"Thanks for the information."
Blue B tightened his grip on his blade.
"Sorry. If I could, I'd sit down and talk with you properly. But I can't control myself right now."
...
The Third Mizukage began moving as well.
"Then stop me again, Asakawa Kiyosuke. This cursed Edo Tensei forces my hand. Here it comes—Water Style: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
A massive torrent surged forward.
Kiyosuke punched upward, shattering the ceiling, revealing the endless blue sky above.
With a flex of his legs, he leapt outside.
The Third Mizukage and Blue B immediately gave chase, Orochimaru slithering after them.
The four of them squared off on the grassy lawn.
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Kiyosuke-kun, how do you like my gift?"
"Like it? I love it."
Kiyosuke's teeth clenched as he spat the words.
The Third Mizukage struck. Even in his reanimated state, though weaker than his prime, his power was still formidable. When he had fought Kiyosuke before, his body had already been frail and sickly. Now, restored in death, he was even stronger than during that battle.
Blue B's strength was nothing to scoff at either. As a Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, his chakra reserves were immense, enough to suppress the beast inside for years. Together, the two put real pressure on Kiyosuke—though only just.
Kiyosuke ignored the slash of Blue B's blade, letting it cleave his body in two.
Blue B's eyes went wide.
"What… your body—?!"
Bang!
Kiyosuke's fist rocketed forward, shattering Blue B's head into fragments, sending his body crashing into a boulder and breaking apart into pieces.
The Third Mizukage let out a long sigh.
"Unbelievable… your strength has grown this much in just a few decades. With you in Konoha, the village will remain safe for generations."
He lunged with a kunai, clashing with Kiyosuke again.
"And Kirigakure has done well too. The Fifth Mizukage, Terumī Mei, has managed the village beautifully. It's more prosperous than during your reign—or Yagura's."
"Terumī Mei… that girl from the Terumī clan? I remember she knew you, didn't she?"
"She's my beloved."
Kiyosuke admitted it without hesitation.
The Third Mizukage froze, utterly dumbfounded.
So not only had this brat killed him, he'd even stolen away Kirigakure's Fifth Mizukage?!
"You damn brat!"
Fury surged in his veins as he pressed his assault even harder.
"Water Style: Water Rampaging Surge!"
A colossal beast of water formed, swinging its massive arm downward with crushing force.
Boom!
The devastating strike missed as Kiyosuke leapt skyward, countering with a blazing pillar of flame that speared through the watery beast.
Its body burst apart in an explosion of spray, engulfing everyone in waves.
But the Third Mizukage wasn't done.
"Water Style: Grand Whirlpool!"
Chakra surged into the floodwaters, twisting them into a monstrous whirlpool intent on swallowing everything.
"Flame Vortex!"
A fiery tornado erupted, colliding with the whirlpool.
Steam roared as water and fire clashed, countering each other until both finally dissipated, leaving only soaked earth behind.
Blue B's body steadied, and he immediately unleashed lightning.
"Lightning Style: Ground Walk!"
Electricity surged across the wet ground, racing into Kiyosuke's body.
At first, it tingled. But then his form burst into flames, dispersing the lightning's effect.
In midair, his fiery body reformed, and he landed lightly.
"Your little tricks can't hurt me."
Orochimaru smirked.
"True enough. Which is why I prepared a backup plan."
The moment he spoke, red chakra burst forth from Blue B, enveloping him in the Eight-Tails' cloak. His body twisted into a beastly form, his frame coated in the crimson shroud of the Tailed Beast's power. A single dark-green horn jutted from the right side of his head, jarring against the blood-red aura surrounding him.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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