He was leading a group of Kumogakure ninja, advancing toward the direction of Konoha's camp.
After hearing that Konoha had already dispatched troops, the Third Raikage didn't hesitate.
He immediately summoned all the Kumogakure ninja he had brought from the Hidden Cloud Village.
From the way he moved, it was clear—he intended to crush Konoha in a single decisive war.
"Raikage-sama! Perhaps we should plan this out in more detail!"
The Third Raikage shot an impatient glance at his subordinate.
"Plan what? That Aoyama Ryuyun only defeated a mere One-Tail Shukaku. I've fought tailed beasts before!"
The Third Raikage had already read through the intelligence on Aoyama Ryuyun long ago.
And his impression was one of pure disdain.
It was only the One-Tail. During his time as Raikage, the Third had fought the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails countless times.
Whenever the Eight-Tails or the Two-Tails went berserk, it was always the Third Raikage who personally subdued them.
"I will use this war to show the entire ninja world that the Hidden Cloud Village now stands as the number one village in the world!"
Since the deaths of the First and Second Hokage, the Hidden Cloud had never truly accepted Konoha's claim as the strongest.
The Third Raikage intended to seize that title through this very war.
"But…"
His deputy Jōnin wanted to object further.
Though he was confident in their strength, he still wished to minimize casualties if possible.
At that moment, Ay—the future Fourth Raikage and son of the Third—cut him off with a calm, confident tone.
"Oh, stop worrying. With my father, me, Killer Bee, and Yugito Nii with the Two-Tails, what's a mere Konoha to us?"
He was indeed his father's son.
That reckless confidence ran deep in their bloodline.
Seeing their resolve, the deputy could only fall silent.
As they spoke, the Kumogakure forces drew closer to the Konoha camp.
From their position, they could already see the sprawling lines of tents and defensive fortifications.
The Third Raikage raised a hand, signaling everyone to halt. His gaze turned toward Killer Bee—the current Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails—standing beside Ay.
"Bee! Greet Konoha properly."
"Okay! Got it! It's time for Killer Bee-sama to give Konoha a surprise, yeah!"
Killer Bee's eccentric rhyming was already in full swing.
"Bee, can you handle this?"
Ay looked at his brother with mild concern.
He might act rough, but Ay always cared deeply for his partner-in-battle and adoptive brother.
"Don't worry, stupid big brother! Killer Bee-sama's got this! Strong as can be—believe it, yeah!"
Killer Bee replied in rhythm, striking poses as if performing for an invisible audience.
Though he hadn't yet mastered the full power of the Eight-Tails, he was already frighteningly close.
"..."
Ay could only stare at him silently.
So annoying. If you weren't my brother, I'd deck you right now.
How embarrassing…
Seeing the exchange between his son and the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, the Third Raikage smiled faintly and said, "Begin."
"Okay!" Killer Bee grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
Then he stomped down hard.
Crimson chakra exploded from his body like wildfire.
A roaring gale erupted, forcing nearby shinobi to stagger back a few steps.
"Is that the Eight-Tails' chakra?!"
"What terrifying power!"
"With Killer Bee-sama here, victory is ours!"
Hidden Cloud Village had always revered strength, and the living conditions for Jinchūriki were far better here than in any other village.
At least publicly, no one dared treat them as outcasts.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As Killer Bee channeled Gyūki's power, the earth beneath his feet cracked apart.
Tentacle-like tails burst from the ground, writhing and churning the air.
"You bastards of Konoha! Let Killer Bee-sama give you a proper gift!"
The Eight-Tails' voice boomed alongside his.
Even though there was still distance between them, the roar echoed across the entire battlefield.
"W-What is that?"
"That chakra—it's dangerous!"
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! All personnel, prepare for battle!"
A sinister wave of chakra erupted skyward from Killer Bee's position.
By the time Konoha's sentries had sounded the alarm, the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball had already condensed.
"Die!"
With a deafening roar, the massive black sphere of concentrated chakra shot through the air toward Konoha's camp.
"Hmph! Victory is ours!"
Seeing that sight, the Third Raikage, Ay, and their forces brimmed with confidence.
A Tailed Beast Ball fired by the complete Eight-Tails was not something even elite shinobi could hope to withstand.
Just as Killer Bee began gesturing again, preparing to rap, Gyūki suddenly interrupted within his mind.
"Bee! Be careful! A dangerous presence just appeared!"
"Dangerous? What do you mean?"
With the Eight-Tails' serious tone, Killer Bee instantly stopped his rapping.
"I don't know what it is—but it's deadly!"
Gyūki's gaze turned toward the distant Konoha camp, his instincts screaming.
There—it could feel an aura strong enough to threaten even its own existence.
At that same moment, on Konoha's side, the soldiers stared in horror as the Tailed Beast Ball hurtled closer.
"It's over…"
Under such overwhelming power, they were like ants before a storm—utterly helpless.
They could only watch as the sphere of destruction drew near.
Then, in that desperate instant—
Aoyama Ryuyun's voice echoed across the battlefield, like thunder descending from the heavens.
"Lion's Roar — Meteor Slash!"
A sword light cleaved through the very air.
Between heaven and earth—there was only this one strike!
Swish!
Under that blinding arc of light, the Tailed Beast Ball—once flying toward the camp with unstoppable force—suddenly halted midair.
A thin, radiant line appeared across its center—
A clean, precise cut.
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