"The Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball," Sasori ordered, his expression dark and menacing. After a moment's silent contemplation, he openly revealed his killing intent and made his final decision: "Now that we've already broken cover, we strike first to gain the upper hand."
Sasori linked the Ryumyaku chakra with the Sky Mech, an immense amount of chakra almost visible to the naked eye, preparing to fly toward Kumogakure.
"Wait."
A voice called out from afar, stopping Sasori in his tracks.
Sasori slightly shifted his gaze and halted immediately.
Only Anya could command such obedience from Sasori.
Arriving quickly at the ruined land with Hakuto, Anya asked curiously, "How did it end up like this?"
Then he turned his gaze toward Kakuzu approaching them: "Uncle, if I'm not mistaken, I only asked you to kill the Raikage, right?"
Yugao took the blame: "It was my mistake. I could've…"
"Forget it; there's no need to dwell on it now," Sasori coldly interrupted. "Big Brother Kurotsuchi, now that we've gone this far, there's no way Kumogakure will ever ally with us. We might as well wipe it out completely to prevent any unexpected issues."
Destroying Kumogakure wasn't difficult, but honestly, I can just imagine my secretary flipping out over this.
Anya sighed, "I'll handle it myself. The Raikage is mine. If Kumogakure dares to resist until the end—don't worry, I won't hold back."
"Has Kumogakure declared war against Konoha? Dad, why did you want to kill the Raikage?" Hakuto tilted her head, puzzled.
Sasori's expression immediately softened. "Ah, so you're Big Brother Kurotsuchi's daughter? Nice to meet you. I'm Sasori."
Hakuto blinked in surprise. "Wow! You're Uncle Sasori? But you look so young!"
"Listen, Sasori—Hakuto will stay with you for now. Take her to Sunagakure for a bit. I'll come pick her up later."
Since Anya had already decided, Sasori didn't object. "Fine."
"Really?" Hakuto beamed with joy, instantly forgetting the question she'd just asked. Honestly, she wasn't brave enough to return to Konoha alone and face Tsunade head-on.
Just as Anya was about to vanish, he paused and glanced at Kakuzu. "Oh right, Uncle—remember, you didn't finish the job. Subtract forty million ryo from my debt."
At the mention of money from Anya, Kakuzu stiffened all over, grinding his teeth angrily, ready to argue—but Anya had already vanished into thin air, deducting forty million ryo from the loan.
Clutched tightly in Killer Bee's arms, the Raikage roared furiously: "B, put me down! I need to get back to the battlefield! I'll crush those punks! How can the mighty Raikage run away like some coward?"
Normally goofy and full of jokes, Killer Bee stayed uncharacteristically silent, steadily carrying the Raikage back toward Kumogakure.
"B, are you even listening to me?" The Raikage reactivated his Lightning Armor, trying to break free in one powerful move.
At that moment, Killer Bee finally spoke: "Bro, what you said makes sense, but I also have beliefs I can't abandon. From watching the battle unfold earlier, I can clearly see—you can't win."
"You're wrong! I am the Raikage! No one defeats me—not even Death!"
"Still don't understand, Brother? You're the Raikage. You represent not just yourself, but the entire village. If you die, what will happen to Kumogakure?"
For a moment, Raikage had no words to reply.
"You know how powerful the enemy is—and they're even stronger than you think."
Suddenly enlightened, Raikage murmured, "You're right, B. I must return to the village immediately to uncover the traitor. After that, even if it means..."
"Yo yo yo, what a touching brotherly bond!" A mocking voice interrupted as a figure blocked their path.
"Those clothes—you're from Akatsuki!"
The newcomer spoke calmly, "Killer Bee, I'm Kisame of the Akatsuki Organization, here to capture the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Damn it!" Raikage was about to attack when...
Killer Bee stopped him, saying, "Brother, this is a fight I have to take on my own. You need to return to the village as soon as possible. Believe in me—I won't lose. My source of strength isn't just the Jinchuriki. It's also those precious words you gave me long before I became the Eight-Tails host. They're the things I can never abandon. With them, I become incredibly strong. To me, we are the ultimate duo."
"I see now. It seems my overprotection made you feel I didn't trust your strength. Bee, I was wrong." Raikage reflected, then patted Killer Bee's shoulder and said, "Brother believes in you this time, Bee. Kill him."
Killer Bee finally smiled, "Moron, bastard. Brother, you finally got it. The thing that shines from deep within me—even before hosting the Tailed Beast—is as huge as the sun. That's also my source of strength. Don't worry, I'll definitely kill him."
"Good."
Raikage gave Kisame a cold stare, charged his lightning chakra, and headed toward Kumogakure. Right now, he had more important matters to attend to. Besides, he truly should trust his partner, the one he personally trained. Killer Bee would never lose.
Kisame paid no attention to Raikage's departure. After all, his only target was the Jinchuriki.
"Fascinating. Come on then—the Samehada has been craving blood."
As Raikage hurriedly arrived at Kumogakure's gates, he happened to see Samiu exiting the village. Instantly, he commanded, "Quickly, gather every ninja currently in the village. This time, I'm betting everything we have on this battle."
A flicker of complexity flashed in Samiu's eyes as she asked, "Raikage-sama, have you considered that this battle might drag the entire village into ruin?"
"What did you say?" Raikage roared in anger. "Ninjas are born to fight. No matter who the enemy is, I'll give it everything I've got—even if it means fighting until the last drop of blood in this village. I will never back down."
"Clap clap clap..."
Applause came from behind Raikage. It was Anya, who had followed closely. He said with obvious admiration, "Although I came here to kill you, I can't help but respect your words. I came in person, and it was worth it."
Raikage turned around, sensing the sharp force hidden within Anya. Distant memories surged forward as he stared solemnly at Anya and said, "I remember you. We fought during the Third Battle."
"Yes. Back then, I didn't consider you a serious threat."
Anya also recalled, "Back then, I was entirely focused on how to defeat your father. But he was someone I could never hope to defeat—his strength left an indelible mark on me."
"Hmph, the present me will make you—"
"Shlick!"
Before Raikage could finish speaking, the sickening sound of a blade tearing through flesh rang out. The strike was so fast and precise that Raikage didn't even see it coming. His heart was instantly shattered by the blade's aura, all vitality extinguished.
Raikage's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned his gaze toward Samiu: "Why?"
With tears streaming down her face, Samiu said, "I'm sorry, Lord Raikage. I was controlled by someone through Genjutsu."
This was the last thing Raikage heard before passing from this world. His towering body crumpled lifelessly to the ground, his eyes still wide with unspoken rage and disbelief.
Even Nagare was frozen in shock at what just happened, briefly wondering if she had truly placed Samiu under Kotoamatsukami's control—but if she had, she hadn't issued any commands yet...
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