Chapter 149: Unsealing the Seal — The Return of Gyūki
In less than ten seconds, the Eight-Tails' massive body was already riddled with holes.
> "No, I can't hold on… undo the seal, let my true form come out and fight him!"
Inside Killer Bee's mind, Gyūki's deep voice echoed.
Has it really come to this…?
Killer Bee exhaled slowly. He knew well that there was a huge difference between his full Tailed Beast transformation and Gyūki fighting in his true, unsealed form.
But unsealing the beast also meant his own death.
Once the seal was undone, and the Eight-Tails was released from his body, his life as a Jinchūriki would begin to fade away.
A Jinchūriki losing their Tailed Beast was like a fish losing its water — inevitable death.
Yet, Killer Bee didn't panic.
He was calm — as if death was merely a passing thought.
> "I get it, Old Eight. The rest is up to you. If you really can't win… then run. Don't die with me."
As he spoke, Killer Bee began unbinding the sealing formula etched upon his body.
Gyūki silently watched from within, a mix of sorrow and suppressed fury in his eyes.
Having spent so many years together, he truly couldn't bear to see Bee die.
But there was no other choice. The enemy before them was far too powerful.
If he held back even a fraction of power — if he tried to leave a "tail" for Bee to survive — they would both die regardless.
In this battle, there could be no half-measures. Only all or nothing.
He knew Bee understood that too.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have said those final words.
The moment the seal broke, Gyūki felt the rush of freedom.
For the first time in many years, he could see the light of day again — not since his previous host had died.
Vast waves of Chakra flooded the air as his battered body rapidly regenerated.
But before he could even recover fully—
A flash of steel cut through the sky.
A sword came down from above, slicing toward him with terrifying speed.
Every instinct screamed danger.
Gyūki's scalp tingled, and a sharp pain pierced his nerves.
He roared, raising his horns in a desperate attempt to block the strike — as long as he could buy even a moment, he might recover to full strength.
But that was wishful thinking.
His horns couldn't even withstand a slash from the Fourth Raikage…
let alone from this colossal Susanoo.
Crack—!
Without suspense, the last remaining horn on the Eight-Tails' head was severed cleanly.
The enormous blade didn't even slow down as it continued its descent toward Gyūki's skull.
A primal dread surged through the beast.
There was no time to mourn the loss of his horn — he had to stop the blade.
Gyūki threw both arms up, trying to catch the greatsword bare-handed.
At the same time, his eight tentacles shot up, wrapping around the blade, attempting to slow it down.
But—
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Each tentacle that touched the sword was instantly severed, falling to the ground with heavy thuds.
When the final tentacle was sliced away, Gyūki's massive hands finally caught the blade directly.
The impact was devastating — the ground beneath his feet cracked like shattered glass, sinking inward as shockwaves rippled through the village.
Dust exploded outward, rising high above the houses — but it only reached the giants' ankles.
Meanwhile, on Susanoo's palm, a group of Konoha ninjas stood at the edge, watching in awe.
> "Yo-ho! This Eight-Tails looks hideous! Way uglier than our village's Tailed Beast."
> "Right? It had one horn before, now that's gone too. It used to look kinda like a bull, but now? More like an octopus chimera, haha."
> "Lord Hokage is incredible… suppressing two Tailed Beasts at once!"
> "From today onward, if anyone dares insult the Hokage, they'll answer to me!"
> "Same here! Count me in!"
Excitement buzzed among them.
Once the Hidden Cloud's Tailed Beasts were taken down, there would be no one left to oppose them.
Then it would be their turn to move in and finish the rest.
Their blood boiled with pride.
Under the Third Hokage's rule, they had been humiliated repeatedly by the Hidden Cloud.
The Cloud's delegation used to strut into Konoha, cause trouble, and walk away unscathed — and the Third Hokage told them to endure it.
Endure insults, endure mockery, endure being treated like fools.
But the Fifth Hokage?
He was different.
The moment he heard Cloud forces were invading, he didn't hesitate — he rallied the army and led them personally to the frontlines.
When the enemy challenged him to single combat, he accepted without a word — and instantly killed the Raikage.
It was this Hokage — the Fifth — who had reignited Konoha's glory.
After the First and Second Hokage, Konoha finally had another leader who could lead them to victory.
Even the Fourth Hokage, brilliant as he was, had been restrained by the Third's authority.
By the time he officially became Hokage, the war had already ended — and his battles were mostly defensive.
But the Fifth Hokage?
He brought war to the enemy's doorstep.
He led Konoha's forces deep into the Land of Lightning — all the way to Hidden Cloud Village itself.
There was nothing more exhilarating.
If anyone now dared to call the Fifth Hokage a "rebel" for killing the Third, they would laugh in their face.
> "Rebel? You kidding? The Fifth Hokage said the Third was a traitor — and after what we saw, it's the truth."
They remembered all too well how much tribute money the Third Hokage had sent to Cloud Village back then.
If anyone was a traitor, it wasn't this Hokage.
And besides — the Fifth Hokage's claim was more legitimate than anyone's.
Konoha was founded by the Senju and the Uchiha.
If the Senju could produce two Hokage, why couldn't the Uchiha?
For the first time in decades, the people of Konoha could feel it in their hearts—
> Their Hokage was a true leader.
A man of strength.
A Hokage of the Uchiha.
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