A gentle breeze stirred through the forest, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and scorched earth.
For a brief moment, everything felt still.
Then—
The four figures moved at once.
Killer Bee burst forward like a storm unleashed, his body erupting into a dazzling whirl of blades. His unique Eight-Swords Style exploded into motion, a chaotic yet deadly rhythm of steel. Blades flashed from impossible angles—hands, elbows, knees, even his mouth—forming a relentless barrage that fell like torrential rain.
Each strike was sharp. Each movement was lethal.
Aoki Yoru's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Brace!"
The three of them immediately formed a defensive line, standing shoulder to shoulder. Their weapons rose in unison, barely managing to intercept the incoming storm.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Sparks exploded as steel collided with steel. The sheer force behind Killer Bee's attacks forced them back step by step, their arms trembling under the impact.
Even blocking was difficult.
"Now!"
Seizing a tiny opening, the trio leaped backward at the same time, widening the distance between themselves and their opponent.
Aoki Yoru exhaled slowly, steadying his breath.
"His swordsmanship is too unpredictable," he said, his tone sharp and focused. "We can't let him drag us into close combat."
His gaze shifted briefly to his teammates.
"Kenta and I will pressure him from the front. Yui—you provide long-range support."
He clenched his sword tighter.
"Don't give him space to breathe."
Killer Bee rolled his shoulders lazily, his blades tilting at odd angles as if alive.
"Yo… nice teamwork, brats," he said with a grin. "But you're still far from enough."
Kenta stepped forward.
Without hesitation, he tore off his outer jacket and tossed it aside. His muscles tensed, veins rising visibly beneath his skin.
Then—
He roared.
"Eight Gates… Third Gate—Gate of Life, OPEN!"
A violent surge of chakra erupted from his body. Green steam burst from his pores, swirling wildly like boiling mist. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the pressure.
But he didn't stop.
"Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain, OPEN!"
The energy intensified instantly.
The green aura thickened, roaring like a storm around him. His body trembled under the immense strain, muscles tightening to their absolute limits.
Inside Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails spoke sharply:
"Bee, be careful. His chakra has at least doubled."
Bee smirked, adjusting his stance.
"Don't worry. I ain't losing to kids."
Aoki Yoru watched in shock.
"So Guy-sensei really passed it down…" he muttered.
He could already see the damage. Kenta's muscles were beginning to tear under the strain. His bones creaked audibly. This level of power came at a terrifying cost.
"Kenta… don't overdo it," Yoru warned quietly.
But Kenta had already moved.
"Let's go!"
With a thunderous step, he launched forward.
The ground shattered beneath him.
His body blurred into a streak of green light as he shot toward Killer Bee with explosive speed.
Killer Bee raised his blades effortlessly.
"You're still eight hundred years too early to beat me!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The two clashed instantly.
Kenta's attacks came like a hurricane—fast, relentless, overwhelming. His speed multiplied with every second, creating multiple afterimages as he circled around Bee.
Yet—
Every strike was blocked.
Killer Bee twisted, bent, and contorted his body in ways that defied logic, intercepting each blow with precise, unnatural movements.
"Tch—!"
Aoki Yoru moved.
In a flash of lightning, he appeared behind Killer Bee. His blade crackled with Chidori, emitting a sharp, piercing hum.
He struck without hesitation.
"Clang!"
His eyes widened.
Another blade extended from beneath Killer Bee's arm, blocking the attack effortlessly.
"…You've got to be kidding me," Yoru muttered.
Bee grinned.
"Yo! That's just how I roll!"
Without wasting time, Aoki Yoru's body erupted in lightning. His speed surged as he began circling Bee alongside Kenta, constantly shifting angles, probing for weaknesses.
Then—
The battlefield changed.
A dense mist began to spread, slowly enveloping the area.
Yui's technique.
"Bee, be careful," the Eight-Tails warned again. "It's their setup."
Killer Bee narrowed his eyes behind his broken sunglasses, focusing more intently.
"Swish—!"
Blades of compressed wind tore through the mist from unseen angles, aiming directly for his blind spots.
Bee reacted instantly, twisting his body to block.
That moment—
That single opening—
"Now!"
Aoki Yoru struck.
His Chidori blade extended, slicing across Killer Bee's waist.
"Puchi!"
Blood splattered into the air.
A deep wound appeared, exposing flesh and bone beneath.
Killer Bee staggered slightly before retreating, dropping to one knee while clutching his side.
"…Not bad," he admitted, breathing heavier now. "You got me good."
But his eyes remained sharp.
No fear.
Only excitement.
Aoki Yoru didn't relax.
"Kenta—don't let him recover!"
Kenta wiped the blood from his mouth and roared again.
"Fifth Gate—Gate of Limit, OPEN!"
BOOM!
The green aura around him exploded violently, surging like a raging inferno. His muscles tore further, blood seeping through his clothes.
Aoki Yoru activated his full Lightning Armor, his body wrapped in crackling electricity.
"Finish this quickly."
The two vanished.
In an instant, they reappeared in front of Killer Bee.
Bee gritted his teeth, forcing all eight blades into motion, desperately blocking the combined assault.
Meanwhile—
At the edge of the battlefield—
Yui stood still, her hands forming seals.
Wind chakra spiraled rapidly in her palms, compressing into a sharp, rotating cone.
"Just a little more…"
This was her strongest technique—
Wind Release: Spiral Piercing.
A move designed to break even the toughest defenses.
She waited.
Watched.
Trusted.
Inside the battlefield—
Kenta suddenly broke through Bee's defense with a powerful punch.
"Crack!"
Bee's sunglasses shattered.
At that exact moment—
Aoki Yoru acted.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Flash Technique!"
A burst of intense light exploded outward.
Blinding.
Overwhelming.
Killer Bee's vision went completely white—
Then black.
"Now!" Yoru shouted.
Yui released her attack.
The spinning wind drill shot forward with a deafening screech, tearing through the air toward its target.
"Bee, move!" the Eight-Tails roared.
Blind, Bee relied purely on instinct.
He twisted his body.
Shifted slightly—
"BOOM!!!"
The attack struck.
A massive shockwave erupted, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.
The ground cracked.
The air trembled.
Silence followed.
"…Did it work?" Yui asked, breathing heavily.
Aoki Yoru didn't lower his guard.
"…Not yet."
The dust slowly cleared.
A figure stood within the fading smoke.
Killer Bee.
But something had changed.
From his back, eight massive tentacles extended outward, wrapping tightly around his body like a shield.
One of them, however—
Had a clean, circular hole pierced straight through it.
The cut was smooth.
Precise.
The tentacles slowly lowered.
Revealing—
A wound through his shoulder.
Blood dripped steadily.
Killer Bee wiped his mouth, spitting out blood.
"…Heh."
His grin returned.
"You brats… actually hurt me."
His voice dropped.
Cold.
Dangerous.
"But now…"
His chakra surged violently, shaking the ground beneath them.
"…you're dead."
Aoki Yoru's expression changed instantly.
"Everyone—get ready!"
The air grew heavy.
Oppressive.
Killer Bee raised his head.
"Eight-Tails!"
A monstrous presence began to awaken.
The ground trembled.
The forest shook.
Aoki Yoru's instincts screamed.
"Careful… the real battle starts now."
Then—
Suddenly—
His expression froze.
Something was wrong.
Far away—
On the main battlefield—
He felt it.
Kakashi's chakra…
Fading.
Rapidly.
"…No."
Aoki Yoru's eyes widened.
"Kakashi-sensei…!"
The situation had just taken a turn for the worse.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)