After several scrappy exchanges, Guren, Jūgo, and Suigetsu barely scratched Bee and were, frankly, getting wrecked.
Bee was actually having a blast, his rap inspiration flowing non-stop.
He knew big bro worried about his safety and kept him cooped up in Unraikyō, but staying in one place alone for too long is boring as hell.
So when a few intruders came to "kill some time," he didn't mind taking things seriously for a bit.
After they were beaten back yet again, Guren turned to Kabuto. "Get in there! Since you've inherited Orochimaru-sama's legacy, you must have some real power. If you don't show a couple moves, we won't accept you."
Suigetsu, frustrated from his own beating, agreed. "Yeah, Kabuto, your turn."
"Tch, useless, the lot of you!"
Kabuto had no choice but to go himself.
He pulled open his shirt; at his navel, half a snake had literally grown out—its head flicking a tongue.
"Senpō: Hakugeki no Jutsu (Sage Art: White Rage)!"
He suddenly spat out a crimson light-dragon, which orbited a black orb a few times before diving into it. The orb detonated—blinding light and a piercing screech burst forth. Everyone on the field had to shut their eyes and clamp their ears, faces twisting in pain.
Even Bee wasn't spared—Kabuto's trick was the real deal.
But Bee knew losing sight and hearing was dangerous. He back-flipped fast, throwing up a bijū cloak to shield himself.
Sure enough, Kabuto followed up instantly.
The serpent at his belly morphed into a human face—Kimimaro's visage—and he unleashed "Sawarabi no Mai (Dance of the Seedling Fern)." Needle-sharp bone spikes erupted from the ground, racing toward Bee. If Bee hadn't flipped away just in time, he'd have been skewered like a hedgehog.
Seeing that fail, the belly-face shifted to Kidomaru, who spewed a mass of spider webs.
By sheer luck, one sheet slapped onto Bee, gluing him to a rock wall.
"The Hachibi jinchūriki is captured!"
Kabuto pushed up his glasses with smug confidence, as if the board was already won.
Before long, everyone's vision cleared, and more than one glare landed on Kabuto.
Karin snapped, "Kabuto, you bastard! If you were gonna use something like that, give a warning! You did that on purpose!"
"Heh, I don't know what you're talking about," Kabuto denied blandly. He'd only wanted to put insolent teammates in their place with a little 'demonstration,' and some friendly fire happened. What was the problem?
Guren eyed Bee bound in the web. "You sure that can really hold him?"
As she suspected, Bee was hyped now. Since these guys had some bite, he didn't mind going all out. He immediately began transforming.
In moments, the colossal ox-octopus—Gyūki—towered over the lake.
Karin shivered. "T-that's the Eight-Tails? It's huge! How are we supposed to capture that?"
Kabuto's expression tightened. He knew Bee wasn't easy prey. Back in the Third Shinobi War, the A–Bee brothers shone as bright as the Yellow Flash. Bee could transform even then—now he was undoubtedly a perfect jinchūriki. That kind of foe is terrifying.
"Baka-yarō, kono-yarō! Feast your eyes on my Bijūdama (Tailed Beast Bomb)!"
Gyūki opened wide, gathering a massive inky sphere before blasting it at them.
Kabuto's side leapt to the water's surface, narrowly evading the shot—but the Bijūdama still annihilated an entire mountainside. The ruckus would definitely alert Kumogakure.
They had to finish this fast.
Kabuto barked, "Suigetsu, Guren—move!"
Knowing things were dire, Suigetsu surged up an ocean of water and shaped a colossal jellyfish, merging himself inside it. Gyūki charged—Suigetsu drove the water-jellyfish straight in, trading blows head-on.
Guren flashed through seals. "Shōton: Hakkyō Ryū no Jutsu (Crystal Release: Crystal Dragon Formation)!"
The lake below began to crystallize as, under her control, a gigantic crystal dragon coiled up and swept toward Gyūki.
"Senpō: Muki Tensei (Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation)!"
Kabuto slammed senjutsu chakra into the water, animating the lake itself. The water coiled from below, trying to bind Gyūki's tentacles.
But they still underestimated a bijū.
Gyūki heaved once and tore free, then crashed forward—shattering the crystal dragon. A stray tentacle swatted Suigetsu's jellyfish aside, sending him flying.
Faces rippled again across Kabuto's abdomen; Tayuya's appeared, flute to her lips, weaving a sound-based genjutsu.
But Bee was a perfect jinchūriki. Even if he slipped, the Hachibi would rouse him instantly. The illusion did little, and Kabuto was forced back by lashing tentacles.
At this point, anyone with a brain could see they couldn't beat Bee—much less capture him.
Kabuto, however, refused to give up. He'd finally found the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki; there was no way he'd let such a bargaining chip go.
His hands blurred, then he slapped the lake. "Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation)!!"
With a splash, a coffin rose from beneath the surface. The lid slid open—inside was Rōshi, the Four-Tails' jinchūriki they had previously captured. Rōshi had died after the bijū extraction, yet Kabuto had brought him back with Edo Tensei. The man truly wasted no talent.
Kabuto stabbed a special kunai into the back of Rōshi's head. Rōshi's eyes snapped open.
"I—I died… So what is this now?"
Confusion flickered over his face, but clarity followed: he was a puppet, forced to fight the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
Fiery chakra flared. Even without the bijū inside him, Edo Tensei let him mimic a jinchūriki's powers.
"Yōton: Shakuga Ryūgan no Jutsu (Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique)!"
Whoom! Whoom! Whoom!
Several massive magma orbs howled toward Gyūki. With such a gigantic body, he was the easiest target in the world. The blasts seared him, drawing a pained bellow; a few tentacles were nearly charred black.
Kabuto finally looked satisfied. "As expected—use a jinchūriki to handle a jinchūriki. Rōshi, press the attack!"
Rōshi, under control, snapped into a lava-chakra mode, molten rock sheathing his body. A living magma man, he charged Gyūki.
Sizzle—sizzle—sizzle!
Tentacles burned viciously, and Gyūki's roars shook the canyon.
(End of Chapter)
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