After deciding to finish things quickly, flames suddenly erupted across Kiyosuke's body. At the same time, Killer Bee was shrouded in the chakra cloak of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.
The crimson shroud made his massive frame look like a demon. The two horns atop his head were striking, and behind him, eight tails swayed with overwhelming force.
He lifted his right arm. White bone slowly grew across it until it formed into a bull's skull that locked over his forearm. Kiyosuke lowered his stance, chakra condensing heavily in his legs.
"Lariat!!!"
Killer Bee launched himself forward like a runaway jet, the horned arm crashing into the monster ahead and smashing it with brutal force.
At that same moment, Kiyosuke moved in for the finishing blow.
He leapt into the air, one leg glowing with dazzling red light. Like a blazing meteor, he came crashing down.
The power behind the strike instantly tore apart the monster's body. Already ravaged by Killer Bee's Lariat in his Tailed Beast Mode, the creature couldn't withstand Kiyosuke's blow. This attack brought its life to an abrupt end.
BOOM!!!
A pillar of fire roared into the sky, forcing Killer Bee to stagger back.
"Hot, hot, hot! Is this guy even human? He's a freakin' monster!"
Inside him, the Eight-Tails rumbled, "These ten years have only made him stronger. Bee, you're not his match anymore."
This man's strength… perhaps only the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, could compare. Killer Bee knew he couldn't defeat him.
"Yo, I'm still the mighty Killer Bee. Someday I'll surpass him!"
That's what he said, but deep down, Bee knew the gap between him and Kiyosuke wasn't something hard training alone could close.
Damn it… his body was just way too broken.
From within the pillar of fire, Kiyosuke strode out completely unscathed. He glanced at the charred, barely human skeleton that remained, raised his hand, and shot a sphere of light from his palm. The blast obliterated the bones, leaving not even a complete corpse behind.
Afterward, he said, "Let's go. Looks like there are enemies up ahead too."
Through his sensory perception, he could feel seven new chakra signatures surrounding Naruto's group—they had run into fresh enemies.
Without a word, Killer Bee bolted ahead. But he quickly rushed back.
"Uh… which direction are they in?"
Kiyosuke's face twitched with exasperation. After pointing out Naruto's location, he and Killer Bee sped off together.
It didn't take long to arrive. As soon as they did, Kiyosuke saw Pakura incinerate a man alive, burning him into a dried husk.
Killer Bee flinched in shock.
"So that's Scorch Release, huh? Damn, that's scary as hell! You gave me the chills, girl!"
Pakura, Ao, and Kitsuchi stayed behind to hold off the enemy. The younger ninja had already retreated, and Naruto wasn't there. From Kiyosuke's sensing, Naruto had gone a different route with Shion—just the two of them.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's unit had two of Naruto's shadow clones with them. Clearly, Naruto himself was headed toward the Land of Swamps with Shion, while the main group guarded his clones to throw off pursuit.
A clever strategy.
Right now, a large force moving together would only attract danger. With Naruto's strength, as long as he didn't run into that insect-devouring freak or an enemy boss, he could keep Shion safe on his own.
And with the main army acting as a distraction, Naruto's risks would be much lower.
Kiyosuke gave a satisfied nod. Whoever devised this plan—well done.
"Killer Bee-sama has arrived!!!"
Bee dove in, drawing all seven of his short swords. He gripped them between his elbows, knees, shoulders, and even his mouth. Then, spinning like a whirling top, his blades bloomed outward like deadly flower petals. Those "petals" could slice open a man's throat in an instant.
"Damn troublesome bastard!"
One enemy roared, retreating. Bee stopped his spin, seized the seven blades in his hands, and unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes until all seven pierced through the man's body.
Kiyosuke dropped into the fight as well. He caught one enemy by the head, halting his attack on Pakura.
"Yo. You okay?"
Pakura shot him a glare.
"You nearly scared me to death. But… thanks."
CRACK.
The man's skull shattered in Kiyosuke's grip. As he released the body, a snake slithered from his sleeve, its jaws opening wide to spit out the Kusanagi Blade. The gleam of the legendary sword drew Pakura's eyes.
"That's Orochimaru's sword, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Orochimaru-sensei gave it to me."
Ah, ever the sycophant. Kabuto was probably still kissing up to him even now…
The Kusanagi suddenly extended, spearing through the head of an enemy who had been fighting Ao, and flinging the corpse over a hundred meters away. The blade itself stretched just as far.
The Kusanagi was sharp enough to cut even Enma the Monkey King's adamantine body. That alone spoke of its terrifying edge. And its length could extend? This was the first time Kiyosuke had used this technique—and he found it pretty fun.
Retracting the blade, he gripped the sword in hand again. At the same time, Kitsuchi trapped another enemy in stone with Earth Release, clapping his palms together.
RUMBLE.
The ground split open, slamming down and crushing the man without even a scream.
Ao, too, finished his opponent with a secret technique.
Only one enemy remained.
The five of them turned to him with cold, merciless eyes. The unlucky bastard broke and fled in terror.
But they had no intention of letting him escape.
Killer Bee pulled out his pencil, infused it with Lightning Release chakra, and hurled it.
The pencil pierced the man's heart and stuck halfway into a tree.
THUD.
The corpse collapsed to the ground.
"Alright… now we—"
Just as Kiyosuke was about to lead them away, the ground beneath them trembled. They leapt up into the trees, watching warily as dust rose below.
From within the haze, a new squad of the Ghost Army appeared.
No one knew how this unit had suddenly shown up here, but one thing was clear—they had come to stop them.
"This isn't good. Getting bogged down by these guys will be a pain."
"But they can't catch us if we run."
"True, but—"
Kiyosuke suddenly raised his hand and caught an arrow in midair.
His eyes widened.
An instant later, a rain of arrows came pouring down.
"…!"
Pakura and the others quickly dodged aside.
But Kiyosuke's body was riddled with holes.
"This isn't funny. At this rate, even drinking water'll leak right out of me."
He glanced down at the dozen punctures in his body as he spoke.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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