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"Hey!"
Sensing the sharp whistle of wind, Killer B's expression tightened. He instantly raised his right arm, blocking Chen Xing's powerful kick with a solid forearm guard. The impact sent a shockwave across the ground.
But Chen Xing wasn't disappointed. Using the rebound to his advantage, he twisted mid-air and struck again, leaving behind a faint trail of violet lightning residue.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Their figures flashed and collided across the battlefield in a blur. The two exchanged dozens of blows within mere seconds, each impact shaking the surrounding terrain.
To an outside observer, the fight was nearly invisible. Killer B's three disciples — Samui, Karui, and Omoi — could barely track their movements. Occasionally, a spark of lightning or a brief afterimage appeared before vanishing again.
"This guy… even Darui-senpai might not be able to beat him," Samui murmured, her eyes wide. Darui, known as the successor to the Third Raikage's Black Lightning, was one of Kumogakure's strongest jonin.
"He's incredible," Omoi admitted, clutching his sword. "I've seen sensei fight plenty of times, but I've never seen anyone trade blows with him like this!"
Karui crossed her arms and snorted. "Tch. He's strong, sure — but sensei hasn't even drawn his swords yet. Once he gets serious, this guy's done for."
A sudden boom echoed as both fighters were blasted apart by the force of their own clash.
Chen Xing landed, sliding backward across the scorched earth. His expression grew serious. "Warming up's over."
He flipped his hand, and a crackling blade of violet lightning formed in his grip — the Sword of Raijin, forged from pure chakra. Arcs of electricity danced along its edge, humming with lethal energy.
Killer B grinned, flexing his arms. "Yo~, that body of yours is tough, young blood! YEAH~!"
Though he hadn't yet drawn the seven blades strapped to his back, his tone carried genuine curiosity as he eyed Chen Xing's lightning weapon.
Inside the sealed space of the Eight-Tails, Gyūki rumbled, his deep voice echoing.
"B, don't underestimate him. That kid's chakra is enormous — maybe not jinchūriki-level, but definitely above ordinary shinobi."
"I know, bro~, but he's still not my match, yo~, yeah~," B sang back with his usual rhythm, earning a sigh from the tailed beast.
"You and your rapping... can you ever be serious?"
Back on the battlefield, Chen Xing raised the Sword of Raijin. Lightning flared violently, carving deep cracks into the ground as he swung down toward B.
"Take this!"
The surge of lightning extended outward, splitting the earth like a thunderbolt racing across the soil.
"Nice move, kid! OH YEAH~!"
Killer B leapt backward, finally unsheathing his blades in a whirlwind motion. In an instant, seven swords spun around his body in an impossible dance — one in his mouth, others balanced under his arms, across his elbows, and even behind his knees. His signature Seven-Sword Style came alive.
"Whrrr!!!"
He spun like a whirlwind of steel, parrying Chen Xing's thunderous slash head-on. Sparks of lightning scattered as steel met chakra-forged energy.
Chen Xing didn't flinch. His eyes sharpened, and he darted forward again, unleashing a flurry of lightning-charged strikes that clashed against B's seven swords in rapid succession.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Boom!"
The final clash sent both of them sliding backward again.
But Chen Xing didn't pause. The lightning around his sword intensified, and he lunged again — this time thrusting straight for B's chest.
"Fast—!" Killer B's eyes widened. He barely crossed two of his blades in time, deflecting the Raijin blade by a hair's breadth.
The instant their weapons touched, a surge of lightning discharged violently along B's swords, arcing through his arms.
"Tch— what a strange sword. It feels almost like the Legendary Sword of the Thunder God… but not quite," B muttered.
Blue sparks burst from his body as he poured chakra outward. A layer of Lightning Release Armor (Raiton: Chakura Mōdo) wrapped around him, instantly nullifying the current.
"Lightning Armor…" Chen Xing murmured, unfazed. "Just as I thought."
Without hesitation, he formed hand seals mid-air. "Fūton: Daitoppa! (Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!)"
A powerful hurricane surged forward, tearing through the battlefield and scattering debris everywhere. The winds howled like a tornado, carrying leaves, dust, and broken stones in its path toward Killer B.
"Yo~, not bad!" B laughed. "Raiton: Chōonpa — Ken! (Lightning Style: Sonic Shock Blade!)"
He infused his swords with lightning chakra, vibrating the blades at ultrasonic speed. Then he slashed — the shockwave cut straight through the incoming wind torrent, splitting it cleanly in half and dispersing it into two roaring streams that tore up the surrounding terrain.
Wind-style was supposed to have an advantage over lightning — but not when used against Killer B's chakra-enhanced blades.
Samui, Karui, and Omoi shielded their faces from the flying sand.
"Incredible…" Samui whispered.
"When can I learn to do that?" Omoi muttered.
Karui huffed. "Told you — sensei's on another level!"
Meanwhile, Chen Xing landed lightly and immediately started forming seals again.
"Katon: Karyū Endan! (Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!)"
"Fūton: Daitoppa! (Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!)"
Fire and wind merged in front of him, combining into a blazing vortex. The air trembled under the pressure.
"Fūton-Katon: Arashi Ryū! — Storm Dragon Technique!"
The fiery dragon, now wrapped in a spiraling hurricane, roared forth. Its heat distorted the air, leaving a glowing trail of devastation in its wake.
Inside the Eight-Tails' seal, Gyūki's single eye widened.
"He's using a composite nature transformation?! Impossible at his age! That requires extreme chakra control and mastery of two advanced elements!"
"I told you he's not normal, yo~!" B sang nervously.
The massive firestorm dragon crashed down toward Killer B like a living inferno.
"BOOM!!!"
The explosion engulfed the entire field. Fire and wind fused into a roaring storm that scorched the sky itself. The shockwave sent the watching genin tumbling backward.
When the smoke finally cleared, Killer B was still standing — but now his body was cloaked in red chakra, bubbling violently around him. Six tails whipped behind his back, radiating raw power. His pupils had taken on the feral slit of the Eight-Tails.
Chen Xing's expression hardened. The overwhelming chakra pressure made the ground tremble beneath his feet.
"So… that's it," he muttered. "The power of a tailed beast."
Samui whispered from afar, awe in her voice, "That's what sensei called it… the true strength of the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki."
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