Chapter 424 – The End (Part 1)
Uchiha Kei's condition wasn't great—
But it was far from bad.
What truly surprised him was how terrifying the Eight-Tails' counterattack had been.
In such a short span of time, it had managed to gather an immense amount of chakra and instantly condense it into a Tailed Beast Bomb.
That counterstrike was even more devastating than their initial clash.
For the first time—
Kei had truly felt the presence of death.
Without hesitation, he activated the ability of his left eye—"Chrono Leap", forcibly accelerating himself to widen the distance.
But—
The shockwave from the explosion spread far faster than his reaction speed.
Even though he retreated quickly and avoided a portion of the impact—
The sheer scale and range of the blast left him with no way to fully escape.
Fortunately, the distance he created reduced the damage significantly.
And more importantly—
He had a way to recover.
If he pushed his right eye's ability—"Chrono Drift" to its limit, he could force time itself to flow backward for a target.
That was exactly what he had just done.
Although it consumed a massive amount of chakra and ocular power—
Maintaining peak combat condition was far more important.
Taking a deep breath, Kei pulled Imai Kenta into the Susanoo's internal chamber.
Then, he immediately controlled the Susanoo and rushed back toward the Eight-Tails.
The earlier retreat had taken him far from the battlefield—
But Susanoo's enormous size and mobility meant returning didn't take long.
---
"Do you still have enough chakra?"
Kenta rubbed his chest, which still felt tight and painful.
"Damn it… next time, give me a heads-up."
"That was insane."
"And if you're running low, I can transfer some chakra to you."
"Stop probing," Kei replied calmly, glancing at him.
"My chakra reserves are fine."
"As for what you saw earlier—"
"You can think of it as a special technique that restored my state to a previous point."
"It's a secret Sharingan ability."
"As for your chakra—save it for yourself."
Then Kei turned his gaze toward Hyūga Ayaka.
"Ayaka, I need your help with something."
"What is it?" she asked.
She had been quietly listening to their conversation.
She was curious about how Kei had reversed the blood flowing from his eye—
But since he had already given an explanation, even if it sounded questionable, she chose not to press further.
"Since we're posing as those 'mysterious people,' we need to act accordingly."
Kei spoke calmly.
"I've read some records."
"The Eight-Tails can sever its own tentacles."
"Those tentacles contain a large amount of chakra."
"To some extent, they can temporarily substitute for the tailed beast, allowing the jinchūriki to survive even after losing the main body."
"You're saying… you'll cut off its tentacles, and I'll seal them?" Ayaka asked.
She thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I understand."
"Normally Kenta would be better suited for sealing…"
"But he's not in great condition right now."
"I'll prepare."
Indeed—
Among the three of them, Kenta was the most skilled in sealing techniques.
But after taking that shockwave head-on, even with Wood Release protecting him—
He wasn't in peak condition.
Having Ayaka, who was still fresh and hadn't fought much, handle the sealing would be safer.
---
Before long, Kei returned to the battlefield.
Although he had retreated far using Chrono Leap, Susanoo's size and mobility allowed him to return quickly.
But when they arrived—
They realized the Eight-Tails' condition was far worse than expected.
Previously, it had only been somewhat injured.
Now—
It was utterly devastated.
Its body was covered in wounds.
Numerous tentacles had been completely obliterated.
If not for its continuous regeneration, it might have already become a "tailless beast."
One of its arms had also been blown off by the explosion.
Unfortunately, the severed limb had already disappeared—
Otherwise, Kei could have saved himself some effort.
More importantly—
Something about the Eight-Tails felt… off.
Or rather—
Something was wrong with Killer B's emotions.
The beast's eyes were bloodshot, filled with overwhelming hatred.
It looked as if it wanted to tear Kei apart and devour him alive.
Kei wasn't surprised.
This was the Cloud camp.
Even Kenta, who had been hunting Cloud shinobi and protected himself with Wood Release, had nearly died.
So what about the others?
The fate of the Cloud shinobi was obvious.
---
"Does it feel hopeless?"
Kei's hoarse voice echoed across the ruins.
"So many people are dead."
"They were your subordinates."
"They followed your orders."
"They fought for you."
"How does that feel?"
"YOU SHOULD DIE!" the Eight-Tails roared.
Though its voice was weak, the rage behind it was unmistakable.
Despair.
This was true despair.
An entire army—
Almost completely wiped out.
And worse—
It had happened as a result of their own clash.
No one could accept such an outcome.
Especially Killer B.
He had already carried guilt for losing over a thousand shinobi earlier.
Now—
This had happened again.
The weight of it was unbearable.
At this point, the only thing keeping him alive was likely a single thought:
Revenge.
---
"I told you before," Kei continued coldly.
"If you had come with us, none of this would have happened."
He had no interest in Killer B's future.
He only cared about the present.
"Now your subordinates are dead."
"As for the Fourth Raikage—"
"I didn't kill him."
"But after that blast… I doubt he'll survive."
"SHUT UP!" Killer B roared furiously.
The Eight-Tails' body suddenly began regenerating at an even faster rate.
"Ah… but I think he deserved it."
Uchiha Kei took a step forward, his massive Susanoo advancing with him.
"If he had agreed, none of this would have happened. You brought this upon yourselves."
"And now—"
"It's your turn."
The moment his voice fell, the pitch-black Susanoo drew its blade and charged straight at the Eight-Tails.
But at that very instant—
The Eight-Tails erupted with an overwhelming surge of chakra.
Its body regenerated almost completely in a single moment.
BOOM!
Another deafening explosion rang out.
The earth trembled violently once more.
Endless blasts echoed across the battlefield, and the vast forest visible to the naked eye was reduced to ruins.
At this point—
The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water resembled a scene from the apocalypse.
---
Meanwhile—
Uchiha Fugaku led Konoha's forces cautiously toward the Cloud camp.
Every step they took was filled with tension.
All Earth Release users were positioned at the front.
At the slightest sign of danger, they could immediately erect defensive barriers.
Even though the shockwaves were no longer as devastating as before—
The earlier explosion had already left a deep fear etched into their hearts.
They advanced slowly, carefully—
And before long, the ground beneath them began to tremble more violently.
Then—
They saw it.
Two colossal figures locked in battle.
One—
A towering black giant over a hundred meters tall, piercing the sky.
The other—
A slightly smaller, fifty-meter beast, yet radiating terrifying chakra.
The Eight-Tails.
Both exuded a pressure so overwhelming that it felt suffocating.
No one spoke.
Because to them—
Both sides were enemies.
The only difference was the degree of hatred.
For many Konoha shinobi, while they despised the Cloud Village—
They also hated the mysterious Uchiha who had once unleashed the Nine-Tails upon their home.
But soon—
That hatred began to shift.
---
"My god… what happened here…?!"
"Damn it… this…"
"If not for Captain Fugaku, we would've…"
"…!"
As the Konoha forces arrived at the Cloud camp—
They could no longer suppress their shock.
Corpses.
Everywhere.
Piled upon each other in grotesque heaps.
The sheer horror of the scene sent chills through their spines.
If this battle had taken place in Konoha—
Or even in their own camp—
They would have suffered the exact same fate.
Fugaku frowned deeply at the sight.
Then, subtly, he glanced toward a figure nearby—
A man disguised as a member of the Aburame clan.
That man was none other than Minato Namikaze.
Even Minato was shaken.
He knew Kei's objective was the Eight-Tails.
And yes—
They would strike the Cloud shinobi as well.
But this…
This wasn't just an attack.
This was total annihilation.
Minato felt a headache coming on.
This had escalated far beyond expectations.
The conflict between Konoha and the Cloud—
Had now reached the point of irreconcilable hatred.
Still—
Compared to the mysterious organization involving Obito, what concerned him more right now…
Was Kei.
Fortunately, Kei seemed unharmed.
But that didn't make things easier.
After thinking it through, Minato realized—
There was no point worrying anymore.
The situation had already gone this far.
The Cloud Village had initiated the war.
Even if they had been manipulated—
They had still chosen to strike Konoha.
If Konoha hadn't acted first—
The outcome might have been far worse.
So—
If they died, they died.
From the logic of war—
They had brought it upon themselves.
---
Minato gave a subtle nod.
Fugaku saw it—and relaxed slightly.
He understood.
Minato's meaning was clear.
Even if this disrupted their plans—
The Cloud Village was still their greatest enemy.
What had happened…
Could still be turned into an advantage.
Fugaku withdrew his gaze.
Minato couldn't reveal himself—
So Fugaku would take command.
At least, on the surface.
With a wave of his hand, the Konoha forces advanced once more.
But when they reached the edge of the battlefield—
They all froze.
---
BOOM!
Susanoo's blade came crashing down—
But the Eight-Tails dodged, retaliating instantly with a massive tentacle strike!
Despite its injuries—
Killer B was clearly fighting with everything he had.
He pushed his chakra to the limit, abandoning all restraint.
Kei, on the other hand, was in far better condition.
He had already restored much of his chakra and ocular power.
So when the Eight-Tails evaded his strike and counterattacked—
He remained completely unfazed.
Because now—
He had no intention of holding back.
The moment those massive tentacles were about to strike—
Kei's left Mangekyō spun violently.
In an instant—
Susanoo's speed surged.
With a slight shift of its body, it effortlessly dodged the attack.
Then—
The blade turned.
Wrapped in black, flame-like energy—
It slashed across the Eight-Tails' arm.
"ROOOAR—!"
A pained, furious howl echoed across the battlefield.
The Eight-Tails' arm was severed instantly.
But Kei didn't stop.
He raised his blade again, continuing his assault.
At that moment—
The Eight-Tails lifted its head and fired a barrage of chakra spheres from its mouth.
"Consecutive Tailed Beast Bombs?" Kei let out a cold laugh.
"You don't know when to quit."
His Mangekyō spun, leaving afterimages.
Susanoo gripped its massive blade with both hands—
And swept it across the battlefield.
For a fleeting moment—
Time itself seemed to freeze.
The divine slash carved through space—
And the incoming Tailed Beast Bombs were annihilated mid-air.
Explosions erupted one after another.
The land split apart once more.
A distant hill was cleaved clean in two.
Yet—
It still wasn't over.
Because Kei stood on the side of the Land of Hot Water—
Meaning the shockwaves wouldn't threaten Konoha's forces.
Using the chain of explosions and rising smoke as cover—
Kei moved.
In an instant.
His blade tore through the sky—
And came crashing down upon the Eight-Tails.
---
(End of Chapter)