Uchiha Shisui was holding back the Tailed Beast Ball with apparent ease, but only he knew how quickly the cost was mounting.
Maintaining Susanoo while directly blocking a Tailed Beast Ball was draining his Mangekyō Sharingan at a terrifying rate. The power pouring out of his eyes felt like sand slipping through his fingers, and his vision was already beginning to blur.
Only now did Shisui fully grasp the danger.
Overuse the Mangekyō—and blindness was inevitable.
He didn't know whether the Mangekyō would retain any power after losing his sight, but one thing was certain: without vision, precise combat would be impossible.
He wanted to charge straight at Killer B and end this, but the distance was too great. Worse, Killer B could always evade and continue firing Tailed Beast Balls toward Konoha.
There was no opening.
Forced into a defensive position, Shisui could only endure the relentless bombardment, using Susanoo to shield the village behind him.
---
Within the Eight-Tails' consciousness, Gyūki laughed thunderously.
"Hahaha! Interesting! Truly interesting!"
"Back when Uchiha Madara came alone, he beat me senseless for no reason at all. And now, his descendant awakens Susanoo—but because of the villagers behind him, he can only stand there and take my attacks!"
"What a joke. Karma really does come full circle. Has Heaven ever spared anyone?"
Gyūki grew more arrogant with every word, continuously gathering chakra and launching one Tailed Beast Ball after another at Shisui's Susanoo.
Shisui clenched his teeth and held firm.
If Konoha weren't behind him, he would have already rushed forward and shown the Eight-Tails what true genjutsu terror felt like.
Inside his mental space, Killer B watched in silence, emotions tangled.
Just how badly had Gyūki been abused by Uchiha Madara in the past for him to harbor this much hatred toward Konoha?
---
Shisui issued a swift order to the ninja below.
Send word.
Call Uchiha Ran.
Only with Ran's arrival would Konoha have any chance of turning this around.
The clan ninja immediately withdrew into the village. This battle had long surpassed what ordinary shinobi could intervene in. Their task now was simple—follow Shisui's command and find Lord Ran as quickly as possible.
---
What they didn't know was that Ran had already heard the explosions.
As he passed the West Gate, the thunderous detonations from the North Gate reached his ears. His expression darkened instantly.
"So Kumogakure really dares to use weapons of war openly," Ran said coldly. "Fine. If they've lost all restraint, then I won't hold back either."
He accelerated abruptly.
Behind him, Nara Shikaku felt his soul nearly leave his body. He couldn't even cry out before the scenery blurred past.
When Ran saw the continuous flashes of Tailed Beast Balls erupting from the distant forest, a cold smile tugged at his lips.
A Jinchūriki choosing such a remote battlefield—how considerate.
"I'll go meet you myself."
Ran suppressed his presence completely and set Shikaku down at the foot of the mountain.
The two of them together were too conspicuous.
More importantly, Tailed Beasts possessed extremely sharp perception toward unfamiliar chakra and hostile intent. Any ordinary ninja would inevitably leak something, no matter how careful they were.
Only Ran—having fused with Uchiha Madara and possessing absolute control over his chakra—could move without triggering that instinctive alarm.
That was why Shikaku stayed behind.
---
In the small forest, Gyūki continued his assault.
"Blow it up! Blow it all up!" he roared. "Let's see how long you can hold on, green giant! Who do you think you are—Uchiha Madara?"
"Once you collapse, the village behind you becomes nothing but ruins!"
"Hehehe… just thinking about destroying the village founded by the Senju and the Uchiha makes this old ox excited!"
He was speaking to Killer B.
He was speaking to the heavens.
He was speaking to his fallen brothers and sisters.
He wanted them to know—
the Eight-Tails was taking revenge.
---
"Hey. You're awfully loud."
A cold voice echoed through the battlefield.
"Are you the one bombing Konoha?"
Ran stepped forward, hands gripping the Uchiha war scythe.
Gyūki was still showing off his newly formed Tailed Beast Ball.
"Hahaha, that's right, little brother! Look—round, smooth, and big—"
His words died instantly.
Gyūki turned his head.
At first glance, he saw only a human.
An idiot courting death.
Then he saw the crimson battle armor.
That face.
And the scythe.
His blood ran cold.
The memory slammed into him—
eight tentacles severed in a single exchange.
That soul-deep terror made his massive body tremble uncontrollably.
"U… Uchiha Madara?!"
"How are you still alive?! Humans aren't supposed to live this long! And why are you younger instead of older?!"
"Even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't escape aging and death—how is this possible?!"
Gyūki stared at Ran, his expression filled with disbelief and fear.
Ran paused.
Borrowing Madara's identity wasn't a bad idea.
He recalled Madara's voice, adjusted his tone, and spoke slowly.
"Oh? You still remember me, beast."
"Have your eight tentacles grown back?"
That was the final blow.
Gyūki's panic exploded.
The voice.
The manner.
The casual mention of his severed tentacles.
There was no doubt anymore.
The man before him was Uchiha Madara.
"M-Misunderstanding! Lord Madara!" Gyūki hurriedly said. "I was just trying to deal with the Senju! I would never touch the Uchiha Clan!"
"You know me! Little Eight—no, I mean, I'm the gentlest of the Tailed Beasts! I only fired those Tailed Beast Balls out of desperation!"
Cold sweat poured down his face.
Standing before him was the battlefield demon of the Warring States era—the only rival of the God of Shinobi, the man who once destroyed entire nations alone.
Ran's gaze was icy.
"Eight-Tails… bold of you."
"To attack the Konoha founded by Hashirama and me."
"Extend your hand."
After a long internal struggle, Gyūki sighed and reverted to his full Tailed Beast form.
Tentacles could grow back.
Killer B's arms could not.
"Lord Madara," Gyūki said cautiously, "which one would you like?"
Ran raised the war scythe.
Slash.
The largest tentacle was severed cleanly and sealed away in a scroll.
Gyūki didn't dare show anger. He forced an awkward smile.
"Madara-sama… is there anything else? If not, I'll return to the Land of Lightning. I promise I'll persuade everyone to withdraw."
Ran looked at him coldly.
"Can you speak for the Raikage?"
"I couldn't before," Gyūki replied quickly. "But now that you've appeared—yes. I can convince Kumogakure."
------
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