In the lightning-fast clash between taijutsu masters, Sakura Haruno's fists roared through the air. Even Killer B, in his tailed beast state, had to dodge the brunt of Sakura's monstrous strength, relying instead on the advantages of his tailed beast cloak and six writhing tails to engage her in a relentless brawl.
The少女's emerald eyes tracked her opponent's tails—agile, swift, yet brimming with savage power. Those tails moved like dexterous hands, constantly lashing out at Sakura with ferocious intent.
Fortunately, ever since suppressing the inner Sakura, her reaction speed had reached new heights. Every one of Killer B's attacks was pinpointed and intercepted with precision.
But to keep up with Killer B's relentless and calculated assault rhythm, Sakura had to hold back with each strike, always leaving room to maneuver. If she fought as recklessly as she had against the Raikage—using hands, feet, and even her head in a full-on assault—those extra six tails would become the deadliest of weapons.
This restraint made it seem as though Sakura was fighting timidly, hesitant to commit.
Kakashi Hatake, like a dagger cloaked in shadow, lurked in the darkness, poised to strike at Killer B the moment an opening appeared.
Meanwhile, Terumi Mei moved swiftly, her hands flashing through seals to complete her technique.
"Water Release: Water Whip Technique!"
The clear water beneath her feet surged into a long whip, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter stone, coalescing in her grasp.
With Sakura and Killer B locked in such close-quarters combat, Mei had to hold back most of her arsenal to avoid harming her teammate. Truth be told, against a jinchuriki like Killer B—who had achieved perfect harmony with the Eight-Tails—her techniques wouldn't have been all that effective anyway.
But now, with a frontline tank like Sakura soaking up Killer B's attention and even healing mid-fight, Mei could finally play a role in pinning him down.
Boil Release was born from the fusion of fire and water chakra, while Lava Release stemmed from water and earth chakra. Terumi Mei, a genius ninja, wielded water, fire, and earth chakra, each honed to perfection in both nature and shape transformation.
Crack!
A sudden sonic boom erupted across the battlefield as the whip lashed out at blinding speed, striking one of Killer B's tails before the naked eye could follow!
Under that single lash, the tail Mei struck wavered, its solid chakra form flickering as though it might collapse. A normal person could crack a whip to break the sound barrier—imagine the force behind Mei's strike!
It worked!
Sakura's sharp senses immediately registered the effect of Mei's attack.
"This woman's incredible. Why didn't she use that move earlier?" Sakura wondered.
Her observation didn't escape the notice of Gyuki, the Eight-Tails, who had been watching from within.
"That's because she was alone before, the only one who could hold me back. No one was there to keep me occupied. That water whip's got power, sure, but it's clearly meant for slower opponents," Killer B replied to Gyuki's inner commentary.
He was right— Mei had hesitated for exactly that reason. The water whip was devastating, but its true power lay at the tip. She had to channel her strength from her hand, amplifying it through the whip's length until it culminated in a force capable of shattering the air itself at the end. While the process seemed quick, against a ninja like Killer B, it was far too slow. The whip had other uses in combat, but against him, they were all but useless.
"B, there's still a Kakashi lurking in the shadows. Can you handle this?" Gyuki pressed, once again suggesting it take over.
Killer B was about to respond when Sakura struck.
Her foot slammed down onto Killer B's, disrupting the balance he maintained to stand on the water's surface. He stumbled, quickly regaining his footing.
"Fighting three people and you're still distracted?" Sakura taunted lightly. "What, chatting with the Eight-Tails?"
Her playful words belied the sheer ferocity of her fist. It rocketed forward without giving Killer B a moment to react, slamming into his abdomen!
Crack!
Another water whip struck—this time not at his tails, but square across Killer B's back! Even with the tailed beast cloak's protection, Mei's lash tore through, leaving his flesh raw and bleeding!
And then came Sakura's next blow—a heavy fist hurtling toward him!
Faced with Sakura's long-prepared monstrous strength, Killer B was like a helpless kitten, utterly defenseless. The punch sent him crashing into the water's surface!
But in that instant, a flash of azure lightning glinted in his peripheral vision!
Kakashi, who had been lying in wait beneath the water, seized the moment to launch a potentially lethal ambush!
"Damn, this is bad."
"One against three really is too much," Killer B muttered with a faint sigh, watching Kakashi surge toward him from below.
"Little Eight, I'm counting on you."
…
The entire lake fell into an eerie, fleeting silence.
Kakashi, charging toward Killer B, widened his eyes in shock!
Massive, thick tentacles erupted from beneath Killer B, each one grotesquely oversized and covered in spine-chilling suckers! And that wasn't all—his upper body was transforming at breakneck speed!
If his tailed beast chakra mode had still vaguely resembled a human form before, now he was utterly unrecognizable!
"ROAR!!!"
A bull-headed, humanoid figure with octopus legs—a monstrous behemoth dozens of meters tall—swept across the battlefield with unstoppable force!
The Eight-Tails had emerged without warning, its explosive presence dominating the scene! The violent chakra shockwave sent Kakashi, who had been poised to deliver a killing blow, hurtling backward!
The lake churned into towering waves under the creature's sudden arrival! Endless gusts of wind mixed with the water, unleashing a torrential storm!
In a frigid hellhole like the Land of Frost, those icy droplets stung bitterly against the skin.
Drenched from head to toe, Sakura gazed calmly at the raging colossus before her and immediately reached out to Jiraiya through her senses.
"Tell everyone to retreat."
Killer B had faced off against the Taka squad and even unleashed a Tailed Beast Bomb. Here, on this battlefield, he'd be even more dangerous. Though they'd already cleared the area of bystanders, it wasn't enough. If he got desperate, a Tailed Beast Bomb could raze everything to the ground. Even if they won this war, it'd be a pyrrhic victory—hardly in Konohagakure's or Sakura's best interests.
Thanks to Sage Mode's heightened perception, Jiraiya had sensed the Eight-Tails' release the moment it happened. No, he didn't even need sage senses—its sheer size was impossible to miss.
With one move to force a retreat, Jiraiya—having used Orochimaru's substitution technique earlier—employed the Mountain Travel Technique to order everyone away from the battlefield!
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