Terrifying Power

In the dark forest, a red light shot into the sky. Its scarlet pillar was clearly visible from dozens of kilometers away.

"As expected of Orochimaru. He actually made Brother Blue B use Tailed Beast Transformation!" Kuruda gazed toward the red light, his tone calm, though a faint trace of worry showed in his eyes.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the dense forest shrouded in darkness, another group of people wearing animal masks stopped and looked toward the red light not far away.

These people were all Anbu, and all elites among them. There were more than ten in total, every one of them a Jonin. Yet the one leading them was not a Jonin, but a middle-aged man with a full head of white hair. He was none other than Konoha's White Fang, renowned throughout the Shinobi World, the man who made the Suna Ninja blanch at the mention of him with a single blade.

Looking up at the distant red light, White Fang muttered, "Tailed Beast Transformation? Looks like the Kumo Ninja didn't send anyone ordinary this time. I hope Orochimaru can hold out until we get there."

"Everyone, follow me!" White Fang called over his shoulder. He shot forward, heading straight for the red light.

At that moment, Orochimaru and Blue B's battle had reached its fiercest point.

Blue B's entire body was covered in dark red Chakra. It was Chakra unique to Tailed Beasts, full of terrifying power yet deeply evil, possessing all kinds of negative elements in the world.

Blue B had entered a state of Partial Tailed Beast Transformation. Every part of his body was changing to resemble a beast, and six Tailed Beast tails waved behind him, though he barely maintained a human form.

But Blue B's current state and the aura he unleashed were several times stronger than before. His whole body radiated terrifying power that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth, and all of it came from the Tailed Beast Chakra sealed inside him.

Facing Blue B in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, Orochimaru's expression was graver than ever. He could clearly sense just how terrifyingly powerful the humanoid beast before him was.

Whoosh...

Several sounds cut through the air as three long tails of dark red Chakra shot straight at Orochimaru like arrows loosed from a bow, terrifying Chakra rushing at his face.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru thrust out his right hand, which transformed into more than a dozen giant white snakes. Their bloody maws gaped wide as they lunged to bite the incoming dark red tails.

But how could a mere handful of white snakes summoned by Orochimaru possibly match the long Chakra tails? The moment they collided, the dozen or so giant white snakes were torn into countless pieces.

The Chakra tails continued with undiminished force, reaching Orochimaru in an instant and slamming into him like a speeding car.

Bang...

Wave after wave of force struck him. Even Orochimaru could not help letting out a muffled grunt as his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string. He fell to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yemo stared in shock. This was the power of a Tailed Beast, truly terrifying. Blue B had only undergone a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation and revealed six tails, yet even someone as strong as Orochimaru struggled to withstand him.

No wonder the Five Great Shinobi Villages placed so much importance on Jinchūriki. This was practically a walking nuclear weapon. A Tailed Beast's destructive power was simply too great.

Orochimaru slowly rose from the ground and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Instead, he said excitedly, "As expected of the Eight-Tails. Its power is truly terrifying. Today, let me experience a Jinchūriki's power for myself."

"Roar!"

Blue B let out a beastlike howl. Sound waves visible to the naked eye spread outward, passing through like a hurricane. Leaves scattered, and trees shook violently.

Although he had only undergone a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, Blue B still retained his own consciousness and had not been taken over by the Eight-Tails. His figure flashed, and he appeared directly in front of Orochimaru, moving more than twice as fast as before.

Orochimaru met him head-on, gripping a Kunai in both hands. The two moved at incredible speed, a continuous stream of afterimages sweeping through the air. One earth-shattering boom followed another as terrifying shock waves burst in every direction.

Orochimaru was strong, but how could he match Blue B in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation? In just a few exchanges, Orochimaru fell into a disadvantage and was completely suppressed.

After dozens of exchanges, Blue B finally tore the giant snake Orochimaru had summoned in half with his bare hands. He slammed a punch into Orochimaru, sending him flying like a cannonball.

Bang, bang! Orochimaru flew backward, smashing several large trees to pieces in succession. Shattered branches and leaves filled the air before he slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"This Tailed Beast power is a fucking bug!"

Watching the fight, Yemo could not help complaining. Before Blue B had used the Tailed Beast's power, Orochimaru had completely suppressed him and nearly killed him.

But once Blue B used the Tailed Beast's power, his combat strength instantly increased severalfold. Now it was Orochimaru who was being beaten back. Even Orochimaru struggled to withstand the Eight-Tails' power.

Damn it, why hasn't the backup arrived yet? If this goes on, I'm afraid Orochimaru will meet his end here, Yemo thought anxiously.

Although Yemo had a poor impression of Orochimaru, he did not want him to die here. Yemo was certain that Orochimaru had notified the Konoha High Command and that the High Command had sent reinforcements, but they should still be on the way.

The Orochimaru of this time was still young, not the scientific madman of the future, nor the Orochimaru who would develop a forbidden immortality technique.

Suddenly, Yemo sensed a powerful fluctuation of energy. He quickly looked at Blue B, and his expression changed drastically.

Blue B had his head tilted back and his mouth open. Black "yang" Chakra and white "yin" Chakra, both visible to the naked eye, gathered in his mouth. Slowly, the Chakra condensed into a black sphere.

Gulp!

Yemo could not help swallowing hard, a flash of fear crossing his face. It was a Tailed Beast Bomb! It seemed Blue B was determined to kill Orochimaru, even using a Tailed Beast Bomb.

The Tailed Beast Bomb was a technique exclusive to Tailed Beasts, an S-rank Ninjutsu that Jinchūriki could also use after undergoing Tailed Beast Transformation. Its destructive power was earth-shattering, enough to easily destroy several mountains or an entire shinobi village!

Although the one before him was not a true Tailed Beast Bomb, it still counted as a Partial Tailed Beast Bomb. The destructive power it unleashed would be enough to wipe out the surrounding forest, and he was within its range.

Seeing the Tailed Beast power Blue B was gathering, Orochimaru sensed a mortal threat, his expression indescribably grave. I have to stop this attack no matter what. It looks like I have no choice but to use that technique. I hope nothing goes wrong this time.

Orochimaru said a few words to himself, then raised his thumb and bit down hard. Blood flowed from his finger, and he dragged the bloodied thumb firmly across his right palm, leaving a streak of blood.

The next second, Orochimaru rapidly formed Hand Seals. At the same time, Blue B finally compressed the highly concentrated Chakra into a black sphere.

Aiming toward Orochimaru, Blue B spat the Tailed Beast Bomb from his mouth. The black Tailed Beast Bomb streaked through the air like a star falling from the sky.

"Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon!"

Orochimaru roared and slammed his right hand against the ground. The earth trembled, and then something burst out of it: a series of giant gates painted with demons. There were three gates in all, taller than many trees, standing before Orochimaru like giants reaching to the heavens.

"That Ninjutsu..." How could Yemo, a Hokage fan, fail to recognize it? It was Fivefold Rashomon, inherited from the First Hokage, the ultimate absolute defense technique. "If it's that Ninjutsu, it can definitely block the Tailed Beast Bomb's attack."

Like a gate of asuras summoned from hell, it lightly blocked attacks as if mocking its opponent. That was Rashomon.

The Tailed Beast Bomb slammed into the giant gates Orochimaru had summoned like a meteor streaking through the night. Its power was so great that the first giant gate did not hold out for long before it was blasted apart. The second gate did not last long either and was likewise blasted apart.

But after smashing through two giant gates in succession, the Tailed Beast Bomb had apparently expended most of its power. It struck the third giant gate and erupted in an earth-shattering explosion.