Let Me Have a Little Fun

"Asui..."

Looking at the severed head, the Fourth Raikage's brows furrowed tightly as rage abruptly rose in his heart.

Asui had been an Elite Jonin he had stationed at the border, one of Kumogakure's few masters of swordsmanship.

But now...

That familiar face held nothing but fear, along with faint confusion.

Asui must have witnessed something terrifying before seeing his own headless body.

Even at the moment of his death, he had not even had time to react before his head was cut off in an instant...

It seemed that not only Leaf Village's people, but even their Kumogakure personnel had been attacked!

"Big Brother, what happened?"

Seeing this, even the usually unserious Killer B grew solemn.

Asui had been one of his few die-hard fans, and Killer B had personally taught him swordsmanship before.

"Yo, yo~ An Elite Jonin taken out clean and quick. Big Brother, this ain't slick~"

Listening to Killer B's rap, the Fourth Raikage merely frowned.

He understood what Killer B meant.

"Elite Jonin" was not an exact measure of strength, but rather a title used in the Shinobi World for the outstanding among Jonin. After all, there were considerable gaps in strength even among Jonin.

Kumogakure had no shortage of Jonin compared to the other ninja villages, yet there were only around one hundred and fifty of them.

These "Elite Jonin" were even renowned throughout the entire Shinobi World. They were already among the top combat forces of every ninja village and could even serve as candidates for Kage.

Yet now, one had been dealt with so cleanly.

It was hard to imagine just how terrifying the enemy's strength was.

The Fourth Raikage crouched down, closed Asui's unseeing eyes, then examined the fatal wounds on the other corpses.

"...Asui was killed instantly by a high-speed Lightning Release Ninjutsu. It does indeed look very similar to the Liger Bomb."

The Fourth Raikage's frown deepened, while Killer B at his side spoke up as well. "Yo, yo~ Yeah~ Gyūki says, Tailed Beast Chakra~ Fool~ Idiot~"

So it really was a Jinchuriki?

A Tailed Beast Cloak, along with high-speed Lightning Release Ninjutsu... no wonder Leaf Village had insisted that Kumogakure struck first.

The Fourth Raikage looked up at Killer B. "Can the Eight-Tails tell which Tailed Beast this Chakra belongs to?"

"No~ But one thing's certain: a perfect Jinchuriki~" Killer B shook his head, then added.

Tailed Beast Chakra, normally so violent, was actually this quiet and peaceful.

Without a doubt, only a perfect Jinchuriki who had mutually understood and accepted their Tailed Beast, successfully gaining control over its Chakra, could achieve that.

The Eight-Tails Gyūki's voice rang out in Killer B's mind. "Right now, you are the only perfect Jinchuriki in the entire Shinobi World. When did another one appear?"

Just as the two tried to gather more intelligence from the scene—

Rustle, rustle, rustle~

The Fourth Raikage abruptly rose to his feet. Strands of lightning coiled around his tense body as he stared fixedly into the depths of the forest.

"Awoo!!!"

A wolf's howl suddenly rang out.

Then more and more howls followed, shattering the stillness of the night.

Pairs of green-glowing eyes emerged from the shadows, and jackals bared their fangs as they stepped out from the woods.

"A pack of wolves?"

The Fourth Raikage looked down at the pack, a trace of gravity rising in his heart.

The jackals' eyes glowed green as they stared fixedly at the headless corpses, saliva dripping from their mouths. They were clearly ravenous.

Yet not a single one stepped forward to feed. Instead, they surrounded the Fourth Raikage and Killer B, as though waiting for something.

"Rat hiding in the shadows! If you've got the guts, get the hell out here!"

Lightning crackled around the Fourth Raikage as he shouted into the dark forest.

Rustle, rustle, rustle~

"Don't put on such a brave face. It only makes you look all bark and no bite."

A smiling voice came from the darkness of the forest, yet in stark contrast, icy killing intent swiftly spread toward A and Killer B.

The greed in the wolves' eyes turned to fear. They lowered their bodies and retreated, opening up a path.

A figure clad in a black robe with a fur collar, wearing a white Three-Eyed Fox Mask, slowly emerged from the shadows.

But in the very next second—

The Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, moved and instantly vanished from where they stood.

Boom!

A thunderous crash rang out. The earth trembled, the ground suddenly caved in, and web-like cracks spread outward.

"Rats that only know how to hide in the dark!"

A and Killer B stood in the crater, but the figure they had attacked was already gone.

Lightning around A's body had seemingly condensed into a suit of armor, while Killer B was enveloped in a faint red Tailed Beast Cloak.

"B! Be careful, this guy is strong!"

"Yeah, I know~"

Killer B's expression turned even more solemn. The Tailed Beast Chakra around him grew redder, as though it were about to solidify.

Dark red Tailed Beast Chakra covered his entire body. Tails gradually grew from behind him, while hard, sharp white bones formed around his elbows.

"What a hotheaded pair."

Menma stood atop a tree, looking down at the two brutes below as he calmly mocked them.

Then he formed a hand seal, and a massive wave of Chakra spread outward.

Nine Mask Svāhā!

Immediately afterward, an array formed of nine circles appeared behind Menma.

Ao, White, Scarlet, Dark, Void, South, North, Three, Jade!

Bzzz!

The circular symbol bearing the word "Ao" flashed with blazing light, and a long, slender figure poked its head out from within it.

Boom!

A and Killer B did not stand there foolishly. In perfect unspoken coordination, they stomped down, their overwhelming force shattering the ground inch by inch.

"B!"

"Big Brother!"

Double Liger Bomb!!

The two charged at Menma, one in front and one behind.

Their movement speed alone broke the sound barrier, leaving deep fissures in the ground along their path.

The scene seemed frozen in place.

Yet time continued to pass bit by bit.

Uzumaki Menma stood there stupidly, looking as though he had not reacted at all.

But just as A and Killer B's attacks were about to land—

Roar!!

A deafening roar erupted as a Summoning Beast wearing the same mask as Menma appeared.

Nine Mask Svāhā—Azure Dragon!

Though Azure Dragon was massive, it was incredibly fast.

Before A and Killer B could halt their offensive, its incomparably thick tail smashed directly into them, violently swatting them back.

"What a strange Summoning Technique! Why are its Chakra fluctuations so obscure?"

A straightened up and rubbed his wrist, staring at the bizarre Summoning Beast in the air that he had never seen before, his eyes filled with icy killing intent!

"B! Violent, ferocious, abnormally evil and ominous!"

Gyūki's voice rang out. "That's a new type of Summoning Technique fused with Tailed Beast Chakra. Don't let it touch me!!"

Before Killer B had time to react after those words—

"You two seemed to be having a lot of fun just now!"

Menma's tone brimmed with laughter. "Then now, let me have a little fun too!"