Death of the Eight-Tails

The commotion on the battlefield left everyone stunned. The ninja world's nuclear weapon, the Eight-Tails, had vanished.

"B!"

A shouted, his figure flickering as he dashed toward Killer B.

At that moment, Killer B lay on the ground, coughing up blood. If the Eight-Tails hadn't taken the hit from Karot's Kamehameha, Killer B would have died. Even so, his condition was dire—he had more breath leaving him than entering, like a guttering candle in the wind.

"B, are you alright?"

Seeing his younger brother drenched in blood, A's heart ached. Though their bond was forged through brutal sparring, it was the unique way these two muscle-bound men showed affection.

"Ugh... big brother... the Eight-Tails is dead."

With those words, Killer B passed out.

The statement hit A like a thunderbolt, shattering his mind. A Tailed Beast, dead. He couldn't believe it, staring at Karot, who still held the Kamehameha stance.

"Retreat. All units, retreat."

A gave the order. Karot's technique had been too overwhelming. Even the Cloud Ninja feared being struck by such an attack, so they unanimously obeyed A's command. If a Tailed Beast couldn't withstand it, what chance did their flesh and blood have? The retreat was swift.

To prevent an ambush, the Leaf commander Orochimaru halted any pursuit. Though the Cloud Ninja had withdrawn, this wasn't the time to kick a dog when it was down. The Cloud Ninja outmatched the Leaf in both numbers and skill; their retreat was solely due to the Eight-Tails' misfortune. To understand what happened to the Eight-Tails, they'd have to ask Karot.

"Karot, how much longer will you hold that pose?"

Orochimaru asked, puzzled, as he sought intel on the Eight-Tails. The surrounding ninja shared his confusion.

"Lord Orochimaru, my body's frozen stiff. I can't move."

It was Karot's first time using the Kamehameha, and he was utterly stunned. No wonder it was a technique capable of blowing up the moon.

"Oh."

Orochimaru called for ninja to carry Karot back to the Leaf camp. Anyone unaware might have thought Karot was gravely wounded.

Then came the cleanup—tending to the wounded and sorting the battlefield. The Leaf ninja were a flurry of activity.

Inside the Leaf camp tent, Orochimaru and a group of Jonin discussed the next steps.

As the warzone commander, Orochimaru spoke first.

"Everyone, this battle came without warning, and our losses are heavy. According to the tally, we've lost nearly a third of our forces. That doesn't include the injured."

"What should we do next? Speak freely."

Those in this tent were all Jonin or elite Jonin, each representing a clan. Even Orochimaru had to show them some respect.

These Jonin were experts at killing and destruction, but strategy wasn't something sheer intelligence could guarantee. They remained silent. It fell to Nara Shikamaru, the strategist, to step in.

"Karot, I want to ask you something."

"Sure, go ahead."

Karot glanced at Nara Shikamaru.

"What did that move of yours do to the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki?"

"The Eight-Tails is dead."

Karot was concise.

"Huh? What did you say?"

The usually calm Nara Shikamaru looked as if he'd seen a ghost. He'd guessed the Eight-Tails would be injured, but he never imagined Karot could kill it. That was a Tailed Beast, after all. Everyone knew Tailed Beasts could only be sealed. Now he was being told they could be killed. Nothing could be more shocking than that.

"Are you sure?"

Nara Shikamaru asked again.

"I think Karot is telling the truth. After the Eight-Tails was blasted away, I couldn't sense its chakra at all. There's only one explanation: the Eight-Tails is dead. That's why the Cloud Ninja chose to retreat."

Orochimaru chimed in from the side.

"Sss."

The ninja in the tent drew in a sharp breath. Orochimaru's perception wouldn't be wrong. That meant Karot had truly killed a Tailed Beast. He was a living legend. Thank goodness he was a Leaf ninja—that was the thought echoing in every Jonin's mind.

"I've already requested reinforcements from the village. They'll arrive soon. Until then, all units must stay vigilant. No slack."

"Yes, sir."

"Karot, stay. Everyone else, dismissed."

The tent was left with only Orochimaru and Karot.

"Karot, that wasn't a Kekkei Genkai, was it?"

Orochimaru stated with certainty. He'd investigated all records of the Hatake Clan and found they had no Kekkei Genkai.

"That's right."

Karot knew he couldn't hide it forever. Now that he had some means of self-defense, he decided not to conceal it.

"Can I see it?"

Orochimaru asked.

Karot extended his right hand. A Light Orb composed of energy hovered above his palm.

Orochimaru stared at the Light Orb before him with delighted surprise—this was an entirely new power, a force capable of killing a Tailed Beast. At this stage, he wasn't yet the Orochimaru who would stop at nothing for immortality; for now, he still sought to learn every jutsu in the Ninja World.

And Karot's power belonged to a completely new system of strength—how could he not be captivated by it?

Karot had his own selfish motives too. He valued Orochimaru's mind as the Ninja World's top scientist, hoping to have him build a Gravity Chamber for training, since ordinary practice had become nearly useless for him.

"Could you tell me about the formation of this power, Karot?"

Orochimaru asked, licking his tongue.

Karot shuddered all over—every time he saw Orochimaru stick out his tongue, he could barely hold himself together.

"Ki. Everyone has it. It depends on whether you can dig it out from within your body."

All night long, Karot and Orochimaru exchanged ideas pleasantly. Many of Karot's insights sparked a mental storm for Orochimaru—nine years of compulsory education hadn't been for nothing. Though he didn't understand the specifics, the half-baked theories still gave Orochimaru direction.

Karot also got what he wanted: Orochimaru would help him research the Gravity Chamber.

Having not slept all night, Karot pulled open the tent flap and stretched. Passing ninjas respectfully addressed him as "Lord Karot," which filled him with immense satisfaction—he'd finally risen to the rank of "lord" himself.

Life on the front lines was monotonous. Minor skirmishes broke out from time to time, with both sides trading wins and losses overall. Karot's routine was just missions and training, two points on a line. But whenever Cloud Ninja saw him, they'd turn and flee, leaving him utterly speechless.

"You'll fight other ninjas to the death, but when you see me, you bolt—isn't that discrimination?"

If the Cloud Ninja heard that, they'd probably be even more frustrated.

"Big shot, you're the one who can kill a Tailed Beast. We small fries just want to scrape by—we're not stupid."

An unspoken rule had formed among the Cloud Ninja: if you run into Karot, you run away, and the higher-ups won't hold it against you.