After Eight-Tails, Two-Tails

"Keigo, you are cleared to leave the village now. Do you need to inform anyone in the clan?"

Orochimaru's raspy voice echoed.

Beside Orochimaru stood the lovely figure of Hyuga Ruri, her beautiful eyes filled with excitement and joy.

"Is... is this Lord Orochimaru, known as the Cold Lord!?"

Hatake Kakashi, standing to the side, stared at Orochimaru with eyes full of shock and reverence!

The reputation of the Sannin resonated throughout all of Konoha.

"Oh, it's Sakumo. Has the mission been completed?"

Orochimaru looked toward Hatake Sakumo, his eyes flickering slightly before he turned to Kakashi and said with a smile, "Is this your child?"

Both were powerhouses of Konoha's new generation; although Sakumo was a few years older than Orochimaru, they saw each other often.

Especially on the battlefield, where the two had fought side-by-side many times.

While they weren't as close as the Sannin were to each other, their relationship was good. As fellow geniuses, they shared common topics, and in Orochimaru's view, Hatake Sakumo was far more intelligent than Jiraiya or Tsunade.

He was a sharp, clever, and powerful ninja!

He already stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world!

"That's right, this is my child, Hatake Kakashi. He is still just a boy who wants to become a ninja," Hatake Sakumo said with doting affection.

Hatake Kakashi, standing nearby, was completely bewildered, his face full of shock. "Th-this... Dad, you actually know one of the Sannin, Orochimaru!?"

"Your father is the man known as the White Fang of the Leaf. On the battlefield, he possesses a reputation no less than that of the Sannin."

Keigo Uchiha chuckled; the young Kakashi was somewhat naive and adorable.

But that made sense.

The White Fang of the Leaf was inherently low-key.

Therefore, he never boasted about such things to Kakashi.

"Then Kakashi, Senior White Fang, we shall meet again later. Teacher, I need to head home for a moment."

After Keigo Uchiha finished speaking, his figure vanished in an instant.

Leaving the village for the first time, how could he not say a word to the old man?

Upon arriving home.

That aged figure was already waiting inside the house. The long sunset stretched his shadow out, his entire body submerged in darkness, making his face difficult to discern.

"Keigo, you've returned?"

Kyo Uchiha raised his head, revealing a face covered in wrinkles—each crease deep enough to hold a coin—and the heaviness of his eyelids nearly obscured half of his eyes.

He stood up and sat on the steps of the veranda.

He gestured for Keigo Uchiha to sit beside him.

The two watched the setting sun, a beautiful evening glow spreading across the sky.

"Today, Sarutobi Hiruzen acted as a lobbyist, wanting you to complete a mission. Originally, I did not want to agree, but then I thought of your hard work over these years; surely, it was all for this very moment."

He shook his head and smiled slowly. "As a genius, there is a genius's battlefield, and likewise... there is a path that you must walk yourself."

"You have now grown strong wings. Although in my eyes you are still a child, you have your own ideas now, and I should not become a burden that holds you back."

On his aged face, his smile was calm and gratified.

"Keigo, I have a request—or rather, a plea."

Keigo Uchiha sat beside Kyo Uchiha, his eyes trembling slightly. "Please speak, Great Elder."

In the years they had spent together.

He had long since come to regard Kyo Uchiha as a grandfather; the old man had done everything in his power to treat him well over the years!

"If the Uchiha Clan truly faces any upheaval, then... I ask that you suppress the Uchiha Clan and become their true leader. This is my request to you, from this old man."

Kyo Uchiha looked at Keigo Uchiha with kind eyes.

Keigo Uchiha nodded without hesitation. "I will. This is a goal I set for myself a long time ago."

"The Uchiha Clan will regain its glory in my hands. No one will ever be able to covet the Uchiha Clan again!"

Ten minutes later.

Keigo Uchiha walked out of the Uchiha Clan compound.

His clear, upright figure looked like a newborn red sun!

Inside the Uchiha compound.

Kyo Uchiha watched Keigo Uchiha's departing back, a trace of guilt in his eyes. "Keigo, you are a genius ninja just like Uchiha Madara. Perhaps... genius ninjas are all destined to walk alone."

"If not for this old man's request, I fear... you would have preferred to be a free and unfettered soul."

Outside Konoha.

Handing their entry permits to the guards at the gate, Keigo Uchiha and his two companions easily exited the village. It is worth noting that their mission scrolls were completely blank.

The guards' gazes toward the trio immediately turned respectful and solemn!

This... signified the nature of their mission.

The level of danger and importance was beyond description!

"Keigo-kun seems a bit different today."

Orochimaru's voice was raspy as he licked the corner of his lips. "If the Keigo-kun of before was like the wind, coming and going as he pleased, then now... he is like a sturdy tree trunk, seemingly... burdened with a sense of responsibility."

He was very familiar with this feeling.

It was just like... Jiraiya, who had suddenly changed quite a bit recently.

Always shouting about searching for the Child of Prophecy!

"It seems... Keigo, you have already been internally designated as the next head of the Uchiha Clan."

Orochimaru spoke slowly, his amber eyes seemingly capable of peering into the human heart!

"Teacher, has anyone ever told you that while your insight is sharp, you also have a big mouth?"

The corner of Keigo Uchiha's mouth twitched.

This fellow Orochimaru had a keen eye; by observing the changes in his emotions and thoughts, he had actually guessed what was happening within the Uchiha Clan.

"What!?"

Hyuga Ruri's beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Keigo Uchiha's handsome, calm face. "You've already been approved as the next head of the Uchiha Clan?!"

"How is that possible? You're only twelve years old."

"How could they feel at ease handing such a heavy responsibility to you?"

She felt defeated.

Why was it that at the same age of twelve, Keigo Uchiha had already been tapped as the clan head?

Even though she was just as brilliant, she still hadn't gained the recognition of the people in her own clan. In an instant, Hyuga Ruri's good mood vanished.

"It was merely a request. To me, this isn't actually a good thing. If I could, I wouldn't want such a thing to happen." Keigo Uchiha's eyes were deep and dark.

What did this signify?

Under what circumstances would someone entrust such matters to another?

Without a doubt, it was because their time was running out!

The Great Elder... had already sensed the limit of his own lifespan.

Following this, Keigo did not chat as he usually did. The three of them focused on their journey, rushing toward Kumogakure at high speed.

Three days later, the trio successfully infiltrated Kumogakure!

"Teacher... do we really have to use these skin masks?"

Hyuga Ruri's delicate body trembled. Orochimaru had spent less than three minutes peeling the skin from a human face and crafting it into a mask. This cold, efficient method... made her scalp tingle!

"During the Second Shinobi World War, prisoners are often skinned and dismembered, suffering through torture until death. Therefore, the method of killing the enemy first and then peeling the skin is already quite merciful."

Orochimaru gave a raspy laugh and donned the skin mask himself. His amber pupils stared at Keigo Uchiha and Hyuga Ruri. "If you are unwilling... you may choose to give up."

"I will not force you."

Keigo Uchiha put on the skin mask. It fit perfectly, the texture was soft, and there was no sense of stuffiness, yet it felt somewhat suffocating, making it difficult to breathe.

"Breathing is a bit difficult. Next time, you could try making the nose area larger to facilitate breathing."

Keigo Uchiha offered his suggestion.

Orochimaru shook his head. "No, the nose is a critical area and cannot have any errors. For a shinobi, controlling one's breath is a key necessity. I once thought about improving it, but the final results were not satisfactory."

"Oh?"

Keigo Uchiha raised an eyebrow. "Then I suppose I'll just have to breathe through my mouth."

Hyuga Ruri: "..."

Are you two... perverts?!

She sighed, gritted her teeth, and placed the skin mask onto her pretty face.

The three of them were now disguised as Kumogakure shinobi.

There were no flaws whatsoever!

Along the way, they were not questioned by anyone, and soon, the three arrived at a tavern.

"Heh, that monster? It would be best if he never came back! Otherwise, I'd definitely teach him a lesson!"

A Kumogakure chunin snorted, his eyes filled with disgust.

"That monster... he shouldn't have been one of us in Kumogakure to begin with. Now that he's hiding on the island to the east, he at least has some self-awareness. No one in the village likes him!"

"Exactly, to think a ninja would actually associate with such a monster. Blue B... it's truly disgusting!"

The tavern was filled with the sounds of such discussion.

The disgust and loathing on their faces were undisguised!

"This... is the prejudice ordinary villagers hold against a Jinchuriki."

Keigo Uchiha's eyes turned cold.

The three figures vanished, moving rapidly toward the island in the east.

"It is truly laughable. The Jinchuriki of Kumogakure... he volunteered to become a Jinchuriki for the sake of his village, yet in the end, he is shunned by everyone."

Orochimaru's voice was raspy, his eyes carrying an amused smile.

It was truly pathetic.

"Even if we hadn't come, it would only be a matter of time before Blue B lost control of the Eight-Tails. When a Jinchuriki cannot fill the void in their heart with love, they require a powerful will."

Keigo Uchiha spoke indifferently, "And it is quite obvious that Kumogakure's Jinchuriki is an excellent ninja with a spirit of sacrifice, but his willpower is insufficient."

In the original story.

It was precisely because Blue B could no longer endure the mockery and the hateful gazes that he went to the island alone.

Until his death, he could only suppress the Eight-Tails in agony, never truly controlling it.

"Then... let us be the ones to grant him release!"

Orochimaru sneered, and the three of them halted their steps, landing on the island to see Blue B, whose brows were tightly furrowed.

Late at night.

Blue B felt the surging chakra of the Eight-Tails constantly battering his mind!

In the mental space, the Eight-Tails roared!

Within that space was its endless chakra, surging like a tidal wave, boundless!

"Let me out! Blue B, you possess no ability to control me. Sooner or later, I will devour you completely!"

"Did you not see those people in the village? How did they treat you? You willingly became my vessel, yet they... they treat you like a monster!"

The Eight-Tails' roar was like thunder, causing cold sweat to stream down Blue B's forehead and his ears to ring incessantly.

Lately, his hearing had been getting worse and worse.

He was exhausted, body and soul.

Perhaps... he truly no longer possessed the ability to suppress the Eight-Tails.

"Impossible, Eight-Tails. I will not undo your seal. Until the day I die, you will remain here with me... wasting away until the end of life! Until... the next Jinchuriki, whose heart is filled with love, renders you unable to move within this seal!"

Blue B was drenched in cold sweat, yet he spoke these words with absolute determination.

But the next moment.

His tightly shut eyes snapped open, and he gasped in agony.

Before him appeared a pale face.

And beside that pale face were a boy and a girl, their gazes fixed upon him with calm intensity.

In the boy's eyes, a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun!

"You are... Orochimaru of Konoha?! And the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, as well as... the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan!"

Blue B's heart turned cold.

It was over.

A Quasi-Kage level powerhouse had, while he was completely off guard... pierced through his chest!

His entire body erupted with terrifying chakra; the surging Tailed Beast chakra made him look like a monster.

This was... the Eight-Tails fighting back!

"Of course, is there any need to ask? We haven't met just once on the battlefield, Blue B, the new Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails."

Orochimaru laughed hoarsely, his hand suddenly thrusting a pill into Blue B's mouth.

Blue B was caught off guard.

His pupils contracted violently.

Yet, he had no choice but to swallow the pill in agony.

"You of Konoha have ambushed our Kumogakure. Have you considered the consequences? You are currently inciting a war between Konoha and Kumogakure. If you do not wish to escalate this matter, then retreat immediately, and our Kumogakure may choose to let bygones be bygones!"

Blue B looked at Orochimaru coldly.

His resolve remained unyielding.

Yet, even Keigo Uchiha could easily discern the lack of confidence behind that facade.

"From the moment we made our move, there has been no possibility of you surviving."

Keigo Uchiha spoke suddenly, his eyes revealing the scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan as a mocking smile curled his lips. "When you of Kumogakure moved to capture our Konoha Jinchuriki, you should have anticipated a day like this."

The actions of Kumogakure were always violent!

Plundering other ninja villages was Kumogakure's habitual practice.

Whether in the open or in the shadows.

This was an invasion, and it was also an act of vengeance!

"A brat of the Uchiha Clan, you certainly have quite the spirit."

"But even so, don't even think about making the Eight-Tails go berserk!"

Cold sweat streamed down Blue B.

His figure shot backward.

He stood ten meters away, watching Orochimaru and the others coldly, a chill running down his spine.

"You won't have that chance."

Orochimaru spoke with a cold, eerie tone, his lips curling upward. "Haven't you noticed that you are losing control of your body?"

"It's... that pill from just now!"

In Blue B's vision, the world spun; the figures of Orochimaru and his companions overlapped, becoming impossible to distinguish.

His body collapsed abruptly to the ground.

"As expected of a genjutsu pill designed for Jinchuriki. Although it is partly because the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki was already exhausted from resisting the Eight-Tails himself, the potency of this pill is truly formidable, even if it is too troublesome to produce."

Orochimaru watched the rampaging Eight-Tails chakra, his face full of excitement.

He licked the corner of his lips.

"Still, this thing is useful; it makes the Eight-Tails lose its reason, unable to recall anything before it, let alone how it went berserk."

"Keigo, execute Plan A!"

Keigo Uchiha's eyes were cold and sharp. "Understood!"

Surging, terrifying chakra erupted into the sky!

The Eight-Tails rose from Blue B's body, coalescing into a massive figure with the lower body of an octopus and the upper body of an ox; the terrifying chakra posed a massive threat.

This... was a body solidified from pure chakra!

"Hahaha! This Great One has finally emerged! After all these years, I have finally found an opportunity! Kumogakure, I will make you pay the price!"

The Eight-Tails pounded its chest frantically!

Eight octopus tails lashed out at the water, creating massive waves. In the darkness, its eyes glowed with an astonishing light, filled with madness and killing intent!

But the next moment.

The reason in its eyes gradually vanished, turning blank, becoming a beast possessed only by rage!

"Five Elements Seal!"

Orochimaru moved like a gale!

He appeared instantly atop the head of the Eight-Tails, releasing a powerful seal from his hand and slamming it onto the beast's forehead.

"Keigo, hurry! Even the Five Elements Seal cannot restrain a mindless Eight-Tails for long!"

Trapped by the Five Elements Seal, the Eight-Tails was frozen in place, unable to move!

Yet, the furious roar made Orochimaru's robes flutter violently.

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, but he grinned; it truly was... power like a monster!

"Storm Release: Light Severing!"

Keigo Uchiha let out a sharp cry!

He slammed his hands together!

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes flashed with an eerie light, locked firmly onto the Eight-Tails. The Sharingan granted him absolute dynamic vision; facing the enraged, mindless Eight-Tails, he would absolutely... not miss!

The terrifying, rampant Storm Release Thunderbolt gathered in his mouth, instantly transforming into a horrific thread of lightning!

This thread had been compressed to its absolute limit!

It possessed terrifying water pressure and rampant lightning!

In the darkness, the Light Severing flashed with sudden, brilliant radiance!

Beside him, Ruri Hyuga broke into a cold sweat. "This... just how much power does this possess? Even from this distance, I... I can feel a sense of palpitations!"

The lightning illuminated her pretty face, which was pale and filled with terror!

Screech!

With a sharp, tearing sound, one of the Eight-Tails' massive ox horns was cleanly severed by the Storm Release: Light Severing.

Falling from mid-air.

Accompanying this... was the rampaging roar of the Eight-Tails!

Orochimaru laughed wildly, his expression filled with smugness and excitement, "Hahaha, as expected, as expected, Keigo, your Storm Release is outrageously strong!"

"To think it could even injure a Tailed Beast!"

"This Storm Release ninjutsu, which incorporates the Second Hokage's Water Release secret techniques, has actually reached such a level of power. It already possesses S-rank destructive capability. Keigo, your talent is even greater than mine!"

Keigo Uchiha's figure moved like a Thunderbolt!

His entire body was suffused with a cyan-blue glow.

In an instant, he appeared beside the massive bull horn and quickly sealed it into a scroll.

"Teacher, while I'm happy to receive your praise, we should retreat now. The Eight-Tails is already enraged, and we have achieved our goal."

Keigo Uchiha looked at Orochimaru, his mouth twitching.

Why was Orochimaru so excited about his strength increasing?

It made it seem as if he were planning to seize his body next.

He was no Second Pillar!

In a flash, the three of them departed rapidly. Less than a minute later, in the night sky in the distance, lightning began to flicker!

The Thunderbolt tore through the night!

It was like a thunderclap on flat ground!

A terrifying figure plummeted from the sky to the ground. His hair stood straight up, and terrifying lightning power permeated his body, pulverizing the clearing for dozens of meters around!

"What a terrifying physical body... This is... Cloud Village's Heavenly Transfer Technique!"

Orochimaru and his two companions hid several hundred meters away, watching this scene in shock.

The sight was too terrifying.

It was as if a God of Thunder had descended from the heavens!

If they had been even a moment slower, they would have been caught by the Raikage. With Orochimaru's escape skills and Keigo Uchiha's speed, the two of them might have managed a desperate escape, but Hyuga Ruri... she definitely would not have survived!

"What... what kind of monster is that? To appear from the distant sky? Is he even human?"

Hyuga Ruri's delicate body trembled; she, too, realized the consequences.

"He is human, but to be precise, the Third Raikage's physical body has surpassed the limits of ordinary people. He is the most terrifying Raikage in history. The Heavenly Transfer Technique is a ninjutsu used to transport objects."

Keigo Uchiha's eyes were deep and dark.

He watched the Raikage's rugged physique and the terrifying strength of his body, a glint of light flashing in his eyes!

This... was the power he pursued!

"Furthermore, only certain objects can withstand such spatial pressure and high-speed movement, yet the Third Raikage can endure the strain of the Heavenly Transfer Technique with his own body!"

He breathed in with admiration, "The Third Raikage is a ninja who has reached the pinnacle of strength!"

"He is no longer human!"

Even during the Fourth Shinobi World War, the Fourth Raikage was no match for the Third Raikage.

That alone was enough to show the terror of the Third Raikage!

"This... this is too terrifying. Is this really power that a human can master?"

Hyuga Ruri's body trembled.

She couldn't even imagine that such a ninja existed in this world!

Orochimaru's voice was hoarse as he glanced at Keigo Uchiha with a strange expression, "Although you don't leave the village, Keigo, you are very knowledgeable about the affairs of the shinobi world. Is the Great Elder grooming you?"

On the other side, on the battlefield, the Third Raikage was slamming his fists into the Eight-Tails one after another!

The Eight-Tails was actually wailing in agony!

"Beast! To dare to go on a rampage and kill Blue B, today I will absolutely not let you off!"

The Raikage's body was surging with violent lightning!

Like a God of Thunder, his every move was wide and powerful. Even though he left his entire body undefended, there were no openings whatsoever!

He fought the Eight-Tails with his bare body, not losing the upper hand in the slightest, and even showing signs of overwhelming it!

The Eight-Tails swung its massive tail to send the Raikage flying, but the Raikage grabbed the tail and used the beast like a sandbag, slamming it violently against a mountain peak!

"Although I knew the Third Raikage was strong, only after witnessing it firsthand do I realize just how terrifying he truly is."

Keigo Uchiha's scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan stared fixedly at the Raikage, constantly observing the trajectory and techniques of his Lightning Release Nintaijutsu!

The reason the Sharingan could copy taijutsu and ninjutsu was due to its superior dynamic vision, which allowed it to replicate every subtle movement of the opponent, and the ability to see the chakra within the opponent's body!

At this moment, the chakra within the Raikage was as vast as the ocean in his eyes.

Every detail was etched into his mind.

He watched, mesmerized, as his Absolute Control talent simultaneously corrected the errors he had been making all along!

"Observing the Nintaijutsu of the Third Raikage is like... Zhang Sanfeng teaching Zhang Wuji martial arts; every single move and style is the essence of the craft, and every minor technique is the result of decades of unwavering training!"

Keigo Uchiha was shaken to his very core.

So, Lightning Release could be even more brutal than this!

It could serve as a weapon while simultaneously acting as a tool to temper one's own body!

The Lightning Release was violent against every inch of skin, yet it remained so docile, obeying every command of the Raikage!

Lightning Release could manifest different properties depending on the nature of the attack!

It could be a piercing thrust, or it could be sheer brutality!

Or perhaps, an explosive burst!

Everything depended on the method of attack and the objective one wished to achieve.

It was clearly a simple strike, yet it possessed such varied techniques and combat effects!

"The Third Raikage... he has already reached godhood in the realm of Nintaijutsu!"

Beads of hot sweat broke out on Keigo Uchiha's forehead from the shock; he felt as though he had just practiced Lightning Release Nintaijutsu countless times over.

Meanwhile.

Countless Kumogakure ninja arrived on the island.

They watched this scene in utter shock!

"Teacher, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; I have a plan."

Keigo Uchiha looked at all the Kumogakure ninja, suddenly speaking in a low, lingering tone. The corners of his mouth curled up, his eyes filled with excitement and incitement, "Should we take advantage of the gap while all the Kumogakure ninja are occupied... and capture the Two-Tails?"

"Capture the Two-Tails?"

Even Orochimaru was stunned, his pupils constricting.

"Take advantage of the fact that all the Kumogakure ninja are off-guard to capture the Two-Tails?"

He stared intently at Keigo Uchiha's refined, handsome face, "You brat... you are even crazier than I am. But... let's go!"

"It just so happens that I feel one horn from the Eight-Tails isn't quite enough."

He licked his lips, his eyes filled with madness and satisfaction.

If it were just himself, capturing the Two-Tails would indeed be difficult.

But with the addition of the current Keigo Uchiha, perhaps... it wouldn't be a problem at all!

"Ruri, return the way you came immediately, and don't worry about anything else!"

Keigo Uchiha spoke suddenly, his eyes earnest and grave, "Kumogakure has no time to attend to other matters right now, but once the Two-Tails disappears, the Third Raikage will absolutely fly into a rage!"

"By then, you won't have the strength to protect yourself! So, return to the village immediately!"

Hyuga Ruri's beautiful eyes trembled, and she nodded heavily, "I understand."

She knew clearly that if she stayed, she would only be a burden.

She just couldn't have imagined that Keigo Uchiha and Orochimaru... would be crazy to such an extent!

Her throat bobbed, her eyes flickering.

That was the Two-Tails!

The two of you just provoked the Eight-Tails, and now you want to go capture the Two-Tails? Did you really... have to be this insane?

It felt as if her own trip here... had been purely to watch from the sidelines!