Raikage and Raikage, Iori's Crushing (4000 words)

While Iori and the Third Raikage waited for Turtle Island to slowly swim closer, the fierce battle on the island came to an abrupt halt.

The Fourth Raikage and Killer B froze mid-motion, their senses seemingly pulled by invisible threads toward the two surging chakra signatures at the shore.

"That chakra is... Father?!" A flash of shock crossed the Fourth Raikage's face. His pupils constricted, his eyes filled with disbelief. "And that chakra signature beside him—what the hell is that? A Tailed Beast?"

Killer B closed his eyes as if listening closely, but the Eight-Tails' reaction shocked him so much that he even forgot his usual verbal tic. "Little Eight says he feels fear. That chakra feels to him like the god who gave birth to them—the Sage of Six Paths."

He had never seen the Eight-Tails so terrified. It was a tremor that seeped into its very bones, as though the shadow of death had already engulfed its entire body.

Tailed Beasts did not fear ordinary death. Whether they died along with their Jinchuriki or were killed in the outside world, they would always awaken again somewhere in the world.

To them, death was merely a long slumber.

However, if they died at Iori's hands, things would be entirely different.

As the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki, Iori possessed the power to absorb them, digest them, and turn them back into the Ten-Tails.

If that happened, they would never be able to revive and would once again become part of the Ten-Tails.

The Fourth Raikage's gaze blazed as he solemnly said to Killer B, "B, go back to the village and inform the jonin. A powerful enemy may be approaching. I'm going to find out who they are—and how they dare do something like this."

As he spoke, he clenched his fists