Cloud Thunder Gorge of the Hidden Cloud Village, Killer B!

After resting and recovering, Riu, Tobi, and Yūhi Uzuki continued on their way toward the border of the Land of Water.

Along the way, Riu kept thinking about the Mangekyo Sharingan and Susanoo's sacred weapons.

As everyone knew, continued use of the Mangekyo Sharingan would cause it to gradually seal itself away, with blindness as the final result.

In the original story, the reason Obito could use Kamui so frequently without going blind was because he had borrowed Hashirama Cells to enhance his Body Energy, offsetting the Mangekyo Sharingan's side effects...

But Obito ultimately possessed only one Mangekyo Sharingan. He could not use the Susanoo that required both Mangekyo Sharingan to awaken, much less wield Susanoo's sacred weapons.

That was the fundamental reason Obito had not gone blind.

"I never expected Susanoo's sacred weapons to consume such enormous ocular power. If I use them too often, even with Hashirama's cells, I could still risk going blind..." Riu pressed a hand against his eye socket.

Not every Susanoo could nurture sacred weapons.

As far as Riu knew, even Indra's reincarnations, Uchiha Madara and Sasuke Uchiha, were unable to wield the power of sacred weapons.

"Could it be... that within the Uchiha Clan, it is actually the non-Indra reincarnations who can nurture sacred weapons? Like Uchiha Itachi—his Susanoo possessed the Sword of Totsuka, the Yata Mirror, and the Yasakani Magatama, three great sacred weapons that covered offense, defense, and close and long-range combat, with sealing techniques included."

"However, Uchiha Itachi did not possess Hashirama Senju's power, yet he still wielded the power of sacred weapons. The price was that he became gravely ill at such a young age and even had to rely on medicine to prolong his life..."

"I will obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan sooner or later, so the risk of blindness means little to me, but..."

Tap. Riu stopped on a tree trunk, his gaze deep and dark. "Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, needed to synthesize the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, is still developing. Before he awakens it, I cannot go completely blind. So until I obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan... I should use Susanoo's sacred weapons as little as possible."

"Yu, are you all right? Is it the side effect of using the sacred weapons again?" Tobi asked with concern.

"I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

The Hidden Mist Village did not send any more pursuers. With the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the Mizukage suffering consecutive defeats, even the Bloody Mist Village had probably been frightened out of its wits. All they wanted was for Riu, this living calamity, to leave the Land of Water as quickly as possible.

And so, after another two days and two nights, the three of them left the Land of Water and arrived in the Land of Lightning.

The Land of Lightning had towering peaks that reached into the clouds, with deafening thunder echoing throughout them. That was how it earned its name.

The rivers flowing down from the central mountain range carved winding coastlines at their mouths, and the country also contained many hot spring regions. Its shinobi village was the Hidden Cloud Village.

The Hidden Cloud Village possessed the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. It was a militaristic shinobi village that revered swordsmanship and ninja taijutsu, and in order to strengthen the nation's military power, it focused on studying the ninjutsu and ninja tools of other countries.

In the original story, the Hidden Cloud Village had carried out quite a few dirty schemes.

Starting with the Gold and Silver Horn Force, even the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had unfortunately perished.

They had even tried to lay their hands on Konoha's Nine-Tails... but unfortunately, their plan was crushed by the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze, alone.

Later... they had set their sights on the Byakugan of Konoha's prestigious Hyuga Clan. They sent shinobi to abduct the young eldest daughter of the Hyuga Head Family, Hinata Hyuga. Although their scheme once again ended in failure, Neji Hyuga's father, Hiashi Hyuga of the Hyuga Branch Family, became the sacrifice. It twisted the young Neji Hyuga's personality and intensified the conflict between the Head Family and Branch Family.

Heh. The Hidden Cloud Village, which had always loved plundering, would never have imagined that one day, the hand of plunder would reach over their own heads.

This time, the one who had come was not that fledgling "Sasuke Uchiha."

It was Riu, this "Asura"!

He would never make Sasuke Uchiha's mistake—nearly getting wiped out by Killer B, then only managing to take away one octopus tentacle from the Eight-Tails, making Obito lose all face before the Akatsuki members.

Near the border of the Land of Lightning.

Bang!

"Argh!" A lone Hidden Cloud Village shinobi slammed heavily into a tree back-first.

"Damn it." He stared in pain at the masked man walking toward him.

"Where is the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer B, right now?" Riu asked coldly.

The Hidden Cloud Village shinobi panted, raised his head, and looked at him with contempt. "Heh, shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village will never betray their comrades!"

"Mm, I do agree with that. You are good at unity, which makes it easier for you to plunder the resources of other nations." Riu cut straight to the point.

"You!" The Hidden Cloud Village man retorted, "Say whatever you want. Shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village will never yield to force!"

Riu grabbed the man's head and lifted him into the air. Beneath the mask, his Sharingan stared icily into the man's eyes. "Is that so... But the fear in your eyes has betrayed your heart."

"!" The Hidden Cloud Village man's eyes flickered with guilt, and his body began to tremble.

"And fear... gives others an opening!" Riu's cold words fell as his Sharingan emitted a ghostly gleam.

Genjutsu: Sharingan!

Thud! The Hidden Cloud Village man's eyes went wide, then lost focus. Dully, he said, "Cloud Thunder... Gorge. Training."

Riu casually tossed the Hidden Cloud Village shinobi aside, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Cloud Thunder Gorge... Fate truly is interesting."

Behind him, Tobi glanced at the Hidden Cloud Village shinobi on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing. A mere ordinary genjutsu completely destroyed a Jōnin's mind. After using those sacred weapons, Yu's ocular power has truly improved across the board. If it were not Yu, but Obito, it would probably take him several more years to attain this level of ocular power...

In the original story, Obito had infiltrated the Hidden Mist Village and used Sharingan genjutsu to control Yagura, the Mizukage who was already a perfect Three-Tails Jinchūriki at the time. In truth, that point in time was ten years after the present, and the current Obito's ocular power was still far from sufficient.

In other words, setting aside Dual Kamui, Yu had already left Obito far behind.

The next day, at dusk, Cloud Thunder Gorge.

"The light is so dazzling♬~ Is it already evening?♪~ Foolish guy, bastard guy♩~"

"Training since morning, my stomach is empty, ♪~ I'm a good fellow who loves RAP♬~ Tonight's dinner will be sukiyaki, YEAH~~♬!" Killer B, a dark-skinned young man in black sunglasses, sang bizarre rap and danced exaggeratedly as he emerged from the inner chamber. Then he saw three strangers standing on the platform below. The leader... wore a mask. It was Riu.

"Hmm?" Killer B leaped down and arrived before the three of them.

"I've finally met you, the Shinobi World's 'Cai Xukun,'" Riu said.

"Cai... Xukun?" Killer B twisted his neck, looking confused. Of course, he had no idea what Cai Xukun meant, but he was used to pursuing rhyme.

He waved his arms and danced. "Who're you calling Cai Xukun♪~ You're the Cai Xukun♬~ Your whole family is Cai Xukun♩~ Cabbage with asparagus♬, plus insect grass♪~ Tonight we'll eat fried Cai Xukun~ OH, foolish guy, bastard guy, WEI~~~~!"

At the end, Killer B pinched his fingers together and pointed them skyward, striking an utterly ridiculous pose.

At that moment, even Tobi, known for being a fool, could not help saying, "Did this guy get shit in his brain...?"

"YO~! YO! Rather than let you say my brain is full of shit~♪ I think I'd rather go take a shit myself!♬~ You dog-shit bastard who looks like 'soy sauce paper'♩, foolish guy, bastard guy!~♬~!" Killer B blurted out.

"Yu, can I join the fight?" Tobi asked Riu.

"Hold it in. This guy is my prey..." A battle-hungry smile curled Riu's lips. Nearly seven days of traveling... finally, finally... I can fight a Tailed Beast!