Eight-Tails Rampage

The Third Raikage laughed heartily. "Don't be angry, Hokage. Shun is right—Advisor Danzo is far more generous than you are."

"Just one A-rank, ten B-rank, and thirty C-rank? That hardly befits the Hokage's status."

"Three A-rank, thirty B-rank, and one hundred C-rank!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. "Two A-rank, twenty B-rank, and sixty C-rank. That is Konoha's bottom line."

"If the Raikage is still dissatisfied, then let's go to war!"

The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes, lightning seeming to flicker around his body.

Across from him, Enma stepped forward slightly.

However, the Third Raikage did not make a move. He would get the benefits first.

He took a deep breath. "Fine. We'll exchange them!"

Next, both sides haggled over which jutsu would be exchanged, especially the two A-rank Jutsu.

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi only wanted to offer insignificant jutsu.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, special jutsu were more useful than the five elemental jutsu, and among the latter were quite a few worthless techniques.

Those worthless techniques were precisely what he wanted to hand over.

But the Third Raikage refused.

After an intense discussion, Hiruzen Sarutobi only made a small concession, agreeing to provide two offensive A-rank Jutsu from the five elemental releases.

The Third Raikage turned to glance at Chiba Shun.

After some thought, Chiba Shun suggested that the Third Raikage demand the secret techniques of Konoha's Yamanaka Clan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally refused. The Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques could steal intelligence from ninja corpses.

That intelligence included jutsu as well!

In other words, obtaining a Yamanaka secret technique might mean gaining an endless supply of jutsu!

After Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected that proposal, Chiba Shun suggested exchanging for Medical Ninjutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still refused. Medical Ninjutsu was not a single jutsu, but an entire system.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not foolish enough to let Kumogakure shinobi make up for their weakness in Medical Ninjutsu.

The Third Raikage seized the chance to make an issue of it, questioning Hiruzen Sarutobi's sincerity.

Hiruzen Sarutobi then had no choice but to agree to an A-rank Illusion Technique proposed afterward by the Third Raikage.

Illusion Techniques were actually a separate system as well. If Kumogakure developed a complete Illusion Technique system, its strength would certainly improve.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi had his own considerations. Konoha had the Uchiha Clan, so it feared Illusion Techniques least of all.

Once Kumogakure shinobi learned Illusion Techniques, they might target Iwa Shinobi or Kirigakure shinobi instead, out of fear of the Uchiha Clan.

In the end, the two A-rank Jutsu were finalized: one A-rank Illusion Technique and one A-rank Wind Release technique.

After confirming that Konoha would provide an A-rank Illusion Technique, Chiba Shun's thoughts began to stir.

He still had an S-rank Mission reward that he had not redeemed.

He could choose to redeem the reward, or he could choose an A-rank Jutsu.

Should I redeem that A-rank Illusion Technique?

Previously, while cultivating the A-rank Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique, Chiba Shun could not possibly have had time to cultivate another new A-rank Jutsu, and he might not even have been able to learn it.

But things were different now. He had successfully learned an A-rank Earth Release technique, his chakra level had improved, and his strength had already approached that of a Jonin. Learning an A-rank Illusion Technique no longer seemed impossible.

Chiba Shun had once considered learning auxiliary skills such as Illusion Techniques and Sealing Techniques.

It was just that Kumogakure shinobi did not excel in those fields. Even if he mastered them, there would be little future in it.

But things were different now. Kumogakure had an A-rank Illusion Technique, and it was an A-rank Illusion Technique highly suited for actual combat.

That made it worth Chiba Shun's attempt.

However, he might not have any talent for Illusion Techniques. Even if he wanted to learn them, he would first need to exchange for several C-rank Illusion Techniques from the village and test himself.

Kumogakure had not possessed many C-rank Illusion Techniques before, but after extorting jutsu from Konoha twice, its collection would certainly grow considerably.

Sure enough, the remaining B-rank and C-rank Jutsu prompted another round of haggling. This time, however, neither side was at each other's throats, and after several days of slow discussion, they reached an agreement.

Just as Chiba Shun had expected, the Third Raikage specifically demanded several B-rank and C-rank Illusion Techniques from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

However, at Chiba Shun's reminder, the Third Raikage firmly demanded that Hiruzen Sarutobi include simplified hand seal methods with the jutsu exchanged this time.

The jutsu Danzo had provided last time did not include the methods for simplifying hand seals.

Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed on the surface, but both Chiba Shun and the Third Raikage knew that he would certainly hold something back.

For example, Konoha might be able to reduce a jutsu's hand seals to ten, yet only reduce it to thirteen or fourteen for Kumogakure shinobi.

Still, that was already very good, and the Third Raikage was satisfied.

A few days later, the two sides signed an alliance treaty. The Third Raikage obtained eighty-two jutsu and seven hundred S-rank Mission rewards.

Each S-rank Mission reward was valued at two million ryo, so seven hundred of them amounted to 1.4 billion ryo.

Kumogakure's expenses for this mobilization were around 350 million ryo, leaving a net profit of 1.05 billion ryo!

After all, this was not war reparations, merely an alliance treaty. It was aid from an ally, and obtaining so much money was already quite good.

The Third Raikage was extremely satisfied. Ever since the Second Shinobi World War, the village had been suffering from a shortage of funds. Now, it could finally be alleviated.

What pleased the Third Raikage even more was the harvest of jutsu, which could truly be called timely rain for Kumogakure.

Including the jutsu Chiba Shun had brought back last time, Kumogakure now possessed two A-rank Earth Release techniques, one A-rank Illusion Technique, and one A-rank Wind Release technique.

It could barely be said that they had made up for their weaknesses in Earth Release, Wind Release, and Illusion Techniques.

Though even after making up for them, they were still nothing compared to Konoha, they would be enough for Kumogakure to absorb for a long time.

Next, every village would expand its ninja training numbers just as Konoha had done, and these jutsu had arrived at exactly the right time.

As for the same number of jutsu that Kumogakure was originally supposed to hand over to Konoha, neither side took the matter seriously. At Chiba Shun's suggestion, the Third Raikage merely gave them several dozen blank scrolls.

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened one and looked inside. He said nothing, tacitly accepting it.

After forming the alliance, both sides withdrew their troops together.

However, an accident occurred while the army was retreating.

The three-thousand-strong Kumogakure force passed through the Land of Moon and returned to the Land of Lightning.

The Third Raikage planned to wait at the border for another two days, just in case Konoha tried anything.

Then, on the second night, Chiba Shun, who was resting with Sakai Yushi, suddenly felt a chill and immediately opened his eyes.

What's going on?

Did Konoha attack?

Chiba Shun and the equally awakened Sakai Yushi quickly crawled out of the tent.

Chiba Shun quickly locked onto the source.

Konoha had not attacked. An accident had occurred with Killer B in the tent next to theirs.

Sakai Yushi did not know about the Jinchūriki, but Chiba Shun did.

His face turned somewhat pale. With his strength, he had almost no hope of surviving a Tailed Beast rampage.

Especially since he was currently so close to Killer B!

But he could not possibly flee with Sakai Yushi.

If he did that, even if he survived in the end, his future would be finished.

Just as Chiba Shun hesitated, Killer B and Yozuki A's tent exploded.

Countless streams of red chakra surged out.

At the same time, Yozuki A was blasted away by a mass of red chakra, looking utterly disheveled.

Seeing this, Chiba Shun called out to Sakai Yushi and swiftly retreated some distance.

He was not retreating to flee. As he backed away, he rapidly formed hand seals.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

An Earth-Style Wall rose before Yozuki A, forcefully shoving the chakra tentacle that had been pressing against him back a short distance.

Yozuki A let out a long breath. Though he was considered strong even among Jonin, he still seemed utterly powerless before a Tailed Beast—especially the Eight-Tails.

He had suffered severe injuries almost immediately.

Fortunately, the Eight-Tails did not attack them at once. It was still trying to force chakra through the seal.

It was also possible that Killer B was still suppressing the Eight-Tails, buying Yozuki A time to escape.

The Eight-Tails' chakra formed at an astonishing rate and was even showing signs of engulfing all three of them.

There were many other ninja nearby, and they faced the same predicament as the three of them.

Fortunately, the ninja who had been guarding the Jinchūriki made their move at that moment.

There were four of them in total, and they worked together seamlessly. One unleashed powerful Lightning Release, scattering a large amount of the Eight-Tails' chakra.

The other three used Sealing Techniques together, continuously forcing the remaining Eight-Tails chakra inward.

The appearance of this four-man squad gave the nearby ninja a way out.

Everyone seized the opportunity to move away from the Eight-Tails.

However, no one fled. Instead, from a distance, they cooperated with that squad to weaken the Eight-Tails.

But the Eight-Tails was suppressed for only a few breaths.

The next moment, the Eight-Tails erupted.

As if it had sensed the provocation of insects, the Eight-Tails' chakra became violently agitated.

Like an explosion, the Eight-Tails chakra, which had been on the verge of suppression, suddenly swelled outward.

The three ninja maintaining the seal were killed on the spot.

Besides those three, quite a few ninja who had been too close also lost their lives.

Immediately afterward, a strange cry like one of liberation rang out, and a violent shockwave spread in all directions along with it.

Chiba Shun's group of three were fortunate not to die in the Eight-Tails chakra's earlier expansion.

However, the three of them, along with countless ninja, were sent flying by the Fully Mature Eight-Tails' roar.

While still in midair, Chiba Shun adjusted his posture.

As he fell, he stared in alarm at the Eight-Tails, whose enormous size was beyond exaggeration.

Though he had already known the concept of Tailed Beasts from the original story, witnessing a Fully Mature Tailed Beast up close with his own eyes was still incomparably shocking.

Fortunately, Chiba Shun saw hope at that moment.

A figure crackling with lightning charged into the Eight-Tails from the side.

It was the Third Raikage.

Perhaps because Yozuki A and Killer B had grown close to Chiba Shun and Sakai Yushi, the two had not stayed beside the Third Raikage this time and were some distance away from him.

By the time the Third Raikage received the news and rushed over, the initial stage of the Eight-Tails' rampage had already passed, and he had missed the best opportunity to suppress it.

In truth, the Eight-Tails possessed intelligence. If Killer B had remained beside the Third Raikage today, it would not have chosen to rampage.

It was precisely because the Third Raikage was absent that the Eight-Tails seized the chance while Killer B slept to forcibly break through the seal.

It had even deceived Killer B earlier, pretending to be obedient.

The Eight-Tails had succeeded. Now, the Third Raikage could only fight the Fully Mature Eight-Tails in close combat.