Eight-Tails Rampage

The Third Raikage burst into laughter. "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 techniques? That hardly befits the Hokage's status."

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

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

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

The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes, faint lightning seemingly flickering around him.

Across from him, Enma took a small step forward.

However, the Third Raikage did not make a move. It would be better to secure the benefits first.

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

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

Naturally, Hiruzen Sarutobi only wanted to give away inconsequential jutsu.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind, specialized jutsu were more valuable than the five elemental jutsu, and among the latter, there were also some utterly useless techniques.

Those were precisely the useless jutsu he wanted to hand over.

But the Third Raikage refused.

After an intense discussion, Hiruzen Sarutobi only made a slight concession, agreeing to provide two offensive A-rank jutsu from the five elements.

The Third Raikage turned his head and glanced at Chiba Shun.

After thinking for a moment, 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 request, Chiba Shun suggested exchanging for Medical Ninjutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still refused. Medical Ninjutsu was not merely one jutsu, but an entire system.

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

The Third Raikage seized the chance to flare up, questioning Hiruzen Sarutobi's sincerity.

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

In truth, Illusion Techniques were also a separate system. If Kumogakure gained 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 the least.

After Kumogakure shinobi learned Illusion Techniques, they might turn their sights toward Iwa Shinobi or Kirigakure shinobi 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 jutsu.

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

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

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

Should I redeem this A-rank Illusion Technique?

Previously, while training in the A-rank Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique, Chiba Shun could not possibly have had time to learn another new A-rank Jutsu, nor was he certain he could master it.

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

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

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

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

That made it worth Chiba Shun's attempt.

Still, he might not have any talent for Illusion Techniques. Even if he wanted to learn them, he should first exchange for a few 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 surely grow considerably.

Sure enough, the remaining B-rank and C-rank jutsu prompted another round of haggling. This time, however, neither side was on the verge of drawing swords, and after several days of slow negotiation, 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 forcefully demanded that Hiruzen Sarutobi include simplified hand seal methods with the exchanged jutsu.

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

Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed on the surface, but both Chiba Shun and the Third Raikage knew he would definitely 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.

But even that was already good enough. The Third Raikage was very satisfied.

Several days later, the two sides signed an alliance agreement. The Third Raikage received eighty-two jutsu and rewards equivalent to seven hundred S-rank Missions.

Each S-rank Mission reward was calculated at two million ryo, so seven hundred came to 1.4 billion ryo.

Kumogakure had spent around 350 million ryo on this mobilization, making 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 receiving this much money was already very good.

The Third Raikage was extremely satisfied. Since the Second Shinobi World War, the village had remained short on funds. Now, that situation could finally be eased.

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

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

It could barely be said that their shortcomings in Earth Release, Wind Release, and Illusion Techniques had been addressed.

Even after filling those gaps, they were still nothing before Konoha, but it was enough for Kumogakure to digest for a long time.

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

As for the same number of jutsu Kumogakure should have handed over to Konoha, neither side took it seriously. At Chiba Shun's suggestion, the Third Raikage only gave them several dozen blank scrolls.

Hiruzen Sarutobi opened one and looked at it. He said nothing, silently accepting it.

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

However, an accident occurred while the army was retreating.

The three thousand Kumogakure shinobi crossed the Land of Moon and returned to the Land of Lightning.

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

Then, on the second night, Chiba Shun, who was resting with Sakai Yushi, suddenly felt a chill. He 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. Something had happened to Killer B in the tent beside theirs.

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

His face turned slightly pale. With his strength, facing a rampaging Tailed Beast gave him almost no hope of survival.

Especially since he was 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 ruined.

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

Countless streams of red chakra surged out.

At the same time, A was sent flying in a disheveled state by a mass of red chakra.

Seeing this, Chiba Shun called out to Sakai Yushi, then quickly retreated some distance.

He was not retreating to flee. As he fell back, he rapidly formed hand seals.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

An Earth-Style Wall rose before A, forcibly pushing the chakra tentacle that had been pressing against him away by a short distance.

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

He had suffered severe injuries in almost a single exchange.

Fortunately, the Eight-Tails did not immediately attack them. It was still struggling to force chakra beyond the seal.

Or perhaps Killer B was still suppressing the Eight-Tails, buying time for A to escape.

The Eight-Tails' chakra generated at an astonishing rate, even showing signs of swallowing all three of them.

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

Fortunately, the ninja assigned to guard the Jinchūriki made their move at that moment.

There were four of them in total. Working in perfect coordination, one unleashed powerful Lightning Release and scattered a large amount of the Eight-Tails' chakra.

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

The appearance of that four-man squad gave the nearby ninja a path to survival.

Everyone seized the chance to move far away from the Eight-Tails.

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

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

The next moment, the Eight-Tails erupted.

As if it had sensed a challenge from mere ants, the Eight-Tails' chakra became extraordinarily violent.

Like an explosion, the Eight-Tails chakra that was about to be suppressed suddenly swelled outward.

The three ninja maintaining the sealing jutsu were killed instantly.

Besides them, many ninja standing too close also lost their lives.

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

Chiba Shun and the other two were fortunate not to die when the Eight-Tails' chakra spread outward.

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

Chiba Shun adjusted his posture while still in the air.

As he fell, he looked in shock toward the Eight-Tails' enormous, absurdly massive body.

Though he had already known the concept of Tailed Beasts from the original story, witnessing a Fully Mature Tailed Beast at such close range still left Chiba Shun incomparably shaken.

Fortunately, Chiba Shun saw hope at that moment.

A figure wreathed in flickering lightning shot in from the side and crashed into the Eight-Tails.

It was the Third Raikage.

Perhaps because A and Killer B had become close to Chiba Shun, they 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 chance to suppress it.

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

It was precisely because the Third Raikage was not nearby that the Eight-Tails seized the opportunity while Killer B was asleep to forcibly break through the seal.

Before that, it had even deceived Killer B by pretending to be obedient.

The Eight-Tails had succeeded. Now, the Third Raikage could only engage the Fully Mature Eight-Tails in hand-to-hand combat.