A Heart-to-Heart Talk

Gato was dragged away at once.

He was in bad shape, though. The defenses forged by his Steel Release had been completely shattered, and they would take time to recover.

"Hiruko, what do we do?"

Gato looked to him for an answer.

Now, Hiruko was his only hope of survival.

"We can..."

Hiruko drove a hand straight through Gato's chest.

"What are you doing?"

"You're nothing but one of my test subjects!"

Gato felt as though something was being sucked out of his body.

"My Chakra! My Kekkei Genkai! My power!" Gato screamed in despair.

Without that power, Gato could no longer hold back his injuries. They erupted all at once.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I'll be waiting for you in hell!"

Gato glared at Hiruko, his eyes full of hatred, then died unwillingly.

After all his hard work, he had only handed the fruits of it to someone else.

"Useless. You didn't even know how to use this power!" Hiruko said, feeling the immense power surging through his body.

To him, Gato had been nothing more than a pig raised for slaughter. Once he was fat enough, Hiruko would kill him and fill his own belly.

Hiruko had originally possessed only a Jonin's level of Chakra. But after absorbing Gato, his Chakra surged again and again. Even the Four Kage sensed a powerful threat.

"Let's have some fun, you four!"

"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"

The Raikage charged in with a knife-hand strike, but Hiruko's Sharingan saw his every move clearly.

Hiruko blocked it with Steel Release, then seized the Raikage's arm.

"Dark Release: Evil Self-Annihilation Fight!"

Hiruko began absorbing the Raikage's Chakra.

Raikage A struggled to break free, but as his Chakra drained away, his body grew weaker. He barely escaped with Gaara's help.

"What terrifying Chakra. No wonder you became Raikage. You're nothing like a mediocrity like me!"

So Hiruko said.

At the same time, Chakra equal to the Raikage's erupted from his body.

With Lightning Release Chakra Mode combined with Swift Release, no one there could react. All four were sent flying.

Their heads lolled to one side, and they appeared to pass out.

"So these are the strongest people in their villages? Is that all?"

"No, it's not that you're weak. I'm just too strong now!"

Hiruko shouted.

Gato could never have matched his combat experience. Hiruko had been a Konoha Jonin, a Ninja of the same generation as Jiraiya and the others.

"Earth Release: Earth Prison Dome!"

A wall of earth rose and enclosed Hiruko.

Kurotsuchi hoisted Ōnoki onto her shoulder, and Mei Terumi ran back with her.

With her small frame, that was all Kurotsuchi could manage.

As for the Raikage—sorry, he was too big. He was on his own!

And the Kazekage? Well, he was a man.

"Trying to run?"

Hiruko punched through the wall and gave chase.

"Storm Release Secret Technique: Storm Ghost Dragon!"

Several dark clouds appeared out of nowhere. In the blink of an eye, lightning fell straight toward Kurotsuchi.

Kurotsuchi could only throw Mei Terumi and the old man clear, taking the lightning strike herself.

She knew which of them mattered more.

She could have thrown Mei Terumi upward to block the lightning, but she did not.

Against the monster before them, only a Kage stood a chance of winning.

The lightning fell. Kurotsuchi closed her eyes and waited to die.

But no pain came. She opened her eyes to find a figure standing in front of her. He seemed to have taken the bolt for her.

"I'm not too late, am I?" Uchiha Yoru asked, turning to Kurotsuchi.

"Mm-hmm!"

Kurotsuchi nodded excitedly.

Then she warned him, "He has five Kekkei Genkai. He's really strong. Be careful!"

"I'll get the old man to hold him off. You go call for reinforcements!"

Ōnoki: Could you make it any more obvious whose side you're on?

To Kurotsuchi, Uchiha Yoru did not look much older than her. How could he stand against the monster before them? The only option was to have the old man hold him off while Yoru called for reinforcements.

She definitely wasn't letting personal feelings get in the way. Probably!

"They're still preparing my brother's Engagement Ceremony. I can't disturb them!" Uchiha Yoru flatly rejected her suggestion.

"You!" Kurotsuchi stamped her foot.

"Kurotsuchi, trust me!"

Uchiha Yoru gave her a look.

As though under a spell, Kurotsuchi nodded. She found herself trusting him a little more.

"Do you think I'm not even worth your attention?"

Hiruko demanded angrily.

He had developed the Chimera Technique to win everyone's recognition and catch up to them.

Yet even now, Uchiha Yoru still seemed to look down on him.

"Do you talented people all look down on us mediocrities?"

"Storm Release: Lightning Flash!"

A bolt of lightning struck from the sky.

"Lightning Blade!"

Lightning flashed around Uchiha Yoru as well. With a casual sweep of his hand, he cut the bolt apart.

"If that's all you've got, you'd better leave your head behind!"

Hiruko refused to believe it. He rushed in with Swift Release, driving a steel-hardened fist toward Uchiha Yoru's head. If it landed, his head would burst like a smashed watermelon.

Uchiha Yoru caught his wrist, slammed him to the ground, and pinned him beneath his full weight.

"You bastard!"

Hiruko felt as though a mountain had fallen on him. He could not move at all.

"Let go of me if you've got the guts!"

"Fine!"

Uchiha Yoru rose to his feet.

He moved so quickly that even Hiruko froze for a moment.

He actually let me go?

Uchiha Yoru crooked a finger at Hiruko, beckoning him forward.

Hiruko could not stomach the provocation. He told himself anger had clouded his judgment and he simply had not fought seriously before.

After all, how could a junior like this push him around?

Hiruko threw a straight punch, and the two began a Taijutsu duel.

To Kurotsuchi, it was obvious Uchiha Yoru was toying with him. His Taijutsu flowed beautifully, without the slightest flaw. He made it look effortless.

Hiruko, by contrast, was clumsy and disordered. Uchiha Yoru had him completely on the defensive.

"Bastard!"

Hiruko could not take it anymore. The man was clearly playing with him.

"Gaara!"

"Got it!"

The ground beneath Hiruko turned to quicksand, trapping him.

"You think a child's trick like this can hold me?"

Hiruko sneered.

Push. Push harder. Harder still!

What's going on?

This shouldn't be so strong!

"Thanks for the help!"

Uchiha Yoru patted Gaara, who had transformed into a little tanuki.

Gaara scratched his head shyly. "I'm just glad I could help you, big brother!"

Gaara seemed to feel that something was still missing. He brought his hands together, and a black Cursed Seal appeared—a Sealing Jutsu unique to Shukaku!