Dancing Blade Technique

Anyo knew Killer B's swordsmanship was formidable and extremely unpredictable, so the moment he stepped forward, he launched a fierce assault without hesitation, seeking to seize the initiative as his blade went straight for the vital points all over Killer B's body.

At the same time, Anyo attacked at exceptionally tricky angles, striking from all sorts of unexpected directions. The two were soon locked in combat, darting high and low.

Seeing that matching speed with speed gained him no advantage, Anyo shifted his sword into a reverse grip and attacked again.

This time, Anyo's approach was novel, markedly different from the sword techniques he had learned before. He began to slow down, his movements unhurried, yet every move firmly suppressed Killer B's six swords. His motions were also graceful, fluid, and rhythmic, leaving Killer B feeling as though he were striking a mass of cotton, unable to bring his strength to bear.

"Hey, fool! Idiot! Your swordsmanship's pretty good!" Killer B praised him as they fought. Then he abruptly pulled back, gripping his swords in the various joints of his body, and said, "Dance, dance like a butterfly."

With the muscles throughout Killer B's body working in concert, the six swords swept toward Anyo like a hurricane. Wherever their edges pointed, Anyo felt he could not defend himself, and a sudden glimmer of understanding flashed through his mind.

Yes, this was the feeling, this very moment when inspiration struck.

Facing this life-or-death crisis, Anyo took a deep breath and held his sword level before his chest. What appeared to be a straightforward horizontal sweep contained countless variations. The sword followed his body and intent, his intent accompanied its movement; man and sword became one, with neither man nor sword remaining.

Clang!

Sparks flew. Though Anyo held only one sword, at that moment it seemed as if thousands upon thousands of blades were striking together. Borrowing the force, he let his sword carry his body along with its movement, then spun sharply. A powerful spiraling field of force formed instantly, knocking all six of Killer B's swords to the ground in a single stroke. In that one strike, his swordsmanship was as exquisite as if nature itself had fashioned it.

With his weapons gone, Killer B found Anyo's sword pressed against his throat. Just a slight push forward would take his life.

Anyo checked his impulse to kill, for the instant he knocked the swords down, a sense of mortal danger had welled up deep within him. The threat made him shudder, so he smiled faintly, withdrew the sword, and offered it back with both hands. "Thank you, Teacher Killer B. Today's spar was exhilarating."

Killer B froze for a few seconds, but instead of taking the sword right away, he pulled out pen and paper and began scribbling rapidly, muttering as he wrote, as though something had sparked his inspiration.

Anyo was in no hurry and waited quietly for him to finish.

In truth, this fight had been extremely dangerous. Had he not watched Killer B's swordsmanship beforehand and then borrowed a sword from him, creating a slight opening in his usual combinations, whether he could have won with his swordsmanship alone was uncertain. It seemed the Shinobi World still produced plenty of capable people; he could not underestimate anyone.

After finishing, Killer B recited what he had written with satisfaction, then took the sword Anyo offered. Looking straight at Anyo from behind his sunglasses, he asked, "What was that last strike called?"

Anyo replied, "I just came up with it. It doesn't have a name yet."

"Yo, nice." Killer B laughed. "I just thought of a name: Dancing Blade Technique. How's that? Like a swarm of dancing bees."

"Good." Anyo agreed at once.

The more Killer B looked at Anyo, the more he liked him. "Want to come hang out at my place?" he invited.

Anyo thought it over and declined. "Maybe not. That fight was too intense, and I'm already out of strength. I want to go back to school and rest."

"All right." Killer B left with a hint of regret.

Shortly after he left, Kakuzu emerged from the shadows, looking at Anyo with some surprise. "I never expected your swordsmanship to be so good. Seems I underestimated you before."

Anyo smiled faintly. "You flatter me, Uncle."

Looking in the direction Killer B had gone, Kakuzu asked, "Is that the target you found for me?"

Anyo answered uncertainly, "He's among the people who left the deepest impression on my classmates at the Ninja Academy. But he didn't use Lightning Release just now, so I still don't know whether he's suitable for your heart."

"The sooner this sort of thing is done, the better. I'll observe him for a while and make my move if there's an opening." With that, Kakuzu followed him.

So impatient. Anyo had actually wanted to stop him. He had sensed a flash of extreme danger from Killer B just now, but even if he mentioned it, Kakuzu probably would not believe him.

After he returned to school, several girls from his class soon gathered around him. "Baiyun, where did you go just now? We looked everywhere and couldn't find you."

Anyo gave a half-true answer. "Oh, Teacher Killer B's swordsmanship was so impressive that I chased after him, hoping he'd teach me some more."

One of the girls said quietly, "Baiyun, my family told me to stay away from him. They said Teacher Killer B has a really scary monster hidden inside him."

Anyo chuckled. "How could a monster be hidden inside a person? Your family must be afraid you won't behave, so..."

At this, Anyo was suddenly startled. No, monsters could be hidden inside people. He had already seen several: two on the battlefield with the Tsuchikage and one in Takigakure. Could Killer B have a Tailed Beast inside him too?

At that thought, Anyo suddenly understood what that earlier threat had been. It must have been the Tailed Beast inside Killer B sensing danger and issuing him a warning.

Damn, Kakuzu. He wouldn't actually attack, would he? Although Kakuzu should be able to handle an ordinary Tailed Beast, the commotion would obviously be enormous. How many tails did the one inside Killer B have? Right, wasn't there a ready answer right here?

Sure enough, after Anyo finished speaking, another girl said, "They really weren't just trying to scare us. My dad's a ninja too, and he saw that monster with his own eyes. I heard it's huge and has a bull's head. It's really bad-tempered, and it only calmed down after Lord Raikage broke off one of its horns."

A bull's head, a broken horn—it was the Eight-Tails, the Tailed Beast second only to the Nine-Tails. Anyo understood at once. Damn it, Killer B was the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, and it seemed he had a good relationship with the Eight-Tails. Otherwise, the Eight-Tails couldn't have threatened me.

Anyo had something of a headache now. It seemed this hunting plan was most likely doomed. If Kakuzu really attacked, he would be implicated too. He had to find a way to slip away.

At that thought, Anyo suddenly clutched his stomach. "Ow, I ate too much before coming here today, and now my stomach's upset. I need to go to the bathroom."

The girls obligingly stepped aside for Anyo. "Then hurry along."

"Thank you."

Anyo gave them a brilliant smile and hurried off in the direction Kakuzu had gone. Now he could only hope Kakuzu had not made his move yet.