Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Inextinguishable Flame
"Thunderstorm Level!"
A's right hand instantly became a blade, crackling with violent Raiton chakra. His muscles tensed, veins bulging as his Lightning Release Chakra Mode flared. The sheer force of his aura distorted the air around him.
"Break for me!"
A roared, his voice booming like thunder across the battlefield.
With a speed surpassing sound itself, he launched forward, his lightning-coated hand slicing toward Susanoo.
Bang! Bang!
The blue energy barrier of Susanoo trembled under the relentless assault, sparks flying as A's strikes clashed with the spectral armor. Each blow sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
In mere seconds, A had already unleashed over a dozen devastating strikes.
Yet, despite his monstrous strength and unparalleled speed, Susanoo remained unscathed.
"Impossible!"
The surrounding Kumo-nin paled at the sight.
A, the Fourth Raikage, was known as the fastest shinobi alive, rivaling even the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze. If even he couldn't breach Susanoo's defense, who could?
Qin Yu, standing within the protective embrace of Susanoo, smiled slightly.
"You've had your turn, Raikage. Now, it's mine."
A's expression darkened, his Raiton aura surging to its peak. He clenched his fists and growled, "I may not be able to break your defense yet, but you can't match my speed. This is a battle of endurance—let's see who lasts longer!"
Qin Yu's Mangekyō Sharingan spun, a flicker of amusement in his gaze.
"You've got it wrong, Raikage."
The next words fell like a death sentence:
"Amaterasu."
A feeling of impending doom washed over A.
"Brother, watch out!"
Killer B's warning came too late.
In an instant, the black flames of Amaterasu erupted, locking onto A with terrifying accuracy.
"Octopus Hold!"
Without hesitation, Killer B sprang into action, massive tentacles bursting from his back as he transformed partially into Gyūki, the Eight-Tails. He wrapped his brother in a protective coil.
However—
FWOOSH!
The pitch-black flames spread rapidly, consuming the massive tentacle in seconds. The intense heat warped the very air, turning the battlefield into a blazing inferno.
A Kumo-nin gasped, horror-stricken.
"This... this isn't normal fire!"
"Quick, use Suiton!"
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"
A shinobi adept in Water Release rapidly weaved hand seals, pulling moisture from the air to conjure a massive water dragon.
It crashed onto the black flames.
BOOM!
Steam exploded outward—but when it cleared, Amaterasu burned hotter than before.
Panic set in.
"These flames… they can't be extinguished!"
"We need to cut the tentacle—fast!"
With a roar, Gyūki unleashed a surge of chakra, the sheer force shaking the battlefield. His instincts screamed at him—this fire was a threat even to a Tailed Beast!
"Calm down, Eighth!" Killer B shouted.
But before he could act, Qin Yu's Mangekyō Sharingan rotated again.
"Tsukuyomi!"
The world around Killer B twisted.
Blood-red skies. A lifeless moon.
Before him, countless versions of himself emerged, each wielding a jagged blade.
"No way…"
Killer B struggled, but his body was crucified—trapped in a realm of pure torment.
SLASH!
The first clone struck. Then another.
A chorus of agonized screams filled the illusionary world.
In the real world, mere seconds passed.
Killer B stood frozen, his eyes dull—trapped within Tsukuyomi's unrelenting torture.
A's face twisted in shock.
"Genjutsu!"
A Kumo-nin shouted, "Raikage-sama, you must sever Gyūki's tentacle or Kirabi-sama will be consumed!"
There was no time to hesitate.
A grimaced, chakra surging as he formed his hand into a blade.
SHINK!
With a clean strike, he severed Gyūki's burning tentacle.
Thick green fluid sprayed as the limb collapsed, only to be instantly devoured by Amaterasu.
The battlefield fell into eerie silence.
Even the Konoha shinobi observing from a distance shivered.
A, gritting his teeth, quickly attempted to dispel the illusion.
"Genjutsu: Kai!"
One attempt.
Then another.
Nothing.
Killer B remained motionless, locked in a realm of torment.
A Kumo-nin stammered, "Why… why isn't it working?!"
"Among Konoha's clans, only the Kurama and Uchiha possess Genjutsu of this level…" another murmured.
"But we've tried every method!"
Panic spread among the remaining Kumo-nin.
For a moment, their legendary AB Combo—once believed to be unstoppable—seemed completely powerless.
A clenched his fists, his mind racing.
"There are only two ways to break an illusion," he muttered.
"Kill the caster—or disrupt the victim's chakra flow with overwhelming force."
His sharp gaze flickered to Qin Yu, standing tall within Susanoo.
Breaking through that defense? Impossible.
Forcing Killer B out with chakra? Even harder.
Even for the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, disrupting Tsukuyomi from within was almost unthinkable.
"Damn it…" A cursed.
Qin Yu chuckled.
"What's wrong, Raikage? Having trouble deciding?"
A glared at him, but Qin Yu only smirked.
"Relax, I have a proposal."
Everyone held their breath.
A narrowed his eyes. "What… kind of proposal?"
Qin Yu's Mangekyō Sharingan gleamed ominously.
"Hand over the secrets of the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and I'll free Killer B."
The silence was deafening.
Even A's usually impassive expression twitched.
A Kumo-nin burst out, "Raikage-sama, you must not! That technique is our village's most prized secret—if Konoha gains it, it would be disastrous!"
Another shouted, "We cannot surrender! Kumo-nin never yield, even in death!"
But in the face of Qin Yu's offer—and Killer B's worsening condition—A found himself at a crossroads.
Would he cling to pride?
Or would he save his brother?
Qin Yu merely smiled, watching the Fourth Raikage wrestle with the hardest decision of his life.