In the dark background, clouds rolled.
A massive figure was bound by chains formed from the mist.
An octopus-like tail and a bull-like body.
The legendary Eight-Tails, Gyūki.
Gin stood on the clouds, though they appeared ethereal, they were solid.
Gin cheerfully waved at the Eight-Tails.
"Hey, Gyūki, want to go out and play?"
Wouldn't it be easier to just unleash the Tailed Beast against a Jinchūriki? Once the Eight-Tails was free, the fight would be over, and Gin could escape.
"I think you should worry about the person behind you first."
Gyūki's deep voice echoed.
Gin raised his hand, and the shattered blade in his hand reformed instantly.
"Clang!"
The reformed blade intercepted Killer B's downward strike from above.
Despite having the advantage of height, Killer B was at a disadvantage in terms of strength.
He flipped back and landed on another cloud.
"Ninjutsu doesn't work here."
Upon arriving in this mental world, Gin quickly realized its limitations.
However, the familiar tools he used were fully functional.
"Wouldn't it be better if you just let me end your suffering?" Gin said, looking at Killer B with a hint of frustration.
If the Jinchūriki resisted, he couldn't effectively control the Eight-Tails.
"You'll never release the Eight-Tails." Killer B crouched low on the cloud, gripping his sword tightly.
"Outside, your chakra far surpasses mine, and most of my ninjutsu are useless against you."
Gin pointed his sword downward.
Due to his limited chakra, Gin had never had the decisive power to take on Kage-level shinobi or Jinchūriki.
But if it came down to pure taijutsu...
"Here, you might not be able to beat me."
Shunpo.
In an instant, Gin appeared in front of Killer B, raising his sword high, the shattered blade elongating.
He slashed downward.
Killer B rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
However, the cloud beneath him was split in half.
Gin pressed his attack, swinging his sword rapidly.
The Breath of the Moon, which was a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu, couldn't be used here.
Only pure taijutsu was available.
For a time, Killer B found himself struggling to fend off Gin's relentless strikes.
Though Killer B was a master swordsman in his own right, Gin had created numerous sword techniques. His attacks were unpredictable, flowing like water one moment, then burning like fire the next, or striking with lightning speed.
Killer B's single-style swordsmanship couldn't keep up.
Even so, he managed to hold off Gin's relentless assault.
Here, Gin's body represented his spiritual will.
With Killer B resisting so fiercely, Gin couldn't control the Eight-Tails like he had controlled the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki previously.
Gin realized this battle was far from over.
...
At the Amegakure battlefield.
The Mizukage, who had been kicked away by Might Duy, stood up.
A thin layer of water covered his body, the reason he had emerged unscathed.
The Green Beast's speed was indeed difficult to track.
Despite being on high alert, he had still been kicked away.
"However, against me, your defeat is inevitable."
The Third Mizukage clasped his hands together.
He was an expert at countering taijutsu-based shinobi.
"Suiton: Hyōshō Mizu" (Water Style: Ice-Condensed Water)
Raindrops from the sky stopped midair before him, forming a wall of water.
Since the Green Beast's strength exceeded his expectations, it didn't matter if the other Konoha shinobi escaped.
Taking down just one would be enough to weaken Konoha's forces.
Might Duy rushed forward again, appearing in front of the Mizukage like a flash, kicking him in the head.
In an instant, the Mizukage's head exploded into a spray of water, and Duy quickly retreated, crouching on the ground.
Water that had splashed onto his leg froze instantly, forming a layer of frost.
In the distance, the water pooled and reformed into the Mizukage's body.
And he had already formed hand seals.
"Suiton: Mizu Hari" (Water Style: Water Needle)
The suspended raindrops rapidly transformed into needles, which then shot toward Might Duy.
"Drrrt, drrrt, drrrt!"
Duy had no choice but to retreat quickly.
Wherever the water needles struck, the ground froze, and a cold mist rose into the air.
Seeing the results of the Mizukage's ninjutsu, Might Duy realized that being hit would immobilize him completely.
But with the constant rain in the Land of Rain, avoiding his attacks wouldn't be easy.
Water droplets continued to gather around the Mizukage.
With a wave of his hand, countless water needles chased after Might Duy.
Duy's figure flickered across the ground, and he spotted a crumbling building nearby. He kicked a piece of rubble toward the Mizukage with all his strength.
The flying debris passed through the Mizukage's body, but it instantly froze upon landing.
The Mizukage's body turned into a pool of water.
It was a Water Clone.
Meanwhile, the ground was rapidly freezing under the onslaught of water needles, with cold mist spreading, obscuring Duy's vision.
Might Duy found himself in a dire situation.
"No wonder he's a Kage."
A smile still lingered on Might Duy's face.
The cold mist enveloped him, frost beginning to form on his beard and eyebrows.
"You no longer have any chance of victory."
The Mizukage's voice echoed from all directions.
More water needles came from all sides.
"Suiton: Ryūdan Mizu Hari" (Water Style: Flowing Bullet Water Needle)
Duy stomped hard on the ground and leaped into the air.
The water needles chased after him relentlessly.
"Soru! Running Youth!"
Duy ran through the air using Soru (Moon Walk).
The water needles couldn't catch him.
Seizing the opportunity...
"Super Peacock!"
Duy began throwing punches at an incredible speed, the friction between his fists and the air igniting, creating flaming shockwaves.
The fiery shockwaves extinguished all the water needles.
At the same time, the shockwaves blanketed the ground below, covering everything enveloped in cold mist.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
"Suiton: Mizu Ryū" (Water Style: Water Dragon Swarm)
The mist wasn't destroyed, and instead, countless water dragons rose into the sky.
The fiery shockwaves clashed with the water dragons.
The sheer cold and water pressure within the dragons pushed through the fiery waves, hurtling toward Might Duy.
Faced with such a massive number of water dragons, Duy could only ascend higher.
But the water dragons continued to pursue him.
Suddenly, Duy's movements slowed. The cold from earlier had finally penetrated his body.
The water dragons crashed into him, encasing him in ice as he plummeted to the ground.
If he hit the ground, his life would be over. Such was the power of the Mizukage.
In his blurry vision, Duy saw a woman holding a child appear before him.
"Duy, come back alive."
Air began to swirl around Duy's body.
"I am...a man of my word!"
"I can protect everything!! It won't end like this!!"
"This is the power of my youth!!"
"Hachimon Tonkō!" (Eight Gates Release!)
"Kyōmon (Gate of Shock)...open!!"
A blast of blue steam shot into the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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