Chapter 165: End!
Kiba panted heavily, staring down
at Yotsuki Bi's blood-covered face. The man's eyes were closed, yet a serene
smile spread slowly across his lips. Despite the blood, there was warmth in
that smile—a bitter warmth that twisted Kiba's insides.
It's over, it's all over.
Kiba slowly let go of Yotsuki Bi's
cheek, his fingers sticky with blood. But just as he released his grip, Yotsuki
Bi's eyes snapped open. Thunder erupted from his body in a violent, crackling
storm.
What!
Disbelief widened Kiba's eyes. He
looked down slowly, his gaze meeting a lightning-encased hand that had pierced
his chest, the blade of lightning extending out from his back.
"It can't be over yet! For
the sake of the new light, at least I'll kill you!" Yotsuki Bi's growl was
gravelly, his voice vibrating with determination as he sat up.
Kiba looked up at Yotsuki Bi's
rough, bloodied face and the hand that had skewered him.
Return to the light... Return to the light? Kiba's mouth trembled, trying to form a
wry smile.
"This is the determination to
kill you!" Yotsuki Bi staggered to his feet, the blood from his wounds
having ceased to flow.
He... hasn't lost a single drop of blood!
Zizizi!
The sharp blade of thunder flashed
behind Kiba. As Yotsuki Bi rose, Kiba's body hung limply on his arm.
Boom!
Suddenly, the Kiba hanging on
Yotsuki Bi exploded into a cloud of white mist.
Shadow clone!
Yotsuki Bi's pupils contracted
before widening in shock. In his black-and-red-tinged vision, a foot,
accompanied by the sound of the wind, swept towards him rapidly.
Boom!
Flesh met flesh with a sickening
thud. Yotsuki Bi's body quaked, eyes bulging as blood trickled from his eyes,
nose, and mouth. Slowly, he lowered his gaze.
Crack.
The sound of a breaking neck bone
resonated loudly. Embedded in his neck was a foot, and another foot pressed
into the back of his neck.
From the perspective of others,
Yotsuki Bi's burly frame stood immobile, two Kibas suspended in the air. One,
on his left, delivered a powerful right kick, while the other, from behind,
mirrored the attack.
Strange power, Konoha Double Whirlwind!
The scene froze as the open space,
pockmarked with craters, seemed to still in the gentle breeze. The first light
of dawn crawled across Yotsuki Bi's face, a charred leaf drifting past his
eyes.
Yet his gaze remained unfocused.
Are you here yet? Didn't my last struggle affect
this kid? Still can't eliminate the biggest threat to those newborn lights?
As his consciousness began to
fade, images of smiling children with radiant faces filled his mind.
"Grandpa Bi..." "Grandpa Bi..."
"Grandpa Bi..."
Their silver-bell laughter ignited
a flicker of light in the darkness of his fading thoughts. His darkened vision
brightened momentarily.
Crack! Crack!
Pain surged through Kiba's legs,
as if caught in a vice, and the world spun around him.
"Go to hell! Konoha's new
light!"
Yotsuki Bi's roar reverberated
through the air as he hurled the two Kibas to the ground.
Boom!
The impact was deafening. The two
Kibas turned into clouds of white mist upon hitting the ground.
This brat! Did he calculate this far ahead? When I
was knocked into the air, he had already prepared shadow clones...
It was a three-stage attack! The main body is still
airborne! Does he instinctively perform combo attacks, even in a berserk state?
Yotsuki Bi's eyes widened in
realization. The dissipating white mist revealed Kiba, surging forward with
emerald-green eyes filled with cold intent.
"Go to hell!"
The growl was bestial, vibrating
in Kiba's throat. Yotsuki Bi, barely conscious, shivered at the inhuman
murderous aura emanating from the boy.
Kiba's punch landed squarely on
Yotsuki Bi's face. The strange power, enhanced by injury mode, exploded on
impact.
Boom!
Blood sprayed like a crimson
fountain.
Boom!
A giant tree toppled at the edge
of the dense forest surrounding the battlefield.
Thud!
Kiba squatted, eyes locked on the
forest. Yotsuki Bi's lifeless body slid down from the tree trunk, his neck
broken, face battered beyond recognition. He was beyond saving, beyond fighting
back.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on
Kiba.
In those final moments, Yotsuki Bi
saw the sunlight drape Kiba's battered form, illuminating him with an almost
ethereal glow.
Konoha's new light... No light in Kumogakure shines
brighter.
I'm sorry, kids. I failed to protect you from
this...
His consciousness drifted. The
vision of his brother, Ai, swam before him, hand extended for a fist bump.
"Brother, from today onwards,
I will be Raikage. I swear, no matter what, I will protect our village and
Kumogakure's new light! I am Ai from Kumogakure, and you are my rival!"
The younger Ai had looked up at
him with fierce determination. Despite the sadness, he had returned the
gesture, bumping fists.
"Ah, I am Bi from Kumogakure,
and I will protect the village and Kumogakure's new light at all costs!"
"Haha! With my brother, no
one can shake Kumogakure! My brother is our most intelligent shield, and I am
the strongest spear. Together, we are unbeatable!"
They had both laughed, sharing a
moment of mutual respect and determination.
I'm sorry, Ai. I should have listened...
As Yotsuki Bi's consciousness
faded, the emerald light in Kiba's eyes dulled. Blood flowed from his hands,
and he collapsed, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Pain radiated through Kiba's body,
sharp and relentless, but it was a distant sensation compared to his
overwhelming fatigue. The world around him grew darker, vision narrowing.
Sorry, Yukina, Hirohiko. I failed... to protect
Kushina sensei...
With that final thought, darkness
consumed him. Kiba lost all consciousness.