"Asshole! Idiot! This is my time to shine!"
"Brother, don't worry! Your father is my father too! Let me go!"
"With Eight-Tails by my side, I'll be fine! I'll show Iwa what I'm made of!"
Killer Bee volunteered to head to the Land of Rice Fields, his face brimming with confidence.
A grabbed Killer Bee's shoulders excitedly and whispered, "Bee..."
Dodai also looked at Killer Bee with full trust in his eyes.
"Bee, I'm counting on you!"
"I don't know what the situation in the Land of Rice Fields is like right now, so I can't send too many people," Dodai continued. "Your mission is just to gather intel on the specific situation there. How about this—you take ten Jōnin and two sensor ninjas. Get in, get out, and report back quickly!"
Killer Bee grinned. "Don't worry, Brother! Our father will definitely be fine!"
"I'm going!"
A and Dodai exchanged a glance as they watched Killer Bee leave.
"Let's go. We'll hold off Konoha's attack," A said. "Buy him some time."
A had been itching for action, and as soon as he heard Dodai's words, he activated his Lightning Armor and charged out. Dodai followed closely behind.
Soon, a thirteen-man squad from the Kumo garrison set off toward the Land of Rice Fields.
Eastern Border of the Land of Rice Fields
"Tsk, tsk, Chōmei. With your chakra supporting me, taking these guys out is effortless," Kazuyama remarked.
"Heck, even without my chakra, you'd have no trouble. They're just Chūnin, with maybe two or three Jōnin," Chōmei replied.
Kazuyama chuckled as he stood amidst the bodies of Kumo ninja. Out of the 200-strong force, nearly 80 had fallen to his indiscriminate bombardment using Crystal Release. Most of those who managed to escape were logistics personnel, like medical-nin.
And this was with him holding back. If he had used his full power, none of them would have survived.
Of course, total annihilation wasn't his goal. He wanted to provoke the Third Raikage, and now that he had accomplished that, there was no need to continue.
With the crystal dissolving into nothingness, Kumo would assume they had been ambushed by Iwa. No one would ever suspect that Kazuyama had orchestrated it all.
"The battle over there is still raging. Hmph, let them fight."
"I've vented enough. Whatever happens next has nothing to do with me."
"Chōmei, let's go. Time to head back."
No matter how eager he had been when he arrived, Kazuyama left in absolute ease.
Flying high, he activated the Transparent Escape Technique and disappeared into the sky, leisurely soaring away.
"Chōmei, where should we go for a stroll after this battle is over?"
"How about Iwa?"
"The Land of Earth has been empty lately. Why don't we drop by and do some side business?"
A month in the Land of Lightning had made Kazuyama addicted to the thrill of making money. After all, it was Raikage's son, A, who was in debt. What did it matter to him?
"I think you're getting addicted to this. That Raikage brat has already racked up a 500-million debt in the Land of Lightning. When he gets back, he'll probably be killed out of sheer rage."
Kazuyama grinned. At first, he had done it for the mission. Now, it was purely for the thrill. Making his enemy take on debt while he enjoyed the spoils—there was nothing more satisfying.
"Kazuyama, stop laughing. Two kilometers ahead, someone's approaching," Chōmei's voice rang out, tinged with surprise.
Kazuyama was taken aback. Someone was moving toward the Land of Rice Fields' border? Could it be that Tsunade hadn't launched her attack on the Land of Hot Water yet? No, with Black Mamba's speed, the intel should have already reached her. There was no way Kumo had spare forces to send here while Konoha was attacking on all fronts.
"Damn, it really is Kumo ninja."
"The one leading them is the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki!"
Through Hive Mind, Kazuyama could clearly see the approaching figures. A burly man wearing sunglasses, the word "Iron" etched on his shoulder—none other than Killer Bee!
"A team of thirteen? They don't seem like reinforcements, just an intel-gathering squad."
"Kazuyama! Beat him up! If it were anyone else, fine, but it's the Eight-Tails! No questions asked—just beat him up!"
Chōmei's excited voice suddenly echoed. He had no idea why Chōmei hated the Eight-Tails so much, but whenever he saw him, he demanded a fight.
After some thought, Kazuyama decided to make a move. The battle in the Land of Rice Fields wouldn't end in a few days. Even if Kumo couldn't send reinforcements, Killer Bee was a valuable asset—letting him go wasn't an option.
"Stop them first!"
"Summoning Technique!"
Far from the battlefield, Kazuyama boldly activated his Summoning Jutsu.
With a puff of white smoke, a massive golden python emerged.
"Damn it! The guy who plays with snakes is here!"
Killer Bee blurted out the moment he saw the golden python. The Kumo ninja couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Damn it! You're the one playing with snakes!"
"Kinrin, bite him to death!"
Who was Kazuyama? The number one intelligence officer in Konoha, with eyes that could see 8,000 li and ears that could hear 100,000 voices.
And with Killer Bee's loud mouth, there was no way he could miss that comment.
"Hmph! You don't need to tell me!"
"Ssshh!"
Kinrin hissed. She didn't understand what Bee meant, but judging from Kazuyama's reaction, it couldn't be anything good.
The golden python surged forward with terrifying speed, lunging at the Kumo ninja.
"Damn, that's one big snake!"
"My brother was right—something's definitely up in the Land of Rice Fields. Otherwise, this snake charmer wouldn't be here."
"Brothers, let's fight!"
As team leader, Killer Bee's command snapped the twelve Kumo ninja into action. The two sensor ninjas quickly retreated while the remaining ten unleashed their jutsu.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Illusion Flash of Lightning Pillar!"
Three Kumo Jōnin darted in different directions, leaping onto treetops before activating their jutsu.
Blinding light erupted from three points, illuminating the battlefield. Kazuyama instinctively shielded his eyes.
Kinrin had it worse—being a nocturnal golden snake, the intense light forced a pained growl from her. She recoiled, curling her massive body to protect herself.
"Bastard! Idiot! We've already figured out how to deal with your snake!"
"Attack!"
Killer Bee's mocking voice rang out as the rest of the Kumo ninja launched their jutsu.
"Damn, they were ready for me!"
"But don't underestimate me!"
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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