Suguru watched as his clone, donning the face and demeanor of Amai, went about his business. Given his own identity as Amai's companion, he held some amount of sway.
'...I'm being treated like a mascot,'
—Clap!
Forced into another high five, Suguru felt the dissonance between the Kumo-nins he had imagined in the past. Where were the shinobi who kidnapped those from other villages and secretly amassed strength?
Now, they seemed so feeble.
So... easy to kill.
The moment Suguru had such a thought, he felt a prickling sensation strike his nape. It was that piercing danger sense he had honed after being hounded by Kuromaru for hours and hours on end.
It told him that harboring any amount of killing intent would prove to be detrimental to all his plans.
—Step.
—Step.
—Step.
'Hm?'
Suguru felt goosebumps erupting across his skin.
A terrifying mass of chakra, even greater than that of Yugito Nii, had moved awfully close. Its mere presence bore a weight that Suguru had felt only a few times before.
Although it was mellow now, very much unlike the malevolent Kyuubi, it was just as intimidating. After all, the man walking before Suguru was a perfect jinchuriki.
—A man who had fought against Namikaze Minato and earned his praise.
'A shinobi killer,'
Killer Bee.
—Scribble.
That man was currently scribbling rhymes on a notepad as he walked past. Suguru watched with wide eyes and a watery mouth.
The scent of Gyuuki's chakra was tantalizing, like fresh takoyaki or charcoal-grilled octopus.
Indeed, it was likely that taking a bite out of such chakra would lead to ecstasy as Samehada had once described in the original. Suguru was salivating more than usual.
The rumbling in his stomach was audible already.
'Damn, I'm of the same species as that sword now,'
To think that he would one day agree with a sword's taste buds... Suguru shook his head. This was the life he had chosen, and he unfortunately had to live with that reality.
Luckily... Suguru had plans to devour some of Gyuuki's chakra.
'I'm just about ready to pay them a visit.' He thought, watching as Killer Bee received the latest batch of orders the Raikage had requested of him and Amai.
***
The Valley of Clouds and Lightning, where sharp stone peaks were drenched in a veritable sea, creating island mountains and steep slopes. Fog and clouds obscured vision, blurring the sight of the silver moon above.
Killer Bee was sitting at the base of a long staircase, stuck on the last verse of a rap he wanted to finish. The night was cold and the winds were a soothing embrace against his skin.
Yet, he couldn't place his finger on what felt so wrong. Of course, that was until he sensed a peculiar movement approaching him.
Flickering like an intangible shadow in the fog, its approach was threatening given its speed.
—Swish.
When the silver-haired figure appeared before him, Bee instantly recognized the youthful face.
"Hm? Ho..."
Bee regarded the smiling child with a knowing look.
"I was right, yo! Something was off 'bout ya, ya owl-looking fool."
Hearing this, Suguru chuckled. "Yo, Jinchuriki-sama."
"You call me by my title, with respect, o! Gotta hand it to ya, gotta give ya some respect back, yeah! What's ya name ya bozo, yo?!"
"..." Suguru's lips twitched. Hearing it in real life was a different experience entirely. "...Hiryu Suguru. A pleasure to meet you, Uncle Bee."
"This great me ain't yo uncle ya fool! Who you callin' old? You got a lotta spunk, bro!" Bee continued to rap, "What'chu here fo' fool. Ya damn fool."
"...I wanted to spar, Uncle Bee. Would it be possible to do so?"
"Ha?! A spar, yo? Ya sure? This great me ain't no easy pickings, ya fool!"
Suguru nodded, slowly growing to become unfazed by the words grating against his ears. Insulting Killer Bee's rap was the same as someone insulting his love for research.
As a fellow hobbyist, he had that amount of respect.
Thus, instead of speaking anymore lest he go insane, he called upon his chakra. For the first time in a while, he took on a battle stance.
Now was a good time to test the flames he gained from Matatabi's guiding chakra.
"Let's just fight, Uncle Bee."
—Swish!
And thus, Suguru flickered forward.
***
Killer Bee watched as the silver-haired child approached him with frightening speed. Beyond any Genin, Chuunin, and even new Jounin, this Hiryu Suguru had a speed among the greatest. The rapid flickers reminded Bee of the previous war.
The reputation of one Uchiha Shisui.
"You're fast, yo, but ya ain't fast enough!"
—Boom!
With raw martial speed, Bee blasted off the ground, shattering the stone surface in the process. Different from Suguru's graceful flickers, Bee's advance shook the earth.
An arm bar flew through the air, heading straight for the child's neck. No mercy could be seen in this strike.
No mercy for the weak.
—Thud. Crack!
However, the small hand that collided with the arm bar was anything but light. Suguru's elbow slammed against Bee's chest, halting his advance, before then bouncing to the approaching arm bar and neutralizing it with a fist.
"Ho..."
A gasp of admiration escaped Bee's lips.
"I see that you're pretty worthy, ya fool! Let's see how far you can go! I ain't gon' take it slow, bro!"
Bee spun. He spun so fast that the wind hadn't even had a chance to react.
Suguru blocked the meteor-like axe kick by shielding himself from the sky. His arms, crossed against each other, were a clear indication of his disadvantage.
His chakra churned, diverting the force down his body and into the ground.
It was the earth beneath his feet which cracked, and not his bones.
"...As expected," He muttered before his figure blurred.
Suguru flickered.
And Bee swung his arm in a wide arc.
—Boom!
The impact caused a blast of air, however, it seemed like Bee hit nothing but said air.
—Fwish!
Bee perceived a threat. Suguru, already appearing as a spectral ghost, didn't seem to have a tangible appearance. Suguru's shin struck Bee's thigh, creating a pulse of dust radiating outward.
Grabbing the leg that had lost its momentum, Bee thought he could throw his foe into the ground. However...
"Hm?'
His fist merely phased through the mirage, unable to catch the main body. Left for the afterimage of scraps.
"I see, yo!" Bee applied some ink on his pen and began scribbling. The last part of his rap verse had been completed thanks to Suguru. "I gotta thank you, fool! Consider your offer granted! This battle is gon' be a battle for the ages! I gotta record it, rap it, and spread the word of your defeat! Yay!"
—Boom!
Suguru instantly knew that Bee was done warming up.
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