"C, did you think of something?"
A noticed the change in C's expression and immediately asked.
Although he was deeply dissatisfied with his father, the Third Raikage, writing a letter of surrender to Garp, to the point that he had even infiltrated the Land of Fire to carry out an assassination attempt, A was still fully aware of just how terrifying Iron Fist truly was.
A monster who had crushed his father, the strongest man in Kumogakure, in an utterly overwhelming defeat.
Assassinating someone like that naturally meant giving it everything he had.
"I think… Iron Fist is asleep."
As C recalled a scene he had once witnessed on the battlefield, his face involuntarily twisted into a bitter expression.
At this moment, he felt a twinge of regret.
'Was my mind really smeared with garbage?'
How had he let himself be persuaded by A and B?
Not only had he failed to take them back to Kumogakure, he had even joined them in attempting to assassinate Iron Fist.
This was Iron Fist, after all…
Even when he dozed off in the middle of battle, the Third Raikage still couldn't harm him in the slightest…
"Asleep…?"
A and B froze for a moment, then recalled the intelligence they had on Iron Fist.
"This old bastard… His sense of vigilance is so bad he can fall asleep anywhere, anytime?
Then how the hell did he defeat my father?"
A found it unbelievable, and at the same time, his teeth ground together in rage.
For a man like this to defeat the strongest Raikage in Kumogakure's history was absurd to the extreme.
"Lord A… I don't think you'd want to know."
The bitterness on C's face deepened.
Clearly, he had remembered the terror of the battlefield, when every Kumo ninja, including the Third Raikage himself, had been utterly dominated by Iron Fist.
"Big bro, isn't it a good thing if Iron Fist is asleep?
That just makes our chances of success higher."
B's words instantly dispelled all of A's pent up anger, replacing it with an excited grin.
"B, you're absolutely right.
I was just worrying about how to create a one-shot ambush opportunity for you, after all, that old bastard can use Observation Haki.
But now, it really feels like even the gods are standing on the side of our AB Combo…"
As A spoke, the killing intent flickering in his eyes grew ever thicker.
"If the information left behind by the First Raikage is accurate, then Iron Fist's Haki can only be used when he's conscious.
Right now, he's fast asleep. In theory, that means he can't use Haki at all and is completely defenseless.
That said… even so, Iron Fist's physical body is absurdly powerful, so much so that even the Raikage can't compare."
As C said this, the assassination mission he had originally held little hope for suddenly seemed to carry a sliver of possibility.
"No matter how strong he is, can he really be stronger than the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb?
Even my father could only directly tank an Eight-Tails Tailed Beast Bomb after activating Lightning Release: Chakra Mode at its strongest, and even then, it was just a casual shot from the Eight-Tails.
Even if Iron Fist's body is stronger than my father's, could he really withstand the Eight-Tails' limit attack?"
It was clear that A had done his homework for this assassination.
When he fled Kumogakure, he hadn't just taken the Eight-Tails' jinchuriki, Killer B, he had also brought along all the intelligence records on Iron Fist left behind by the First Raikage.
"Th-this…"
Hearing that, C's mind couldn't help but conjure up the horrific scene he had witnessed not long ago, of a force that swallowed the sea like a whale and shattered the land itself.
It was precisely that image that had persuaded him.
Not only had he failed to convince A and B to return to Kumogakure, he had even helped them evade Konoha's nearby scouts, as well as the Kumo ninja squads sent to capture the AB Combo.
"C, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! What are you still hesitating for?"
Seeing the look of indecision on C's face, A couldn't help but feel anxious.
"..."
Faced with A's urging, C said nothing. He simply lowered his head, two conflicting thoughts warring fiercely in his heart.
Beside them, B saw C's hesitation and was just about to speak when he suddenly realized the scene before him had changed.
A and C were gone, replaced by the massive body of the Eight-Tails, Gyuki.
"B, think it through carefully. You can still turn back now. Once you make a move, I'll have to say goodbye to you, forever."
Gyuki stared at B, his expression more solemn than ever before.
"Have you ever seen the AB Combo split up?"
B countered with a question instead.
"Didn't you notice?" Gyuki said quietly.
"Notice what?"
Killer B froze.
"...This isn't how you usually talk. Your rap, your catchphrases, how long has it been since they last appeared?
And when was the last time you picked up a pen and notebook to create your songs?"
Gyuki leaned his head close to Killer B.
"From the moment you left the Kumo with A, from the moment you decided to assassinate Iron Fist, you haven't rapped, you haven't written music, you haven't even said 'oh yeah' once.
You went from someone who loved rapping and playing around… to a serious ninja.
Why?
Because you know exactly who you're facing, Garp, a ninja world hero who dominated two eras.
The pressure piling up in your heart is like a mountain, crushing your true self completely."
He stared straight into B's eyes, each word struck out coldly and clearly.
"..."
B fell silent.
He could fool himself, fool his big brother A, fool even kind-hearted C, but he could never fool the Eight-Tails.
"We tailed beasts stayed by Garp's side for a very long time. Because of that, I understand his terror better than any of you Kumo shinobi.
An existence like that isn't something three kids can shake with some so-called assassination plan…
B, listen to my advice. Turn back.
A shinobi's life is short, why make it shorter by going with your brother?"
Gyuki urged him earnestly.
If it were the previous jinchuriki, Blue B, he would have simply watched silently as the man went off to his death.
But with Killer B, even if their bond wasn't yet as deep as it would be more than a decade later.
After reaching mutual understanding, he didn't want to see B's life end and to let him go to meet the First Raikage.
...
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