Chapter 82.3- One Thousand Hands

I began to release natural energy from the seal, but this time instead of natural energy on one side, my chakra on the other, and Kurama’s coming over everything later on, I put my chakra on one side, and then Kurama’s on the same side, merging our chakras best as I could— which was not very good— but Kurama himself could do it as easy as breath. And then the nature energy was on the other side. The combination created a stronger form of sage mode, the potent natural energy (and there was more of it now because of how much more chakra I had on the other side) and the potent tailed beast chakra along with my Senju chakra merged.

My tails retracted, flowing back into my body. The tailed beast cloak itself also disappeared. My body swelled in size. I was tall as the Raikage now, I felt. All my organs felt like they were working on overtime. I looked over at Uzume and I could see every drop of her chakra. She still had passable reserves, but any more and it would be too much. Plus there was the risk of remaining in an active warzone while chakra exhausted. I pushed off the ground.

Ay’s head turned right in time for my boot to smash into it and send him flying. I turned to my teammate, my partner, my friend.

“Drop out of Sussano’o. Stop using Stasis as well. I’m not asking you to leave the fight but with your reserves as low as they are, it’s for the best if you bide your time and wait for an opening.” She gave me a look and I half expected her to snarl at me with her objections. Instead, she swallowed them. An understanding of time and place?

“You look strong” was all she said instead, eyes running over my form assessingly. I nodded. I felt strong even.

“Kill him, Hokage-sama” She said, using the title for the first time, and she didn’t even sound like she was being sarcastic. And then she was off. I turned to the Raikage, where he watching with a smirk on his face.

“The last time I fought a Hokage, he sent his allies away. I am sure you saw what happened to him after that, Shorirama Senju. You will be no different, boy. If I were you, I’d call her back. ” He said.

“The last time I fought a Raikage, I killed him. I buried an arrow straight through the top of his head. I got his brain in one shot. He had no last words, what could he even have said? He must have died ashamed. And I guess you will be different in that you will die with no shame. You get to have the privilege of being the second Kage to fall by my hands this war. If I were you, I would make peace with my demons, for the next place you will lay your eyes on is Naraka. ” I said, spreading my hands as grandiously as I could.