Uchiha's Taijutsu Supreme

Cloud Village, Thunder Valley Gorge~

The Third Raikage stood solemnly before a gravestone, his voice heavy with grief as he spoke:

"May you rest in peace, my nephew."

The gravestone bore the photograph of his nephew, Blue B, clearly marking his untimely demise.

Behind him, rows of Cloud Village shinobi dressed in black, clutching flowers in their hands, bowed solemnly. They then pounded their fists on their chests and roared in unison, "Farewell, Blue B!"

Tears streamed down the Third Raikage's face as he turned to face the gathered crowd, his voice firm and resolute:

"Blue B was a hero of the Hidden Cloud. He sacrificed himself so that our village could harness the power of the tailed beasts! His spirit will live on in the hearts of all Cloud Village shinobi!"

"His attempt to challenge the 'Falls of Truth' was undertaken at my command. It was a necessary step to ensure the strength of our village in the face of the increasingly dire state of the shinobi world."

"I promise all of you, as your Raikage, I will never forget the sacrifices made by every shinobi for our village!"

"And as the winds of war approach, I will inherit Blue B's will and stand at the forefront!"

As the Third Raikage concluded, the shinobi of the Hidden Cloud responded with determined voices:

"All for the Hidden Cloud!"

The reason they trusted their Raikage so deeply was simple: during the Eight-Tails' rampage, he had been the first to charge forward, battling the beast to the point of exhaustion.

Every Cloud shinobi had witnessed this with their own eyes, a sight that deeply moved them all.

Though the Third Raikage assigned dangerous missions to his subordinates, in moments of life-and-death crises, he was always the first to step up. This unwavering bravery made him a leader worthy of trust and loyalty.

Under his leadership, the Hidden Cloud became the only major village in its timeline to never have a rogue shinobi join the Akatsuki.

After paying their respects, the Cloud shinobi dispersed quietly, leaving only the Third Raikage, his son A, and Dodai silently gazing at Blue B's photograph.

Blue B's decision to enter the 'Falls of Truth' had been carefully deliberated by the Third Raikage, Dodai, and the village's higher-ups.

As an established jonin and jinchuriki, Blue B had been entrusted with the Eight-Tails' power but struggled to fully control it.

The current jinchuriki, including Blue B and Nii Yugito, could only draw upon the tailed beasts' chakra at the whim of the beasts themselves.

If the tailed beasts were in a good mood, they might allow their jinchuriki to use a cloak or even unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb. But if they weren't, even basic chakra control could be disrupted, rendering the jinchuriki helpless.

The Two-Tails, fortunately, was a relatively docile beast that rarely caused trouble.

However, the Eight-Tails, with its volatile temper, posed a constant threat. Blue B relied on negotiations to borrow chakra, always risking a sudden rampage.

To mold jinchuriki into reliable weapons of war, training at the 'Falls of Truth' was deemed essential.

Tragically, Blue B failed this trial. Consumed by the darkness within his heart, he lost control, unleashing the Eight-Tails.

In his final moments, Blue B shared his experiences and insights from his years as a jinchuriki with the Third Raikage, revealing the reasons for his failure.

With his dying breath, he sought to aid the Hidden Cloud in perfecting the art of controlling tailed beasts.

The Third Raikage stood silently before the gravestone, recalling his parting words:

"Raikage-sama, the power of a tailed beast consists of its chakra and its will, intricately intertwined."

"To wield this power, one must withstand the beast's will. The will of a tailed beast is wild and chaotic—any crack in one's heart will be exploited, leading to the loss of sanity."

"To control a tailed beast's power without succumbing to its influence, one must possess an unyielding will to forcibly separate its chakra from its will."

"The training at the 'Falls of Truth' is highly effective. If a jinchuriki can defeat the darkness within their heart, they will never be swayed by the tailed beast's will."

"My failure stemmed from the disdainful looks I received in the village. They made me feel uneasy, feeding the darkness in my heart until the Eight-Tails' will overwhelmed me. I failed you..."

The Third Raikage sighed deeply and turned to Dodai, speaking firmly:

"The prejudice against jinchuriki in the village must be eradicated. We must establish the belief that every jinchuriki is a hero of the Hidden Cloud and spread this ideology."

"Blue B's death was largely influenced by this bias. No matter how strong a shinobi is, they cannot endure betrayal from their own village. For those who must battle the tailed beasts within them, their hearts are especially fragile."

Dodai nodded solemnly, recording the Raikage's words with respect shining in his eyes. He was in awe of the Third Raikage, who had single-handedly subdued a rampaging tailed beast with his raw physical strength.

After a moment of contemplation, Dodai asked, "Raikage-sama, regarding the Eight-Tails, what are your instructions?"

The Third Raikage glanced at the gravestone before replying without hesitation:

"We must find a new jinchuriki. The winds of war grow stronger—we cannot abandon the power of the tailed beasts because of a temporary setback."

He added, "Intelligence suggests that Iwagakure's jinchuriki program is progressing well. We must not let the tailed beasts remain mere ticking time bombs. They must become weapons of the Hidden Cloud."

Dodai nodded but raised a concern, "Raikage-sama, with Blue B's death, many in the village are now fearful of the Eight-Tails. Few are willing to take up the mantle of jinchuriki."

He continued, "However, the Two-Tails program is progressing smoothly. A young kunoichi named Nii Yugito has successfully undergone the sealing process and is now training without any issues."

The Third Raikage sighed.

"The power of the Two-Tails pales in comparison to the Eight-Tails..."

But he knew he couldn't force anyone to take on such a burden. Without the ambition to conquer the Eight-Tails, passing the 'Falls of Truth' was impossible.

Stepping forward, A spoke up, his voice firm, "I propose Blue B's younger brother, Killer B, as the next candidate. He is my future partner and possesses the strength of will needed to wield the Eight-Tails' power."

The Third Raikage hesitated before replying, "Killer B is indeed a candidate, but can someone so young truly bear such a responsibility?"

A's expression was resolute.

"Killer B is unique. His determination surpasses even mine. With the village's support and acceptance, he can overcome the darkness within and wield the Eight-Tails' power."

"And if he fails, then seal the Eight-Tails within me. I will bear this burden, just as the Third Mizukage did."

Dodai looked at A in awe, deeply moved by his unwavering resolve.

The Third Raikage smiled faintly at his son and said, "Very well. Let's proceed as you suggest. But we will wait until the village's perception of jinchuriki has improved before moving forward."

He then turned to Dodai and ordered,

"Now that the village has mourned Blue B, it's time to discuss our alliance with the Leaf. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss."

He added with a glint in his eye,

"I've had my sights set on the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan for a long time..."

After paying his respects at Blue B's grave once more, the Third Raikage made a silent vow, "My nephew, when the Hidden Cloud stands atop the shinobi world, I will come to tell you myself."

Little did he know, if not for Fuma entrusting the "Star" to Orochimaru, granting him early insights into tailed beast research, his dear nephew might not have even lived to see this day.

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