Chapter 32: Let Me Take You to See a Meteor Shower [Part 1]
"Guy… I'm so sorry."
At that moment, Kakashi's heart was filled with guilt. He watched helplessly as his best friend boarded this ship of madness—and he hadn't stopped him. Please, let him forgive me once he learns the truth, Kakashi prayed silently.
Guy's enthusiastic participation was like the final hammer blow, utterly shattering the mental defenses of the Cloud Village shinobi. Within seconds, every single one of them was vomiting, no exceptions.
Even Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, couldn't hold it in. Not only was she retching herself, but even Matatabi, sealed within her, was showing signs of extreme nausea.
Unstable chakra surged and swirled wildly across her body, a clear sign of the beast's internal turmoil.
"Alright, that's enough! You can stop now!"
As soon as the music ended, Sakura quickly called it off. She was barely holding it together herself. She could stomach the muscular "Raikage" and "Killer Bee" dancing earlier—but Guy, in his skintight green jumpsuit and frog-like appearance, spinning and twisting while flashing his iconic tooth-sparkling smile…
The visual trauma was just too much.
"Huh? We're stopping already?"
Guy looked disappointed. "But my youth was just beginning to burn with passion! How about another round?"
"N-no thanks! Youth is about physical training… Dancing should only be done occasionally!"
Sakura clamped a hand over her mouth, feeling her stomach churn as the image of Guy's performance replayed in her mind.
"Indeed—and Guy, you didn't stick to the plan you made for yourself earlier, remember? It's time to punish yourself!"
Kakashi quickly jumped in to redirect the conversation. If Guy really did another dance, Kakashi felt he might as well go reunite with Obito, Rin, and their teacher in the afterlife.
"Oh, right! Youth allows no room for slacking!"
Guy's eyes lit up with flames of resolve. "Three thousand push-ups coming up! If I fail, I'll juggle dumbbells with both hands—one thousand times!"
But just before he ran off, he turned back with shining eyes.
"If there's ever another event like this, please promise you'll invite me!"
"Yes, yes! Absolutely!"
Sakura quickly agreed, finally relieved to see Guy jog away.
Then she smirked.
With a wave of her hand, she activated the Reality Stone, instantly duplicating thousands of photos of the transformed Raikage and Killer Bee in their "passionate dance" poses. With zero hesitation, she flung them toward the Cloud Village forces.
"This is just a small welcome gift since we're new neighbors," she said with mock sweetness.
"Here, a few exclusive photos of your glorious Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee—special edition! One-of-a-kind! Please take good care of them—don't lose them now!"
"Bleaargh!"
Just the reminder alone was bad enough. But the sight of those photos—featuring the Raikage and Killer Bee blushing mid-dance—sent the Cloud shinobi into another round of projectile vomiting.
"See?" Sakura turned to the Konoha forces proudly.
"Told you my method works. Not only did it crush them mentally, it wore them down physically too. Look at them—they're wrecked.
If we launched an attack now, they'd lose for sure."
Sakura proudly turned to Shikaku Nara, seeking praise.
But Shikaku's lips twitched involuntarily at her words.
"Yeah… you not only broke their bodies, but crushed their spirits too.
The only issue is—your technique doesn't distinguish between friend or foe.
Sure, they're incapacitated, but so are we. We can't attack either!"
"Uh… w-well… that was just a mistake! A complete accident!"
Sakura chuckled awkwardly.
She had to admit, it was a double-edged technique—basically an area-of-effect mental nuke. Sure, it hurt the enemy—but it hit her own team just as hard. Like dropping a bomb on the whole map.
Just then, an angry voice snapped out.
"You vile Konoha shinobi! How dare you insult Lord Raikage and Lord Bee!"
Yugito Nii straightened up, glaring furiously at Sakura and the others.
Dense, blue, fiery shroud chakra began to flare and swirl around her—the ominous chakra of the Two-Tails.
"So this is the Two-Tails Jinchūriki?" Sakura said calmly.
"Not bad.
But you know, little kittens are much cuter when they behave."
That line instantly enraged both Yugito and the Two-Tails.
"Who are you calling a little kitten?"
A deep, growling voice echoed from within Yugito, thick with anger.
"That's… that's the Two-Tails' consciousness…"
The Cloud ninja all instinctively recoiled in fear.
Even though Yugito was respected in the village, the truth was: people always feared the Tailed Beasts—deep down, that fear never faded.
But Sakura didn't flinch.
"Am I wrong? Your true form is a cat, isn't it?
A rare blue-and-black breed at that. Pretty unique, really."
She showed no fear whatsoever.
Sure, Tailed Beasts were terrifying—for ordinary shinobi.
But the Uchiha clan's Sharingan had always been a natural counter to them.
And right now, she had Shisui Uchiha on her side.
Not only did he possess the Mangekyō Sharingan, his eye technique was Kotoamatsukami—a genjutsu so powerful it could rewrite a person's will without them even knowing.
If the Two-Tails did go berserk and fully transform, it would only take one glare from Shisui to shut it down.
Even if Shisui didn't want to expose his Mangekyō, Sakura still had her Mind Stone.
And for a creature like a Tailed Beast, vulnerable to mental attacks, the Mind Stone was just as deadly.
"You've made me angry, little one…"
The Two-Tails growled, her voice seething with fury.
No one had ever dared call her a kitten before.
"Tch. You're just a glorified pet left behind by the Sage of Six Paths,"
Sakura said dismissively, eyes sharp.
"You really think you're all that?"
Her words cut deep, and the Two-Tails found herself too furious to even form a retort.
"You Tailed Beasts are easily suppressed by Sharingan users.
Be honest—if you're not the Sage's pets, then what exactly are you, hmm?
Matatabi?"
She didn't speak the name aloud—but silently mouthed it instead.
That silent whisper made Yugito's expression change dramatically.
"Matatabi—how does she know your name?"
Yugito's voice trembled in shock.
According to the Two-Tails, a Tailed Beast's true name carried special significance.
Only those acknowledged by a Beast ever learned it.
Everyone else simply referred to them by number—like "Two-Tails."
"What?!"
Matatabi, still seething over Sakura's earlier jabs, was caught completely off guard.
"She just mouthed your name," Yugito said, panicked.
"I've studied lip-reading—and even though I'm not perfect, I'm sure of it.
She said your name. Matatabi."
As a Jonin, Yugito had trained in lip-reading and covert signals.
And a single word? She wouldn't get that wrong.
"Impossible," Matatabi growled.
"She's never interacted with me. There's no way she could know my name."
Tailed Beasts never shared their names publicly.
Even among Jinchūriki like Yugito and Killer Bee, that kind of information stayed secret.
And yet, Sakura somehow knew.