"Watch your control. Breaking arms and legs is fine, but go easy on fractures and concussions."
"Against people from Amegakure, there's no need to hold back."
Gekko Chizan casually lit a cigarette. He had recently started smoking again—after all, a cigarette afterwards was a pleasure he couldn't give up.
Yugito curled her lips disdainfully. She was overflowing with confidence in her own strength. In this Chūnin Exam, no one would be her opponent.
Just a bunch of genin from Amegakure. If she had to use more than thirty percent of her strength, she'd consider it a loss.
"You'd better tell the genin from your village to be careful. Or I'll blow each one of them apart."
"My strength right now—hey, hey, hey!"
"What are you doing?!"
Before she could finish speaking, Gekko Chizan grabbed her by the scruff of the neck.
He then revealed a grin that was both "kind" and terrifying as he turned to Konan.
"Konan, you go on ahead. I've got a little something to take care of with my wayward disciple."
Before Konan could react, Chizan pressed his hand on her shoulder and activated Flying Thunder God.
By the time she regained her senses, she was back in Konohagakure.
Chizan and Yugito had already disappeared.
Konan shook her head helplessly, then turned toward the dormitory.
...
Out on the sea beside Island Turtle.
Two figures were clashing—Gekko Chizan and Yugito were sparring.
Chizan's fists cut the air sharply. Though taijutsu wasn't his specialty, he was no amateur who couldn't handle a blade. Yugito, on the other hand, was even more outrageous. Despite her age, her taijutsu mastery was astonishing. Matatabi granted her feline reflexes and razor-sharp claws.
Chizan's figure flickered. In an instant, he appeared behind Yugito and lashed out with a kick. Yugito was sent sprawling forward several meters before regaining her footing.
"Well, well. Your taijutsu keeps growing more impressive."
"That speed and reaction—absurdly sharp."
Yugito gave no reaction to Chizan's praise. Instead, her battle spirit only grew stronger.
The life of a genin had been strangely enjoyable to her. She liked the feeling of possessing strength. But in Takigakure, she couldn't reveal her full power, which left her somewhat stifled.
Today, facing Gekko Chizan, she planned to let loose.
Tailed Beast chakra began to surface. Seeing this, Chizan stopped smiling and quickly raised his hand.
"Hey, hey, hey. I just wanted to test your strength. Why are you going straight to Tailed Beast Transformation?"
"Matatabi, what are you doing?! Stop—don't—ah, ah, ah!"
"Don't come at me!"
Shrouded in the cloak of a Tailed Beast, Yugito grinned wickedly and launched her attack. With the supply of chakra, her speed, strength, and destructive power all surged upward.
Chizan let out a strange cry and retreated rapidly.
Waves rose high across the sea—one figure brimming with momentum, the other darting away in haste.
"Hey! That's going too far, brat!"
"Boom!"
Chizan knew well that Yugito simply wanted to cut loose for once. With no other choice, he had to indulge his disciple.
A cloak of Tailed Beast chakra instantly covered his own body. Two crimson silhouettes collided violently.
Cat claws and fists clashed midair, spraying waves in all directions.
"Feeling better now?"
"You've been holding back for too long. The strength Matatabi gave you—you can't normally use it. I'll come up with a reasonable solution for that."
"But not today."
Chizan poured on the strength, blasting Yugito away.
She spun in midair, swinging a tail behind her to land steadily.
"You said it yourself! I'm taking it seriously, sensei!"
"Mouse-Tail Fireballs!"
Yugito thrust out her hands. Ten blue fireballs roared toward Chizan.
Chizan's eyes sharpened. Chakra flared at his feet, and his body darted backward like lightning.
"Hmph, trying to run?" Yugito's hands flashed through hand seals as she shouted: "Explode!"
The ten blue fireballs suddenly accelerated, arcs of blue lightning snapping between them.
Chizan's brow furrowed as he twisted to dodge. Still, a few grazed past, exploding beside him in surges of seawater.
"Not bad, kid." Regaining his stance, Chizan's hands moved in a blur. The surrounding seawater surged into countless spheres.
"Water Orb Barrage!" The water orbs shot toward Yugito.
Yugito remained calm, her Tailed Beast chakra flaring even brighter. Crossing her arms before her chest, she summoned a glowing blue barrier that blocked all the water orbs. It was Matatabi's signature blue flames.
With another sweep of her hands, more Mouse-Tail Fireballs condensed—this time, twenty of them.
"Take this, sensei!" Yugito shouted, launching another fierce assault.
Chizan watched the incoming fireballs, the corner of his lips curling upward. Seeing that smile, Yugito felt a sudden sense of dread.
Suddenly, Matatabi's voice rang in her mind: "Yugito, get out of there. No—too late. Release your control!"
Yugito didn't fully understand, but instinctively obeyed and let go of her consciousness.
"Meow-oooh!"
A proud feline roar burst from her mouth. Blue flames erupted, the violent aura of the Tailed Beast soaring upward.
Seeing Matatabi emerge, Chizan chuckled darkly.
"Looks like Yugito still lacks training. In the end, it comes down to you, Matatabi."
Matatabi stretched its body, then gave a very human-like sigh.
"Yugito is still young. It's normal she didn't notice."
"You're just like Chōmei—always up to some sneaky trickery."
"Hmph, the two of you really are a pair."
Chizan and Chōmei both burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Yugito looked completely dumbfounded.
At last, Matatabi explained for her.
"When he released that Water Release just now, he already scattered a large amount of scale powder."
"This scale powder is no weaker than the kind Chōmei uses. Hard to imagine it came from someone cloaked in Tailed Beast chakra."
Matatabi knew well the power of Chōmei's scale powder. Usually unnoticed, but if it struck, even a Tailed Beast could be forced into a disadvantage.
That Chizan's powder had reached a similar level surprised even Matatabi.
It was colorless, invisible, with almost no scent. If Matatabi hadn't been so familiar with Chōmei, even he might have fallen for it.
Yugito's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't noticed any scale powder at all.
"Heh heh... this is my latest invention..."
"Every day, I use chakra to forcefully suppress the powder—compressing it until it's nearly undetectable..."
"A travel essential, really..."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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