"Frozen… frozen!"
Mei Terumī looked at the Jōnin who had lunged forward, her expression tightening. Those Jōnin had acted without orders—did they no longer respect her as Mizukage?
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
One Jōnin had already materialized behind Shigure, stepping up with the hard, accusatory voice of a village guard. "How dare you attack the village's Jōnin, kid? What's your intent?"
Although they scolded Shigure, none of the Jōnin moved to strike. After witnessing several of their comrades fall instantly into ice, they dared not act rashly. That display of power had been bone-deep terrifying.
"You say Zabuza Momochi is no longer a Missing-nin?" someone asked, perplexed.
"Not a Missing-nin?" others echoed, incredulous. "He deserted—he's always been a Missing-nin. Since when—?"
"Because I say he is no longer a Missing-nin," Mei replied, voice ringing across the arena.
All eyes turned to the Mizukage.
"Lord Kage! Why would you—" a gruff voice protested.
Mei Terumī raised a hand and spoke clearly. "Zabuza Momochi aided the village in retrieving the Three-Tails Jinchūriki. He has performed a great service. Merit can erase past offenses—his Missing-nin status is revoked and his shinobi status is restored."
A ripple of stunned murmurs ran through the stands. The village losing a Tailed Beast was no secret—if Zabuza had indeed helped recover the Three-Tails, it was a deed of immense consequence.
"Really? Lord Kage, where is the Three-Tails?" someone shouted.
Before Mei could answer, Shigure stepped forward from beside her. He said nothing—his presence answered the question. Behind him, the Three-Tails drifted, its restless form unmistakable.
"A Jinchūriki… that kid is a Jinchūriki?" the Jōnin whispered, eyes widening.
The surprise altered their stance. A young shinobi possessing raw strength, masterful swordsmanship, potent Ninjutsu—and now the host of a Tailed Beast—suddenly looked far more dangerous than any rumor had suggested. Such power, they reasoned, could rival even the Lord Kage herself.
"Even if the Three-Tails was recovered," another Jōnin persisted, unsettled, "Zabuza Momochi was a Missing-nin once. Are you truly pardoning him so easily?"
Mei nodded. "Not only the Three-Tails—our other lost Tailed Beast, the Six-Tails, has also been retrieved."
"The Six-Tails? Did they capture Utakata?" someone demanded.
Mei Terumī's reply made the arena fall silent. "Utakata has been captured, but he is no longer a Jinchūriki."
"Not a Jinchūriki?" The question hung heavy. If Utakata was no longer the host, where had the Six-Tails gone?
"I apologize—" Mei began, then trailed off as Shigure's form shifted. Six more tails uncoiled behind him, joining the Three-Tails already present. Nine tails in total. The sight struck the assembled shinobi dumb.
One boy. Two Tailed Beasts.
The Jōnin stared as terror replaced astonishment. The village had no suitable candidates left to take a Tailed Beast safely, Mei explained, so out of necessity they attempted to seal the beasts into Shigure. He had nearly died in the process—but survived. Not only that, he had suppressed and mastered both beasts' chakra, becoming a stable, controlled Jinchūriki.
Mei's voice dropped low, reverent. "Shigure endured life and death to accomplish this. He stands before you now as proof that it was possible."
An incredulous murmur became a renewed chorus of awe. Could one person hold two Tailed Beasts at once? History recorded no precedent—but here it was, in Kirigakure's arena.
"So the capture of the Six-Tails was done by Shigure and Zabuza together," Mei added. "Both aided in the retrieval."
The crowd digested the revelation. This was no longer merely Zabuza's redemption; it was proof of Shigure's unmatched valor and strength. For a boy so young to face Tailed Beasts and not be consumed—only the strongest could have achieved such a feat.
Mei stepped forward, taking advantage of the moment. "Our village has suffered and lost many great shinobi. Today, two lost Tailed Beasts are returned, sealed within one Jinchūriki. Kirigakure has a chance to reclaim its former glory."
Tailed-beast chakra swelled outward from Shigure like a storm.
The blended currents of the Three- and Six-Tails swept through the arena, pushing the air aside as if it were nothing. Red chakra bathed him; he looked otherworldly—monstrous and controlled at once.
Yet Shigure did not lose himself. His voice, steady and sharp, cut through the charged silence.
"If anyone opposes Zabuza Momochi's return to Hidden Mist, step forward and fight me. If I lose, I will not stop you from acting against him."
His challenge hung in the cold air, and for a long heartbeat, the entire arena held its breath.
Looking at Shigure, who effortlessly entered his Tailed Beast Chakra Mode while maintaining full control of his mind, the surrounding jōnin felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief.
This kid… he hasn't even been a jinchūriki for that long, has he?
And yet, he had already achieved complete synchronization with his Tailed Beast's chakra.
Even putting aside Shigure's own power, the mere fact that he was hosting two Tailed Beasts made him an absolute monster. Who in their right mind would dare to challenge someone who had mastered the chakra of two bijū?
As that thought struck them, the assembled jōnin subconsciously stepped back in unison.
That was enough—everything else would fall into place naturally.
The Elders, too, raised no objections. Perhaps it was out of respect for Shigure's strength—or perhaps because his cooperation with Zabuza in capturing a Tailed Beast spoke volumes of their bond. Whatever the reason, they chose not to press the issue.
Besides, the Hidden Mist Village was already drowned in celebration; no one wanted to stir trouble during such a joyous time.
A mere Zabuza was no longer worth worrying about.
What truly mattered was this: the Hidden Mist's Tailed Beast had been recovered, and now they had a jinchūriki who could perfectly control its power.
The Elders could not help but think that Mei Terumī's decision to bring Shigure back had been absolutely right.
A shinobi like him would guarantee the Mist's stability and dominance for decades to come.
Possessing the combined might of two Tailed Beasts—perhaps even the legendary Three Sannin of Konoha would struggle to match him.
From that day onward, the Hidden Mist erupted into wild celebration.
And soon, the news spread across the entire ninja world—through each of the Five Great Nations.
One man, two Tailed Beasts.
Something the world had never seen before.
Yet, in truth, it wasn't merely two.
While the village reveled in its triumph, Shigure sat quietly in Mei Terumī's chambers, his gaze fixed on the status screen before him.
[Ichibi Shukaku Chakra: 98.8%]
...
TN:
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