Suddenly, the chimeric beast swung a claw downward. Strangely, its target wasn't the nearby ninja—but the chaotic crowd of civilians around the arena.
"Ahhh!"
Shrill screams erupted. On one side of the stands, over a dozen people were struck dead in an instant. Blood splattered everywhere, and the sight left everyone stunned. It was only then that the audience finally realized something was terribly wrong.
Panic broke out. Cries, pleas, and sobs rose into a deafening chorus as the masses began to flee in terror.
The chimeric beast was further provoked by the chaos. With a mighty leap, it pounced toward the scattering civilians. All the shinobi present—whether they were still competing in the finals, eliminated earlier, team leaders from every village, or on-site staff—immediately charged to intercept it.
"What's going on? Who summoned this monster?" someone shouted.
"I don't know—it's strange!"
The beast roared again, the sound like shattering glass. Everyone's ears rang painfully, and right in the middle of it, the eyes of Nii Yugito and Fū had already changed color. They fought to steady their minds, desperately suppressing the agitation of the tailed beasts inside them.
The creature clashed with the assembled shinobi. Some used Earth Release to block, others cast lightning nets to trap it. The beast staggered back a few steps, then opened its maw and unleashed a massive chakra shockwave, blasting a dozen ninja away in one strike.
Already wounded from earlier, Deidara gritted his teeth and roared as he charged back into the fray. "Now I'll show you what true art means—explosive art!"
He hurled down a swarm of clay bombs, detonating them all over the beast's body and beneath its feet. A chain of explosions thundered, and Deidara thought he had succeeded. But in the next moment, the creature shrieked skyward, its rage only growing. The battlefield spiraled further out of control.
Explosions, weapons clashing, and ninjutsu echoed everywhere. Lightning Release, Earth Release, Wind Release, Water Release, Fire Release—techniques bombarded the monster from all directions.
From above, Kakashi's Raikiri fell like lightning, carving into the beast. Yet, rather than weakening, it only grew more furious.
And then it happened. As its cry—eerily similar to the howl of the Ten-Tails—echoed across the battlefield, both Nii Yugito and Fū finally lost control. They had fought to restrain themselves, but their inner beasts surged free. In the blink of an eye, their forms swelled with tails of chakra—both Jinchūriki bursting into beastly cloaks.
"Not good—it's the Tailed Beasts!" a ninja shouted.
The crowd turned to see it: on both the east and west sides of the arena, colossal chakra forms manifested, monstrous silhouettes lashing out with raw power.
The teams from Takigakure and Kumogakure rushed forward immediately, desperately trying to stabilize their villages' Jinchūriki.
From the stands, Uchiha Obito's lone eye gleamed as he seized the moment, leaping down from above.
At the same time, Hyūga Shigeo dropped from the sky as well. He had been keeping his senses locked onto Obito the entire time. No matter how chaotic things became—chimeric beasts, rampaging Jinchūriki—he could not allow Obito's plan to succeed.
The reason was simple: Fū and Yugito had shown him kindness. He would never allow these two girls to fall into Akatsuki's hands. If they were captured, their fate would only be death.
"Fū! Yugito!" Shigeo shouted loudly.
He dove down as Obito slipped through space, aiming to touch one of the Jinchūriki and unravel their seals. But just as Obito phased into position, Shigeo suddenly appeared, surging forward with a crackling Rasengan of lightning in hand.
Obito tried to shift intangible, but the Rasengan grazed his shoulder before he could fully phase. Electricity ripped through muscle, leaving his arm burning with numb pain. Obito's single Sharingan glared coldly.
"Hyūga Shigeo… so you're not weak after all."
Until now, no one had ever managed to wound him while he was using Kamui.
"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A massive cube of light appeared, instantly enveloping Obito.
But he slipped away with Kamui again, vanishing from the battlefield. This back-and-forth left him unsatisfied, his plans frustrated once more.
On the ground, Kakashi dashed over, furious. "Who was that? Was it him—the one who summoned the monster?"
His forehead protector shadowed one eye, but the other glared with rage, memories rising unbidden.
Before he could press further, the two half-transformed Jinchūriki turned, snarling, and charged at Shigeo. Having lost all rationality, they now saw only enemies—and anyone in their path had to die.
Nearby, the chimeric beast opened its maw again, unleashing another devastating chakra blast at the retreating crowd. The arena was on the verge of collapse.
In the far corner of the stands, a short old man—Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage—watched with cold eyes.
At his side, an aide whispered, "Lord Tsuchikage, that Steel Release child that Hiruko requested… are we truly giving him away?"
"Of course. Since he's already helped us summon the chimeric beast, we'll honor our agreement. Spread my order—leave the southern mountains near Kusagakure under Hiruko's control. For three years, no ANBU interference. He'll get what he asked for. But he must deliver as well."
Onoki lowered his gaze back to the arena, lips curling.
"Hyūga Shigeo… did you really think destroying half of Iwagakure could just be forgotten? As long as you live, this blood debt will never end. This entire 'joint Chūnin examination' was nothing more than our trap.
We knew Sarutobi Hiruzen's pride wouldn't allow Konoha to sit this out. That meant you would surely be here.
And since you're here, today will be your last day alive. Two Jinchūriki, one chimeric beast… even you cannot survive this."
(End of Chapter)
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