Kapitel 337: 336-Little One

I woke with a sharp gasp, the sensation of heat coiling in my chest, yet my skin felt cold, and clammy with sweat. My hands trembled as I pushed myself upright on the stone slab they had laid me on.

My eyes darted to the figure lying motionless on the adjacent platform. Hano Ayame. The former Jinchuriki of Matatabi. Her pale face, serene in death, was framed by her hair, now dull and lifeless. I couldn't look away, my heart lurching in my chest. Her body lay still, as if the life had been siphoned from her entirely, which in retrospect it had.

'Someday, will that be me?'

The thought clawed its way to the surface before I could suppress it. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.

'No. I won't allow it. I will be stronger and better.' But the tremor in my hands betrayed the confidence I was trying to project.

A low voice echoed in my mind, smooth and feline, its tone laced with a fiery resonance. "Dwelling on death already, little one? You've barely begun."

I froze. "Who—" The words faltered as realization struck. "Matatabi."

Her chuckle rolled through my thoughts like distant thunder. "Sharp, aren't you? Good. I was worried they picked someone who couldn't hold a decent conversation."

I blinked rapidly, willing my voice to remain steady. "You're... inside me."

"Where else would I be?" she replied dryly. "Do try to keep up. This arrangement isn't just for my benefit, you know."

The surreal nature of the situation overwhelmed me for a moment, but I forced myself to breathe. Just as I opened my mouth to respond, the door creaked, and Kudo stepped inside. His frail frame barely filled the entryway, his sharp features betraying nothing of the chaos outside. The faint rumble of explosions and shouts seeped through the thick walls, a reminder that peace was a luxury even now.

"You've woken up already, I see," Kudo said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he approached. "Take care of her, Tani. Matatabi is a powerful ally, but she isn't one to be taken lightly."

I frowned. "Take care of her? Isn't she the one who's supposed to take care of me?"

Kudo's lips curved into a rare smirk, though the humor didn't reach his eyes. "You'll learn soon enough. How do you feel?"

"Bloated," I admitted, earning a soft chuckle from him.

"You'll adjust," he said, though his tone was less reassuring than it was matter-of-fact. "For now, there's work to do. The ceremony didn't go unnoticed, and there are... intruders."

"Of course," I muttered under my breath. I swung my legs off the slab and stood, steadying myself. My clothes, folded neatly nearby, bore the familiar violet and black hues of my clan. I slipped into them quickly, fastening the long coat and brushing a hand over the fire-and-lightning motif.

Kudo leaned against the wall, arms crossed, waiting. "Consider this your first opportunity to prove yourself."

The words stung more than I wanted to admit, reminding me of the grueling year of preparation leading up to this moment. Every bruise, every sleepless night, every ounce of chakra pushed to its limit had been for this — to carry the weight of Matatabi. To meet the expectations of my clan.

I nodded sharply, the doubt that lingered pushed to the back of my mind. "What kind of opportunity?"

Kudo's smirk widened. "The kind where other villages think they can disrupt our plans."

I said nothing, closing my eyes to focus. My chakra field expanded outward as I searched for any sign of the enemy. My breath caught as the field stretched far beyond its usual range, encompassing not just the facility but the entire city and beyond.

"This... This isn't me," I whispered.

"As if you needed reminding," Matatabi purred in my mind. "You're not alone anymore."

Her chakra surged within me, warm and fierce, like a wildfire igniting in my veins. My mind blanked momentarily, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of it.

'Focus, Tani'.

I pulled the field back, narrowing it to the facility itself. The area of chakra field disturbance became clear — pinpointed, analyzed, compartmentalized. Without another word, I flickered from the room, reappearing in the midst of chaos.

The first skirmish unfolded in a narrow, dimly lit corridor. The air was suffused with steam, mingling with the acrid scent of burning metal and the coppery tang of blood. Shadows danced on the walls, flickering and erratic, illuminated by the clash of lightning jutsu and the faint glow of chakra-infused blades.

I arrived just as a Kumo shinobi stumbled back, clutching a deep wound in his side. Blood seeped between his fingers, pooling at his feet. His breaths were shallow, and his eyes flickered with desperation as his opponent, a Mist shinobi wielding a wickedly curved blade, advanced with predatory precision.

Time seemed to slow as I stepped forward, the heat of Matatabi's chakra coiling in my chest like a dormant ember waiting to ignite. The enemy shinobi raised his weapon, the cruel glint of steel reflecting the dim light.

I moved without hesitation. "Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!"

The words left my lips with a fiery resonance, and a serpentine stream of flame erupted from my hands, roaring to life like a living entity. The flames coiled and twisted through the air, striking the Mist shinobi with a ferocious hiss. His scream was brief, swallowed by the inferno that consumed him, leaving only ash that scattered across the floor in the wake of my attack.

The remaining enemies froze, their movements stilled by the display of power. Their eyes flicked to me, wide with a mixture of recognition and unease. The aura of Matatabi's chakra shimmered faintly around me, casting a ghostly blue hue that seemed to pulse with life.

"Tani-sama," one of the injured Kumo shinobi gasped. His voice carried not just relief but something else — awe, reverence.

I glanced at him, my expression carefully neutral despite the chaos around us.

Tani-sama.

The honorific, spoken with such weight, was foreign to me. It was a stark contrast to the way they had looked at me before — as a prodigy, yes, but also a weapon. Now, they seemed to regard me as something greater, almost untouchable.

'I wonder how those of my clan will look at me!'

I forced myself to push the thought aside. "Fall back and regroup," I ordered, my voice sharp. "I'll handle the rest."

They hesitated for a moment, their eyes lingering on me before nodding and retreating.

The Mist shinobi regrouped quickly, their eyes narrowing as they assessed me. The room seemed to hum with tension, the air charged with chakra as they prepared to strike.

One of them lunged first, weaving hand signs with practiced precision. "Suiton: Mizurappa!" he cried, and a torrent of water shot toward me with the force of a battering ram.

I didn't flinch. Matatabi's voice echoed in my mind, a low, rumbling encouragement. "Let them come. Show them the strength of fire."

I raised my hands, channeling both Matatabi's chakra and my own. The water met a wall of roaring blue flames mid-air, steam exploding outward in a hiss so loud it seemed to shake the walls. The corridor filled with a dense fog, obscuring my vision for a moment.

But I didn't need to see. My chakra field expanded, pinpointing their positions with unerring clarity. My body moved before I could think, lightning crackling at my fingertips as I closed the distance to the nearest shinobi.

"Raiton: Raijin Fist!" I shouted, driving my electrified fist into his chest. The force of the blow sent him hurtling backward, slamming into the wall with a sickening crack.

Another enemy moved to flank me, but I spun on my heel, releasing a wave of fire infused with Matatabi's chakra. The flames roared like a living beast, engulfing him and leaving nothing but charred remnants in their wake.

The remaining shinobi faltered, their resolve wavering as they exchanged glances. The air around me seemed to shimmer with heat, the faint glow of Matatabi's chakra radiating from my body.

"Still want to try your luck?" I asked, my voice cold.

They hesitated for only a moment before retreating, their footsteps echoing in the corridor as they fled. I exhaled slowly, the tension in my chest easing as the immediate threat dissipated.

There was no need for me to kill them. They would eventually be caght by our shinobi.

But there was no time to rest. The battles blurred together after that, each skirmish demanding more of me. My senses, heightened by Matatabi's chakra, allowed me to intercept enemy movements with precision. My attacks, bolstered by her power, left trails of devastation in their wake.

Yet, with each fight, I felt the strain on my mind growing. Matatabi's chakra was overwhelming, a firestorm that threatened to consume me if I faltered for even a moment.

Finally, as the clashes began to subside, a peculiar chakra signature drew my attention. It was sharp, focused, and eerily calm amidst the chaos. I followed the signature, flickering through the corridors until I reached an open courtyard.

The scene that greeted me made my stomach churn. Two Kumo shinobi, both seasoned veterans, lay lifeless at the masked figure's feet, well one of them was falling to his feet.

I clenched my fists, the heat of Matatabi's flames coiling in my chest. I couldn't help but Release my flames at him. But he defended against them with some metals from his body.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

They didn't respond, their head tilting slightly as if studying me.

Anger surged, and I unleashed a torrent of flames, the blue inferno roaring toward the figure with the full force of my fury.

"Enough," Matatabi's voice rumbled in my mind, halting me mid-attack. Her tone was uncharacteristically serious. "Their chakra... It's familiar."

I hesitated, the flames dissipating as quickly as they had appeared. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I forced myself to steady it.

"Familiar?" I asked aloud, my eyes narrowing as I regarded the figure. "You... who are you?"

=====

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Kapitel 338: 337-Eyes

She stood there, poised and unyielding, her violet-trimmed coat swaying lightly in the breeze. Tani Sakiko stared him down with piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through Renjiro's mask.

Renjiro's Sharingan picked up the flickers of chakra surrounding her—wild, untamed, and impossibly vast. It wasn't just her chakra. It was Matatabi's presence, simmering beneath her skin, coiled and ready to strike.

Renjiro's breath hitched. His Sharingan magnified the sheer depth of what his chakra field was picking up, and it was overwhelming. The two-tailed beast's chakra was a roaring inferno, its heat and intensity pressing against him like an invisible weight.

For a moment, it felt as if the air had been sucked from his lungs, replaced with a searing heat that threatened to engulf him entirely.

'So this is the power of the two tails,' Renjiro thought grimly.

He could not help but want to compare it to Kurama and Kushina but his instincts screamed at him to move, to escape before it was too late.

"Who are you?"

Tani's voice was calm but carried a sharp edge, cutting through the oppressive silence like a blade. It jolted Renjiro out of his stupor, though the suffocating pressure of Matatabi's presence remained.

He didn't answer. His mind raced, calculating the odds of escape.

'This is bad. Though she's a new Jinchuriki, I don't think the odds will ever favour me.'

"You... who are you?" she asked again, her tone colder now, her piercing gaze locking onto him.

Still, Renjiro didn't reply. Words wouldn't save him here. The only way out was through action. His hands moved in a blur, forming a rapid sequence of hand signs for a reverse summoning. He didn't look at her; he didn't need to.

Renjiro could feel the flicker of her chakra surging as she moved but paid no heed to it. He needed to get out of Kumogakure, and fast.

But Tani wasn't going to let him leave so easily. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the seals he was forming.

"Raiton: Raijin's Bolt!"

A sharp crack split the air as she unleashed a streak of lightning. The bolt shot forward like a spear, carving a jagged path through the ground.

Renjiro stopped midway through his jutsu and hurled himself to the side, the lightning grazing his arm as he narrowly avoided the attack. The air buzzed with static, and the smell of ozone filled his nose.

Tani didn't relent.

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" she called, spitting a volley of flame bullets toward him.

Renjiro countered, summoning a gust of wind that extinguished the flames before they could reach him. The courtyard lit up with bursts of fire and smoke, the two shinobi moving in a deadly dance.

She switched tactics, alternating between lightning and fire jutsu.

"Raiton: Arc Surge!" she shouted, unleashing a wave of electricity that crackled across the ground.

Renjiro leapt back, flipping mid-air to avoid the attack. He retaliated with his own fire jutsu, spitting out flames that roared toward her in a torrent.

But Tani was faster, her movements fluid and precise.

Her counterattacks came swiftly, forcing Renjiro to stay on the defensive. He gritted his teeth as he dodged, narrowly avoiding a particularly close strike. Amidst the chaos, a stray kunai sliced through the straps of his mask, sending it tumbling to the ground.

Renjiro froze for a split second, his face now exposed. He scowled in irritation, his scarred cheek and piercing eyes visible for the first time. 'Why can't she just let me leave?' he thought bitterly, dodging another of her attacks.

As the battle dragged on, Renjiro began to notice something strange. Tani wasn't trying to kill him. Her attacks, while powerful, were measured, as if she was containing him rather than seeking to finish him off.

'She could have ended this by now if she wanted to. What's her game?' he wondered, frustration mounting.

Renjiro couldn't afford to drag this out. Though he had deep chakra reserves, attrition battles like this favoured him only when his opponent wasn't a Jinchuriki with a beast's seemingly limitless power.

With a grimace, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Pain lanced through his eyes as the six-pointed star pattern spun into existence, but he didn't falter, ignoring it. His chakra surged, and green flames flickered to life around him.

Tani's gaze flicked to his eyes, her expression sharpening as she noticed the change.

Renjiro formed the hand sign for his next jutsu, gathering chakra into his lungs.

"Katon: Ryūjin Homura!" he roared, expelling a massive torrent of green flames. The fire roared like a living beast, its unnatural colour casting eerie shadows across the courtyard.

Tani's eyes widened at the sight, but she quickly composed herself. Matatabi's chakra surged within her, a calming yet powerful presence. She countered with her own flames, a brilliant blue that burned hotter than any natural fire.

The two flames collided in the center of the courtyard, the clash creating a vortex of heat and light that rippled outward. The ground beneath them cracked and blackened, unable to withstand the intensity of their attacks.

Renjiro shifted to defence, manifesting his adamantine chains to form a barrier around him. The chains glowed faintly as its barrier absorbed the heat and force of Tani's attacks, holding steady against her relentless assault.

"This is pointless," Renjiro muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.

Matatabi's voice rumbled in Tani's mind. "His eyes... there's something dangerous about them. Be wary, Tani."

Tani faltered for a moment, her attack wavering as she processed the warning. The pause was brief but enough for Renjiro to exploit.

His six-pointed Mangekyo dilated, and his chakra reserves dipped, the strain evident in the tension of his muscles and the laboured sound of his breathing. Tani hesitated, her eyes narrowing in confusion at his sudden shift.

Before she could react, her body froze mid-step. Her chakra stuttered, her movements ceasing as if an invisible force had taken hold of her. Her mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Renjiro exhaled shakily, lowering his hands as the jutsu took effect. His vision blurred slightly, a sharp reminder of the cost of using the Mangekyo.

In the next instant, Renjiro found himself in a dark, oppressive void. The air was thick and suffocating, the silence absolute. For a moment, he thought he had passed out, his consciousness slipping away from the strain of the battle.

'No, it can work' He tried to convince himself.

But then he saw it—a faint light in the distance, flickering like a flame.

Drawn to it, he began to walk. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the darkness were trying to pull him back. But he pressed on, the light growing brighter with each step.

When he reached it, he stopped, his breath catching in his throat.

A massive figure loomed before him, its body composed entirely of blue flames that flickered and shifted like a living inferno.

Its form was feline, powerful and sleek, with piercing eyes that glowed with an otherworldly intensity.

The heat radiating from the creature was almost unbearable, and Renjiro instinctively raised a hand to shield his face.

The beast tilted its head, its glowing eyes narrowing as it studied him. For a moment, it seemed as surprised by his presence as he was by its.

But then its gaze locked onto his, and its body stiffened.

Something was different now.

Its eyes were no longer its own. Instead, the pupils had shifted, reshaped into a six-pointed star—the unmistakable pattern of Renjiro's Mangekyo Sharingan.

It was a feat that defied the natural order, something only a select few shinobi in history had ever achieved. Renjiro could count their number on fewer fingers than one hand. Each of those figures was etched into legend—unparalleled shinobi who had left their mark on the world in ways both terrible and awe-inspiring.

And now, he had joined their ranks because Matatabi was now under his Genjutsu.