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.

=====

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Kapitel 339: 338-Get out

The blue flames of Matatabi flickered uncertainly, the great beast standing frozen as if caught in an invisible web. Its once-untamable chakra felt muted, contained by the genjutsu Renjiro had woven.

'But for how long?'

The thought gnawed at him as he forced himself to stand tall. Sweat dripped from his brow, his chakra reserves dangerously depleting. His vision swam, and the pain in his eyes burned like a white-hot brand.

The strain of maintaining the Mangekyo, combined with the enormous amount of chakra it took to subdue Matatabi, was taking its toll.

Matatabi's low, rumbling voice finally broke the silence.

"Who are you, child, to attempt such a thing?" the beast growled, its tone laced with both curiosity and subdued anger. Its body remained still, yet its words carried the weight of fire and fury barely contained.

"And Why can I sense that bastard's Chakra on you? I know he would rather die than share his chakra with any human!" Matatabi continued.

Renjiro didn't answer. He couldn't. His voice felt caught in his throat, his mind racing with the implications of what he had just done.

Instead, he stepped back, his Mangekyo spinning as he strengthened the genjutsu's grip for just a moment longer. Matatabi's burning eyes, now mirroring the six-pointed star of his Mangekyo, followed his every movement.

"I didn't want this fight," Renjiro finally managed to say, his voice hoarse. "But you left me no choice."

The beast let out a low snarl, though its body remained paralyzed.

Renjiro opened his eyes and found himself back in the ruined clearing where the battle with Tani had reached its fevered peak. The night sky above was streaked with the faint glow of fire and the occasional crackle of electricity—a testament to the chaos that had unfolded moments before.

His breathing was shallow as he surveyed the destruction around him. The clearing had been reduced to scorched earth, splintered trees, and deep gashes in the ground where powerful jutsus had clashed. Smoke rose in lazy spirals from the wreckage, and the faint metallic tang of burnt ozone lingered in the air.

Renjiro's muscles ached, even with his improved healing, it was the mental fatigue that pressed hardest on him. He could feel it—his chakra reserves dwindling as they worked to keep the colossal presence of Matatabi paralyzed in the genjutsu.

"Though my chakra recovery is not as fast as what I am losing by keeping Matatabi paralyzed," Renjiro muttered under his breath. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, but the sound carried in the desolate silence.

His gaze flicked to Tani's motionless body. She was frozen in place, caught in the same grip that held the Two-Tails at bay. Though her limbs were still, her chest rose and fell in slow, steady breaths. Renjiro could see the subtle twitching of her fingers—a sign that her body was struggling to regain control.

But even as his eyes rested on Tani, his Mangekyo could see through her, straight into the seething presence of Matatabi. The beast's fiery chakra swirled violently within her, slamming against the restraints of his genjutsu like a caged animal desperate for freedom.

Renjiro clenched his fists, feeling the strain deepen as he tightened his grip on the genjutsu. He couldn't afford to lose focus now.

'Just a little longer,' he thought, though the pounding in his head made it harder to concentrate.'

He took a moment to assess the battlefield further. The fight had left its scars, not just on the clearing but on the nearby structures. The distant research facility was partially in ruins, its walls crumbled and scorched. The ground around it bore the unmistakable marks of battle—craters, scorch marks, and shattered debris.

From the city of Miyahira, faint shouts and hurried footsteps reached his ears. Panic rippled through the population as civilians were evacuated to safety. Renjiro grimaced. A new Jinchuriki fighting so close to a populated area was a recipe for disaster, and the people of Kumogakure knew it well.

Yet, amidst the chaos, one question lingered in Renjiro's mind. Where were the other S-rank shinobi from the facility? He could account for Sone and Kuroji, both now lifeless on the battlefield, but the remaining four were conspicuously absent.

'Did they really believe the Jinchuriki could handle me?' he wondered bitterly. 'Or are they waiting for the right moment to strike?'

Pushing the thought aside, Renjiro moved quickly, kneeling over the bodies of Sone and Kuroji. His hands trembled slightly as he retrieved a storage scroll and sealed their remains within it. There was no time to waste. Every second spent here increased the risk of Matatabi breaking free.

He stood, the scroll securely tucked away, and prepared to reverse summon himself out of Miyahira and the Land of Lightning. But just as his hands began to form the hand signs, the world shifted around him.

The clearing vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of darkness.

Renjiro blinked, his heart racing as he found himself back in the strange, oppressive void he had glimpsed earlier.

He immediately recognized it as the realm of Matatabi's consciousness, likely intertwined with Tani's own mindscape. The oppressive heat and flickering blue flames that danced in the distance were unmistakable.

Before he could fully process his surroundings, a sharp voice rang out.

"Get out of my head!"

Renjiro turned just in time to see Tani materialize before him, her eyes blazing with fury. Without hesitation, she launched a barrage of jutsus at him, each one more ferocious than the last.

"Katon: Burning Serpent!" she cried, a massive flame in the shape of a coiling snake surging toward him.

Renjiro tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. His limbs felt like they were weighed down by lead, his mind clouded as though an unseen force had robbed him of his will to act.

The serpent struck him head-on, the searing heat washing over him as the flames coiled around his body. He gritted his teeth, his enhanced healing working overtime to repair the damage.

But Tani wasn't finished.

"Raiton: Thunderclap Strike!" she shouted, slamming her hands together. A deafening crack of thunder followed, and a jagged bolt of lightning arced toward Renjiro.

The attack hit him squarely in the chest, sending a jolt of pain through his entire body. He staggered but remained upright, his healing factor once again knitting his wounds together with inhuman speed.

"What is wrong with you?!" Tani yelled, her voice raw with desperation and anger. "Why won't you just die?!"

Renjiro's vision blurred as the attacks continued, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he understood her frustration. His healing, though a blessing, had become a curse in this moment, prolonging his suffering as he endured the relentless assault.

Tani's attacks grew more frenzied, her chakra flaring wildly as she poured everything into breaking him. But even as she unleashed jutsu after jutsu, a small part of her mind began to doubt.

'This isn't normal,' she thought, watching in disbelief as Renjiro's wounds closed almost as quickly as they were inflicted.

'No one can heal like that. He has to have a limit... doesn't he?'

She redoubled her efforts, her frustration fueling her attacks. But just as she prepared to launch another jutsu, Renjiro let out a strangled cry.

A sharp, piercing pain tore through his head, breaking whatever invisible chains had held him in place. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air as the world around him shifted once more.

When Renjiro opened his eyes, he was back in the clearing. His body felt heavier than ever, and his chakra reserves were dangerously low.

He looked up to see Tani's body beginning to stir. It started with a faint twitch of her fingers, then a slight movement of her arms.

Renjiro's heart sank.

'Shit, they've broken free,' he thought, the realization hitting him like a blow to the chest. He could no longer feel the control he had over Matatabi—or Tani.

Tani's eyes snapped open, and she glared at him with a mixture of fury and determination.

"I no longer care how familiar you think his chakra is, Matatabi," she growled, her voice dripping with venom. "We can figure it out when he's dead. For now, let me take control!"

Her shout echoed through the clearing, and Renjiro could feel the surge of chakra, and hate, radiating from her. It was wild and untamed, a storm of raw power that sent shivers down his spine.

Before he could react, Tani's body began to transform. Her skin glowed with an otherworldly blue light, and flames erupted around her, consuming her form.

The ground beneath her cracked and splintered as her body grew, the flames expanding into a massive, feline shape. Her limbs elongated, her claws sharpening into deadly points. Two long tails of flickering blue fire swayed behind her, each movement radiating heat that scorched the earth.

When the transformation was complete, Matatabi stood before him in all its fiery glory, its massive form towering over the clearing. Its glowing eyes locked onto Renjiro, filled with a burning rage that promised nothing short of annihilation.

Renjiro took a shaky step back, his heart pounding in his chest.