Capítulo 277: Chapter 277
The ground energy rattled through Matatabi's body, causing her to feel strangely weak.
But as a Tailed Beast, she had one advantage that most ordinary Pokémon could never match: regeneration. Even if Arcanine knocked her down a million times, as long as he didn't kill her, she'd be back up in no time, ready to fight again.
Arcanine, on the other hand, didn't have this kind of recovery ability.
Unless he consumed a Zoan-type Devil Fruit.
If he were to eat a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit, he could potentially transform into a beast even more powerful than Matatabi.
But those fruits were exceedingly rare, even more so than the Ancient Zoan types.
Matatabi, as a proud Tailed Beast, wasn't about to be beaten by a mere dog. She steadied herself and leaped high into the sky, reaching over 200 meters in an instant before plummeting back down toward the battlefield.
Arcanine clung tightly to her back, his fur whipped wildly by the wind. He could barely keep his balance.
"You think you can take me on? You're a long way off!"
Feeling Arcanine's grip weaken, Matatabi shook her body violently.
In an instant, Arcanine was flung off, and Matatabi's massive claw came crashing down, slashing his face.
"Roar!"
Arcanine felt a sharp pain in his face, and his body hurtled toward the ground like a meteor.
Boom!
He smashed into the ground, creating a large crater, even crushing two shinobi in mid-battle.
"Ow…"
Arcanine staggered to his feet, opening his eyes to find his vision blurry on one side.
He had no choice but to close his right eye, relying solely on his left to see.
Matatabi's claw hadn't inflicted as much damage as the 200-meter drop to the ground, which had left him badly wounded.
But it also presented an opportunity.
'Dig.'
Spotting Matatabi still some distance above the ground, Arcanine wasted no time and began digging to escape, heading off in a different direction.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Ignoring Yugito's shouting in her mind, Matatabi focused solely on Arcanine's underground movements.
This was Arcanine's oversight. For an ordinary shinobi, his escape might have worked, but Tailed Beasts were different; they could sense movement even deep underground.
Even if she couldn't sense him, Matatabi could just flush him out with a Tailed Beast Bomb.
But she wasn't thinking about that right now.
Cats, after all, love to play with their prey.
So, she decided to chase Arcanine for a while before finishing him off.
"Let's deal with you first."
Feeling Arcanine move further away, Matatabi decided not to pursue closely and turned her gaze back to the battlefield.
If she didn't take a few Konoha lives, Cloud might bring out the Eight-Tails to complain at her later.
…
Arcanine didn't return to Naruto immediately. He took a few extra twists and turns before heading back.
When he finally reached Naruto and Vulpix in their hidden tunnel, he found them huddled together, sound asleep.
He couldn't understand how these two could sleep through the tremors and chaos of the battlefield.
"Well, well~ So that's what you were running around for. I didn't expect to find two little treasures here~"
Matatabi's voice came accompanied by her massive shadow, enveloping Arcanine, Naruto, and Vulpix.
"Woof!"
Arcanine's fur bristled as he realized he hadn't sensed her approach.
If his Observation Haki had been just a bit stronger, he might have avoided this situation.
"Arcanine… You're back?"
"Awuu…"
The two little ones woke up, rubbing their eyes groggily.
As they opened their eyes, they were greeted by the sight of an enormous blue cat, and they instantly clung to each other, trembling. Had it not been for Arcanine standing between them, they might have fainted.
"Woof."
'Run.'
Arcanine looked at Naruto and Vulpix , planning to hold Matatabi back.
They were in a dangerous situation, and while any direction Naruto fled in would still be risky, staying here was even worse.
With the vast range of attacks from both himself and Matatabi, Naruto and Vulpix could easily be caught in the crossfire.
It was better for Naruto to head toward Konoha's battlefield base, where it might be a bit safer.
"… Arcanine, your eye."
But to Arcanine's surprise, Naruto and Vulpix didn't listen.
Naruto stepped forward, reaching a trembling hand toward Arcanine's injured right eye. Tears began to well up in his sky-blue eyes. "It hurts, doesn't it?"
From Naruto's perspective, he could see a large, nasty claw mark over Arcanine's right eye.
Naruto, now nine years old, had never really experienced family affection. Only Iruka and Hiruzen had shown him any warmth.
That changed with the arrival of Zefa and Arcanine.
Everyone in Konoha knew Naruto finally had family. He wasn't a demon fox.
He was just a regular kid who played in the park, got into trouble with other kids, and was scolded by his grandpa when he got home.
And every time Naruto made a mistake, Arcanine would go out of his way to cause a bigger one, making sure Zefa didn't have time to scold Naruto.
In this family, Arcanine was his most doting family member.
"Woof?"
Arcanine, grown though he was, was still just as oblivious as he'd been as a Growlithe.
He hadn't even realized that his right eye had been scratched.
"So it was you, huh!"
Naruto's gaze shifted to Matatabi, anger overtaking him.
In the next moment, dark red chakra began to ooze from his body, coating him in seconds and enveloping him completely.
In mere moments, Naruto had entered a four-tailed, half-Tailed Beast form.
"Kurama?!"
Matatabi's voice shifted as she saw the chakra. She hadn't realized this was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Or rather, Kurama had hidden himself the whole time, not intending for Matatabi to notice him.
'Hahaha! Matatabi, I should thank you! Soon, I'll have the chance to kill your Jinchuriki first and then set you free.'
Kurama's voice rang in Matatabi's mind, and she bristled instantly.
Among the Tailed Beasts, there was little contest for the title of strongest; Kurama was undoubtedly the first.
Kurama looked down on all the other Tailed Beasts, especially those with fewer tails.
So, Kurama had never treated Matatabi well—though perhaps slightly better than he treated Shukaku, the One-Tail.
As for Kurama's promises, Matatabi could only inwardly curse. If her Jinchuriki died, she would die too.
Kurama's words about freedom were empty promises. In reality, it meant killing her, making her wait ages to resurrect.
"Woof?!"
'Naruto?!'
Arcanine looked at Naruto, shocked.
He had no idea what was happening or why Naruto had suddenly changed like this.
But he quickly realized that this transformation likely stemmed from the presence inside Naruto.
Arcanine had never imagined that this presence would be so powerful—stronger than either him or the massive cat before him.
"Whimper…"
Next to him, Vulpix bit Naruto's pants, trying to tug him back to his senses.
But even in that brief moment, Naruto's transformation progressed; a fifth tail sprouted from behind him.
"Damn it!"
Matatabi turned, preparing to flee.
She didn't plan on dying here.
Even Yugito, her Jinchuriki, was terrified, urging Matatabi to escape and report this information immediately.
"Roar!"
Naruto, now in a berserk state, wasn't about to let Matatabi escape.
He shook off the tugging little ball at his feet, planted his forepaws on the ground, and launched himself like a cannonball, slamming into Matatabi's rear.
It didn't end there. Naruto instinctively used one of Arcanine's signature "Bite" moves, chomping down hard on the base of Matatabi's tail.
At the same time, a sixth tail appeared.
"Yowl!"
Matatabi let out a gut-wrenching howl, her body thrashing violently.
Afraid Naruto might get hurt by Matatabi's struggle, Arcanine used 'Heavy Slam' to press her down, trying to restrict her movements.
"Grr!"
Naruto, like a monster, clung to one of Matatabi's tails with his six tails and two hands, pulling it with all his strength.
Before long, a seventh tail sprouted from Naruto, pushing him further into a crazed state.
'Yes, that's it! Kill them! Kill them all!'
Kurama's voice echoed in Naruto's mind, urging him into deeper darkness.
Once all nine tails appeared, Kurama would be free.
Rip!
With a mighty sound, Naruto, now with seven tails, tore one of Matatabi's tails clean off.
A sharp cat's scream echoed across the entire battlefield.
(End of Chapter)
Capítulo 278: Chapter 278
Whether Tailed Beasts can regenerate lost body parts remains a mystery in the shinobi world.
First, cases of Tailed Beasts being severely injured are rare, so there aren't many examples to study. Second, each Tailed Beast has unique characteristics, so one's regenerative ability doesn't imply another's.
For example, the Eight-Tails had regenerated eight tails severed during a battle with the Third Raikage. Yet, in a fight with the Fourth Raikage, one of its horns was cut off and has never grown back. This suggests that tail regeneration might be a unique trait, similar to octopus tentacle regeneration.
Since Tailed Beasts are composed of massive amounts of chakra in physical form, they should theoretically be able to recover any lost body parts, as long as chakra exists in the world—unless the chakra is permanently devoured.
For instance, if Dak were to use the Door-Door Fruit to remove a Tailed Beast's tail to another dimension, that portion of the chakra would be lost forever. Similarly, if the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability were used to devour chakra, it would result in a permanent loss.
Thus, the Eight-Tails' missing horn may be gone either because it vanished from the world or because the beast itself didn't wish to regenerate it.
As for Matatabi's lost tail, it's likely to grow back soon—assuming, of course, that Matatabi, or her Jinchuriki Yugito, survive the battle without being killed by Naruto or Kurama.
"Woof!"
'Naruto!'
Sensing Naruto's increasingly dark and ominous energy, Arcanine left Matatabi, rushing to the side of Naruto, who now bore eight tails.
Naruto, in this state, would normally lash out indiscriminately at anyone nearby, affected by the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak laced with hatred. However, in this instance, Naruto's eyes were fixed solely on Matatabi, making him unconsciously avoid attacking Arcanine, whom he felt no hostility toward and instinctively trusted.
With Naruto's attention elsewhere, Arcanine easily picked him up and sprinted away.
Vulpix, understanding the danger, promptly returned to her Poké Ball to avoid causing trouble.
Now, Arcanine had only one option:
'Take Naruto into the Breeding House!'
Not Pokémon Island, but the Breeding House.
Currently, travel between worlds was possible only through the teleportation arrays at the Breeding House branches, requiring identification for access.
However, in the early days, before Pokémon Island developed, the Breeding House had distributed a special item to a select few high-ranking officials in the Alliance:
The Pocket Badge
Anyone possessing this badge could open any door in any world and enter the Breeding House.
In the Breeding House, everyone except core staff and Pokémon would have their powers suppressed.
This was Arcanine's solution to save Naruto.
Fortunately, Zef, as a former Navy Instructor, owned one of these badges and had entrusted it to Arcanine as a safeguard.
Once inside, Naruto's transformation would be forcibly halted, and he would revert to his normal state, with the entity within him suppressed entirely.
While on Pokémon Island, Arcanine had never sensed anything unusual from within Naruto. This confirmed to him that whatever was inside Naruto was suppressed, possibly to the point of unconsciousness.
"Roar~"
Arcanine hadn't run far before he stopped, setting Naruto down.
Naruto, in his Eight-Tails state, tried to charge back to Matatabi but was pinned down by Arcanine's paw.
Opening his mouth, Arcanine created a fiery door, picked Naruto back up, and leaped through it.
Thud!
The instant Naruto's body crossed into the Breeding House, he reverted to his human form, immediately falling unconscious.
The Nine-Tails chakra had overwhelmed his young, untrained body.
…
Alliance City General Hospital.
After thorough examination, Naruto's physical condition was determined to be poor. He wouldn't be leaving his hospital bed for at least a month.
As for his mental state, a good rest would restore him. Even without Asura's chakra, Naruto wasn't one to be easily affected by negative emotions.
Besides, with his cheerful friend Luffy visiting frequently, Naruto's spirits wouldn't be a problem.
However, Zef had strictly grounded Naruto and Arcanine until the war in the shinobi world concluded, forbidding them from leaving Alliance City.
He had even used his former Navy connections to ask his old students in the Security Force to keep an eye on Naruto to prevent him from running off again.
No one could understand Zef's feelings upon seeing Naruto rushed into surgery and Arcanine covered in blood.
Arcanine had lost an eye.
But that was a minor issue.
With the various tools available on Pokémon Island, or even in the shinobi world, losing an eye was a small injury. While it might be tricky to heal in the world of seas, in the shinobi world, it was manageable.
If there's one area where the shinobi world surpasses the seas, it would be genjutsu and medical ninjutsu.
The shinobi world's medical techniques even surpass Pokémon Island's tools in terms of practical use.
If future shinobi world doctors sought to work for the Pokémon Alliance, the medical department might become their stronghold.
Their high-level medical skills relied on a variety of ninjutsu and dojutsu, and upon certification, Dak would allow doctors limited chakra control in the operating room.
"You sure you don't need me to get something from Dak?" Zef asked, looking sternly at Arcanine.
Despite his sympathy for Arcanine, he was still frustrated that the Pokémon had followed Naruto onto the battlefield.
He was willing to swallow his pride and ask Dak for rare medicines, but Arcanine declined.
Not out of reluctance or pride.
"Woof! Woof!"
'I don't need it. I look cool!'
Arcanine barked, sticking out his tongue like a carefree pup. He thought his one-eyed look was stylish and had no plans to fix it.
"Idiot."
Zef shook his head, letting the matter go.
During Naruto's hospitalization, his friends came to visit one by one.
Most of Naruto's friends had come to Alliance City for the Pokémon Battle Tournament, so visiting Alliance City General Hospital was convenient.
The first visitor was Sasuke from the Whitebeard Pirates, Naruto's close friend.
"What happened to you?"
Sasuke looked at Naruto with a faint smirk, as if mocking his weakness.
In reality, he had rushed over as soon as he'd heard the news, even skipping Sachi's upcoming match.
"I… kinda forgot, haha." Naruto scratched his head awkwardly.
Naruto didn't realize that the big blue cat he'd seen was a Tailed Beast, and he felt a little embarrassed.
All he remembered was the anger he felt upon seeing Arcanine hurt, but the rest was a blank. He had woken up on the hospital bed.
Naruto felt guilty.
Because of his recklessness, he'd worried his grandpa and caused Arcanine to lose an eye.
Though Zef had assured him Arcanine's eye could be healed, Naruto still felt immense guilt toward both Zefa and Arcanine.
Whenever he saw them, he couldn't help but lower his head in shame.
This time, under house arrest, Naruto had no thoughts of sneaking back to the shinobi world.
True, Konoha, which his parents had protected, was important.
But now…
Now he had something even more valuable.
Given a choice between his current family and Konoha, Naruto chose his family.
Besides, Konoha was safe for now, so Naruto felt less urgency, though he still worried a bit.
After Sasuke, Luffy, Ace, and other members of the Monkey family came by.
"You're recovering well?" Ace observed Naruto.
To Ace and Sabo, Naruto was like a younger version of their brother, Luffy—a dear friend.
It was like how Ace felt meeting Zoro, Sanji, and the others in Alabasta.
"Yeah, still a bit sore, but I'm mostly fine!" Naruto nodded.
"And Hinata? Have you seen her?" Luffy asked, leaning over the bed to ask about his sister.
"Hinata… She was grounded by her father as soon as she returned to the village," Naruto recalled, scratching his chin.
"What?! I'll punch—"
Luffy erupted in anger, but Ace and the others quickly restrained him.
"Idiot! This is a good thing," Ace muttered, holding his impulsive brother back.
(End of Chapter)
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