Pulled by the power of the sealing talisman, Matatabi struggled unwillingly, its claws slamming against the ground with force.
It wasn't trying to break free—rather, it wanted to land a few more hits on Simu before being sealed again.
Countless sealing inscriptions coiled around Matatabi like chains. With the assistance of multiple Cloud Shinobi Jōnin, they finally managed to reseal the Tailed Beast into the bodies of the two Doshi.
Due to the corruption of the Tailed Beast Chakra, the two Doshi's bodies were left with severe burns, as if they had been scalded by extreme heat. Their condition looked terrible.
Nearby, the ground was torn apart by several massive, gaping wounds, with smoke and dust rising in the aftermath.
Jiraiya and Tsunade rushed to the scene, searching for any trace of Simu.
Neither of them had expected Matatabi's hatred for Simu to reach such an extreme. The beast had willingly endured Mifune's slash and accepted being resealed—just for the chance to take Simu down with it.
Jiraiya cast a cold glance at Doi.
This guy had clearly delayed sealing Matatabi on purpose, hoping the Tailed Beast would seriously injure Simu.
If anything had happened to him…
Jiraiya was already contemplating how to make Cloud Shinobi pay.
Kushina also arrived at the scene, her eyes anxiously scanning through the lingering dust and smoke.
Gradually, the dust settled, revealing a familiar lazy figure walking out of the wreckage.
Simu scratched at his messy hair as he emerged, casually remarking,
"Oh man, that was rough. The legendary Tailed Beast really is terrifying… I almost died."
Even Tsunade, who had been visibly concerned just moments ago, couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Jiraiya let out a short laugh, both relieved and exasperated.
"This guy…"
Before he could say more, Kushina rushed forward, clinging tightly to Simu.
"I knew you'd be fine!" she said, her voice filled with relief.
Simu effortlessly lifted Kushina into his arms.
"You wouldn't believe it," he said with a smirk. "That Tailed Beast almost killed me just now. Scary stuff."
Ignoring the darkened expressions of the Cloud Shinobi, Simu strode up to Admiral Mifune, still holding Kushina.
"So," he asked with a grin, "does this mean we passed the first round of the exam?"
Minato, who had followed behind, stepped forward and presented a dozen scrolls—most of them Yang scrolls, with two or three Yin scrolls mixed in.
Mifune gave Simu a slight nod.
"Of course."
If Simu couldn't pass, then there was no point in holding the exam at all.
The other contestants could only watch the scene in stunned silence.
Since when did the Jōnin exam require someone to fight a Tailed Beast?
The first round of the assessment officially ended at sunset.
Yet in just a single day, most of the Snowstorm Mountain Range's terrain had been drastically altered. Even the sky had a massive hole blown through it!
Cloud Shinobi left in disgrace, humiliated by the events.
Under Simu's relentless onslaught, all five teams from Cloud Shinobi Village—a total of fifteen participants—had failed to pass the first round.
Among them, Doshi, the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, had been severely injured due to Matatabi's rampage.
Upon returning to the hotel, Simu immediately noticed the way people looked at him.
Their gazes were filled with… awe.
It was the kind of deep respect and fear reserved for the truly strong.
As the homeland of samurai, the Land of Iron revered strength above all else.
"Did you hear?" someone whispered. "The Cloud Shinobi all went home."
"None of them advanced! We might as well stay and watch Simu win the championship."
Konoha's participants chatted excitedly among themselves.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku, covered in bandages, lay on his bed, silently contemplating life.
After this battle, Simu's reputation had been cemented in everyone's minds.
Not that he cared.
What truly mattered to him was that his imitation value had skyrocketed once again!
And this time, it had broken past the 50 mark.
This meant he could initiate a new lottery draw.
"I didn't expect messing with a Tailed Beast to be so rewarding," Simu mused.
Maybe he should try provoking Kurama next?
…No, forget it. The Nine-Tails wasn't even on the same level as Matatabi.
He'd just leave that idea for another time.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Simu took a deep breath and roared in his heart:
"I, Simu, have grown this strong entirely through my own hard work!"
"…And maybe a little help from the system."
"System, draw!"
[Extracting ability...]
[Ability extraction complete.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the skill [Life Return].]
In an instant, Simu felt his entire body undergo a transformation.
He willed his thoughts into his hair—
And his previously short locks began growing wildly, cascading down like Jiraiya's.
If he coated them with Armament Haki, they could actually be used as weapons!
After fully grasping this ability, Simu realized something incredible—
He could now control every part of his body with absolute precision.
Then, an interesting thought struck him.
If he could manipulate his body so freely…
What if he slept on his stomach tonight?
Would he be able to wake up the next morning with his back pressed against the ceiling?
This skill might actually be a game-changer…
For both combat and… other aspects of life.
Simu smirked, already seeing the limitless potential of his newfound power.
But beyond that, he also noticed another improvement—
His ability to refine chakra had become significantly faster.
Not to mention, with Life Return, his body could now handle an even greater intake of food.
And even better…
It had the ability to efficiently convert that food into raw physical strength.
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