Sea area near Island Turtle
"This isn't fair! Why can you appear together with Chōmei at the same time?"
"How am I even supposed to fight that!"
Wrapped in her Tailed Beast Cloak, Yugito widened her eyes in disbelief, completely stunned by the sight before her.
Gekko Chizan stood with his arms crossed, and behind him was the Seven-Tails Chōmei, formed entirely from chakra.
It was the ability of Tailed Beast Synchronization—allowing both the jinchūriki and the beast to appear at once, maximizing their combined combat strength.
"Hmph, since when is battle ever fair?"
"Weren't you the one who wanted to spar with me? What's wrong? Now that I'm getting serious, you're chickening out?"
"Yugito, what's wrong with you? Tsk, tsk."
Gekko Chizan grinned wickedly, his gaze full of teasing amusement. Teaching a student—wasn't this exactly how it should be done?
Education meant breaking the arrogance right out of them, making them obedient from the bones outward.
This little brat had barely learned to use her Tailed Beast's power and was already challenging him?
How could he not put her in her place?
Yugito clenched her fists tighter. Those taunting words stung her pride hard.
As a jinchūriki, she was naturally proud. And after a recent streak of victories, her arrogance had reached its peak.
"Hmph! I'm not backing down!"
With that, she shot toward Gekko Chizan like an arrow released from the string.
But Chizan didn't even move. Instead, Chōmei let out a weird laugh. Its massive wings flapped, whipping up powerful waves across the sea.
Yugito nimbly dodged the crashing waves while forming Mouse Hairball—dozens of blue fireballs tore through the water, blasting toward Gekko Chizan.
Seeing this, Chizan nodded slightly.
She hadn't been distracted by Chōmei's presence and instead targeted the real threat—the jinchūriki herself. A correct judgment.
Unfortunately for her, he wasn't just standing there for show.
Chakra surged, and crystalline structures began forming around him, enclosing him completely.
The Transparent Release crystals were so clear that you wouldn't even notice them unless you looked closely.
Though Yugito's blue fireballs could blast through seawater, they instantly fizzled out the moment they struck the crystal barrier.
Chōmei swung its tail toward Yugito, but she used the momentum to leap high into the air, twisting midair to increase the force of her kick as she struck at Chōmei.
Too bad—Chōmei's current form wasn't a real physical body, but one made entirely of chakra. Physical attacks had no effect on it.
Her kick landed uselessly, and Chōmei seized the chance, wrapping its tail around her and slamming her straight into the sea.
Sensing the danger, Yugito's Tailed Beast Cloak instantly flared outward—chakra bursting in a protective surge.
Crashing into the sea left her dizzy, but before she could recover, Chōmei dove straight after her, plunging into the depths.
Its sharp horn struck her head-on.
"Ahahaha! Matatabi, come out and play with me!"
Chōmei's strange laughter echoed across the water.
Yugito was sent flying out of the sea and hurled into the sky.
"Hey, Chōmei, that's enough!"
"You trying to get beaten up? You really let Matatabi out?"
Hearing that, Chōmei froze on the spot.
Those words were awkward—but true. He really couldn't beat Matatabi.
And now, his body was nothing but gathered chakra—without a physical form's support, he was even less of a match.
After all, Matatabi's flames could burn chakra itself—a terrifying ability.
"Fine, fine."
"I've had my fun anyway."
Chōmei returned to Gekko Chizan's side, glancing at Yugito and curling his lip, still looking unsatisfied.
"Damn it, what even is that ability?"
"Matatabi told me it's impossible for us to appear like that!"
Yugito dismissed her Tailed Beast Cloak, clearly losing her composure.
She had just asked Matatabi about it, but Matatabi had looked at Chōmei and Chizan in disbelief before replying helplessly:
"Yugito, this isn't something we can do."
"I don't even understand how they managed it."
That answer left Yugito completely stunned.
She'd thought she'd closed the gap with Chizan—but clearly, she hadn't.
In fact, the gap was only growing wider. Not only in personal strength, but also in harmony with their Tailed Beasts.
[Ding! Host, you're such a bastard—beating up your own student twice in a row without mercy. Tsk tsk.]
[Ding! Reward: Tailed Beast Bomb Optimization +10%. Current progress: 60%! Activation unlocked—Tailed Beast Bomb Ray!]
[Ding! Because the Tailed Beast Bomb's power is too terrifying, each shot can maintain its beam form for five seconds. After use, it enters cooldown for two hours.]
Gekko Chizan was dumbfounded. The Tailed Beast Bomb was getting more and more ridiculous!
It used to be a sphere—no, a ball—and now it wasn't even that anymore.
Now it had become a ray!
Good grief.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"
"You damn teacher! You're making me so mad!"
Seeing Chizan deep in thought, Yugito's fury boiled over.
Her angry shout snapped him out of it. Looking at the furious, practically smoking Yugito, Chizan gave an awkward smile.
"Yugito, not every ability suits everyone."
"Look at you—you're doing great."
"None of your peers can match you. Don't worry, your teacher here would never look down on you."
"Come on, let's head back. Island Turtle will soon belong to my teacher anyway—he's already started purchasing research equipment."
Buying such gear openly was difficult, but through the black market? Easy.
After all, plenty of people in the ninja world loved doing their own 'research.'
Orochimaru had already gotten everything he needed through black market channels and begun setting up his lab in a hidden spot in the Land of Waterfalls.
As for that hidden location, in Gekko Chizan's words—
"What a damn place. Dug a cave behind a waterfall. Not worried about humidity or bugs, huh?"
But Orochimaru had shut him down with just one line:
"I'm a researcher. The quieter, the better."
"Besides, didn't you know?"
"Snakes love dark, damp places."
What could Chizan even say to that?
It was Orochimaru, after all—of course he was basically a snake.
Still, why was it that he, a fellow inheritor of Ryūchi Cave's lineage, didn't like damp, dark places at all?
How frustrating.
With Orochimaru and Takigakure's situation handled, Gekko Chizan had to return to the Land of Grass battlefield.
He'd been gone for far too long already.
But the moment he landed—trouble.
Big trouble.
Why the hell was the whole area filled with people?
And why were all of them staring right at him???