Time shifted back to several months earlier.
Yuzuru was at home, watching Naruto Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, and Gaara Uchiha—the three little brothers—brandish wooden kunai as they charged at Itachi Uchiha.
Their movements were clumsy, but the formation they held looked surprisingly proper.
Each time a kunai tapped Itachi's body, the boys burst into loud laughter.
And Itachi never grew tired of it. He always played with them until the three were completely worn out.
The longer Yuzuru watched, the more satisfied he became.
With this doting big-brother Itachi keeping three bundles of energy occupied, he, Kushina, Mikoto, and Karura had far more time to themselves.
Just then, a crisp female voice sounded from outside the door: "Lord Yuzuru, are you home?"
"Itachi, keep an eye on them. I'll step out for a moment."
Itachi immediately bowed. "Yes, Father."
Yuzuru stepped outside, only to find Yugito, Samui, and Mabui waiting at the entrance.
Compared to three years ago, the now-fifteen-year-old trio had changed a great deal.
Each one was budding into full bloom, like vibrant flowers at their peak.
Especially Samui.
That startlingly pale skin paired with curves that rivaled Tsunade's made even Yuzuru unconsciously activate his auto-aim.
"What brings the three of you here?"
Samui and Mabui both looked toward Yugito. Yugito gathered her courage and said, "Lord Yuzuru, I can now use Matatabi's power very well. Could you guide me?"
Seeing their hopeful eyes, Yuzuru didn't refuse.
"Very well. Let's go to the Valley of Clouds and Lightning."
"Yes!"
They soon arrived at the valley.
Years had passed, yet nothing had changed. Mountains encircled a still lake, and aside from the constant rumble of thunder, no other creatures could be sensed.
"Let me see your strength first."
Yuzuru motioned for Samui and Mabui to step back, then beckoned Yugito forward.
Yugito took a deep breath. "Lord Yuzuru, be careful."
Her earnest tone made Yuzuru chuckle. "Come at me with the resolve to kill me. Don't hold back."
"Understood."
She pressed her hand onto the sealing mark on her abdomen.
In the next second, terrifying chakra erupted. Yugito entered full Tailed Beast Mode.
A blue, flame-wreathed cat demon swung massive claws toward Yuzuru.
Yuzuru folded his arms and activated Susanoo, clashing with Yugito.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
…
With Yuzuru deliberately holding back, Matatabi and Susanoo traded blows evenly.
After half an hour, Matatabi suddenly pulled away.
Then it raised its head, gathering a massive amount of chakra at its mouth.
"Roar!!"
With a furious cry, a Tailed Beast Ball shot toward Susanoo.
Samui and Mabui paled in shock.
Wasn't this going too far for a spar?
What stunned them even more—Susanoo cleaved the Tailed Beast Ball cleanly in two.
Boom!
It exploded in the distance, the shockwave blasting Samui and Mabui off their feet.
When everything settled, Yugito's human form reappeared.
She staggered. "Lord Yuzuru… I'm at my limit."
Even with Matatabi fully cooperating, maintaining that much power had exhausted her mind.
If she continued, she risked losing her sanity again.
She could hand over control to Matatabi—but for a spar, that was unnecessary.
"You've done very well. You're an excellent perfect jinchuriki."
"At your age, Killer B was nowhere near your level."
Yuzuru praised her, dispelled Susanoo, and walked over.
With her current coordination with Matatabi, she could already handle most battles.
Yugito scratched her head shyly. "I'm not that amazing… Matatabi is just helping me a lot."
The moment she finished, she froze in confusion.
Inside her spiritual world, Matatabi smacked her on the head.
Yugito snapped back to awareness, cold sweat running down her temple.
Genjutsu?
When…?
"It took nearly five seconds for you to break out. That's still a bit slow. You and Matatabi should train more in this area."
"Do your best to dispel illusion the moment it hits."
A perfect jinchuriki wasn't immune to genjutsu. But once caught, the tailed beast could help forcibly break it.
The sooner they both noticed it, the faster they could escape.
Five seconds wasn't long—yet in battle, it was fatal.
Yugito bowed deeply. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Yuzuru."
Seeing Yugito gain so much, Samui couldn't hold back anymore and rushed forward.
"Lord Yuzuru! Please guide me as well!"
"I mainly fight using short blades."
Even someone as famously calm as Samui couldn't hide her excitement after witnessing such a battle.
Yuzuru, on the other hand, suddenly felt a bit thirsty.
With his Mangekyō Sharingan's superior dynamic vision, Samui's… enthusiastic leap had been seen in painfully clear detail.
He kept his expression steady. "Swordsmanship is one of my strongest skills. Training it requires absolute focus."
"Come find me another day when I have time. I'll give you one-on-one close-quarters instruction."
Samui jumped in joy. "Thank you, Lord Yuzuru!"
Feeling his nose tense, Yuzuru calmly averted his gaze.
Sometimes having vision that good was… inconvenient.
"Mabui, what about you?"
"I'll pass. Combat isn't really my specialty."
Yuzuru nodded without pressing her. Instead, he turned to Yugito.
"May I speak with Matatabi?"
"No problem."
Chakra rippled, and a tiny Matatabi appeared on Yugito's shoulder.
"Lord Yuzuru, you wanted to see me?"
Yuzuru nodded, then got straight to the point. "I had some thoughts while watching you fire the Tailed Beast Ball earlier. I'd like to ask you a few questions."
Matatabi padded over, arched its back, and rubbed affectionately against his leg.
"Lord Yuzuru, ask me anything."