Yugito jerked stiffly in the air. Even though this was already the countless time Matatabi picked her up like a mother cat lifting a kitten, Yugito Nii still felt uncomfortable and a little embarrassed.
Matatabi reluctantly loosened her right paw, and Yugito's feet finally touched the ground again. Because of the sudden release, her tightly wrapped chest under the combat uniform bounced twice in protest.
Remembering what Matatabi had just said, she asked with doubt:
"Extremely powerful chakra? Could it be that Killer Bee-senpai or the Raikage is training here in Yunlei Gorge?"
Matatabi shook her head, tilting her cute blue head as her heterochromatic eyes—one yellow, one blue—shimmered with confusion.
"It's not them. If it were, I'd recognize their chakra instantly. And the chakra in this person's body is far greater than theirs."
"He's absorbing chakra from the thunderclouds above right now."
Hearing this, Yugito and Matatabi tilted their heads at the same time.
"Absorbing chakra from thunderclouds?"
"Who would dare absorb such violent lightning chakra directly into their body?"
"And… didn't you tell me that the only ones besides Tailed Beasts who can draw chakra from nature are the three great summoning sanctuaries and their contractors?"
"Could it be Jiraiya of the Three Legendary Sannin?"
"But his chakra couldn't possibly surpass the Raikage, and Bee-senpai's physique…"
Matatabi shook her head again.
"I don't know either. You'd better go out and take a look for yourself."
"You've been training to dismantle that tower of blocks for almost a full year. You even missed the Joint Chūnin Exams for it, and there still aren't any results."
"Maybe Killer Bee and Gyūki's method just isn't suited for us. You might as well take the chance to go look… and take a walk outside."
"Since he's training here so openly, the Raikage must have granted permission."
Matatabi finished speaking, and Yugito's consciousness returned to her body.
Sitting in meditation too long had left her body stiff. Seeing no one around, she placed both hands on the ground, arched her flexible, powerful waist like a cat stretching after waking, and straightened her round, jade-like legs with a sharp crackle of joints.
Being the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails for so many years, she had picked up Matatabi's habits unconsciously.
In the past, she felt instinctively shy and resistant, thinking it didn't suit her calm, queen-like demeanor. But with no one around, she stretched lazily, letting a soft moan slip from her throat.
The moment she heard herself, she slapped a hand over her mouth, horrified.
"See? I told you stretching like that feels great~ (≧▽≦)"
Matatabi's smug voice echoed through her mind, and Yugito blushed deeply.
"Fine, fine… it is comfortable, alright? Just stop talking already…"
Matatabi quieted down, satisfied enough not to push her further.
Yugito stepped toward the side door and opened it. The first ray of sunlight burst into the dark training hall.
The brightness made her squint, but she still walked outside, breathing in the crisp air. The scenery around her eased her mind instantly.
She walked up the steps to the main entrance of the ancient training grounds—and saw him.
A young man sat cross-legged at the center of the arena.
Long jet-black hair flowed behind him, bright blue arcs of lightning dancing wildly across his body, lifting strands of his hair and crackling in sharp waves.
Wind surged around him. His clothes clung tightly to a refined, powerful physique—every muscle defined with a perfect balance of strength and grace. His handsome face, half-hidden beneath drifting black hair, was illuminated by flickering lightning.
In all her years in the Hidden Cloud—now 26 years old—Yugito had never seen such a sight.
Like a living painting, a breathtaking portrait of beauty and destruction stood before her. Compared to the massive, muscle-bound men of the Hidden Cloud, he was overwhelmingly, undeniably handsome.
Her heart skipped. Her thighs pressed together instinctively.
"…What? Do you like him? ( •̀ ω •́ )✧"
Matatabi teased again.
This time, Yugito didn't argue. Silence was the clearest answer.
After a long moment, she forced her heartbeat to steady and resumed her regal composure.
"I'm just surprised by his age. Someone so young having chakra that massive is unheard of."
"And judging from appearance, he must be from the Uchiha of Konoha."
"If that's the case… then he should be Uchiha Hikaru."
The name stirred ancient memories in Matatabi's mind.
"Uchiha… the descendants of Indra and Asura…"
Receiving no reply, Yugito said nothing more. It was no secret that the Mangekyō Sharingan could control Tailed Beasts—of course Matatabi disliked speaking about it.
She descended the steps slowly, her long beige ponytail swaying behind her.
Reaching the arena, she stopped at a safe distance, watching Uchiha Hikaru in silence.
To her shock, in the short minute she had walked down the stairs, the frequency and intensity of the lightning surging around him increased markedly.
The ions in the air made her skin prickle, her hair beginning to lift and separate.
Messy fur was unbearable to cats—instinct demanded tidiness—making her want to step back.
The lightning chakra filling the air was beginning to burn against her skin.
At that moment, Uchiha Hikaru opened his eyes. He turned his head toward her, and the concentric rings of his Rinnegan stared directly into her soul.
"Stay back. It's going to get loud. If someone gets hurt, I won't be able to explain it to the Raikage."
His words were courteous—but the natural pressure of the Rinnegan and the overwhelming force of his chakra radiated a feeling of absolute superiority.
Pride surged through Yugito—the proud queen of the Hidden Cloud.
I want to see how you plan to "hurt me by accident."
Don't underestimate a Jinchūriki.
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(っ˘ڡ˘ς)