chapter 40: Partical Tailed Beast Mode
Chapter 40: Partial Tailed Beast Mode
"Get lost!"
The snake's fangs, as sharp as needles, lunged at Toneri's arm without hesitation.
But the moment it bit down, a surge of immense chakra erupted from Toneri's body. The previously ferocious snake immediately loosened its grip, recoiling as though it had encountered its natural predator. Ignoring Orochimaru's orders, it slithered away into the corner of the laboratory in fear.
At the same time, a lazy voice echoed in Toneri's mind.
"Kid, you can't even handle something like this?"
The powerful chakra that had just burst forth was from the Two-Tails sealed within Toneri. The snake had sensed the ferocity of the Two-Tails, and its instincts as a beast had compelled it to retreat from an opponent it could not face.
Toneri wanted to retort to the Two-Tails:
Am I afraid of this snake? No! I'm terrified of the snake's master. If I anger him, even if you show up in full form, it might not be enough to save me.
Orochimaru, noticing his snake's reaction, set down the lab equipment in his hands. The lingering chakra in the air confirmed his suspicions.
During the recent Shinobi World War, the Sand Village had sent a jinchūriki, a monk named Bunpuku, to the battlefield. Using the Feigning Sleep Technique, Bunpuku had summoned Shukaku, the One-Tail, in its complete form, wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
Orochimaru had faced Shukaku back then. While Shukaku couldn't defeat him, Orochimaru also struggled to subdue the tailed beast. That encounter marked his first experience with these powerful creatures, leaving a lasting impression.
Now aware that Toneri harbored the Two-Tails, his interest was piqued. Orochimaru's trademark tongue-flicker appeared, accompanied by his raspy voice.
"So, this is the power of the Two-Tails? While I can't gauge its full strength yet, you seem to have better control over it than Bunpuku had over the One-Tail."
As Orochimaru finished speaking, snakes of various sizes and colors slithered out from every corner of the laboratory. For anyone with a fear of snakes, this sight would have been utterly horrifying.
Watching Orochimaru's eager expression and the swarm of snakes, Toneri had to admit...
This is so Orochimaru.
"Come, Toneri-kun. Show me the power of the Two-Tails. Let me see what it looks like!" Orochimaru said with a sinister grin.
"Oh, and a friendly reminder—some of these snakes are highly venomous."
Orochimaru always played by his own rules. Toneri knew that if he didn't demonstrate some real strength, Orochimaru wouldn't hesitate to let the snakes attack. In the end, Toneri would be the one to suffer. Worse yet, failing to impress Orochimaru could cost him the opportunity to gain his favor and resources.
Despite his wariness of Orochimaru, Toneri knew the benefits of sticking with him far outweighed the dangers. As for Orochimaru's eventual betrayal and Toneri's own fate? Survive the Third Shinobi War first, then worry about that.
Regaining control of his body, Toneri drew a short blade from his waist and took a defensive stance.
If a fight was inevitable, he might as well strike first. Letting the snakes close in would only limit his movements and put him at a greater disadvantage.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Poof!
Two clones appeared, each wielding a kunai, charging into the mass of snakes.
If Toneri had been at full strength, these snakes wouldn't have been a concern. But earlier, he had suffered significant mental and physical exhaustion after dispelling five shadow clones. Now, two clones were his limit.
Dragging his weary body, Toneri swung his blade. Each slash dissipated a snake into smoke.
Watching from the sidelines with his arms crossed, Orochimaru leaned against a table, smirking.
"Your taijutsu is barely passable for a genin. You have a decent amount of chakra but no idea how to use it. And your swordsmanship? Abysmal. Honestly, the old man picked quite the 'promising' candidate, didn't he?"
Toneri's face flushed with embarrassment. Orochimaru wasn't wrong; Toneri's swordsmanship was so lacking that replacing the blade with a kunai wouldn't make much difference.
"Toneri-kun, if this is all you've got, you might end up as snake food today." Orochimaru's voice was mocking, but his tone carried no hint of a joke.
His hands formed seals in a blur. Biting his pale thumb until blood seeped out, he slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
As the smoke cleared, an enormous snake appeared in the lab. Thankfully, Orochimaru's laboratory was spacious; otherwise, the massive creature would have crushed the place before the fight even began.
With a flick of Orochimaru's hand, the giant snake lunged at Toneri.
Seeing the snake—its head alone larger than his body—Toneri's face turned green.
Big brother, big sister, auntie, uncle... this is too much...
If Toneri dared voice his thoughts, Orochimaru might have summoned Manda instead, making the situation far worse.
The two shadow clones exchanged a glance before charging at the snake. Meanwhile, Toneri hesitated for a second before making a decision.
Screw it! If he doesn't want me to act human, I won't!
"Hey, Two-Tails! Lend me your strength!" Toneri shouted as he entered the sealed space, rushing to the cage where the Two-Tails was lazily stretching.
"Borrow my power?" the Two-Tails yawned, its feline eyes narrowing. "Fine, but stop pawing at me so much from now on."
"..."
"Deal!" Toneri agreed hastily. He couldn't give up petting the cat forever, but he needed to survive this ordeal first.
Reluctantly, the Two-Tails extended a claw. Toneri's fist bumped against it through the bars of the cage.
Boom!
A torrent of feral chakra enveloped Toneri. The smaller snakes were instantly blasted away, and even the giant snake paused after eliminating Toneri's clones.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with intrigue.
The chakra was filled with malice, as potent as Shukaku's. As the chaos settled, Toneri's appearance began to change.
Cat ears of pale blue formed on his head. Black magatama patterns adorned his chest, while his arms and legs were cloaked in the Two-Tails' chakra, resembling a spectral tailed beast cloak.
A semi-Tailed Beast transformation!
Though his aura had grown stronger, Orochimaru's excitement dimmed slightly.
"Hmm... Not a full transformation? It seems the Two-Tails is controlling the chakra output, preventing him from losing his sanity and allowing him to retain control over his body. Just as the old man said—a jinchūriki who can coexist peacefully with his beast.
"Even Bunpuku can't do that. But his strength... Meh.
"The appearance is cute, I'll admit... but ultimately useless."
Unaware of Orochimaru's thoughts, Toneri would have surely given him a thumbs-up if he had known.
Impressive, Snake Aunt. Impressive!
Toneri reversed his grip on his blade. With a flash, he disappeared from sight. In the next instant, the giant snake let out a pained hiss as blood spurted from a wound on its massive body.
"Your speed is... not bad," Orochimaru said, his golden eyes gleaming with rare praise.
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