Are You There, Matatabi?

"Fuma-sensei!"

"Fuma-kun, watch out!"

When Fuma's familiar figure appeared in front of them, Tsunade and the others couldn't help but show expressions of joy.

But as they saw the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb, their faces quickly turned to concern, urging him to be cautious.

Fuma, however, didn't respond. He simply focused his attention on the rapidly approaching Tailed Beast Bomb, contemplating how best to deal with this troublesome situation.

The Tailed Beast Bomb is the ultimate technique of the Tailed Beasts, a sort of unique "Kekkei Genkai." To form it, the chakra of Yin and Yang must be pushed to its absolute limit, shaped into stable particles, then mixed in a 2:8 ratio.

The result is a highly dense ball of chakra capable of destroying entire mountains with ease.

The Tailed Beast Bomb coming toward him had already reached a near-explosive state. Any external impact could cause it to detonate with even more ferocity, enhancing its destructive power.

"Well then, it's been a while since I've honed my body like this!" Fuma let out a somewhat twisted smile, feeling an excitement he hadn't felt in ages.

Taking a bold step forward, he intended to catch the Tailed Beast Bomb with his bare hands.

Ever since his youth, when he obtained the [Savage Growth] ability, Fuma had emulated the methods of the legendary Kaido-sensei, repeatedly hurling himself off cliffs to temper his body.

But even that had its limits. After he turned twenty, that kind of training no longer brought any improvements.

In the battle with Shukaku, Fuma had been somewhat disappointed that he hadn't gotten to experience the power of a Tailed Beast Bomb firsthand. Today, however, he would get his chance!

With a fierce roar, Fuma's massive arms bulged, and he marched forward, intending to stop the Tailed Beast Bomb in its tracks.

His hands gripped both sides of the massive sphere, and Fuma began compressing it further with his immense strength. Under his overpowering grip, the enormous Tailed Beast Bomb started to shrink until it was completely enveloped by his robust frame.

Finally, the surface of the Tailed Beast Bomb began to collapse inward, emitting a blinding white light as it exploded in Fuma's embrace.

"BOOM!"

The thunderous explosion echoed throughout the entire valley. Fuma's muscular body absorbed most of the shockwave and flames from the blast, leaving only a cloud of smoke and dust that swallowed up his figure.

"Fuma!" Tsunade screamed desperately, her heart aching. Her lover had just put himself on the line to protect her, and now, his fate was unknown.

Just then, a deep and exhilarated voice broke through the somber atmosphere, shifting the mood in an unexpected direction.

"Man, I haven't felt this good in a long time!"

As the dust cleared, Fuma's figure reappeared before them. His body emitted white steam, his skin slightly charred and cracked.

However, a surge of potent blood-red chakra coursed over his form, Shukaku's chakra acting as the perfect medicine to rapidly heal his injuries.

Fuma closed his eyes, savoring the lingering sensation of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

"As expected of a Tailed Beast Bomb… it actually made me feel unsafe for a moment. If I had to deal with a dozen more of those, I'm not sure my body could hold up."

"I mustn't underestimate the mighty warriors of the ninja world. My training is far from complete!"

Reflecting on his own strength, Fuma reabsorbed his blood chakra, smiled, and glanced at Tsunade. His injuries had disappeared entirely, and his body even seemed denser than before.

Jiraiya approached Fuma, his face full of shock, shouting, "I knew it! I always said you weren't human, and now you've finally shown your true form!"

Then, patting Fuma on the shoulder with a playful grin, he added, "But even if you're a monster, you're still my friend. I'd never hold that against you—ouch!"

Before he could finish, Tsunade stormed over, landing a powerful kick that sent Jiraiya flying to the side. She threw herself into Fuma's arms, sobbing quietly.

Moments earlier, she had believed she might never see her lover again.

Fuma gently patted Tsunade's back, feeling the pressure of her embrace, silently marveling to himself, "Tsunade's… still developing, huh?"

At a distance, Yunito and Matatabi had watched Fuma physically crush the Tailed Beast Bomb with stunned silence. The two were completely at a loss for words.

Matatabi, moving with the speed of a frightened cat, quickly transformed into a blue-black mass of chakra and retreated deep within Yunito's body. For the first time, it truly appreciated the benefits of being sealed inside a jinchuriki.

Sure, it had lost its freedom—but at least it was safe! As long as it didn't come out, who could possibly harm the adorable Matatabi?

Even if it meant sleeping for another ten or twenty years, so be it. After all, it was immortal.

Yunito, too, finally regained her composure after the shock. She had never seen anyone casually withstand a Tailed Beast Bomb and remain so carefree.

"Could the Third Raikage-sama do something like this?" she wondered, gazing at Fuma's powerful figure in the distance.

Inwardly, she began to pray, "There's no way he could have taken that hit without being hurt—he must be hiding the pain."

But despite her disbelief, her feet acted on their own, carrying her swiftly in the direction of the Hidden Cloud Village.

"Swish!"

A sharp blade flashed, cutting off her escape route.

"Please stay, guest from the Hidden Cloud. You can't just walk away after attacking a Konoha ninja," said Hatake Sakumo coldly, gripping his White Fang blade.

Blue-black chakra once again engulfed Yunito, her eyes turning into bright yellow slits.

"Why, Matatabi?" Yunito asked in confusion. She had already prepared herself for Matatabi to abandon her.

Matatabi, now comfortably curled up inside her, lazily hummed, "You're not a bad jinchuriki. Good luck escaping."

Yunito smiled, her confidence returning, and engaged in a fierce fight with Hatake Sakumo.

But before she could even exchange a few blows with him, she was overwhelmed by a dense stench of blood.

Fuma appeared before her with a smile, delivering a powerful punch that sent Yunito flying. He sighed softly, "Luck has been on my side lately. In just a few days, I've encountered two jinchuriki."

"First Shukaku, now Matatabi. Did you two plan this?"

Yunito struggled to get back up, but Fuma's iron grip seized her by the neck.

As she slowly recovered from her dizziness, Yugito opened her mouth, trying to gather enough chakra for another Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Smack!"

A forceful slap interrupted the gathering of her Yin-Yang chakra.

Fuma grabbed her by the hair, lifting her into the air. With a smile, he drove his elbow into her abdomen.

"Bang!"

Blood gushed from Yugito's mouth as she curled up like a shrimp, but she still stared defiantly at Fuma.

"I'll give you a chance," Fuma said. "How about you let Matatabi out? I'd like to make friends with her."

Poking at the sealing formula on Yunito's abdomen, Fuma politely asked, "Matatabi, are you there?"

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