"You're better than Yugito! But taming a Tailed Beast isn't that easy. This time, you've won. You're free to use the power I've leaked. Consider it your reward!" Two-Tails closed its eyes, and the consciousness space once again faded from dim to complete darkness.
When Kagetsu focused back on his own body after leaving the Tailed Beast's mental cage, he noticed that the blue flames surrounding him had become gentler. Their heat, which once scorched everything, now softened as they touched him.
The flames were no longer wild and uncontrollable. Instead, they became an extension of his will, moving seamlessly with his intent.
"Did it work?" Orochimaru cautiously approached as Kagetsu's figure emerged from the Tailed Beast Cloak, and his eyes returned to their usual clarity and calm.
"I'm not sure if I'd call it a success," Kagetsu admitted. His entire body ached, as if he had been struck by a giant beast. However, his mind remained sharp and focused.
Looking at Orochimaru, he continued uncertainly, "I can use Two-Tails's chakra now, and I can also enter the Tailed Beast Cloak state. But... it feels like a one-time thing.
"Two-Tails hasn't accepted me, nor have we reached any sort of mutual understanding. It's more like I used a trick to get this outcome."
"A trick?" Orochimaru's eyes widened. He found it hard to believe that such a life-and-death struggle could be won through mere cleverness.
"It's not like Uzumaki Mito's overpowering suppression of the Nine-Tails, nor the harmony you suggested might exist between Cloud Village shinobi and their Tailed Beasts," Kagetsu explained.
"Instead, I forcibly stripped away control over a portion of the chakra that Two-Tails had leaked. I didn't earn it through partnership—it's like I stole it out from under it. Two-Tails still doesn't respect me, and we've reached no real agreement. I guess you could say... I only succeeded halfway?"
"You took away its control over its own chakra?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, intrigued. This sounded like a form of forceful domination.
While Uzumaki Mito had crushed the Nine-Tails into submission and wielded its chakra at will, Kagetsu's method seemed less about brute force and more about exploiting an opening to seize control.
"How exactly did you do it?" Orochimaru asked curiously.
He suspected that Kagetsu's Kekkei Genkai involving Shadow Release had something to do with it. Sure enough, Kagetsu's response confirmed his theory.
"I used the Shadow Puppet Technique enhanced by my Shadow Release Kekkei Genkai," Kagetsu explained.
"Shadow Puppet Technique... If I remember correctly, that's not just a simple shadow-based jutsu. It can affect not only physical bodies but chakra as well, right?" Orochimaru recalled, having provided some assistance during the development of this technique.
It was a complex jutsu, comparable to forbidden techniques, requiring exceptional skill or natural talent. Orochimaru had thought he understood it well, but now he realized there was more to it than he had anticipated.
"Maybe it's the enhancement from your Shadow Release Kekkei Genkai?" Orochimaru mused.
"Exactly. Its limits depend on the user. If the user is skilled in medical ninjutsu or well-versed in human anatomy, the technique can be even more precise and versatile," Kagetsu said.
"When my body became unresponsive, I used this technique to reconstruct a new neural system through shadows powered by Yin Release. I overlaid it on top of my original body and chakra pathway, forcibly taking back control.
"Two-Tails, trapped within the mental cage, couldn't maintain precise control over its leaked chakra. That gave me the chance to wrest control of that chakra for myself."
Kagetsu explained the situation in detail. Of course, there were probably some hidden traits of Shadow Release Kekkei Genkai affecting his control, but he didn't bother to mention them explicitly.
"So that's how it is," Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully. Then, almost casually, he asked, "Are these chakra reserves completely yours now?"
"Yes. The chakra no longer carries the will of Two-Tails. It's fully under my control," Kagetsu replied after a moment's thought, suppressing the pain and discomfort in his body. "It feels more like an external power—something I can use but doesn't belong to me. Once the chakra runs out, it won't regenerate.
If I want to use it again, I'll have to follow the same process and extract it from Matatabi all over again."
"Since that's the case," Orochimaru said with a sly grin, "why not have a quick training session? Let's see what you're capable of."
He raised his hands and formed a hand seal. Newest update provided by novel-fire.net
"But I'm covered in wounds, Orochimaru-sensei," Kagetsu muttered, glancing down at his battered, scarred body.
The chakra of the Tailed Beast not only tore at a Jinchūriki's body but also offered protection in its own way. As long as the Jinchuriki didn't lose complete control, they could usually regain consciousness after a rampage.
However, no matter how useful it was, the human body could hardly endure the raw, unrestrained power of a Tailed Beast's chakra.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!
To Orochimaru's surprise, Kagetsu unleashed the Uchiha clan's signature fire jutsu. But Kagetsu's version was even more dangerous—and far more powerful.
A blue fireball, burning with intense heat, shot toward Orochimaru's position like a blazing comet.
Suddenly, a massive gate, carved with eerie demonic faces and resembling the Gates of Hell, erupted from the ground between them, blocking the fireball's path.
Summoning First Gate: Rashōmon!
The powerful explosion shook the gate, making it tremble under the force of the blue fireball. Orochimaru watched in amazement as the Rashōmon shattered into pieces, dissolving into smoke and vanishing.
"So his fire jutsu is enhanced—and he's mastered fire nature transformation," Orochimaru thought quickly, analyzing the strength behind Kagetsu's technique.
Before Orochimaru could react, Kagetsu launched a flurry of follow-up attacks. He moved like a living artillery of Fire Style jutsu, unleashing techniques he had learned but never truly practiced.
The ground around them was scorched black, riddled with craters and debris, as Kagetsu's relentless fire jutsu ripped through the area.
Orochimaru did not use any ninjutsu; instead, he relied solely on his Taijutsu, moving like a ghost as he circled around Kagetsu, looking for an opportunity to get closer. It seemed he was testing Kagetsu's strength and attack power in this state.
Three kunai sliced through the air, whistling sharply as they shot toward Kagetsu. However, Kagetsu did not dodge or evade; instead, the blue flames surrounding him suddenly flared up.
As the kunai approached his body, they quickly turned red and melted into iron, spilling onto the ground.
"Is he able to precisely control his chakra and change its properties? That's similar to some fire-based Kekkei Genkai," Orochimaru observed, analyzing the molten iron on the ground.
The chakra from Two-Tails had transformed Kagetsu, who was not skilled in fire techniques, into a master of fire ninjutsu, enhancing his fire techniques to a frightening level.
Especially with what just happened, Orochimaru had abandoned the idea of getting close. It was reminiscent of Sunagakure's Scorch Release used by Pakura, which severely restricted Taijutsu ninja from closing in.
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