Boom. Tengen's fist collided with Yugito's, the sheer force sending both fighters skidding backward.
Roar! Yugito let out a ferocious cry, her body enveloped in a crimson Tailed Beast cloak, transforming her into a humanoid semblance of Matatabi, the Two-Tails. Two tails lashed behind her, and long claws extended from her hands, her chakra surging dramatically.
Roar. Clad in the Tailed Beast cloak, Yugito bellowed at Tengen.
"She hasn't lost her mind yet, but she's close." Tengen observed, his eyes narrowing. At her young age, Yugito couldn't fully control Matatabi's immense power, and the Tailed Beast's influence was eroding her rationality.
Boom. Yugito stomped, cratering the ground beneath her. She shot toward Tengen, her claws, infused with Tailed Beast chakra, slashing at him.
"No more holding back." Tengen declared.
"Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, open!" Chakra surged through his body as he unleashed the first four gates of the Eight Inner Gates.
While far from the devastating power of the sixth or eighth gates, this was more than enough to handle Yugito's current state.
As her claws closed in, Tengen took a deep breath, his hands turning pitch-black.
Armament Haki: Hardening.
"Let's do this!" To the crowd's astonishment, Tengen met Yugito's claws head-on with his bare hands.
Chakra erupted in a violent clash, stunning the spectators. Using his body to counter a Tailed Beast's attack seemed suicidal.
Yugito's claws, empowered by Matatabi's corrosive chakra, were devastating, especially at full force.
"Get back!" Tengen roared, his Armament Haki-infused hands, bolstered by the Eight Gates, shoving Yugito away despite her Tailed Beast cloak.
This clash marked the most thrilling battle of the Chunin Exams, a spectacle of raw power.
Some spectators noticed the black sheen on Tengen's arms. Minato Namikaze's eyes flickered. "Could that be Tengen's unique ability?"
Minato hadn't seen Tengen form hand seals, suggesting this power was innate, akin to the Kirigakure's Hydrification Technique or the Kaguya clan's bone manipulation.
"Third Hokage, it seems Tengen has a kekkei genkai." The Third Raikage said with a smile, wondering if it could withstand his strongest attack. "That state, some kind of steel transformation?"
"I trust you wouldn't stoop to bullying a child, Third Raikage." Hiruzen replied coolly.
"Of course not. I'm just envious of Konoha's constant stream of prodigies." The Raikage said, shrugging with a carefree air.
But inwardly, he pondered: could this kekkei genkai be what allowed Tengen to survive the Eight Gates? His thoughts were far more intricate than Hiruzen's.
Hiruzen, meanwhile, felt only pride in Tengen's strength. Konoha had gained a powerful asset. There was no need to conceal Tengen's abilities, nobody demanded he reveal whether he had a kekkei genkai. The ninja world was full of strange powers, and anything was possible.
In the arena, Tengen and Yugito collided repeatedly, Yugito growing increasingly frantic. Her limited control over her Jinchuriki powers meant the longer she stayed in this state, the closer she came to losing herself entirely.
She was already teetering on the edge.
As Tengen debated ending the fight swiftly, Yugito dropped to all fours, letting out a sky-shattering roar. Blue chakra spread outward, radiating Matatabi's power.
"She's going for a full Jinchūriki Forms." Tengen said, his expression tightening.
He had several ways to counter a Tailed Beast: controlling it with his Mangekyo Sharingan, overpowering it with his enhanced physique, or using Susanoo or other jutsu. But exposing those abilities was the last thing he wanted.
With a deafening roar, a massive blue feline with black ringed patterns materialized in the arena. Matatabi's towering form loomed, its overwhelming chakra causing many ninja to pale.
The spectators, there for a Chunin Exam, were struck with dread. This battle had escalated far beyond a typical match. If Matatabi unleashed a Tailed Beast Bomb, countless lives could be lost.
"This won't do." Hiruzen said, rising to his feet. If the daimyo or other dignitaries were harmed, Konoha, as the host, would bear the blame.
"Third Hokage, this is still a Chunin Exam." The Third Raikage said, his tone calm, showing no urgency.
"What are you implying, Third Raikage?" Hiruzen said, his voice sharp, sensing an attempt to block his intervention.
"Let's wait. Your little prodigy isn't ordinary." The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, chimed in, eager to see how things played out.
In the arena, Tengen's eyes flickered as he assessed the situation. He hadn't expected Yugito to push for a full transformation.
"You, little pest." Matatabi growled, its gaze fixed on Tengen.
Minato, as referee, braced to intervene. Matatabi in this state was too dangerous, no longer guided by Yugito's rationality.
"I'll handle this." Matatabi snarled, charging at Tengen.
"No choice, then." Tengen said, amassing a colossal surge of chakra in his hand. The technique's form was familiar to some in the crowd.
A Rasengan?
But this was no pale blue orb. Blazing orange-red flames swirled in Tengen's upraised hand, forming a fiery sphere larger than his own height.
This was a Rasengan infused with fire nature transformation.
Blazing Rasengan.
***
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