Nine-Tails' Anomaly

Shangguan Yue set the scroll aside and studied the Sharingan. His pupils turned blood-red, leaving only a black dot at the center surrounded by a black ring.

A single tomoe hung upon the black line, radiating a thick, ominous aura. Shangguan Yue could feel the malice contained within.

It was an impulse that sought to crush his nerves and drive him to madness at any moment. Fortunately, thanks to his cultivation of the God-Slaying Art, his mental fortitude had been greatly enhanced.

With a shift of his intent, the negative emotions shattered instantly. His mind cleared, and Shangguan Yue felt as if he had broken through a shackle, watching the single tomoe spin continuously in the reflection of the mirror.

"Hm? Why does it feel like a second tomoe is about to emerge? There's a faint phantom image."

Shangguan Yue held his breath and tried to force the tomoe to spin, but the result was naturally futile. It wasn't that easy, and after a while, he felt a bit discouraged.

"Why won't it work? I definitely didn't see it wrong just now; there was a phantom of a second tomoe. Which part went wrong..."

Shangguan Yue rotated the single tomoe, pacing around the room, looking left and right, before stepping out of the house and heading to the training ground.

He pulled out a Ruowu, threw it with a sudden motion, and the blade tore through the void, streaking toward the target.

This time, Shangguan Yue saw it very clearly; under the rotation of the tomoe, everything slowed down.

"This feeling, it's like bullet time. Pity, it's just a dojutsu, not a time-based ability.

Still, I can indeed see many details that were previously invisible. Let me try this."

Shangguan Yue threw two Ruowu in quick succession. The two blades collided in mid-air, flying along a fixed trajectory.

The tomoe in his eyes followed their movement; the angle of impact and the flight path were all rendered in slow motion, etched into his mind.

The training ground rang with the constant sound of metal clashing. At first, it was intermittent, but soon it became a continuous stream, and Shangguan Yue grew increasingly proficient.

"I didn't expect that, with the boost to my mental energy, this throwing technique would be quite simple to learn.

Uchiha Itachi's Ruowu throwing technique—this is a piece of cake."

Shangguan Yue gripped a handful of Ruowu between his fingers, waved his hands, and launched them all toward the target.

Just as they were about to strike, a "pitter-patter" of collisions echoed, and every Ruowu altered its flight path.

It looked as if they had all missed, but Shangguan Yue's tomoe remained locked onto the impact points. "There shouldn't be much of a problem."

The Ruowu collided chaotically in the air again, looking like a mess, yet in the end, every single blade changed direction and struck the back of the target.

Shangguan Yue walked behind the target and saw that all the Ruowu had hit the bullseye from the rear, nodding in satisfaction.

"Clap, clap, clap."

Applause suddenly came from behind him. Shangguan Yue turned around and realized that Tsunade was watching him from a tree branch.

"When did you get here?"

"I've been watching for a long time. Not bad, that Ruowu throwing technique. With just this skill, you can already be considered a standout among genin.

Some incompetent chunin, if they aren't careful, would die under your Ruowu."

Shangguan Yue gripped a Ruowu in his palm and threw it with a sudden force. Swish—the blade embedded itself dead-center in the target.

"I still prefer it this way—straightforward and charging ahead."

"Both are fine. Come with me, let's go see Grandmother. The Ruowu throwing technique is useful below the rank of jonin.

For a jonin, it lacks finishing power. The material of the Ruowu is too brittle, making it hard to kill; it's only used for feints."

"Tch, you don't understand. Looking cool is all that matters."

"Haha, yes, yes, you're the coolest."

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not a child. Don't try to coax me like one."

"Alright, alright, you're a big kid, not a small one."

Tsunade led the way, the two of them bickering as they turned corners, eventually arriving at the innermost mansion of the Senju clan under the watchful eyes of guards clad in black bodysuits.

"Are these all people from the Senju clan?"

"There are also the Hokage's guards; they are all here to protect Grandmother."

The two walked into the inner room without announcing themselves. Only Uzumaki Mito was inside. After Tsunade closed the door, she walked up to Mito.

"Grandmother, Shangguan Yue is here. Look."

"Grandmother knows. I'm watching."

Uzumaki Mito stared at Shangguan Yue, the corners of her mouth twitching. "He really is... as small as expected."

"Should I wait another two years?"

Over this period, although Kaguya-hime's bloodline hadn't brought about too many changes in his strength, his physical growth had indeed accelerated quite a bit.

His trousers had become significantly shorter, and he would need new clothes before long.

"Forget it, let it be. Paper cannot wrap up fire forever. Little one, are you sure you want to get involved in these muddy waters?"

Uzumaki Mito's face was solemn, looking like she was conducting an interrogation, but Shangguan Yue felt no pressure at all.

"Can people outside hear us if we talk here?"

"There is a sealing barrier inside this room; they cannot hear us from the outside."

"That's fine then. As Tsunade's fiancé, how could I possibly back down? Besides..."

"The Senju clan has a vast estate and a grand legacy, but without a backbone to hold it together, as their son-in-law, I must ensure the house remains secure."

"Haha, you have quite a lot of confidence, little one."

"That goes without saying. As long as I am alive, the Senju will never fall."

Uzumaki Mito watched Shangguan Yue's spirited, bold demeanor, the sternness on her face fading into a look of deep nostalgia.

"So alike, truly alike. Hashirama, I never expected to see a youth in my twilight years who resembles you so much—the same thick skin, haha."

Suddenly, a violent surge of energy erupted from Uzumaki Mito's stomach, turning the entire room into a chaotic vortex of power.

Shangguan Yue was nearly blown away, while Tsunade looked at Uzumaki Mito with concern.

"Grandmother, how are you feeling?"

"It is nothing, the Nine-Tails is just throwing a tantrum."

Golden chains erupted from behind Uzumaki Mito like the tentacles of an octopus, and her hair began to float as if she were an enraged lioness.

Shangguan Yue was stunned by the sudden turn of events, thinking, Is this the true power of a Kage-level ninja?

The overwhelming aura left Shangguan Yue's entire body rigid, rendering him completely unable to control his own movements.

The next second, as Shangguan Yue was still struggling to hold on, the pressure suddenly vanished, and he collapsed onto the floor.

"Roar, roar, roar! Uzumaki Mito, you just wait! Don't let me find a chance to get out!"

Hearing the sudden bestial roar, Shangguan Yue looked up to see the Nine-Tails, standing several stories tall.

He was deeply shocked to see the massive creature pinned in place, unable to move, by the golden chains extending from the seemingly small Uzumaki Mito.

"Nine-Tails, we have lived together for so many years; do you think I don't know you? However, tell me, why did you suddenly expose your chakra this time? You know full well that with me here, you have no chance of success. Yet you did it anyway—this implies there is something you are willing to accept. Can you tell me what it is?"

The Nine-Tails, its head pressed against the ground, looked at Uzumaki Mito with disdain before shifting its gaze toward Shangguan Yue behind her.

"Brat, what is your origin? Why do you carry the aura of the Old Man on your body?"

Uzumaki Mito looked behind her and asked, "Eh, Yue, how did you get in here too?"

Shangguan Yue stood up, curiously pinched his own body, and stared at the suppressed Nine-Tails.

"Take a guess."