Even though Killer B, Kumogakure's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, was one of the best in the entire Shinobi World at controlling a Tailed Beast, Kumogakure still couldn't bring itself to unleash a Complete Tailed Beast Transformation and attack indiscriminately.
And the reason—
was the Nine-Tails. It was because Kushina Uzumaki existed.
The Nine-Tails' power had already been proven in the battle between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
Though the Nine-Tails had been controlled by Uchiha Madara and forced to fight Senju Hashirama at the time,
the fact that even the strongest Uchiha had valued it enough to wield it against the God of Shinobi spoke volumes about the Nine-Tails' standing among the Tailed Beasts.
It had earned the recognition of the strongest man in the Shinobi World.
Even though Kushina Uzumaki couldn't fully control the Nine-Tails,
the other villages still feared the deterrent posed by Konoha's Nine-Tails.
That was also why the Konoha High Command wouldn't let Kushina Uzumaki go to the battlefield.
If the Nine-Tails entered the fray, the Third Shinobi World War would turn into a nuclear war between Tailed Beasts.
"I think the village is actually protecting you, Kushina. There are way too many people from the other villages keeping their eyes on you right now."
Mikoto said with a smile.
Chatting as they walked beneath the cherry trees, the two of them soon found themselves at the training ground without even realizing it.
The sound of swords clashing drew their attention.
At that moment,
Uchiha Mikoto's eyes turned crimson in an instant. They were Sharingan.
Beside her, Kushina Uzumaki narrowed her eyes slightly, a look of shock crossing her face.
As the cherry blossoms fell,
the two figures in the training ground seemed to be dancing.
But their ghostlike movements and intricate swordplay were so complex that Mikoto couldn't even follow them without using her Sharingan.
"Is that... Uchiha Shisui!?"
The prodigy who had made a name for himself in the Mist Ninja and earned the title "Body Flicker Shisui."
But who was the other person?
Kushina wondered, completely unaware of how shocked Mikoto looked beside her, as if she'd seen a ghost.
Uchiha Chiba?
It was him?
How was that possible?
Those movements and sword techniques were so difficult to follow that she needed her Sharingan to see them clearly. And they were coming from Chiba?
Just a few dozen minutes earlier,
Mikoto had seen Chiba sitting and talking closely with her husband.
And now he was fighting Shisui, holding his own against him?
That was Shisui.
Body Flicker Shisui.
Mikoto only knew Chiba through Itachi, and her impression of him was still that he was just a little stronger than her son when they sparred.
But—
This was too ridiculous, wasn't it?
Shock and disbelief.
It took Mikoto a good few dozen seconds to recover. The Sharingan in her eyes slowly faded.
And in that instant,
Chiba's Observation Haki swept across them.
Kushina Uzumaki's pupils abruptly shrank, as if she had just been struck by something.
She hurriedly felt her abdomen.
The most ferocious Tailed Beast—the Nine-Tails—was sealed inside her.
Even though she was a member of the Uzumaki Clan, which naturally had the upper hand over Tailed Beasts, Kushina Uzumaki still felt considerable pressure facing the Nine-Tails.
But at that moment,
that inexplicable presence had startled the Nine-Tails.
"Kushina... what was that just now?"
Even the Nine-Tails, usually silent within the seal, had been roused and demanded an answer from Kushina.
The next moment,
the Nine-Tails' chakra spread out. Using Kushina's sight, it locked onto Chiba, who was still fighting in the distance.
"That kid—!?"
"Nine-Tails, don't you think you're getting a little carried away?"
Kushina snorted.
In an instant, a vast amount of yellow chakra erupted within the seal.
There was as much of it as a Tailed Beast's chakra.
The chakra instantly transformed into countless golden chains, binding the Nine-Tails.
It was Kushina's chakra,
chakra that naturally suppressed Tailed Beasts.
Combined with the Uzumaki Clan's unique Adamantine Sealing Chains,
even the most ferocious Tailed Beast could only be subdued.
"Kushina, don't get too pleased with yourself. One day, sooner or later—"
Before the Nine-Tails could finish its threat, its consciousness was swallowed by Kushina's seal.
When her own awareness returned,
Kushina looked at Chiba again and asked without thinking,
"Mikoto, who's that kid fighting Shisui?"
"Chiba. Uchiha Chiba!"
At the familiar name, Kushina Uzumaki suddenly understood.
That blind Uchiha.
Huh? Wait?
For an instant, Kushina thought she must have heard wrong.
"Chiba? That blind kid? He's holding his own against Uchiha Shisui?"
What the hell kind of joke was that?
What kind of freak was he?
Hearing that,
Mikoto could only give a wry smile.
What kind of freak was he...
I have no idea either.
Chapter 34
The cherry blossoms drifting slowly down seemed to draw the battle to a close.
Unlike Chiba and Shisui, who were completely immersed in the fight,
everyone watching, whether out in the open or hidden away... was spellbound.
How could this be a fight between a blind five-year-old and another shinobi?
It was absurd.
Shisui took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
At the same time, his scarlet eyes turned black.
Shisui hadn't planned to use his Sharingan.
But during the fight, he'd realized that without it, he could barely keep up with Chiba's intricate swordplay.
He was shocked.
Chiba's swings weren't especially fast.
After all, he had a five-year-old's body.
No matter how extraordinary Chiba was, he couldn't surpass his physical limits.
What had made Shisui decide to use his Sharingan was Chiba's exquisite swordsmanship.
Not a single move was repeated, and yet every slash flowed smoothly, each one pushed close to its limit.
He wasted no strength, while still making every movement look beautiful.
It was truly terrifying.
Uchiha Shisui sheathed his sword, looked at Chiba, and silently formed the Seal of Reconciliation.
This was the most exhilarating fight Chiba had experienced since coming to this world.
However, neither of them had won.
Neither had fought with all their strength.
Shisui was a shinobi, not simply a swordsman. Holding back and matching Chiba with swordsmanship alone was a given.
And Chiba hadn't truly used his exaggerated Observation Haki, either.
Shisui's physical abilities far surpassed Chiba's, while Chiba's swordsmanship was far superior to Shisui's.
Between them, things were more or less balanced.
Speed and strength were the most important foundations, beyond technique.
Any technique that wasn't backed by speed and strength was just empty bragging.
Chiba's five-year-old body couldn't fully bring out Fujitora Issho's stats.
"Has my age... become my limitation?"
Chiba shook his head.
It wasn't something he could control.
His physical abilities would increase year by year as time passed.
"You've really surprised me. I never thought there'd be someone our age who was even stronger than Itachi."
Shisui made no attempt to hide his astonishment.
He'd heard Itachi mention having a friend who was even stronger than him.
At the time, Shisui hadn't thought much of it.
After all, Itachi had shown incredible talent ever since he was a child.
Now it seemed Shisui had been short-sighted.