Chapter 24: Matatabi, the Two-Tails

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At the Wind and Thunder Temple, which was still very much a construction site.

"Take that!" A cheeky voice rang out.

A brick flew through the air at high speed. A Kumo Jonin, wearing the Hidden Cloud Village's headband, dodged frantically, his face full of terror.

Clang! A dull thud echoed.

The terrified Kumo ninja rolled his eyes and collapsed to the ground, his legs giving out beneath him.

Behind him, Rinjin had already transformed into the middle-aged man he had disguised himself as earlier. One hand was forming seals, while the other held a brick.

At his feet, a dozen or so ninjas lay scattered, unconscious.

Looking at the knocked-out ninjas sprawled across the ground, Rinjin's expression was one of indescribable exasperation.

Originally, dealing with these guys wouldn't have been so quick.

But who could have guessed that the workers rebuilding the Wind and Thunder Temple would mistake his Flying Raijin-marked bricks for ordinary ones and use them in construction?

Damn it, they almost ruined everything!

The direct result of this mix-up was that it only took Rinjin ten seconds to knock out all these ninjas like they were nothing more than muggles.

Tossing the brick in his hand aside with a sigh, Rinjin formed seals again and disappeared in an instant.

In the next moment, Rinjin appeared inside a massive underground chamber where the Two-Tails, Matatabi, was being held captive.

Whoa! What the hell?!

Before Rinjin could get a good look at Matatabi, his attention was drawn to a figure in the corner, struggling with some chains.

"Master Chikū! Trying to set Matatabi free again, are we?"

Hearing the voice, Master Chikū's body trembled violently. He turned his head slowly, his expression one of unease.

"O-oh, benefactor, you're here again."

Rinjin looked at the awkward smile on Chikū's face and, curious, asked, "Master, how exactly did you get in here? I've checked everywhere and couldn't find an entrance."

At Rinjin's question, Master Chikū averted his gaze, awkwardly scratching his bald head.

"Well, uh, benefactor, you see, the giant Buddha statue above is sitting cross-legged, right?"

He pointed at his own crotch with an ingratiating smile.

Hearing this, Rinjin's face instantly darkened.

What kind of ridiculous method is this?!

Does Buddha know you're doing this?

As Rinjin stared at Master Chikū in speechless disbelief, the Two-Tails, lying not far away, slowly opened her eyes.

In an instant, Rinjin felt a surge of intense resentment wash over him.

A moment later, the sound of taut chains scraping against each other echoed through the chamber.

However, this time, the Wind and Thunder Chains seemed to hold tight. Despite Matatabi's struggles, she couldn't move more than a couple of steps.

It appeared that the Third Raikage, who had personally sealed Matatabi, had some impressive rope skills.

What Rinjin hadn't expected was that, perhaps due to the cat's incessant chatter or her annoying cries, the Third Raikage had even gone so far as to gag her mouth securely.

Not bad! Quite effective! Who would have thought the Third Raikage had such diverse talents?

Rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression, Rinjin pointed and gestured at the Wind and Thunder Chains with a look of admiration.

This infuriated Matatabi, who began struggling even harder, letting out muffled growls as she tried to break free.

Seeing Matatabi's furious yet helpless expression, Rinjin knew this was his chance.

If he could seize this opportunity to build a good relationship with Matatabi...

Then he could finally say he had a cat of his own!

After a moment of contemplation, Rinjin walked up to Matatabi and sat cross-legged in front of her.

Poof! A soft sound echoed.

Rinjin formed seals with both hands, dispelling his transformation jutsu.

In the next second, a handsome young man appeared in front of Matatabi. The only downside was that his skin was tanned to a deep, dark shade.

Ignoring these minor details, Rinjin raised his head seriously, locking eyes with Matatabi.

"Miss Matatabi... uh, I mean, Lady Two-Tails, my name is Rinjin Sōhō. This is our second meeting. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

"Mm-mm-mm~" A series of muffled growls came from Matatabi.

"Uh... Master Chikū, could you untie our lady friend here?"

Rinjin turned to look at Master Chikū, who was cowering in the corner.

Hearing this, Master Chikū forced a strained yet ingratiating smile onto his face.

"Benefactor, it's not that I don't want to help, but that guy A tied the chains so high up that I simply can't reach!"

As he spoke, Master Chikū pointed to the chain that extended all the way to the top of the underground chamber, connecting to the Buddha statue's... well, posterior.

Seeing this, Rinjin couldn't help but chuckle.

Another round of chain rattling echoed through the chamber.

Realizing his mistake, Rinjin quickly covered his mouth, looking embarrassed.

Damn it!

It's all that Third Raikage's fault—I couldn't hold it in!

After silently cursing for a moment, Rinjin looked at Matatabi, whose eyes were practically spitting fire. He knew it was time to make amends.

With that thought, Rinjin quickly stood up, bending his knees slightly.

Boom! A deafening explosion rang out as his figure disappeared from the ground, shooting upward like a bolt of black lightning.

Not far away, Master Chikū watched in shock.

He had already thought Rinjin's space-time jutsu was mysterious enough.

But now, this guy was showing off his insane physical strength too?

Above, Rinjin had already grabbed hold of the thick Wind and Thunder Chain.

The next moment, a tingling sensation spread through his palm.

Not only that, but Rinjin could feel the tingling sensation spreading throughout his entire body as he held onto the chain longer.

No wonder the Land of Lightning could keep Matatabi sealed even without a Jinchūriki.

This chain is a real treasure!

Without hesitation, Rinjin gripped the chain tightly with both hands, enduring the numbing sensation as he untied the knot from the Buddha statue's strange protrusion.

Clang! The sound of metal clashing echoed through the chamber.

Rinjin and the Wind and Thunder Chain fell to the ground simultaneously.

Boom! A dull thud followed as the ground cracked, forming a web of fissures.

Moments later, Rinjin leapt out of the pit, dusting himself off with an excited look as he turned to Matatabi.

In the corner, Master Chikū's face twitched as he watched, secretly stunned.

What kind of monstrous physique is this?

Could this guy be the Third Raikage's candidate for the next Raikage?

As Master Chikū speculated, Matatabi suddenly extended her neck, her massive jaws opening wide, revealing sharp fangs as she lunged at Rinjin.

Her fangs alone were as tall as Rinjin himself.

Ha! Ungrateful little brat!

Seeing the gaping maw inches away, Rinjin raised an eyebrow and quickly formed a seal with his left hand.

Flying Raijin Jutsu!

In an instant, his figure appeared beside Master Chikū, his right hand casually resting on the monk's bald head.

Giving it a quick rub, Rinjin noted how smooth it felt.

Master Chikū looked up, and their eyes met. Rinjin grinned and said:

"Master, didn't your mom ever teach you to wash your head regularly?"

Then, activating the Flying Raijin Jutsu again, Rinjin disappeared with Master Chikū.

When they reappeared, Rinjin was holding the flailing, screaming Master Chikū above his head like a shield, directly in front of Matatabi's massive jaws.

"Lady Two-Tails, please don't eat me!" Master Chikū wailed in terror.

Matatabi's jaws froze mid-bite.

"Put him down, you dirtbag who should be buried in the ground!" Matatabi's clear, childlike voice rang out.

Hearing this, Rinjin shook his head firmly and shouted back.

"No way, unless you agree to one condition."

"I refuse! I won't agree to anything!" Matatabi retorted, her tone full of defiance.

Uh...

Rinjin froze, his mind momentarily blank.

"Hold on, you're supposed to ask, 'What condition?' Then I tell you what it is. How did we skip straight to 'I refuse'?"

"I don't know!" Matatabi replied confidently.

What the—?!

Rinjin's face darkened instantly as he grabbed Master Chikū by the collar.

"Fine! Let's settle this with a fight on the open sea! If you win, I'll never bother you again. But if you lose, you're coming with me. Got it?"

Hearing this, Matatabi shook her head like a drum, her childlike voice ringing out again.

"No way! I'm not going with you to be buried in the ground."

"What the hell?" Rinjin frowned, his face full of confusion.

"Let me give you a chance to rephrase that. What do you mean by 'buried in the ground'?"

Matatabi tilted her little cat head, refusing to speak.

Seeing this, Rinjin's lips curled into a sly grin as he gently stroked Master Chikū's bald head with a sinister smile.

"If you won't talk, I'll sell this little monk to the Land of Hot Water as a bathhouse attendant!"

"No! I don't want to scrub backs!" Master Chikū wailed, shaking his shiny bald head frantically.

Matatabi, having lived for so many years, had never encountered such a bizarre threat before. She immediately panicked.

If Master Chikū were gone, she'd be stuck with these chains forever, unable to move or explore the outside world.

Glaring at Rinjin in frustration, Matatabi finally spoke.

"Buried in the ground means buried in the ground! I don't know why, but my instincts tell me you belong in the dirt!"

Hearing this, Rinjin was utterly dumbfounded.

"You really don't know?"

"Why are you so nosy?! That's all I know. But... that smelly fox might know more."

Rinjin frowned, feeling a headache coming on.

The "smelly fox" was obviously the Nine-Tails, Kurama.

But the part about being buried in the ground? That was just too bizarre.

Still, one thing was clear: it probably had something to do with his unique immortality.

Making a mental note to ask the Nine-Tails about it when he returned to Konoha, Rinjin refocused on the task at hand—convincing this little cat demon to join him.

After all, whether it was the Flying Raijin Jutsu, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, or his planned Lightning Release Chakra Mode, they all required massive amounts of chakra.

And mastering the Lightning Release Chakra Mode would significantly enhance his physical strength, taking it to another level.

Later, he'd figure out a way to acquire the Eight Gates technique. Combined with his immortality, he'd finally have a decent level of self-preservation.

At that point, even if someone buried him in the ground...

He wouldn't sprout!