Chapter 197: Tailed Beast Training

"You say you're the Perfect Jinchūriki, and that makes it true?"

"Then tell me, what does it mean to be a Perfect Jinchūriki?"

Yugito crossed her arms, her expression full of doubt. Perfect Jinchūriki? She was an incredibly proud girl, never one to bow her head easily—especially not to Kazuyama. There was no way she'd believe his words so easily.

Hearing her question, Kazuyama gave a small smile.

Facing a little brat with an inflated sense of self-worth and stubborn arrogance? That was his favorite kind of challenge.

Wasn't this just like what happened with Kakashi back in the day? And in the end? That guy had to swallow his pride and respectfully greet him with, "Sensei, hello."

Ah, the sweet taste of victory.

Kakashi: Nonsense! If I skip just one "Sensei, hello," I'll have to suffer One Thousand Years of Death! How could I not show respect?!

Unfortunately, Yugito was just a little girl. Otherwise, things would be much easier.

But that was no problem for Kazuyama.

All he had to do was excite her, show off his overwhelming power, and sooner or later, she'd be drawn in. After all, kids admired strength, and Yugito was no exception.

"Heh heh heh, if you want to see, then I'll show you what a Perfect Jinchūriki looks like. Consider this your lesson on Jinchūriki."

"But not here. Last time, Matatabi and I transformed at the same time, and we ended up wrecking the forest. We still need to live here, so let's head to the sea."

Kazuyama grabbed Yugito and dashed toward the edge of the Island Turtle.

At the same time, he gave a quick command to the massive old turtle beneath them to stop moving for the time being.

Once they reached the shore, he set Yugito down and leapt into the sea.

"Yugito, what is a Jinchūriki?"

She looked down at him standing on the water and answered without hesitation,

"A person who possesses a Tailed Beast."

"In your opinion, what makes a Perfect Jinchūriki?"

"That would be the ability to freely use the power of the Tailed Beast."

Kazuyama smiled at her response.

"Yes, the ability to freely use the power of the Tailed Beast."

"But you have to understand—there are different stages to harnessing that power."

"Watch closely, Yugito. I'll show you what it truly means to be a Perfect Jinchūriki."

"Chōmei, outer cloak."

Kazuyama's voice rang out powerfully, startling Yugito.

But what happened next completely stunned her.

The moment the words left his mouth, his body was instantly engulfed in a crimson-hued chakra. The chakra surged around him, rapidly forming a dense chakra cloak that enveloped his body. A tail, formed entirely of this energy, extended behind him.

The sheer force of his chakra sent violent ripples through the sea around him, causing the water to churn wildly.

"Jinchūriki can manifest three different forms by drawing on the power of their Tailed Beast."

"This is the first form—the Tailed Beast Coat—created by borrowing a small amount of the Tailed Beast's chakra."

As the power of the Tailed Beast surged into him, Kazuyama's face revealed a hint of madness.

Yugito's mouth hung open as she felt the overwhelming presence of Tailed Beast chakra, but she didn't say a word.

"My partner is the Seven-Tails, Chōmei."

"As for you, your partner is the Two-Tails, Matatabi."

"Kid, remember—if you want to become true comrades with your Tailed Beast, the first step is mutual respect."

"Just like me."

"Chōmei, strengthen your chakra flow."

Lectures should always be paired with demonstration, and Chōmei cooperated seamlessly. The chakra output increased, and soon, another tail formed on Kazuyama's Tailed Beast Coat.

"In this mode, the number of tails increases depending on how much of the Tailed Beast's chakra you draw out."

"But that's not much use to you—Matatabi only has two tails."

"Of course, you can also borrow your partner's power without activating the full Tailed Beast Coat."

"Like this."

The crimson Tailed Beast Cloak dissipated, and behind Kazuyama, two massive wings unfolded—the very wings of Chōmei.

"These are Chōmei's wings, proof that I've borrowed his chakra."

"And if you were to draw on Matatabi's chakra, a blue tail would appear instead."

Yugito unconsciously nodded. She hadn't realized that she was listening so intently to his explanation.

"The next step takes it further—Partial Tailed Beast Transformation."

A terrifying burst of chakra exploded around him. Yugito watched as Kazuyama's skin peeled away inch by inch, replaced by a hardened crimson exoskeleton.

The surrounding seawater churned violently.

At that moment, Kazuyama's voice took on a deeper, almost oppressive tone.

"Partial Tailed Beast Transformation allows the Jinchūriki to cover their entire body with Tailed Beast chakra, further enhancing their abilities."

"In this mode, Jinchūriki don't have to worry about injuries—Tailed Beast chakra wraps the entire body, and normal wounds heal on their own."

"And finally—the full-body Tailed Beast Transformation!"

"Chōmei! Come out and say hello!"

In an instant, huge wings wrapped around Kazuyama, and in the next second, Chōmei's enormous form emerged, rising up from the sea.

With a powerful flap of his six wings, Chōmei soared into the sky.

After a few graceful spins in the air, he hovered directly in front of Yugito.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Good afternoon, brat! I'm Seven-Tails Chōmei."

"Say hello to Matatabi for me! Hahaha!"

With a booming laugh, Chōmei's gigantic body suddenly began to shrink, his form dissolving into crimson chakra that rapidly condensed back to human size.

Kazuyama reappeared in front of Yugito.

"See? This is what it means to be a Perfect Jinchūriki."

"A Perfect Jinchūriki can use their partner's power freely without losing their mind, switching between different forms at will."

"Yugito, you still have a long way to go."

Yugito was completely stunned.

She was still immersed in what she had just witnessed—the raw, undeniable power of a fully controlled Tailed Beast.

The different stages of Tailed Beast power had completely opened her eyes.

"So this… this is the Perfect Jinchūriki..."

"I will reach this level too!"

Kazuyama smirked slightly and patted her on the shoulder.

"What? Do you want to call me Sensei?"

"I'll teach you well!"

Yugito snorted but didn't argue. Instead, she asked him a question.

"Which village are you from, anyway?"

"If you're from Kumogakure too, then I'll be your apprentice."

Ah, still stuck on Kumogakure.

That wouldn't do. Kazuyama scoffed.

"What's so great about Kumogakure? Neither the Raikage's sons nor Killer Bee can match me."

"Kid, give up on Kumogakure. You're never going back."

Yugito wanted to argue, but the words caught in her throat.

After witnessing the overwhelming power he had just demonstrated, she had to admit—few people could stand against him.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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