Chapter 24: An Unexpected Encounter
Liumu slowly walked out of the shadows, fists raised, frowning as he saw the figure who had just attacked him. It was a boy with… a tail.
Originally, he'd only intended to locate the Otogakure team. Unexpectedly, the buildings in Kumogakure were nearly identical, and the streets were even more labyrinthine. His aimless wandering had gradually led him astray.
Just as he'd arrived here, planning to climb to a high point to get his bearings, he'd been silently ambushed. This instantly soured Liumu's already irritable mood.
Under the cover of night, he couldn't clearly see the boy's face, but it didn't matter. In a moment, the boy would be bruised and swollen anyway. What he looked like now was irrelevant.
Thinking this, Liumu jumped down from the stone wall, eyeing his fully-alert opponent, and slowly walked forward.
But at that moment… the tail on the boy's back lashed out like a giant boulder, striking with tremendous force, creating sonic booms in the air.
Seeing this, Liumu didn't stubbornly resist. He simply stood straight and said softly, "Serious Series: Side-to-Side Jumps!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rapid footsteps crushed the stones beneath him. The roaring sound of displaced rock echoed through the mountain stream.
For the boy, however, Liumu's figure seemed to multiply into dozens… no, hundreds of afterimages the moment he spoke. In a quick flash, like some ultimate Clone Technique, they silently surrounded him.
The boy's expression tensed. His eyes darted like lightning, constantly observing the figures encircling him. He waited, but the attack never came. Under Liumu's gaze, the boy suddenly placed his hands on the ground. Instantly, countless red chakra bubbles gushed from his body.
Within a few breaths, the red bubbles completely enveloped the boy. The single tail behind him had now multiplied to three.
"Huh?"
At this moment, Liumu finally snapped to attention. Looking at the familiar red chakra and the boy's tails, he immediately recognized his identity!
"B… Bee? No, at this point in time, it should be… Killer Bee!"
Just as the Nine-Tails was sealed in Konoha, two tailed beasts resided in Kumogakure. One of them was the Eight-Tails, Gyūki. In his memory, the Eight-Tails ranked second in strength among the nine great beasts. It was a giant ox with octopus-like tentacles for tails. It had two horns and a notoriously violent temper. In Kumogakure, it had been successively sealed within the bodies of B and Killer Bee.
B was the previous generation Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails and Killer Bee's first teacher. After B's death, Kumogakure assigned the Jinchūriki role to Killer Bee.
Killer Bee was now only thirteen or fourteen, about the same age as the ninja participating in the Chunin Exams. However, as Kumogakure's hidden combat power to balance the strength of the other villages, Killer Bee's identity wasn't widely known.
Seeing the boy's partial tailed beast transformation, Liumu stopped. On a whim, he felt the urge to test his strength against this Jinchūriki.
Killer Bee crouched low, wrapped in the tailed beast's chakra cloak, exuding an astonishing aura. The three tails continued to transform, slamming toward Liumu's position.
Seeing this, Liumu used only half his strength, dodging sideways. His figure was as swift as lightning, weaving freely through the plumes of dust.
Noticing the fourth tail beginning to condense, Liumu smiled faintly. In a flash, he appeared directly in front of the beast-cloaked Killer Bee.
A single punch sent Killer Bee flying dozens of meters through the air.
As he flew, a few drops of blood scattered. Killer Bee adjusted his posture mid-air and, upon landing, immediately began gathering chakra in his mouth. In an instant, countless red and blue bubbles frantically coalesced, forming a fist-sized Tailed Beast Ball.
With a whoosh, the Tailed Beast Ball shot toward him.
"I wonder if Taotie's Gluttony is picky about its diet…"
Seeing this, Liumu activated the ability. A faint smile touched his lips as he channeled the devouring power within. Instantly, his body was enveloped in crimson flames. Raising his hand, a powerful suction erupted from his palm.
Watching the Tailed Beast Ball shrink until it was completely absorbed, Liumu felt a surge of energy flood his body, leaving him invigorated.
The tailed beast's chakra was gradually refined and absorbed by the Three-Colored Divine Flame of Taotie.
Clenching his fists, Liumu sensed the newfound strength. His joints popped, emitting a series of crisp cracks.
As the first Jinchūriki in the original story to fully master his tailed beast's power, Killer Bee's innate talent was extraordinary. But now, before absolute strength, a Jinchūriki was still human, unable to unleash 100% of the tailed beast's power.
For Liumu, this skirmish was already satisfying. Unless Killer Bee could achieve a 100% full transformation right now, continuing the fight would be a waste of time.
Moreover, the power of a tailed beast was different from a human's. As individuals constantly monitored by Kumo's higher-ups, any abnormal movement of Killer Bee and the Eight-Tails' chakra would undoubtedly attract attention. Liumu didn't want to cause misunderstandings, so he simply turned and left the area.
Otogakure was a very insular minor nation, rarely participating in conflicts between the great powers. As for the three Otogakure ninja who had caught Liumu's eye earlier, he was almost certain they were Konoha Jonin using Transformation Jutsu. And he happened to recognize all three of them.
...
...
...
After searching for what felt like ages, Liumu finally found his way back to Konoha's lodging. Entering, he found neither Kakashi nor Mizukage had fallen asleep yet.
As a combat team, they ate and slept in the same room.
Mizukage held a book, quietly reading by lamplight. Kakashi sat by the window, his expression gloomy, lost in thought.
Liumu pushed the door open. Mizukage immediately looked up and asked with a hint of complaint, "Liumu, where have you been?"
"Nowhere special. Just went for a short walk." Liumu didn't want to admit he'd gotten lost. It was too embarrassing.
After saying this, he blushed, went to his futon, and pulled the covers over his head.
Mizukage and Kakashi exchanged a glance. Though confused, they didn't press further.
There were only two days left until the Chunin Exams. In the following time, Liumu's team focused on reviewing theoretical knowledge while also gaining a basic understanding of each other's abilities.
Two Days Later…
Kumogakure Ninja Academy.
As the Third Raikage, A, officially announced the commencement of the Chunin Exams, the assembled crowd erupted into cheers and roars!
(End of Chapter)
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