Is this supposed to be a new way of threatening me?
Shigure smiled faintly.
Opportunities for a Tailed Beast to appear are rare—and although Mei Terumi is not someone easy to handle, escaping from her wouldn't be too difficult.
Looking at the Mizukage standing before him, Shigure chuckled. His figure suddenly blurred, turning into a streak of light. Countless afterimages rippled in the air as he vanished, reappearing nearly sixty meters away.
Terumi narrowed her eyes, her lips curling into a cold sneer.
"Trying to run?"
With a surge of chakra, her body flickered forward, instantly closing the distance. A roaring sound followed—her Water Dragon jutsu swept after Shigure like a torrent.
But Shigure wasn't relying on the Body Flicker alone. While fast, the standard Shunshin could not be used to evade incoming ninjutsu. Shigure's technique, however, allowed him to phase and reappear, slipping past attacks with ease.
And now—
Shigure suddenly kicked off and leapt skyward.
"Cloud Release—Somersault Cloud!"
A thick mist formed beneath his feet, condensing into a white cloud as soft-looking as cotton candy. Standing upon it, he shot into the sky, soaring hundreds of meters high. His course was set—straight toward the rampaging One-Tail, Shukaku.
Terumi skidded to a halt, staring up in shock.
"…What kind of ninjutsu is this?"
Escape technique? No… it doesn't look like it. Ice Release? Not that either…
Her lips curved into a smile despite herself.
"You're becoming more and more interesting, boy."
Although Shigure was quickly pulling away, Mei Terumi refused to give up. Her chakra flared as she used Shunshin again, chasing in his direction.
The two had clashed south of Konoha, while Shukaku rampaged in the north. They were moving straight across the battlefield.
Shigure streaked above the Chūnin Exams stadium. Most below were too distracted to notice, but a few sharp eyes caught sight of the strange white cloud darting across the sky.
Ao frowned. "What is that…?"
Chōjūrō blinked. "How can a cloud move that fast?"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance, their thoughts aligning instantly.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Controlling clouds…? Tch, Shigure, you're becoming more and more incomprehensible."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Whoa! That's so cool! I wanna learn that move!"
On the rooftop, the Four Purple Flame Formation raged as Sarutobi Hiruzen squared off against Orochimaru. Yet even in such a tense moment, Hiruzen's eyes lifted as a streak of white flashed overhead.
"…Shigure," the Third Hokage murmured, a rare smile forming. "Always full of surprises."
Orochimaru glanced up as well, his expression unreadable. I've never seen such a technique before.
High above, Shigure looked down.
The battle between Orochimaru and Lord Third hasn't even begun. If I can take down the One-Tail quickly, I might return in time to study that Wood Release…
"Swish!"
The cloud beneath him accelerated, cutting through the sky toward the distant sand beast.
Already, dozens of Konoha shinobi were engaged against Shukaku. Their efforts were valiant, but the Tailed Beast swatted them aside like flies. With a casual sweep of its massive claw, a dozen shinobi were hurled through the air.
Their screams reached Shigure. His gaze hardened. If they hit the ground from that height, they'll be dead even if the blow itself didn't kill them.
He thrust out his hand. Mist swirled around his palm before bursting forth like cotton tufts.
"Cloud Release—Solid Mist Technique!"
Several clouds condensed instantly, their forms turning tangible under Shigure's control. Soft cushions of cloud appeared beneath the falling shinobi. Instead of crashing to their deaths, they landed safely, the impact entirely absorbed.
The shinobi blinked in disbelief, alive when they were certain they were doomed.
Looking back, the shinobi who had been hurled through the air realized they weren't dead. Something white and soft was holding them up.
"What… is this?"
A Genin cautiously pinched the strange cloud beneath him, startled by its springy, mist-like texture. Before he could comprehend it, a firm voice rang out.
"Everyone, fall back! Leave this one to me!"
Shigure's call echoed through the chaos. As the cloud dispersed, he dropped down from the sky, landing squarely on the ground.
By then, the One-Tail had noticed him. Shukaku's massive body loomed, its voice booming with disdain.
"Damn human! You and these insects think you can stop me? I'll bury everything here in sand!"
Its jaw opened wide, chakra swirling violently within.
Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!
Crack!
The roar split the battlefield as compressed air burst forth, tearing through everything in its path as it blasted toward Shigure. Even a grazing hit would be fatal.
Yet in the next moment, clouds surged into existence before Shigure. They condensed, interlocking like shields until they formed a towering white wall.
Boom! Buzz! Boom!
The air cannon struck, rattling the earth, but the cloud barrier did not waver—it absorbed the impact completely, unmoving as if it had been carved from stone.
The surrounding shinobi froze in shock.
"What… kind of jutsu is that?"
"He blocked a Tailed Beast's attack?!"
"Isn't that Gekkō Shigure—the one taking the Chūnin Exams?!"
Shukaku growled, its eyes narrowing as it recognized the unexpected resistance.
"You dare block me, human? Fine… let's see how long you can hold out!"
The Tailed Beast began inhaling furiously, drawing in vast quantities of air and chakra.
Shigure only smiled faintly. So this is Cloud Release… even stronger than I thought.
He had only used about eighty percent of its full strength, yet even Shukaku's Wind Style couldn't break through. Its resilience wasn't merely defensive—it carried an unyielding toughness unlike any other nature transformation.
His confidence sharpened.
Shigure inhaled deeply, then exhaled with force. A thick mass of mist poured from his mouth, flooding the battlefield.
Cloud Release: Cloud Prison!
The mist churned and swirled, condensing into a storm of rolling clouds. In the blink of an eye, Shukaku and Shigure were engulfed, their forms hidden inside a massive cage of roiling fog.
From the outside, it looked like a colossal birdcage woven entirely of clouds. Visibility was gone. Even the light of the sun seemed unable to pierce through the dense barrier.
The shinobi who had been watching from afar stumbled back, isolated outside the fog. Within, only Shigure and the rampaging Tailed Beast remained.
...
TN:
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