Note: In the latter part, "Han" and "Yugito" refer to Kokuō and Matatabi controlling their respective hosts.
----
Matatabi laughed. "That guy Kokuō is arrogant and has a short temper. Before becoming a perfect Jinchūriki, the host is more or less influenced by the tailed beast."
"Find a way to provoke that Han guy. Once he loses his cool in battle, with my help, holding him off won't be a problem." A hint of amusement flashed in Matatabi's eyes.
It could tell at a glance that Han hadn't formed a bond with Kokuō. His personality was wildly arrogant, though it might just be his natural disposition. But given Kokuō's true nature, if it had acknowledged its Jinchūriki, it wouldn't have allowed such mocking behavior earlier. Too disgraceful.
And indeed, that was the case. Inside the mental space, Kokuō frowned. It found Han's actions somewhat distasteful. Though it understood Han was trying to break the enemy's morale, it couldn't help but feel displeased.
"Han, watch your behavior. I'll help you fight, but don't target their weak points," Kokuō hesitated before voicing its thoughts.
Han shook his head, thinking to himself, 'Kokuō, if I had a choice, I wouldn't do this either. Look at the situation—the Iwa-nin are all battered and exhausted. If I don't use such tactics to provoke the enemy, what will happen to them?' Han communicated with Kokuō.
Kokuō: ...
"Fine." Kokuō replied with a single word and fell silent. Its prideful nature meant it wouldn't repeat itself, even if dissatisfied with Han's methods.
As for Han, his emotional intelligence was low. He couldn't grasp Kokuō's meaning, only insisting on his own perspective. If he were a bit smarter and listened more to Kokuō, he wouldn't still be far from becoming a perfect Jinchūriki.
Han smiled. "Kokuō, you'll help me, right?" He was simple-minded, but after years together, Kokuō understood his personality. Han's lack of scheming was why Kokuō hadn't caused trouble all these years.
A straightforward Jinchūriki, though stubborn, was somewhat comfortable to coexist with. It reminded Kokuō of how tailed beasts used to be.
"Enough talk, she's coming! Be careful!" Kokuō warned. This fool... Why did it end up with such a host?
Despite its words, it released its tailed beast chakra, enveloping Han. The armor was coated in tailed beast chakra, and crimson steam erupted.
Just as Yugito's claws were about to reach Han's neck, the scorching steam forced her to retreat.
"Matatabi, wasn't that a tailed beast cloak earlier? And that steam—are you sure Han isn't a perfect Jinchūriki?" She was confused.
Matatabi also frowned. Through Yugito's eyes, it observed Han's small eyes and sensed something off. This guy seemed... childish!
Oh no. Kokuō might favor pure-hearted individuals. Even if not a perfect Jinchūriki, given Kokuō's pride, it wouldn't stand by and watch its host die.
"Be careful. This Han might have earned Kokuō's recognition in some way. Otherwise, that claw strike earlier would've either killed him or left him severely injured," Matatabi said gravely.
"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength!" White steam surged around Han's fists. A single punch carried extreme heat and force, forcing Yugito to activate her tailed beast cloak. She crouched, retreating like a cat, scaling a tree and perching atop it.
Her pupils narrowed into slits, fixed on Han as if searching for an opening.
At this moment, the two were dueling. Neither the Kumo-nin nor the Iwa-nin interfered, all watching intently.
"Oh? Interesting. A perfect Jinchūriki? Han, step aside. I'll handle this," Kokuō chuckled.
"Okay~" Han smiled faintly. He trusted Kokuō wouldn't betray him. Kokuō sighed inwardly. If Han ever encountered that malicious Nine-Tails, he'd be utterly fooled!
Inside Uzumaki Mito, the Nine-Tails suddenly opened its eyes. Its fur stood on end—someone was talking about it! Damn it, whoever you are, better hope I don't find out!
"Nine-Tails, what's wrong?" Mito's voice echoed.
The Nine-Tails shook its head. "Nothing, nothing. Just... didn't sleep well."
"Hmm." Mito didn't press further.
"Kokuō, protect the villagers," Han reminded.
"Relax, I will," Kokuō replied.
Then, Han momentarily lost consciousness—a split second Matatabi seized. "Yugito, now!"
Yugito gathered tailed beast chakra into her claws, aiming straight for Han's heart. But just before contact, Han's hand moved, gripping her wrist.
His crimson armor turned white. Raising his head, his brown-yellow eyes shifted to blue.
"Matatabi, after all these years, you still haven't improved. Acting on bloodthirsty instinct... I bet whatever this girl endured, you had a hand in it with the Raikage, didn't you?" Han smirked.
Matatabi stared at the transformation, inhaling sharply. "Yugito, let me handle this. You—"
Yugito frowned. What did it mean by her suffering being connected to Matatabi?
"Matatabi, what did you say to the Raikage about my past?" she asked flatly.
Matatabi fell silent, then sighed. "Yugito, trust me. I'd never harm you. The enemy is before us—let's settle this first. I'll explain later."
"Kokuō has taken over Han's body. Hand yours to me. I'll fight him directly." Matatabi grew urgent.
Yugito nodded, relinquishing control.
"Kokuō, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Yugito's voice was cold. Another claw strike lashed out, but Han calmly caught it, pinning her against the tree.
"Among tailed beasts, only you and Shukaku have flawed personalities. He's noisy, you're bloodthirsty. To become your perfect Jinchūriki, one must be raised like an assassin from childhood, no?"
Yugito gritted her teeth. "I did it for her sake!" She glared.
"Tch. And earlier, you planned to exploit my short temper to provoke me, didn't you?" Han's gaze was mocking.
Yugito snorted, looking away. So what if she did?
"Years pass, but no one stays the same. I used to be hot-tempered, easily provoked. But my Jinchūriki is... naively sincere. Over time, his influence helped me control my anger."
"I didn't want to bother with you, but since you've targeted my person, don't blame me for disregarding our past as fellow tailed beasts!" Han flung Yugito aside, eyes icy.
"Don't underestimate me, Matatabi!" Han declared coldly.
Yugito: "..."
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