Three pale dragon-head firestreams spewed from Ishiki Kujo's shadow clone's mouth.
They weren't just any fire jutsu.
They were an all-out release of every drop of Sage Chakra the clone possessed.
If Yugito Nii wanted to take the hit head-on, fine—let her suffer for it.
Two of the fire dragons curved, aiming to bypass Yugito and incinerate the three Cloud ninja behind her.
The third came straight on—jaw wide, poised to devour the Great Fireball and Yugito in a single bite.
Done with the seals, the shadow clone reached into its robes and retrieved a glass vial filled with Ishiki's blood.
Summoning Jutsu!
The President was summoned from Turtle Hermit Island, appearing just as the clone burst into smoke, leaving only a spinning DISC behind.
The President didn't miss a beat—
He snapped the DISC in his jaws, whipped his head around, and slammed it into the red gem embedded in his back, vanishing the instant contact was made.
For a moment, the Stand wore a smug, prideful grin.
That grin vanished when Yugito let out a furious roar.
Even before impact, she'd sensed something was wrong.
Through the towering flames of the Great Fireball, she saw it:
Another fire release seal.
Another jutsu.
The Great Fireball crashed into the transformed Matatabi's massive body—
Exploding heat on heat.
Yugito staggered, forced backward, her chakra flames flickering like dying candles.
And then—
The dragon's mouth opened.
A tidal wave of flame.
Even with Matatabi's chakra cloaking her, Yugito's fur stood on end, instinct screaming danger.
Too strong. Too hot.
Matatabi's chakra surged—
Blue flames spiraling skyward.
She threw off the Great Fireball, but the two remaining fire dragon heads were already flanking her—
Poised to converge on her squadmates.
"No!!"
The scream tore from her soul.
She saw them—her comrades—huddled behind their faltering Water Release barriers.
They looked at her…
With pained smiles, regret in their eyes.
They knew she couldn't save them.
Yugito hurled herself between them and the fire.
Even in full Tailed Beast Mode, the impact of the twin fire dragons seared through Matatabi's cloak—
Sage Flame was no ordinary chakra fire.
Burns bloomed across Yugito's massive feline form.
But she didn't stop.
Through the inferno, she saw her comrades—
Still alive.
Barely holding on.
Then—
A third dragon mouth descended from above, engulfing not just her, but them.
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the earth.
Flame consumed everything.
Yugito burst from the firestorm, soaring skyward, chakra erupting anew.
The flames peeled away, Matatabi's energy racing to heal her broken body.
The trio of dragon flames died out.
Yugito landed hard, body scorched, panting.
Her skin regenerated rapidly, chakra knits sealing the worst of her injuries.
But when she glanced to where her team had stood…
Three blackened corpses.
Fury. Guilt.
Vengeance.
She didn't charge immediately—she searched.
For the bastard responsible.
Then—
A flicker.
A blur.
Someone approached—fast.
Yugito's eyes locked onto the figure.
A red eye gleamed through a burned, peeling fox mask.
The Sharingan.
Uchiha.
The flames on her body ignited anew.
She wasn't holding back anymore.
Fully transformed—Matatabi's monstrous form exploded outward again.
Because if that masked ninja was the one who attacked earlier, and it had only been a shadow clone—
Then the real threat was in front of her now.
Too strong to hesitate.
The enemy vanished—
Only to reappear right in front of her, hand outstretched.
A pale, spinning orb gathered in his palm.
Sage Art: Fire Release — Blazing Spiral Rasengan!
Yugito's eyes widened.
That jutsu…
That was the Fourth Hokage's technique!
She reacted instantly—
Twisting her body, she swept a massive claw at him.
At the same time, in her mouth, black and blue chakra gathered.
A Tailed Beast Bomb.
But the blow hit only air.
The target was a decoy.
The Rasengan vanished—
But so did the Beast Bomb.
Intercepted.
A second Rasengan, hurled from afar, collided mid-air with the gathering mass of destruction.
BOOM!!
The shockwave leveled trees and sent dust into the heavens.
And then—
Pain.
Matatabi screamed.
Because he was there—again.
By her side.
Hand pressed against her belly.
No Rasengan.
No chakra surge.
Just…
A ripple.
A pulse of Ripple Energy—
And another arm, purple and transparent, overlaying his.
Highway Star.
Ripple energy surged through the Tailed Beast flames, tearing inward—
Aimed at Yugito's blood, her heart.
Her core.
Chakra became a conduit—guiding the energy deeper.
Matatabi's transformation was a burden.
Now, Ishiki weaponized it.
The heart faltered.
Chakra drained.
Highway Star devoured everything—
Tailed Beast chakra, Yugito's stamina, the essence of Matatabi's bond.
Blue fire leapt—
Then recoiled.
The massive feline form trembled—
And shrunk.
Fur and flames fell away—
And standing in their place, pale and reeling, was Yugito Nii.
Human once more.
Barely clothed, arms crossed over her chest, her body trembling.
Her face…
Pale as ash.
She stared in disbelief.
Because she saw him.
Ishiki Kujo.
His fox mask gone.
His body wrapped in golden Sage Chakra.
Scorched but regenerating.
His face calm.
Beautiful.
The same face she'd seen before—
In that cursed house.
The one who had touched her.
The one who dared drain Matatabi.
Him.
Her voice trembled, lips parting in stunned whisper.
"…Impossible…"