Bonus Chapter Soon!
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When Matatabi spoke, Manji's face grew tense.
What kind of rebellion was this?
She had taken the words right out of his mouth. Now he wasn't sure what to say.
"You nine-tailed beasts put on quite the show for me. I haven't even settled that account with each of you yet." Manji got off the boat and smiled warmly at Matatabi.
As soon as he spoke, Matatabi's eyes widened with panic and her small body went rigid.
"Ah... Teacher saw through it all along."
She clearly hadn't expected him to notice their plan from the beginning. All her earlier confidence disappeared right away.
She lifted her head and looked at Manji timidly. "Teacher, did you come here to punish me?"
Manji saw how nervous she looked and shook his head.
"No."
He walked over and gently picked Matatabi up, cradling her like a regular cat.
"Of course not..." He spoke more gently. "After seeing the world on your journey here, are you happy with how things are now?"
Matatabi snuggled into his arms, comforted by the familiar presence she had missed. Her fear faded away.
"As expected of Teacher. I'm very happy." She nodded eagerly, her clear voice full of admiration.
"Happy?" Manji asked again, gently patting her with his fingers.
"Mm!"
Matatabi closed her eyes in contentment and rubbed her head against his hand.
Manji's hand paused. Then he asked, "Then are you ready to return to Mount Myōboku with me?"
"..." Matatabi's eyes opened wide in surprise.
"Eh? You're letting me go back to Mount Myōboku?"
She lifted her small paws and gently tugged at Manji's clothes.
She had wanted to go back for a long time...
The shinobi world was complicated. She had helped people for centuries and was tired. She was a Tailed Beast, not a saint, and had her own wishes. She wasn't meant to help humans forever.
But Manji had once said they should honor Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo's agreement and let the Tailed Beasts live among humans, understand them, and help them. So Matatabi stayed and never asked to go back.
She never thought Manji would be the one to mention it.
Manji looked at her delighted face and gave a gentle nod.
"Of course."
To Manji, the world was already on the right path. The nations were stable, people lived in peace, and most unrest was gone.
He also wanted to respect the Tailed Beasts' wishes.
They had lived among humans for centuries and must be tired by now.
As for the agreement Hagoromo left behind?
Manji believed the dead shouldn't keep interfering with the living. Only those alive should decide the present and future.
Just then, Manji heard a faint hum in his mind. The other eight Tailed Beasts were reaching out to him through their mental link.
The Tailed Beasts were calling.
Manji smiled a little. "Perfect timing. Now I don't have to look for each of them."
Holding Matatabi in his arms, he accepted the mental connection.
Suddenly, the scenery around them changed. Manji and Matatabi were pulled into the Tailed Beasts' shared mindscape.
Eight massive Tailed Beast projections stood around them.
Manji held the tiny Matatabi in his arms and stood before them.
Before any of the Tailed Beasts could speak, Manji beat them to it. "You actually have the nerve to come see me? Did you really think I wouldn't see through that little performance you all put on?"
He looked at each Tailed Beast projection, a hint of amusement in his smile.
The mindscape fell still.
"..." All the Tailed Beasts except Kurama froze. Awkwardness showed on their faces, and they looked away, unable to meet Manji's eyes.
He really did know...
"Hahaha! What are you saying, Teacher? Why would we do that?"
Only Kurama stayed bold.
Even after being caught, he acted like he had done nothing wrong. They had already gotten what they wanted. If Manji wanted to punish them, so be it.
"Besides," Kurama added with a teasing grin, "weren't you looking for a reason to take action too?"
Manji raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
"Look at Matatabi," Gyūki said, quickly changing the subject. "She's so tiny now. She looks adorable. Nothing like the mighty Two-Tails we're used to seeing."
Shukaku immediately followed along. "Right, right! She's such a tiny little thing now. So cute."
The other Tailed Beasts quickly joined in, all praising how cute Matatabi looked in her new, smaller form.
Manji didn't really plan to blame them, so he let it go and started catching up with them. After a while, the old sense of closeness returned between them.
Then Manji asked, "Are you tired of staying in the shinobi world?"
"Do you still want to come back to the mountain with me?"
The eight-tailed beast projections trembled.
A moment later, disbelief and joy appeared on their faces. They had still been worried about being punished, and none of them expected Manji to invite them back to Mount Myōboku.
"Teacher! Really?" Kurama was the first to speak in surprise.
The others quickly joined in, their forms shifting with excitement.
"Can we really go back, Teacher?"
"We want to return to Mount Myōboku too!"
Manji saw their eager faces and nodded. "I speak plainly. I do not lie to my students."
Matatabi immediately lifted her little head from his arms.
"Teacher already promised me!"
The other Tailed Beasts nodded one after another in agreement.
"THEN WE'RE THE SAME!"
"WE WANT TO RETURN TO MOUNT MYŌBOKU TOO!"
"WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THE SHINOBI WORLD!"
The eight-tailed beasts each shared their wishes in turn.
Like Matatabi, they had lived among humans for too long. Now that the world was stable and peaceful, they didn't need to stay anymore. Instead of staying in the shinobi world as outsiders, they wanted to return to Mount Myōboku, where they were born and raised and where their childhood memories remained.
They wanted to be with Manji again and enjoy a peaceful life.
"Human affairs are boring anyway," Shukaku said first. "Watching humans fight over every little thing gets old fast."
Gyūki nodded, his huge projection shifting slightly. "That's right, Teacher. I've missed the scenery there. Going back would be the perfect chance to rest."
"Mount Myōboku's scenery is much better than my waterfall cave in the shinobi world," Son Gokū added.
"I actually miss Teacher's cooking more," Chōmei said.
Isobu, Kokuō, Saiken, and the others also spoke about what they missed.
Manji listened quietly, his eyes full of warmth and satisfaction. Then he raised his hand, signaling them to calm down.
"In that case, come back to Mount Myōboku with me."
"From now on, that will be your home. You no longer need to concern yourselves with the shinobi world. Live freely and peacefully."
The eight-tailed beast projections bowed together, full of respect and joy.
"THANK YOU, TEACHER!"
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