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"Teacher, our true forms are too large," Isobu said. "Mount Myōboku may be vast, but moving around would still be inconvenient. If we accidentally damage the buildings, we'll only cause trouble."
"Right," Saiken added. "Teacher, could you make us smaller?"
"Oh? Of course."
Manji smiled softly. "Don't worry. If your real bodies are too big to move around easily, I know a shrinking technique that lets you change your size whenever you want. I'll teach it to you."
The Tailed Beasts immediately nodded.
Manji didn't say anything else. He left the mindscape with a single thought.
He found himself back by the quiet stream in the remote forest, still holding the small Matatabi in his arms. Standing there, he began to form the technique.
"Summoning Jutsu."
A spatial rift opened, and eight huge figures filled with Tailed Beast chakra were pulled through and landed in the forest clearing.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!!
The ground shook. Tall trees trembled, and leaves flew through the air.
The Tailed Beasts were shocked. They had been scattered across the shinobi world, separated by thousands of miles, but Manji had brought them all here without any medium. His control over space and chakra was beyond anything they knew.
"Teacher, your strength has grown even harder to read," Kurama said, looking at Manji's calm presence. "We can't see through even a trace of your aura anymore."
"Yeah."
"Teacher's power is ridiculous."
The other Tailed Beasts nodded, eyes wide with awe. They could all sense it. Manji was much stronger than before, now at a level they could no longer reach.
Manji just smiled and didn't explain.
He knew how strong he was now. Even if he fought Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the odds would be thirty to seventy.
That meant Manji would land three blows, and Hagoromo would be left in seven pieces.
"Sage Art: Shrinking Technique."
Manji waved his hand, and the power of the Six Paths turned into a gentle golden light that covered each Tailed Beast.
As the light washed over them, their huge bodies started shrinking right before their eyes. Kurama's wild golden-red fur pulled in, and he became a chibi version, no taller than half a person, with round ears and fluffy little tails.
Shukaku turned into a small, round, dumpling-like creature. His fierce look was gone, replaced by a silly kind of charm.
Even the mighty Gyūki shrank into a chibi form, his octopus tails now short and stubby, without any of their old menace.
In just a few moments, all the Tailed Beasts had finished shrinking. The giant beasts that once shook mountains and forests were now soft, cute little versions of themselves.
Their intimidating presence was gone. Now, all that was left was obedience and fluff.
"Good. Let's go."
Manji clapped his hands together.
..............
In the next moment, the Tailed Beasts appeared on Longevity Peak in Mount Myōboku.
As soon as they found their footing and opened their eyes, they looked out over the familiar mountain. The scenery had changed over time, but old memories came back right away.
"It's been hundreds of years..." Kurama murmured, staring at the familiar view. "Hundreds of years since we last came back here."
"..." The other Tailed Beasts nodded.
Shukaku curled up and looked over every part of the peak. Saiken, Matatabi, Kokuō, Chōmei, Son Gokū, and Gyūki also grew quiet as memories from centuries ago came back.
Back then, they stayed by Manji's side on Longevity Peak, listening as he taught them about the world and life. There was no fighting, no burdens, and no endless watching over humans. They ate, played, learned, and lived together.
For the Tailed Beasts, those days were some of the few peaceful and happy memories in their long lives.
While the Tailed Beasts were lost in their memories, a graceful figure appeared nearby—
The woman wore a flowing apricot-colored dress. Her long silver hair was tied in a high ponytail, with a few loose strands framing her cold, beautiful face.
It was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
She had been walking along Longevity Peak when she sensed a familiar aura and the sudden arrival of strong Tailed Beast chakra. She turned and saw Manji returning with a group of fluffy little beasts.
Surprise flashed in Kaguya's pale eyes, and she hurried over.
"Manji, you're finally back."
She stopped in front of him, her eyes fixed on the man she hadn't seen in five years.
Manji raised an eyebrow when he saw her enthusiasm.
After five years apart, the way she looked at him had clearly changed. Had Kaguya really been that bored all this time?
After a moment, he said calmly, "A few years apart, and you've learned how to dress yourself well."
Kaguya's lips curved into a rare, pleased smile. She even spun lightly, letting the hem of her apricot dress fan out.
"Hmph. I had nothing to do these past few years, so I had Mount Myōboku's clothing factory make several outfits for me. I've been learning how to style them. This one is my favorite."
Manji saw her almost girlish pride and gave a small nod.
He didn't find it strange. It was natural to love beauty. Even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, once freed from her goddess image, could develop simple preferences like this.
After five years, Kaguya seemed more alive than before.
The Tailed Beasts, though, stared at her with confused looks. They glanced at each other and started whispering.
"Who is this woman?" Shukaku asked in a low voice. "I've never seen her before. Why is she on Longevity Peak?"
"Could she be Gamamaru?" Isobu tilted his head, uncertain. "A long time ago, the only one living on Longevity Peak was that old toad. Did he transform into a woman?"
"No way," Gyūki said at once. "It's been hundreds of years. That old guy probably moved away from Longevity Peak ages ago. Why would he still be here?"
Kokuō lowered his voice. "Look at how close she seems to Teacher. Could she be... our teacher's wife?"
"Teacher's wife?" Matatabi immediately glanced at Kaguya with displeasure. "That woman? Is she worthy of him?"
For some reason, Matatabi felt uneasy around her. This gentle-looking woman gave off a faint but strong pressure that suppressed the Tailed Beasts' chakra and made her uncomfortable.
"I can't explain it..." Kurama said, frowning. His face grew serious. "This woman gives me a strong sense of pressure, but also a strange feeling of familiarity. It's like our chakra source is somehow connected to her."
Kurama had the sharpest chakra sense among them. Kaguya's aura felt both close and overwhelming, leaving him uneasy.
What the Tailed Beasts didn't know was that, by chakra origin and bloodline, they were all basically Kaguya's children.
Kaguya was the first jinchūriki of the Tailed Beasts.
Later, the Ten-Tails was split up to create the Tailed Beasts. In a way, Kaguya was the first jinchūriki of the Tailed Beasts.
Because of that deep chakra connection, the Tailed Beasts felt both the pressure of her Ōtsutsuki power and a faint, instinctive sense of familiarity when they saw her.
They just didn't know the truth behind it yet.
After all, they knew very little about Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's past.
And Manji had no plans to tell the Tailed Beasts everything that had happened between him and Kaguya.
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