Chapter 105: Volume 3 - Chapter 6: The Cat and the Nine-Tails

By the time Reiji returned to Konoha, night had already fallen.

With the scroll slung over his back and a stiff look on his face, he stepped inside his home.

The place was spotless.

Seeing the pristine house, his gloomy mood finally lifted a little. He wandered slowly into the backyard.

There, Meiko and the others were finishing up the last of the cleaning.

Rie looked miserable as she dragged a broom around, sweeping aimlessly. Her dozen or so shadow clones huddled in the corner, heads together in some secret discussion.

"What's wrong? Who made my little Rie upset?" Reiji asked as he walked over, curiosity in his voice.

The moment Rie heard his voice, she turned her head with a pout, her eyes brimming with tears.

"What happened?" Reiji asked again.

Rie suddenly threw herself at him and burst into tears.

"Brother! Your clones beat me up!

And they said I have to study an entire set of Olympic math textbooks!"

Reiji was instantly speechless.

He knew all too well what his clones were like—basically exact replicas of himself.

For that many of them to gang up and ditch their work just to beat Rie up, there was no doubt she'd done something outrageous again.

...

The night passed quickly.

Early the next morning, Reiji got up and bought some beautifully wrapped tea on Tea Street as a gift.

Then he returned home, scooped up the still-sleeping Rie, and headed to the Senju compound.

Soon, under the guidance of the servants, Reiji and Rie were led into a tearoom where they met Mito Uzumaki.

In the blink of an eye, four years had gone by. Mito had clearly aged—wrinkles now touched the corners of her eyes, and her once fiery red hair had lost its shine.

Seeing the gentler Mito Uzumaki, Reiji politely set the gift aside and thanked her for taking care of Rie over the past four years.

Rie also bowed obediently, all her usual slyness tucked away.

Mito smiled and nodded.

She gracefully accepted Reiji's gratitude, though she couldn't hide her reluctance to part with Rie.

That little girl—small-minded, a bit manipulative, fond of showing off, vengeful, and always bossing others around...

But still cute!

Beauty is justice, after all. And Lady Mito had a soft spot for good-looking children. She hoped the newly born Nawaki would grow up to be just as adorable.

...

As the three chatted, the Nine-Tails sealed within Mito suddenly opened its eyes. Its narrow pupils widened slightly.

"Hey! Little Uzumaki girl—

That guy sitting across from you has become a Jinchūriki, just like you!"

Mito blinked in surprise, then silently asked, "Which one?"

"That thieving cat Matatabi—Two-Tails, no doubt. I'd recognize that pure, scorching chakra anywhere." The Nine-Tails spoke with certainty, sprawled behind its bars.

Startled by the Nine-Tails' words, Mito looked at Reiji in disbelief.

Having lived most of her life as the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, she knew all too well how harsh that role could be.

Constantly suppressing the beast with her chakra, enduring its roars in her head, afraid to ever sleep deeply.

Of course, if the seal was strong enough, all of that could be managed.

Thinking this through, Mito finally spoke.

"Reiji, are you the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails?"

Reiji gave a soft smile and nodded.

There was no point hiding it from someone like Mito.

Seeing him confirm it, Mito sighed gently.

"Then… may I see your seal? You probably know—the Uzumaki Clan is fairly skilled in fūinjutsu."

Such humility!

Reiji didn't refuse. He lifted his black short-sleeved shirt, revealing his toned abdomen.

One glance—and Mito's pupils shrank sharply.

"The Five Elements Seal?! That's impossible!"

"Yeah," Reiji said matter-of-factly. "Is there a problem, Lady Mito?"

Mito fell silent at the question.

Only after a long pause did she speak again, her expression mixed.

"The Five Elements Seal isn't ideal for sealing a Tailed Beast.

First, it relies on the constant cycle of the five elements. While it doesn't drain the Jinchūriki's chakra much, it's not as strong as the Four Symbols Seal.

Second, it's especially weak against a Tailed Beast going berserk.

If it were the Four Symbols Seal, it would be a different story.

That one starts off strong and gradually weakens, but as long as the Jinchūriki's chakra keeps up, its power can become truly terrifying."

As she finished, Mito gracefully picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Reiji listened quietly, then a question popped into his mind. He didn't hesitate to ask.

"Lady Mito, my predecessor also used the Five Elements Seal. Why was he okay?"

Mito thought for a moment, then calmly replied,

"Either he had another seal layered on top, or the Five Elements Seal was used only temporarily—when the beast was significantly weakened."

She gave Reiji a glance, her eyes difficult to read.

"Reiji, how did you manage to seal the Two-Tails with just a Five Elements Seal?"

Reiji scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"Kitty wasn't happy in the Land of Lightning. The Raikage would beat her up for no reason.

I felt bad for her, so I brought her to live with me~"

In his mind, Matatabi let out a displeased meow and muttered, "It was you who clung to me like a pest."

'Her'?

'Live together'?

Suddenly, it all clicked for Mito Uzumaki.

So that's why such a basic seal could hold back the Two-Tails.

It all came down to the boy in front of her.

Maybe to him, the Two-Tails had never been a monstrous Tailed Beast—

but a friend, maybe even family.

No wonder.

The perfect Jinchūriki.

As Mito Uzumaki pondered this, the mocking voice of the Nine-Tails echoed in her mind.

"Hah! What a gullible little cat.

Uzumaki girl, you'd better layer a few more seals on him.

That cat's infamous for being temperamental!

Even if he is a perfect Jinchūriki!"

The Nine-Tails wasn't wrong.

But the truth was, Reiji hadn't won Matatabi over with kindness—he'd smacked her around until she was covered in bumps.

Whether she wanted to run or not, she probably couldn't have escaped even if she tried.

Most likely, she'd have just gotten another beating and been shoved back in.

Not that the Nine-Tails knew any of this.

Mito Uzumaki frowned slightly but didn't respond right away.

After a brief silence, she suddenly raised her hand and looked at Reiji.

"Reiji, forgive me for asking... but may I meet the Two-Tails?"

Reiji blinked, a little thrown off. Something about Mito felt odd today.

First she wanted to see the seal, now the Two-Tails? What was she expecting him to do—just summon her out for a chat?

Seeing the confusion on his face, Mito smiled gently.

"In the spiritual world."

That made Reiji frown immediately.

Not because he doubted her. But he was worried Mito might run into that thing.

He was well aware of the presence that lurked in his mental space.

He could probably handle it if it showed up—but if it did, who would be left to help question the Nine-Tails?

Just as he was mulling it over, Kitty's haughty voice chimed in.

"Fine, I'll ask for you—just this once!

Geez, you really can't do anything without me~"

Reiji's heart lit up instantly.

"Kitty, you really are the most adorable, stunning, generous, sexy, gentle being in the entire world. I love you!"

Kitty, normally quite reserved, wasn't used to such shameless praise. Her furry little face turned beet red, and her body temperature spiked.

"Y-you... you perv~

Even if you're just stating the truth, I-I'm not happy about it!

Hehe~"

"Uhh..." Reiji was left speechless.

Snapping back to the moment, he turned to Mito and nodded.

"Then... I'll leave it to you, Lady Mito."

Mito reached out with her aged but steady hand and clasped his.

In the next instant, the world spun.

...

In his field of vision, Reiji saw a figure wrapped in black mist—identical to himself—standing with its back turned.

Suddenly, its neck twisted 180 degrees, blood streaming from hollow eye sockets.

Reiji just picked his nose, unimpressed, then stepped forward and grabbed the creature by the collar.

"Come on, give it a rest already. You trying to mess with me?"

...

Elsewhere in the spiritual world, a chibi version of Kitty was gleefully bouncing around.

Following her instincts, she quickly found Mito Uzumaki standing before a giant cage.

Feeling the immense chakra within this youthful-looking woman—who appeared no older than her twenties—Kitty instinctively shrank her neck and greeted her politely.

"Hello, Lady Mito!"

Mito glanced at the unsealed, scampering little cat and twitched slightly at the corner of her eye.

Reiji... you're just letting the Two-Tails roam free like this?

Behind her, the enormous Nine-Tails inside the sealed cage rolled his eyes dramatically.

Seriously? What is this unfair treatment?

Noticing the sulky look on the Nine-Tails' face, Kitty's fluffy cheeks curled into a mischievous smirk.

She tiptoed over to the cage, mimicked the Nine-Tails' sluggish posture, stretched her face long, flopped down dramatically, and filled her big eyes with crocodile tears.

"I've suffered so much~ Locked away for years... When has a great fox like me ever been treated this badly?" Kitty whined in a mock-pitiful tone.

At that, the Nine-Tails blew a fuse. His head practically steamed as he sprang up, baring his fangs and growling at her.

Matatabi instantly threw on a terrified act, leapt up, and darted behind Mito Uzumaki.

"Lady Mito, the big fox is being mean! Hit him!"

Both Mito and the Nine-Tails stared at her in dead silence.

Seriously? Is this really the Two-Tails Matatabi we know? Where's your Tailed Beast pride?

But Kitty remained unbothered. When she ran into bad guys out in the world, her strategy was simple—run home and call for help.

Seeing the Nine-Tails fall silent, Kitty's confidence surged, and she boldly crept closer to his cage.

"Big fox—"

She didn't get to finish.

Nine-Tails scowled and cut her off, lifting his head with visible annoyance to glare at her.

"What happened to you? You used to be temperamental and barely said a word. Why are you such a handful now?"

Matatabi just grinned and leaned in with a mischievous whisper.

"Five days on, two days off—get it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It means I work five days and rest two!"

"Pathetic," Nine-Tails snorted. "I don't work even a minute!"

Kitty shot him a very human-like look of disdain.

"I meant I get to go out into the real world on my days off."

That hit a nerve.

Nine-Tails bolted upright, his slitted pupils going wide.

"Immortal!"

His voice boomed, drawing a sharp frown from Mito Uzumaki. She hadn't caught their earlier whispers, but that one word rang out clearly.

Immortal?

What do they mean? How can she be immortal?

A swirl of confusion clouded Mito's thoughts.

Meanwhile, the look on Nine-Tails' face shifted into clear envy.

That damn cat really lucked out.

Just then, Kitty flopped down even closer to the cage and whispered again.

"Big fox, besides burying it in the ground, do you know anything else?"

Nine-Tails let out a heavy sigh and gave a weary shake of his huge head.

Kitty eyed him suspiciously, then muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Tailed Beasts don't lie to Tailed Beasts."

That made Nine-Tails' fur stand on end.

"Get lost, you mangy cat! We were born at the same damn time—I don't know any more than you do!"

Kitty just curled her lip in contempt and grumbled,

"Who knows... That buckethead Hagoromo always played favorites~"

Nine-Tails slumped over, groaning, and covered his face with a paw.

He was done.