Gaining a Tailed Beast's Recognition! As Expected, I, Daren Yi, Am Truly a Great Guy

Day after day, year after year—it felt as though countless ages had passed, yet also as though it had only been an instant.

At last, he was pulled out of that little dark room. Like a drowning man breaking the surface, he was so moved he nearly burst into tears. He sprawled on the ground, gasping fiercely and desperately for air.

Never before had the Nine-Tails realized that being able to perceive the world was such a blissful thing. It was so blissful that even a fox like him wanted to become a philosopher or poet and loudly sing praises for this vibrant world!

"You felt it, didn't you? I can permanently imprison the part of your main consciousness that can think within your inner world, leaving behind only a living body that instinctively responds to external information.

"A Jinchuriki and the tailed beast within them essentially share the same body. It is only because a tailed beast's will is far stronger than that of an ordinary human.

"But if your main consciousness falls asleep, the Jinchuriki will be able to freely and completely control your tailed beast body!"

The Nine-Tails shuddered violently. He looked at Daren Yi as though he were looking at a demon.

This thing really isn't human! And the skin he's wearing belongs to the Uchiha Clan—evil piled upon evil. He truly is the greatest evil in the world!

"You said before that you wouldn't bully me!"

The Nine-Tails' nine fluffy tails drooped behind him, and the whole fox looked utterly aggrieved.

"Uh, sorry!"

"And then?" the Nine-Tails asked, confused.

"I already apologized. What more do you want from me?"

Daren Yi felt satisfied. He had finally found a chance to say those unreasonable words. It felt... really good. Really fun!

"..."

Even the well-traveled Nine-Tails had his logic thrown into disarray.

So Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, whom he had met before, had actually been very reasonable people!

"Pfft, hahahahaha..."

Naruto finally could not hold back any longer. He laughed so hard that he fell onto the ground, pounding the earth with his fists.

The Ancestor of Shamate had told him that the big fox was actually a very fun and adorable fellow. He had been right! This was way too funny!

The little boy, only seven years old, finally could not help developing a sense of closeness toward this colossal creature dozens of meters tall.

"Don't be afraid, Nine-Tails. I really am a good person. I came here to reason with you! Don't you think so?"

With a "nuclear" smile on his face, Daren Yi stared intently at the Nine-Tails.

He waited to receive the tailed beast's recognition!

Under the Death Glare, the Nine-Tails, who had been stubborn from the day he was born, finally learned how to communicate properly with others.

He nodded frantically from the bottom of his heart, his fox head shaking so fast it left afterimages.

"Yes, you truly are a great guy! I, the Nine-Tails, acknowledge you!"

Daren Yi nodded in satisfaction. Good. This fox was finally willing to communicate properly. Just as I said, my ability to "reason with people" was unmatched beneath the heavens.

From humans to beasts, there was nothing in this world that Daren Yi could not reason with.

"What do you think of this deal? You'll cooperate with Naruto Uzumaki as much as possible when he uses your Chakra, and protect him well. In return, I promise never to control or imprison your consciousness, and I won't casually bully you again."

The Nine-Tails sighed in relief. He was just about to nod in agreement when he came to his senses the next moment. Wasn't this deal just getting a fox for free? He was the only one giving anything here. The terms were completely unequal!

Daren Yi saw his reluctance and added with a smile, "Once Naruto Uzumaki turns thirty and has the ability to protect himself, I'll set you free! And I won't capture you again. How about it?"

...That was, if you could still bear to leave by then, Nine-Tails!

"If a tailed beast is extracted from a Jinchuriki, the Jinchuriki will definitely die!"

The Nine-Tails curled his lip, not believing him in the slightest.

"Bringing someone back after death, that's all. As someone who once followed the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, you should know that many ninjutsu and Dojutsu can accomplish that, right? Kurama!"

Daren Yi smiled as he asked.

The Nine-Tails was surprised, though it also felt somewhat inevitable. "You really aren't a newly risen ninja of this era! Just who are you?"

"The Ancestor of Shamate, a thirteen-year-old boy who carries the world forward through the Vast Star Sea."

Daren Yi happily played the riddler.

"I once saw the Ten-Tails divided into nine beasts, and watched the moon rise to hang in the sky; born at only thirteen, with one era as a year."

Dawn broke. Early that morning, Konohagakure's streets were unusually packed in an unprecedented traffic jam. From high above, the sea of people was dense enough to make anyone with trypophobia drop dead on the spot.

"Why are there so many people? There are way more than we imagined! Is this really not some kind of festival celebration?

"All we did was have the Shamate Organization call on its members to petition in front of the Hokage Building for an investigation. Did we really rally this many people?"

Ino Yamanaka had an arm around her best friend, Sakura Haruno, and clung closely behind Choji Akimichi's broad body. The plumpest and most muscular among them cleared a path for them.

Shikamaru Nara, pressed against Choji's other side, was equally miserable. Squeezed within the crowd, he answered in a muffled voice.

"At first, only the Shamate Group responded to our call. But once more people found out, more and more enthusiastic villagers voluntarily joined in.

"Everyone actually cares about this sort of thing and wants to voice their opinions. It's just that nobody had ever organized them before.

"In the history of the Shinobi World, our Shamate Organization might be the first to do something like this. We had absolutely no experience, and the result far exceeded our expectations!"

At the intersection ahead, Hyuga Branch Family Ninjas with pure white eyes and ninja forehead protectors stood high atop the streetlamps, loudly directing the crowd forward.

Below them, other Hyuga Branch Family Ninjas moved through the crowd in pairs, maintaining order and preventing any trampling incidents.

"The Hyuga Clan has been unexpectedly proactive this time!"

Shikamaru suddenly felt unsettled. The Hyuga Clan's excessive initiative left him unable to make heads or tails of the situation.

It felt as though something especially critical and important had happened behind the scenes, but he knew absolutely nothing about it.

Some things were troublesome to know, but if he knew nothing at all, the consequences might be even more troublesome...

So should he know or not? Shikamaru Nara was deeply troubled by this. Why did someone who only wanted to lie around have to encounter so many troublesome things?

Kiba Inuzuka, Shino, and Rock Lee escorted Tenten as they squeezed over from the other side of the crowd. From far away, they called out to the others.

Before he even arrived, Kiba's complaints had already carried over. "I was planning to show off Lord Kiba's brilliance today and prepare for becoming Hokage in the future.

"But first thing in the morning, adult ninjas from the Hyuga House were already everywhere, organizing the crowd. Compared to them, hardly anyone cared what kids like us had to say. These things were supposed to be handled by event organizers like us!"

The puppy Akamaru curled up in his arms, whimpering continuously as the crowd squeezed him so hard his eyes were nearly rolling back.