The Story of the Elephant and the Little White Cat

He appeared once again in the sealing space where the Two-Tails was confined.

He looked at the enormous beast, as massive as a mountain, lying on the ground and resting with her eyes narrowed.

After coming here so many times, Toneri had gradually begun to feel that the Two-Tails was rather pitiful.

This was a sealed space with no scenery whatsoever, no privacy, and no entertainment.

At least Toneri had a sachet to play with.

The state in which he had seen the Two-Tails most often was her lying on the ground in the cage behind the bars, eyes narrowed as she slept.

But really, how much sleep could anyone need?

Although the Two-Tails was a cat and might be relatively lazy, she could not possibly spend all her time lying on the ground asleep.

She was merely forced into it.

And this helplessness had lasted for who knew how many years.

Ever since she had been sealed inside a Jinchūriki, changing hosts countless times, she had remained imprisoned in this sealed space where the sun never shone.

The only people she could talk to were those Jinchūriki.

But as long as they knew what kind of existence the Two-Tails was, the Jinchūriki were obviously unwilling to take the initiative to interact with her. They could barely even avoid her, let alone talk to her.

Even if a few people truly managed to suppress their fear and try to communicate with the Two-Tails, they did so for the sake of her power.

As for such people, the Two-Tails would usually humor them when she was in a good mood, and ignore them completely when she was not.

That was also why, among the Two-Tails' later Jinchūriki, only Yugito was able to get along with her.

Yugito had been only two years old when she became a Jinchūriki. She had no real concept of the Two-Tails' existence and did not understand her, so she had nothing to fear.

The ignorant had nothing to fear.

Toneri, at present, did not feel much fear toward the Two-Tails either.

Although he had been afraid when he first met her, after spending several days with her, Toneri discovered that the Two-Tails was not actually that frightening. Most people simply decided subjectively that Tailed Beasts were terrifying, and therefore refused to approach them too much.

You had not even tried to understand her, yet you had already decided that she was terrifying and impossible to communicate with. How could you possibly communicate with her as an equal?

How would you know how deep her waters ran?

How could you make her understand your strengths?

How could you... ahem, ahem...

As if sensing the regret and pity in Toneri's eyes,

the Two-Tails slowly opened her eyes.

"Brat, what kind of look is that?! Are you pitying me?" the Two-Tails said in a muffled voice. There was not much anger in her voice. Instead, she sounded somewhat tired.

For the past few days, this brat had been running into the sealing space whenever he had free time.

Then he would buzz in her ear nonstop—

Going on and on about things he found interesting.

Some of those things really were quite interesting.

Ahem, ahem—

From testing him with a death stare at the beginning to later attempting to use her energy to take over Toneri's body, the Two-Tails had failed every time.

She had tried several more times afterward, but none of it had worked.

The willpower of this Jinchūriki was far beyond her expectations.

He had even gradually found a way to deal with her!

During her last attempt, this brat named Toneri had lost consciousness for less than a second before recovering instantly.

Then he had cheerfully continued telling her those so-called jokes...

This was the first time the Two-Tails had felt that having a seal that was not completely secure was a bad thing!

He could enter and leave whenever he pleased.

Coming and going as he pleased...

If only her injuries had not yet healed...

"Oh, Big Beauty, don't take it the wrong way. My look just now didn't mean anything else. I only thought it was rather pitiful that you've been locked in this cage, trapped in this sealed space where the sun never shines.

"After all, the outside world is so beautiful..."

Toneri waved at the Two-Tails, wearing an expression that clearly said, Don't get worked up. Let's talk this out.

The Two-Tails: "..."

She was speechless.

This brat's mouth was especially formidable. She had already given up trying to argue with him.

"Since you think I'm pitiful and shouldn't be locked in this cage, why don't you tear off the seal between the bars? Then I'll be free." The Two-Tails lay on the ground and said weakly.

She had to lick her own wounds every day, and she also had to listen to this brat ramble endlessly. She truly had no energy left to lose her temper.

"That won't do, Big Beauty. Don't think I don't know that this seal is the most important thing. Without it, you'd be able to break free from the restraints of my body. Then I'd be the one suffering."

Toneri waved his hand again and found a relatively clean spot on the ground before sitting down cross-legged.

He had long since grown used to this place. His butt was practically about to leave an imprint on the ground.

A butt imprint.

"Today, I'm going to tell you the story of an elephant and a little white cat!"

Toneri coughed lightly and cleared his throat.

Whether the Two-Tails listened to him or not was not something he cared about.

"Once upon a time—there was an elephant walking through the forest.

"Because an elephant has three urgent needs, he couldn't help but drop a pile of poop in the forest.

"But after he finished, he discovered that he hadn't brought any toilet paper!

"Just then, a little white cat drifted past. She carried an air of nobility that kept others at a distance, and at a glance, it was obvious that she was a... Persian cat!"

Although the Two-Tails said nothing, she had heard a term she had never encountered before.

"What's a Persian cat?"

"It's a type of cat. They're a little special, though. Some of them have eyes of different colors.

"Oh, don't interrupt me. Listen until I'm finished!!"

"..."

For some reason, the Two-Tails faintly sensed that something was wrong.

Eyes of different colors?

Her own eyes were different colors because she could see both the yin and yang worlds.

Was he hinting at her?

Without realizing it, the Two-Tails, who had been lying on the ground looking listless, quietly pricked up her ears, wanting to hear what Toneri was really going to say.

"So the elephant asked, 'Hey, little white cat, do you shed?'

"The kitten arrogantly raised her head. 'You're the one who sheds! Your whole family sheds!'

"After the kitten said that to him, the elephant did not get angry. What a good temper!

"Then... the little white cat turned into a little orange cat..."

The Two-Tails froze and spoke again. "Why?!"

This time, Toneri did not blame the Two-Tails for asking a question. He looked at her as though she were an idiot.

"Isn't it obvious? The elephant had no toilet paper, and the little white cat happened to be the color of toilet paper!

"She didn't shed, either. She was soft, and she smelled wonderful..."

The Two-Tails: "..."

The Two-Tails stared at Toneri with her eyes wide, wearing an expression of disbelief.

So that was what he meant...

Everything was clear without another word!

"I'm not finished, so stop interrupting me!

"Once again, the elephant was eating in the forest. After enjoying his meal, he realized that he had forgotten to bring toilet paper again. His face was a complete mess from eating like that, and it would be rather inappropriate and impolite to meet his friends in such a state, so he began searching around again.

"His efforts paid off! He soon spotted a little squirrel walking past!

"The elephant asked, 'Little squirrel, do you shed?'

"The little squirrel looked at the elephant, hesitated and fell silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, 'No, I don't shed.'

"So the elephant was delighted. He picked up the little squirrel and began wiping his mouth.

"The little squirrel's fur really was soft, though it smelled a little strange.

"But just as he put the little squirrel down, the squirrel said expressionlessly, 'I'm yesterday's little white cat!'

"Hahahahaha—it's killing me!

"Hahahahaha—that's so funny!!

"Big Beauty, don't you think it's hilarious?

"Little white cat, little squirrel, hahahaha—"

The Two-Tails looked solemn. "..."

After telling the story, Toneri clutched his stomach and rolled wildly across the ground.

But the Two-Tails slowly rose to her feet, and the temperature throughout the entire space began to rise!

Toneri finally noticed that something was wrong with the Two-Tails. His movements abruptly froze.

His eyes blinked rapidly as he looked at her.

The Two-Tails stared back at Toneri.

"I'll come back and see you later! I'm out of here!"

With that, Toneri vanished directly from the sealing space.

The Two-Tails remained frozen in place for a long time before helplessly lying back down on the ground.

However, her expression was not nearly as furious as it had seemed moments earlier. There was even the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

Perhaps... she had found the joke funny too.

"This little brat..."

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