Nine-Tails Ball

The cool moonlight passed through the night fog, blanketing the scarred earth.

The sealing of the Nine-Tails had gone so smoothly that Rikusei, who had just finished cutting up the ingredients, looked up at the ground in utter confusion.

That enormous fox had been shouting here just a moment ago. How had it disappeared without a sound in the blink of an eye?

The lively scene around him left him no time to think about it. The flickering flames blurred his vision.

The Buddha's scattered arms had been gathered up after the ninjas trimmed them down. The abundance of wood had completely ignited the ninjas' imaginations.

The younger generation of ninjas worked together, arranging uniquely shaped bonfire piles across the ground. From above, they formed the clan crests they had been proud of since childhood.

At Tobirama Senju's direction, they built a bonfire in the center in the shape of Konoha's symbol. The sparks it cast drove away the darkness, flying up into the night sky.

The orange flames illuminated the earth. Brilliant patterns bloomed with their own light, dispelling the darkness.

The top of the Wood Golem's head was the best place to watch from.

Wrapped in the night, Hashirama lowered his head. Darkness crept up his long hair and onto his face, making his expression impossible to see.

"Hashirama, want to go down and have another meal?" Madara knew exactly what his friend was thinking. His voice drifted on the summer breeze toward the man with his back to him.

"Mm!"

The slight change in Hashirama's voice reached Madara's ears. He knew that beneath the cover of darkness, his friend's sincere eyes were brimming with hot tears.

"Wipe them away." A white bandage appeared before Hashirama's eyes with the words. Turning his head, he said, "The hot pot was too spicy."

Madara didn't argue. He stood quietly beside him, gazing down. The burning Flame Gunbai was reflected in his deep eyes as he said, "Rikusei invented this, you know."

"No wonder the food in the mild broth tastes so good." Hashirama scratched his head and cheerfully shared his thoughts. "Why don't you give Rikusei to me?"

"If you want a disciple, find one yourself." A hint of a smile sparked on Madara's stern face as the flames blazed brighter. "He's at the Ninja Academy. You could be his instructor, like Tobirama."

"You know I can't! The Hokage's too busy to do anything else!"

Madara ignored the protest behind him. He brushed the dust off his armor, leaving behind the proud figure with the Gunbai strapped to his back, then vanished in an instant.

With his spirits restored, Hashirama rose briskly and gazed over the dusky landscape, a proud smile on his lips, before disappearing from the Wood Golem's head on the summer breeze.

Tobirama had miscalculated. The enormous hot pot hadn't captivated the young ninja trainees the way the Five Element Jutsu had.

Though the children had adorable faces, they were up to something infuriating: they'd gone off to barbecue.

He fell in love with this different kind of food at first bite and admired its inventor. Using the Taiji symbol to keep the flavors separate was a stroke of genius. He simply couldn't understand what was so good about grilling that it had drawn them all away.

The shameless Rikusei accepted Tobirama's praise without a qualm. After all, he had been the first in the Shinobi World to invent the Yin-Yang Hot Pot, so that proved he was its inventor.

Dodai fit the black pot perfectly. The two broths, sharply divided from each other, bubbled with steam, reflecting the figures seated around it.

With only a few people to share the delicious food, Rikusei happily waved his arms and ate his fill, thoroughly satisfying his appetite.

The steady currents in the pot were thrown into chaos when two unwelcome guests arrived, shattering its carefully balanced arrangement.

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at his elder brother, who was trying to laugh away the awkwardness. After a brief stare-down, he sighed and handed them bowls and chopsticks. They had been the main force in this fight, after all, so it was understandable to let them have a private meal.

The stable battle turned unpredictable with the sudden arrival of new contenders.

Rikusei paid no heed to Tobirama's verbal attacks. He kept asking questions about Rikusei's shortcomings at the Ninja Academy, hoping to make him stop moving his chopsticks.

How devious! Rikusei grumpily chewed his food. Then, as he glanced at the purple-haired girl beside him, his chopsticks slipped from his hand.

The Sharingan.

How had he not thought of that? It let him see through the rising steam and rich broth to the succulent meat inside.

Rikusei's Sharingan set off a chain reaction, and the area around the hot pot descended into chaos. The Senju brothers shamelessly used Shadow Clones and Wood Golem Form, while Madara simply sped up his movements, determined to win through sheer speed.

At this rate, there wouldn't be enough ingredients in the pot.

The firelight dyed Tobirama's red eyes orange, their gleam flickering with confidence. He answered briskly, "I left Flying Thunder God marks in the forest earlier. I'll be right back."

The Flying Thunder God Technique was indeed fast. Just as he did everything else, he returned in an instant with freshly prepared ingredients.

The renewed battle was about to erupt. Their contest had only just begun.

Rikusei sensibly left his seat and quietly made his way toward the bonfire bearing the Uzumaki symbol.

Kaimi was guarding the wooden box. Rikusei sat down beside him as if they were old friends, and together they watched the ninjas holding hands as they circled the bonfire, singing and dancing.

"That's a song from the Land of Whirlpools, isn't it?" The ethereal, lingering melody flowed like an endless tide, echoing across the land. With his eyes closed, Rikusei asked softly.

The firelight shone on Kaimi's face. His voice carried a note of reminiscence. "People who live by the sea grow up with this song. When they're fishing and a storm hits, the tune grows bold and fearless, facing the fury of the sea."

"Fearless in the face of storms, just as you refused to back down against the Nine-Tails. You truly are a son of the sea."

The unexpected praise made Kaimi hurriedly wave his hands in denial. He had only used the chakra needed to hold the chains steady when facing the Nine-Tails.

"But I saw plenty of people take a step back when the Nine-Tails roared." Rikusei shook his head, saying he was only describing what he had seen.

The two, though far apart in age, chatted freely around the bonfire. With a smile, Rikusei listened as Kaimi told him about the pressure he'd faced under the weight of his father's fame.

After pouring out years of pent-up anguish, Kaimi felt much lighter. He looked at the boy beside him apologetically, then touched the box and suggested, "Want to see the sealed Nine-Tails?"

"That wouldn't be right. It's against the rules." Rikusei suppressed a smile and refused with a firm expression.

"You can trust the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu. Besides, Lord Hokage and Lord Madara are both here." Kaimi readily took a black teapot from the wooden box and placed it in Rikusei's palm, leaving him no room to refuse.

The round teapot turned in Rikusei's hands. His black eyes, bright with reflected firelight, studied the Sealing Talisman on it. He was about to say something when an irate voice from inside the teapot cut him off.

"Damn humans! You split me into twenty pieces and shoved me in a lousy wooden box! This is a grave insult!"

The wooden boxes beside Kaimi seemed to have received a signal. They all began shouting at once, their overlapping voices rivaling the sound of Kikaichū wings beating.

Cradled in Rikusei's hands, the Nine-Tails cursed them viciously in its heart. These humans were awful! They'd held a Bonfire Party on its turf, eating hot pot and singing, then split it into twenty pieces while it was unconscious.

Fed up with the racket, Rikusei decided to beat it with the same power. He raised the Nine-Tails Ball high and shouted, "Taiichi, come here!"