Gathering Twenty Nine-Tails Balls

Kaimi was startled. He knew Tailed Beasts could speak, but he never imagined one could be so talkative, its voice as irritating as the incessant drone of cicadas on a summer day.

He sat back on the sandy ground, frantically sealing the wooden box shut, and stared blankly at Rikusei, who was off fetching reinforcements.

Enduring the auditory assault, Kaimi hurriedly took the tea kettle from the box and reinforced it with a sealing jutsu. The headache-inducing monologue vanished completely, and the world returned to its former tranquility.

"What's wrong, Rikusei?" Taiichi, wearing his sunglasses, hurried over upon hearing the call, inadvertently drawing everyone who had been singing and dancing around the bonfire toward them.

"Summon your Agu Kikaichu first." Rikusei held the tea kettle out toward them, the dim yellow firelight casting uneven shadows across his face, a strange glint flashing in his eyes as they reflected the bonfire.

Aburame Taiichi shifted his gaze from the tea kettle—now covered in Sealing Talismans—to Rikusei. Though he didn't know what had happened, he could tell from Rikusei's resolute expression that it was a matter of great importance.

The buzzing of insect wings emerged from his sleeves, and a vast swarm of Kikaichu surged into the sky, coalescing into a dense black cloud that obscured a portion of the summer starlight.

Shadows fell directly over them. Many in the crowd realized what was happening and stared up at the cloud of insects, which looked like a gathering storm; few had noticed the sheer number of Kikaichu around their feet back in the cave.

Rikusei watched the dark cloud overhead with satisfaction, holding the tea kettle steady in his hands, and whispered, "Try to have the Kikaichu envelop this."

"This is the ninja tool used to seal the Nine-Tails, isn't it?" With the sound of insects buzzing overhead, Danzo asked uncertainly from the crowd, "But why do this?"

Kaimi and his clansmen walked forward, carrying the wooden box, and explained to the puzzled crowd, "While Rikusei and I were talking just now, the Nine-Tails suddenly started arguing with itself."

"Waking up to find yourself split into twenty pieces—anyone would be unwilling to accept that," added Uzumaki Ashina, the white-bearded old man who had been dancing most energetically by the bonfire, having caught his breath. "Rikusei wants to use the sound of the insects to fight fire with fire, to let them experience the same feeling of agitation."

Rikusei nodded to the crowd to confirm this. The exact same voice coming from twenty different mouths, a constant stream of arguments and accusations—the power of it was more astonishing than the squawking of hundreds of ducks.

Taiichi controlled the Kikaichu, attempting to wrap them around the tea kettle, but the swarming insects seemed to sense a suppressive force from the soul, hesitating in the air, afraid to move forward.

Tension began to spread through the air. Taiichi, unhurried, increased his chakra output. The swarming insects coalesced into black chains, instantly wrapping around the tea kettle and dragging it into the air, where it hovered.

"No one wants the Nine-Tails arguing incessantly by their side while they try to sleep at night, right?"

The flames of the banquet swayed in the wind, shaking the shadows of the crowd. As the dappled light and shadows intertwined, everyone unanimously agreed that Rikusei's logic was sound.

"Should we ask the Hokage for instructions?" Hiruzen, watching the spectacle from the front of the crowd, asked with his hand raised.

"Wait—" Before Rikusei could finish, he was interrupted by a figure appearing out of thin air.

"Keeping the Nine-Tails quiet is an excellent idea." Tobirama suddenly appeared beside the wooden box, thoughtfully delivering his verdict on the black sesame-ball floating in the air.

Inside the sealing space, behind the iron gate, the Nine-Tails drooped its ears, using its paws to tightly cover its ears to block out the annoying noise from outside. It had lived for so many years and had never suffered such humiliation; it kept its eyes tightly shut, whimpering softly.

They might as well just kill it outright; it would revive in a dozen years or so anyway.

Waking up to find that, with the help of the Uzumaki Clan, it had been forced to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu and split itself into twenty parts—a jutsu that seemed to have been invented by that white-haired man outside.

It was so angry it wanted to smash the ground of the sealing space with its fists, but the persistent, maddening buzzing of insects in its ears left it unable to spare a hand. Helpless, it could only lash its tails against the ground to vent its frustration.

How detestable!

It was just arguing with itself; was there any need to target it like this? It was clearly weak—nowhere near as powerful as Hashirama had claimed. Hadn't the Wood Golem grabbed it with just one hand?

The clamor in its ears gradually faded as the sphere sealing it fell toward the young Uchiha. Hiding behind the gate, it knew clearly that this was the calm before the storm.

Crimson fox eyes peered through the sealing space, clearly seeing the scene outside. Those young children looked at the wooden box with joy, their eyes filled with anticipation, especially a certain purple-haired girl who ran over, ready to poke it.

Detestable human cubs, don't let me out. Once I'm out, you'll see what's coming to you.

"Is this the Nine-Tails?"

Naori, brought over by the Flying Thunder God, trotted up to Rikusei's side. She steadied the short sword swaying at her waist and tucked her small hands behind her back.

She leaned in slightly, sensing his steady breathing. Her shimmering eyes were filled with surprise as she carefully examined the tea kettle in the boy's hands. The strongest Tailed Beast, capable of changing the world, was sealed inside this tiny pot, giving her a dreamlike, surreal feeling.

She wanted to reach out and poke it, but worried about being bitten, she quietly put her hand back behind her.

After all, the Nine-Tails was a ferocious fox.

Rikusei, who had been holding the tea kettle the whole time, didn't think much of it; he only felt that Naori, illuminated by the bonfire at his side with her cheeks puffed out, looked incredibly cute.

Dragon Balls—no, Nine-Tails.

Distributed by Tobirama and Ashina, they lay quietly in their hands, completely devoid of their earlier arrogant posture. The tea kettle's pitch-black, jade-like surface reflected the serene night light.

Under the bright moon, twenty people formed a circle, each holding a tea kettle containing a piece of the Nine-Tails. The ritualistic nature of the scene made everyone extremely solemn, and the Uzumaki Clan even thoughtfully drew fake sealing arrays at their positions.

Rikusei, who had come up with this crazy idea, hid his merit and fame, bathed in the bright moonlight, and began to chant in his heart.

Children who have been chosen!

You have finally gathered the twenty Nine-Tails balls. With the help of the Uzumaki Clan, you can summon the incomparably powerful Nine-Tails and have any wish in your heart granted.

But reality was the exact opposite: the heroic and fearless Nine-Tails had been defeated by the evil Uchiha and Senju, and the Uzumaki had taken advantage of the situation to split him into twenty pieces, making the granting of wishes a distant, ethereal thing.

Rikusei stepped forward a few paces and placed the tea kettle on the ground. His peers followed suit, stacking them in order, and the Kikaichu swarmed in, completely enveloping them.

Today was destined to be the most unforgettable day for the Nine-Tails, but for Rikusei and the others, it was the most memorable day of all.

The bonfire party reached its peak under the influence of Madara. The Majestic Destroyer Flame, fanned by the Gunbai, completely ignited the Wood Golem and the Great Buddha. Reborn in the flames, the Great Buddha sat expressionless under the starry sky, freely casting its Buddha-light to illuminate the earth.