What Do You Mean, Repay Me?

"All right, that's enough!"

Manji raised a hand slightly.

At his words, Kurama and Shukaku immediately fell silent.

Manji ambled over to a wooden chair and sat down. His green robes swayed gently with his movements as he looked over the nine Tailed Beasts before him, each with a different appearance.

After decades of growing up,

the Tailed Beasts had grown to about the same size as the giant toads of Mount Myōboku.

The slightly stern look on Manji's face gradually softened. His tone was calm as he asked, "How many years have you been with me?"

The moment he asked, the noisy plaza fell silent. The nine Tailed Beasts all sank into thought, tilting their heads as they counted on their claws, tentacles, or tails.

Shukaku drew circles in the sand, Kurama flicked his tails as he counted the hairs, and Isobu sank into the water, blowing bubbles. The whole scene was rather comical.

A moment later, Matatabi flicked her flaming tail and spoke first.

"Teacher, we've been with you for twenty-six years!"

Matatabi said.

Manji smiled at that.

"Twenty-six years. Time really flies. So, over all these years with me, how much have you learned?"

Manji asked again.

"Let me go first!"

Gyūki immediately scooted closer, waving his octopus tentacles. His voice brimmed with respect. "We've learned so much! You taught us to read and write, and taught us the principles of right and wrong. You also taught us not to abuse our strength, and to understand restraint and respect!"

"Me too!"

Kurama nodded emphatically beside him. His fluffy tails rested obediently in front of him, all his usual arrogance gone. Only pure respect remained in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but his expression said it all.

"And cooking!"

"The barbecue you taught me to make tastes even better than Gamamaru's now!"

Four-Tails Son Gokū hugged his wine gourd, grinning from ear to ear.

"You also taught me to control Water Style precisely, so I don't flood half of Mount Myōboku whenever I get excited."

Three-Tails Isobu poked his head out of the water and added in a deep, rumbling voice.

"You taught us how to control our own power!"

"Before, we'd lose control whenever we got angry. Now, no matter how angry we are, we can still keep ourselves in check."

Seven-Tails Chōmei said.

Six-Tails Saiken and Five-Tails Kokuō nodded along, their eyes full of gratitude.

Manji listened quietly and nodded.

He paused to think, then shifted to a more serious tone and said, one word at a time,

"You've learned well, and you've grown up. Now, it's time for you to leave."

"What?!"

The words struck like a bolt from the blue. The nine Tailed Beasts' expressions changed instantly. Their joy and pride vanished, replaced by shock and confusion.

Shukaku and Kurama exchanged a glance and panicked!

Thinking Manji was angry with them for fighting earlier, they rushed toward him, each trying to get there first.

"Teacher! I'm sorry!"

The sand covering Shukaku drooped as he rubbed against Manji's chair, looking pitiful.

"I shouldn't have fought with Kurama. I'll never do it again! Please don't kick us out!"

Shukaku pleaded.

Kurama also set aside his pride for once, winding his tails tightly together. His voice carried a barely noticeable note of panic. "Teacher, it was my fault. I shouldn't have made fun of Shukaku or argued with him.

"We won't cause any more trouble. Please don't make us leave, okay?"

The other Tailed Beasts gathered around too, all pleading at once.

Gyūki waved his tentacles in support. "Teacher, we don't want to leave you! Mount Myōboku is our home!"

Son Gokū tossed his wine gourd aside, anxiously scratching his head. "That's right, Teacher! We still want to learn more from you!"

Kokuō's eyes were already red, and he looked as if he were about to cry.

"You..."

Looking at their panicked faces, Manji gently shook his head. "Don't panic. It's not because you fought."

Manji paused, recalling his promise to Hagoromo, then slowly explained,

"I made a promise to someone. You were originally a single mass of Chakra, but he divided you into nine parts. He hoped you would leave Mount Myōboku, understand humans, and become part of their world. If you wished to, you could help them someday."

The nine Tailed Beasts gradually quieted, their eyes clouding with uncertainty.

Manji had told them about this decades ago, but back then they were still tiny balls of fur, and their memories of it had faded. Hearing it again now left them with mixed feelings.

"Of course,"

Manji's tone softened. "I won't force you.

"You're free to choose. You don't have to help humans, but don't use your strength to do evil or bully the weak."

The atmosphere in the plaza turned sad at once. The Tailed Beasts all hung their heads, silent.

"Teacher, then... will we still get to see you again?"

Kokuō was the most tenderhearted of them all. He cautiously edged closer to Manji, his voice choked with tears.

"Of course."

Manji stood up and gently patted Kokuō on the head. Kokuō couldn't help rubbing against his hand, its warmth soothing him.

Manji looked at all the Tailed Beasts, his voice gentle. "You're all my good students, and every one of you is wonderful. Mount Myōboku is a lovely place, but the world is vast. You deserve to see more of it.

"As for whether you help humans, don't feel pressured. Just follow your heart."

His words only made the sadness in the air deepen.

Kurama turned his face away. He had never been good with words, but now his reluctance to part with Manji welled up within him. His eyes reddened before he knew it, and tears glistened in them.

"Hey, Kurama, why are you crying?"

Shukaku noticed at once and asked without thinking.

"Idiot!"

"Who's crying? You're standing too close. Your stupid sand got in my eyes!"

Kurama immediately bristled, whipping around to roar at Shukaku.

His words broke the sorrowful mood. The other Tailed Beasts couldn't help laughing, but tears still slipped down their faces.

Four-Tails Son Gokū wiped away his tears and said through gritted teeth, "Damn it! Shukaku, it must be your sand! It got in our eyes too!"

"Exactly! I can barely keep my eyes open!"

Saiken chimed in through his tears, even though he was the one who couldn't bear to part and was just blaming Shukaku.

Shukaku looked completely bewildered. He glanced down at the sand on his body, then at his sobbing companions, and jumped up in indignation. "Nonsense! My sand isn't that powerful! You're the ones who want to cry!"

He said that, but his own eyes gradually reddened.

Watching them cry and bicker, Manji felt a pang of sadness too.

After twenty-six years together, these little ones had become like his own children. How could he not feel emotional about sending them away?

Gamamaru squatted nearby, secretly wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. Then, putting on a brave front, he shouted, "Don't worry! If anyone bullies you out there, just give them my name, Gamamaru! No one will dare lay a finger on you!"

"Waaah... Gamamaru..."

Isobu sobbed. "Back at Mount Myōboku, I got beaten even harder by those old toads because I used your name..."

Gamamaru: "..."

Gamamaru's face froze. He awkwardly scratched his head, then stuck out his chin and protested, "Th-that was back then! Try using my name again in a few hundred years! Once all those old-timers at Mount Myōboku retire, I'll be the boss! Then I'll protect you all!"

The Tailed Beasts laughed through their tears, and the sorrowful mood eased a little.

Manji looked at them and sighed softly before smiling again. "All right. There's no such thing as a feast that never ends. We'll meet again someday.

"Once you're out there, take good care of yourselves."

"Waaah, Teacher! We'll definitely repay you for raising us!"

Matatabi said through her tears, her gaze resolute.

Manji's expression grew complicated at that.

He knew these Tailed Beasts too well. They were all overflowing with a sense of justice and couldn't tolerate even the smallest injustice. But human society was complicated. It was never simply black and white; it was a vast gray area.

With their personalities, they were bound to intervene whenever they saw something they couldn't stand, and that would surely get them tangled up in all kinds of trouble.

"Don't talk about repaying me. If you get into trouble someday, just don't tell anyone I was your teacher."

Manji spoke in a grave tone.

Seeing that the mood was about to grow heavy again, he added half-jokingly, "I'm afraid that if you tell them about me, no one will dare give you any trouble."

"Huh?"

The Tailed Beasts froze for a moment, then understood. They all burst out laughing. Tears still clung to their faces, making them look like they were crying and laughing at once. It was quite comical.

Manji smiled at them. "I'm usually at Mount Myōboku. If you run into something you can't handle, you can also go to my other student.

"His name is Hagoromo. He's the one who divided you into nine parts, and he'll help you."

The nine Tailed Beasts immediately stopped laughing and nodded solemnly, their eyes full of resolve.

Manji taught them how to use the Tailed Beast Bomb, so they could defend themselves.

Then he sent them off one by one to begin new lives in different parts of the world.

What shocked Manji was that his faith had become widespread across the land.

He hadn't expected this.

Who would have thought his actions back then would have caused such a huge stir?

His little temple had become the world's largest religion.

That was also thanks to Kaguya's creation, as well as Hagoromo's tireless preaching throughout the Ninja World over the years.

"If things keep going like this, the Sage of Six Paths won't be Hagoromo anymore. It'll be me..."

Manji couldn't help sighing.