Teacher, You Lied to Me! Growing Up Isn't Fun at All!

Just then.

Deep in the dense forest behind the mountain.

The Nine-Tails lay sprawled halfway up a massive mountainside, its nine crimson tails swishing carelessly and snapping branches off the trees around it.

It lowered its head, eyeing the few trembling oxen in front of it, ready to feast on the "delicacy" it had stolen.

But just then!

"Nine-Tails! Don't you dare eat them! My grandpa invited an expert to come subdue you!"

A childish yet defiant shout suddenly rang out from not far up the mountain.

It was the child from earlier.

The little one stared fixedly at the monstrous fox before him. His legs trembled slightly, but he didn't back down in the slightest.

Kurama glanced at the human child, who was still wet behind the ears, and flicked his nine tails disdainfully.

"Human brat, don't make your big brother Kurama laugh!"

"You think you can stop me? Forget inviting some expert. Even if you called every one of those young upstarts from the Ninja Sect, they'd still be nothing more than a mouthful to me."

The Nine-Tails licked his sharp teeth and spoke unconcernedly.

"Unless you can personally bring the Sage of Six Paths here. But that's a pipe dream. Why would he bother with something so trivial?

"Let alone you—I haven't seen him in who knows how many years..."

With that, the Nine-Tails ignored the child, lowered his head, and opened his jaws to bite into the fattest yellow ox.

"Oh? Kurama, is it?"

A calm voice, heavy with overwhelming pressure, rang out. In an instant, the wind stopped blowing through the entire forest.

"Huh?!"

Kurama's movements abruptly froze. He stood rooted to the spot, mouth half open.

The Nine-Tails slowly raised his head in disbelief. His crimson beastly eyes fixed on the direction the voice had come from, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as an unmistakably horrified look came over his face.

And there, behind the child!

A familiar figure slowly stepped forward!

The same black-and-red robes, the same tall, graceful figure, the same Six Paths Sword at his side.

"Whoa! He really brought Master here?!"

Kurama's mind buzzed. He was completely stunned.

Who was this brat?

How had he actually managed to bring the Sage of Six Paths here?!

If you had connections like that, why didn't you use them sooner?!

The next second, Kurama's massive body hit the ground with a thud as he dropped to his knees!

His nine tails obediently lay flat behind him, and he buried his head between his paws. He was nothing like the arrogant, overbearing creature from moments earlier—he looked just like a little fox caught misbehaving.

"Ma... Master... I... I-I..."

The Nine-Tails stammered.

Manji folded his arms across his chest and gazed down at him calmly.

"Didn't I tell you not to do evil among humans and not to threaten the livelihoods of ordinary people? What happened? It's only been a hundred years, and you've already forgotten what I said?"

Manji spoke in an even tone.

Kurama wanted to cry. He wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Truthfully, in all the time he'd been alive, this was the first time he had ever stolen livestock.

Humans had chased him and tried to capture and tame him by every means possible. He had followed his master's instructions and never fought back, only fleeing the whole time. He'd been so fed up that he'd thought about stealing a few oxen to get back at the humans...

Who could have guessed that after doing just one bad thing, he'd get caught red-handed by his teacher, whom he hadn't seen in a hundred years?!

"Teacher, hear me out!"

"This really is the first time I've ever done anything like this. I've stayed right where you left me for a hundred years and never caused trouble. Who knew the moment I got the idea to do it, you'd show up..."

Kurama looked ready to cry as he spoke.

"Oh?"

Manji raised an eyebrow slightly and swept his immortal power over Kurama. He sensed little bloodlust on the Nine-Tails, so clearly he was telling the truth and hadn't really been going around causing trouble.

"Forget it."

"Quickly return these oxen to this villager. His family relies on them to plow their fields and make a living. If you take them, you'll ruin their livelihood."

Manji waved his hand and pointed at the oxen nearby.

"Yes, Teacher!"

Kurama immediately agreed. He carefully reached out with a massive paw and gently nudged the oxen toward the child, taking care not to hurt them.

Then he glared fiercely at the child and muttered under his breath, "Brat, you win. You actually managed to bring my teacher here... But I should thank you, too. I haven't seen him in a hundred years."

Manji turned to the child, who was still standing there in a daze, and said gently, "Take the oxen back to your village. I'll take care of things here. This fox demon won't bother your village again."

Only then did the child snap out of it. He hurriedly took hold of the oxen.

With a thump, he fell to his knees!

He kowtowed respectfully. "Thank you, Sage of Six Paths! Your compassion knows no bounds!"

"Mm."

Manji nodded slightly. He watched as the child led the oxen away, skipping through the trees, then looked back at the Nine-Tails, who was still prostrated on the ground.

Kurama immediately came over.

He gently rubbed his massive head against Manji's robe, like a child who'd been wronged, eager to tell him about everything he'd been through.

"Teacher, I really was doing just fine where you left me.

"But then a human country sprang up there. Those people found me and wanted to capture and tame me so they could use my power to fight wars!

"I listened to you and didn't want to hurt them, so I could only keep running. But no matter where I went, whenever ordinary people saw me, they'd scream in terror and chase after me with weapons. I was so angry that I thought about stealing a few oxen to blow off some steam..."

The Nine-Tails grew more and more aggrieved as he spoke. His nine tails drooped limply. "Teacher! You lied to me! You said I could see the outside world when I grew up, but it's no fun out here at all. Humans are all afraid of me and want to use me. It's no fun at all!"

"Teacher! Growing up isn't fun at all! The outside world isn't nice, either!"

Manji looked at the fox demon before him. He seemed ferocious, but he was actually full of hurt. Manji sighed inwardly.

There was nothing he could do about the changes in human history.

Manji reached out and gently patted his furry head.

"I didn't think things through."

Manji spoke softly, then fell silent for a moment.

"Conflict is rising across this continent, and ordinary people are consumed by their desires. This really isn't the place for you. I'll find you somewhere else to live."

At that, Kurama immediately lifted his head and nodded again and again, as obedient as could be. "All right! I'll do whatever you say, Teacher!"

Afterward, Manji personally showed the Nine-Tails a way forward and told him:

"If they attack you, you can fight back. You don't need to hold back! Kill them if you have to!"

Manji told the Nine-Tails directly.

At that, the Nine-Tails' eyes lit up with excitement. "You're the only one who understands me, Teacher!"

"Also, if you meet any other Tailed Beasts, tell them that if humans insist on killing them, they can fight back."

"If you've endured all you can, there's no need to endure any longer."

Manji said.

The Nine-Tails nodded repeatedly, convinced his teacher was right!

Kill them if you have to!

The Nine-Tails immediately promised:

"We Nine Tailed Beasts will always remember everything Master says!"