Don't Go Touching Someone's Tail!

First, I'll carve out a dedicated Tailed Beast Space.

After all, only a few hours had passed since the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha. The village's higher-ups had probably already grown suspicious of the Uchiha Clan. If another Nine-Tails appeared in the clan compound, things would get troublesome.

Suppressing his eagerness, Sasuke connected to the Soul Space, then willed it into existence.

In the Soul Space, a new area bearing the label "Pet" appeared out of nowhere, alongside the cells numbered 1 through 10.

That was pretty simple.

I love systems that are this straightforward!

After silently giving the Soul Space a thumbs-up, Sasuke sent his consciousness into the new area.

This place needs a little remodeling. Looking over the barren space, he willed it to change again.

The area expanded continuously. Verdant hills and trees, rivers and lakes, flowers and greenery appeared one after another.

Before long,

Sasuke gazed at the rolling hills, lush greenery, and mist-shrouded scenery—a paradise far removed from the world—and nodded in satisfaction.

Extract Yin Nine-Tails!

Ding!

Extraction successful!

At the sound of the prompt, Sasuke looked up expectantly.

A good while passed.

??? Where's the giant Nine-Tails I was promised??

Sasuke looked around, but still couldn't find the Nine-Tails.

Just then,

"Master Sasuke, look here! Here! I'm right here!"

Hearing the sweet voice, tinged with a hint of discontent, Sasuke looked down in surprise.

A tiny, adorable Nine-Tails sat at his feet. Her whole body was snow-white, and the tufts of fur on her ears and the tips of her nine tails were pink...

??? Wait!!

Was this some kind of mistake?

The colors were wrong, and she was way too small, but that wasn't all!

Why did she sound like a girl?

"What's wrong, Master?"

Noticing that Sasuke seemed troubled, the little Nine-Tails followed his gaze and looked herself over. Then she realized what was going on and looked up at him. "Do you not like me?"

"No, of course I do!" Sasuke hurriedly waved his hands. "It's just..."

As he spoke, he crouched down and gestured at the little Nine-Tails' size, then raised his hands and outlined a huge circle in the empty air. "Isn't the Nine-Tails supposed to be this big?"

"Oh~" The little Nine-Tails said knowingly, "So Master likes them big~"

As she spoke, her body swelled until, in the blink of an eye, she stood dozens of meters tall.

So she could grow bigger... Sasuke breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He rubbed his chin with his right hand and looked her up and down. Her every movement carried an air of nobility, and he nodded from time to time.

Elegant. So elegant!

Compared to the original Nine-Tails, a wild, untamed beast with a rough design, this one was snow-white, with pink tufts of fur and a beautifully polished look. She was simply so elegant!

Noticing Sasuke's satisfied expression, the Nine-Tails beamed with joy. Affectionately lowering her head, she stuck out her tongue and licked him.

But she seemed to have misjudged her strength. She covered Sasuke in saliva and even licked him head over heels.

"Uh..."

Seeing this, the Nine-Tails looked guilty and crouched timidly in place, unsure what to do.

"It's fine, it's fine." Sasuke got back up and wiped the saliva off his face. "All right, you can change back now."

??? Didn't he like them big?

The Nine-Tails tilted her head in confusion, a question mark practically hanging over her.

"Ahem." Sasuke cleared his throat twice and explained, "I was just wondering why you were so small before. Now I know you can get bigger. That's all. Change back."

Though she didn't quite understand, the Nine-Tails obediently shrank until she was back to her original size.

Seeing this, Sasuke stepped forward and picked her up.

Good, she was smaller now, and lighter too.

It would've been embarrassing if he hadn't been able to lift her.

Thinking this, he first smoothed her silky fur, then gently stroked her chin.

The Nine-Tails narrowed her eyes and raised her chin slightly. Her nine tails swayed from side to side as she basked in the attention, looking utterly content.

She was just too cute!

In his previous life, Sasuke had thought about getting a pet, maybe a cat or a dog. Of course, that idea had never moved beyond the thinking stage...

But he'd never expected that in this life, he'd skip straight to keeping the Nine-Tails—and even get to pet her!

He had to admit, the sense of achievement was beyond anything he could've gotten from a cat or a dog.

Watching her tails sway rhythmically, Sasuke reached out and grabbed one without thinking.

In an instant, the Nine-Tails' eyes flew open. Her relaxed expression turned to embarrassment and fury, and she struggled violently. Her nine tails fanned out and SMACKED Sasuke's right hand before she landed on the ground. Glaring at him, she snapped, "Don't go touching someone's tail, you idiot Master!"

"Uh..." Sasuke looked at the Nine-Tails, her fur standing on end as she bared her teeth, then glanced at his right hand.

Remembering that you really shouldn't touch an animal's tail without permission, he could only awkwardly say, "Sorry, sorry. I won't do it again."

"Hmph!" The Nine-Tails snorted. "I'll let you off this time!"

With that, she sprang forward. Sasuke immediately opened his arms and caught her. Then the Nine-Tails lifted her head and said, "Keep going!"

Keep going...?

Keep doing what?

Keep petting her tail?... Sasuke instinctively reached toward her tail. SMACK! His right hand was struck again. The Nine-Tails glared at him and snapped in a fierce little voice, "I didn't tell you to touch my tail, you idiot Master!"

So she didn't mean her tail... Sasuke awkwardly pulled his hand back and gently stroked her fur instead. The Nine-Tails closed her eyes again, looking completely content.

"Oh, right!" After petting her for a while, Sasuke remembered something and looked excitedly at the Nine-Tails in his arms. "Little Nine-Tails, you can't keep being called the Nine-Tails. Kurama doesn't seem quite right either. How about I give you a name?"

"A name?" The Nine-Tails paused in her enjoyment. The original Nine-Tails' appearance came to mind, and she shuddered. I don't want a name like that rough, beastly creature's. Then she looked at Sasuke and nodded eagerly. "Okay!"

"What should I call you...?" With the Nine-Tails' agreement, Sasuke furrowed his brow as if deep in thought. Then he noticed her tails swaying from side to side, and inspiration struck. "How about Little Nine?"

??? Little Nine?

Stare! The Nine-Tails stared straight at Sasuke without changing her expression.

It was obvious from her face that she didn't like the name, so Sasuke awkwardly scratched his head. "Ha, I was joking, just joking. I was only trying to lighten the mood!"

Stare!

You didn't look like you were joking at all... the Nine-Tails silently grumbled.

"Let me think, let me think." Sasuke put on a thoughtful expression again, then his eyes lit up. "How about Setsuna?"

Setsuna?

At least it wasn't a name like Little Nine—like a dog's name...

The Nine-Tails breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She rolled the name Setsuna around in her mind and found that, surprisingly, she liked it. Snow also suited her snow-white fur, so she nodded firmly. "Yes!"