After Kakuzu left, the office was quiet for a while.
Raikage sat back on the chair, picked up the tea cup on the table, and took a pleasant sip.
It was a good tea that he kept in his collection, and he was usually reluctant to drink it. Today, he was so happy that he brewed a pot of it.
The aroma of tea permeates the air, mixed with the mountain breeze blowing in from the window, making people feel particularly comfortable.
Shaoyu was still standing by the window, looking at the sea of clouds outside.
The night is getting darker, and the sea of clouds glows silvery in the moonlight.
Raikage noticed his silence, put down the tea cup and raised his head.
"What?" he asked, "Is there anything else?"
Shaoyu turned around and looked at him.
The moonlight poured in from the window and shone on his red armor, coating it with a silvery luster.
"Third." He said, "I have a request."
Raikage's brows raised.
"Say."
Shaoyu walked up to him.
"I'm going to retreat for a few days."
Raikage was stunned for a moment.
"Retreat?" He put down his crossed legs and leaned forward, "Didn't you just come back? After so many days of hard work along the way, how many days will you not rest?"
Shaoyu shook his head.
"There's no rush to rest." He said, "There's something I want to do in these few days."
Raikage's eyes flashed with curiosity.
"What's so urgent?"
Shaoyu looked at him, a golden light flashed in his eyes.
"Merge Nine-Tails and become Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Shaoyu said.
Raikage's eyes widened instantly.
"Nine-Tails?" His voice rose an octave, almost flipping the roof off, "That Nine-Tails? The one you brought back from Konoha?"
Shaoyu nodded.
"Yes."
Raikage was silent for a moment.
He stared at Shaoyu for a long time, with countless complicated emotions flashing through his eyes that had experienced vicissitudes of life.
Then, he burst out laughing.
The laughter made the windows tremble and the tea cups on the table beat.
"Okay! Okay!" He slapped the table hard, making the tabletop bang.
"I just like your personality! I just finished the war, I just came back, I just got nominated Raikage, and I'm thinking about how to become stronger! This is the person I like!"
Shaoyu smiled and said nothing.
Raikage stood up, strode to him, and patted his shoulder hard.
That slap made Shaoyu's shoulders sink slightly, but Shaoyu didn't move at all and still stood upright.
"Go." Raikage said, his voice full of relief, "You can stay in seclusion for a few days. The affairs of the clan and the succession will be handled by someone. Just become stronger!"
He paused and his tone became more serious.
"Shaoyu, you know that our Kumogakure is different from other villages."
Shaoyu nodded.
Of course he knows.
Konoha's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Kushina Uzumaki have been monitored since childhood, isolated, and treated as dangerous goods. Although it is said to be "protected" on the surface, it is actually under house arrest.
She cannot enter and leave the village freely, cannot make friends, and cannot live a normal life.
It wasn't until she married Minato Namikaze that the situation improved, but I'm afraid she will never get rid of the feeling of being looked at with a strange eye for the rest of her life.
Sunagakure's One-Tail Jinchuriki and Bunpuku have locked themselves in the temple for decades, never participating in the village's government affairs and never interacting with others.
It's not because he doesn't want to, it's because the village doesn't dare to let him participate.
They were afraid of him, afraid of the Shukaku in his body, and afraid that one day he would lose control.
So he could only spend a long and lonely life alone, chanting sutras day after day.
Although Han Iwagakure and Roshi have a higher status and are called "heroes", isn't the title of hero another form of restraint?
They were pushed to the stage and became symbols of the village, but behind them there were still countless strange eyes and invisible barriers.
But Kumogakure is different.
Kumogakure, Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, have been training with Ai since they were young, fighting together, and growing up together.
Everyone in the village knows that he is Jinchūriki, and they don't like him very much.
But the reason why the villagers don't like Killer B is not because he is Jinchūriki...
He can sing, dance, joke with the villagers, and play with the children on the street.
He lived freely, confidently, and like a normal person.
Kumogakure's former Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, although not the current one, are still the same.
She will be trained as a normal ninja, given important tasks, accepted by the villagers, and worshiped by the children.
Her existence is not a secret or a taboo, she is just one of the many strong people in Kumogakure.
This is Kumogakure.
A pragmatic place.
A place where there is no fuss.
A place that only looks at strength, not bloodline.
A place where Jinchūriki is truly regarded as a human being.
"Third." Shaoyu said, "I know."
Raikage nodded.
"It's good to know." He said, "You can go for as long as you like. When you come out, the succession ceremony will begin."
Shaoyu smiled.
"Okay."
Uchiha temporary residence.
Shaoyu When we came back, the sky was already dark.
The tribesmen were having dinner, sitting in twos and threes in front of the simple stove, holding porcelain bowls in their hands, which contained the simplest meals.
But they all had satisfied smiles on their faces.
Seeing Shaoyu coming back, they all stood up to say hello.
"Shaoyu Master!"
"Master Shaoyu is back!"
"Shaoyu-sama, have you eaten? Do you want to eat some together?"
Shaoyu nodded in response and passed through the crowd, always with a faint smile on his face.
He knew that these tribesmen had just come to Kumogakure, and they still felt uneasy, anxious, and uncertain about the future.
He needs to give them confidence and let them know that with him, everything will be fine.
Through the crowd, he found Lianhuo.
Lianhuo was sitting in front of a tent, holding a bowl of rice in his hand. When he saw Shaoyu coming over, he quickly put down the bowl and stood up.
"My lord!"
Shaoyu nodded.
"Lianhuo, I have something to do." He said, "You will be responsible for the expansion of the clan."
Lianhuo was stunned for a moment, then nodded heavily.
"Don't worry, sir! I will definitely take care of it!"
Shaoyu looked at him, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes.
Lianhuo was one of the first tribesmen to defect with him.
Over the past few years, he has grown into a ninja in his own right and become the mainstay of Kumogakure Uchiha Clan.
"If you encounter any problems, please contact Third or Ai." Shaoyu said, "They will help."
Lianhuo nodded.
"Understood!"
Shaoyu looked at Shisui who was standing aside.
Shisui was looking at him, with a trace of worry in his clear eyes.
"Brother, where are you going?"
Shaoyu smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Retreat for a few days," he said, "Take good care of me."
Shisui was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Brother, don't worry."
Shaoyu said nothing more, turned around and walked towards the depths of the station.