The gourmet Nine-Tails

"Tsukimi... your clan leader and the Lord Hokage have practically broken me..." Remembering last night's unforgettable scene sent waves of pain through Dave's heart... He had come to see his dear Tsukimi first thing that morning, hoping she would comfort him...

"Hehehe." Tsukimi giggled. She thought Dave looked so adorable right now.

"Hey, brat! How much longer do I have to wait before I can come out like you promised?" At that moment, the Nine-Tails started grumbling inside him.

"Huh? You can come out whenever you want. I never said you couldn't," Dave replied, momentarily taken aback and confused. Ever since teaching the Nine-Tails the Shadow Clone Technique, he had left him alone and told him he could come out whenever he liked.

The Nine-Tails choked on his words. Just look at the people you've been dealing with these past two days... would I dare come out?

Soon, a cute little orange-red fox suddenly appeared in Dave's hands.

"Wow! Dave! How did that little fox suddenly appear in your hands?" Dave was lying in her arms, and when Tsukimi saw the adorable little red fox, half a meter tall, suddenly appear in his hands, her eyes practically turned into hearts.

"Oh, his name's Kurama. He'll be our companion from now on," Dave said with a smile, lifting the Little Nine-Tails in his hands.

"His name's Kurama? He's so cute! He actually has nine little tails! Can I hold him?" Tsukimi asked cautiously, her face brimming with delight.

"Of course. Kurama, you don't mind, do you?" Dave asked the little fox in his hands with a smile.

"Brat! Do you think I'm a pet? I do mind!" the little fox roared in refusal, though his voice sounded rather adorably goofy.

"Your objection is overruled." Dave smiled and handed the little Nine-Tails to Tsukimi.

A moment later.

"Little girl! I'm the evil Nine-Tailed Demon Fox! Let go of me! Awooo!" The little Nine-Tails struggled and roared in her arms. But with his tiny body and adorably goofy expression, he looked utterly unintimidating.

"No! You can even talk. You're so cute! Mmm~" Tsukimi shook her head, her eyes shining as she lifted the Nine-Tails and rubbed her cheek against him. So soft~

"Stop rubbing that greasy hair of yours against my silky fur!" The little Nine-Tails struggled helplessly.

"Mmm~~ So cute!!" The more the Little Nine-Tails struggled, the cuter Tsukimi thought he was.

"I'm warning you, little girl!! Do you know what the consequences of this will be?!" the Little Nine-Tails howled.

"Mmm~ Dave, is he male or female?" Ignoring the little Nine-Tails' helpless wails, Tsukimi turned to Dave and asked.

"I don't know. He won't let me look." Dave spread his hands helplessly. Every time he tried to look, the Nine-Tails chased him out, so whether he was male or female remained a mystery.

"Hmm, I'll move his tails aside and take a look."

"Awooo!!"

Well, once his tails were moved aside, he was indeed a male fox...

A moment later, Tsukimi had to do her daily training, so Dave left.

"All right, Nine-Tails, stop crying. I'll take you to get something to eat." Dave looked at the half-dead Nine-Tails in his arms and spoke with a wry smile.

"Awooo! Brat! You'd better feed me until I'm full! Pah! You'd better let me eat my fill! Otherwise, I'll grow big and destroy your village!" The mention of food immediately revived the Nine-Tails.

Dave smiled and placed the Nine-Tails on his head. The Nine-Tails lay on Dave's white hair, his nine little tails spread down Dave's back.

On Konoha's Commercial Street.

"Brat, brat! That, that! It looks good! I want to eat that!" The Nine-Tails pointed at a little pastry shop, howling excitedly.

"Okay, okay, we'll go right now." Dave smiled. The Nine-Tails really was rather cute.

"Sir, could you please get me a few of those pastries up there?" Dave walked up to the pastry shop and pointed at several decorative pastries with a bright smile.

"Of course, young customer." The man smiled, took down a few pastries, and put them in a bag.

"Oh, young customer, that fox on your head is so cute," the man said with a smile as he handed Dave the bag, suddenly noticing the blinking Little Nine-Tails on his head.

"Haha, he's the one who wanted these pastries." Dave smiled, handed over some money, then took a few pastries out of the bag and offered them to the Nine-Tails.

The Little Nine-Tails took a pastry from Dave's hand and stuffed it straight into his mouth. Mmm!!! His eyes lit up. So delicious!

The more the Nine-Tails ate, the happier he became, and the more he loved them. He suddenly thought about how he had spent the past thousand years... A wave of bitterness welled up in his heart... That really had been no life for a beast... Though he was only a mass of chakra, he still had feelings and desires. Whenever he got hungry, he either ate leaves or caught some small animals to eat. The leaves were sour and bitter, while those little animals reeked of musk and stank of raw flesh. Just remembering it brought tears to his eyes...

"Haha, it looks like this little fox really enjoys them," the man said with a broad smile, watching the adorable little fox relish his pastries.

"Mmm, not bad. Man, these things you made, these pas... pastries! Right, pastries. They really are delicious! Mmm!" Little Nine-Tails gave the man a thumbs-up, his words muffled by a mouth stuffed with pastries.

"Oh! This little fox can talk too! How cute!" The man jumped when Little Nine-Tails suddenly spoke.

"Man, I'll remember you. I'll come here again!" Little Nine-Tails and Dave waved goodbye to the man and continued wandering down the street.

"Brat! That looks good!"

"Okay. Ma'am, could I have a few?"

"Ugh~ What is this stuff? It tastes awful."

Dave watched the woman's face grow darker and darker, then glanced at Little Nine-Tails on his head, who was still relentlessly criticizing her food. He hurriedly apologized to her and ran off with him.

"Hmm, brat, that looks pretty good too. I want some."

"Hmm? How should I put it? A little sour, but still within an acceptable range."

"Over there, over there! Brat, hurry up! Stop dragging your feet. Good food won't wait for your limping ass! Charge!"

"Mmm~ Not bad. It looks, smells, and tastes great. Woman, I have to say, you're pretty good."

"Shut the fuck up. Why do you have so much crap to say just to eat something?"

"What? A tailed beast isn't even allowed to talk now? Hmph! Hurry up, get a few of those over there. They look pretty good too!"

"Hiss... How should I rate this? Hmm, average. Yes, I can only call it average. It tastes better than those little animals that reek of musk and raw flesh."

"Get out!!"

"Nine-Tails! Can't you fucking keep your mouth shut while you eat?!"

"No. His food tastes bad, and I'm not even allowed to say so? Hah! I, Nine-Tails, must point it out for him! Make him improve it properly. Next time he serves the great Nine-Tails, he should be able to make it taste a little better."