---Ryouma's POV---
Hearing my response, Shukaku froze for a moment.
It wasn't an irrational beast. Although it sometimes mocked itself as a beast in the series, that didn't mean it enjoyed being treated as one.
It seemed genuinely curious now, as it continued to ask, "If it were you, after being imprisoned for decades, what should you do now?"
I thought for a moment before replying, "I don't know what you think, but if it were me, after being imprisoned for so long, the first thing I'd do would be to take revenge on those who imprisoned me. Then, I'd live the life I've always wanted but never had."
"Find your purpose. Freedom means nothing if you don't know what to do with it. The hardest prison to escape is the one in your mind."
Will it choose revenge or reinvention? Either way, things are about to get interesting in Suna.
Shukaku's eyes narrowed. "What would you know of prisons, human?"
"More than you might think." After speaking, I no longer paid attention to the One-Tail and turned away without hesitation.
I also took Rasa's corpse with me. Why did I onlytake Rasa's body?
Because Bunpuku's corpse had already been incinerated by my Grand Flame Rasengan, leaving nothing behind.
Besides, it would serve as proof of our mission's success.
Shukaku remained, staring with its small yellow eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
---
After bidding farewell to the One-Tail, I hurried toward Tsunade's location.
By this time, Tsunade and Rin had already moved the wounded Konoha ninjas to a flatter area within the camp's perimeter.
I quickly appeared instantly beside Tsunade and the others with Rasa's body slung over my shoulder like a macabre trophy.
Casually, I tossed his corpse onto the ground.
"Ryouma! Are you hurt at all?" Rin ran over quickly to check my body upon seeing me.
"Not a scratch," I said with a warm smile. "Though Rasa here can't say the same."
Though she had absolute confidence in me, trusting me was one thing; worrying was another. I appreciated her concern.
"Alright, Rin, Ryouma is not only unscathed but also easily defeated his opponents despite being outnumbered," Tsunade said with no small amount of pride.
I knew her sensory perception wasn't weak, and she had sensed that my chakra signature remained steady throughout the battle.
It was as if the recent battle was as effortless for me as an evening jog—which wasn't far from the truth.
Then, Tsunade hesitated before asking, "What about the One-Tail? Are we just going to leave it be?"
"Yeah, it doesn't seem interested in fighting. Plus, with Suna in its current state, they have no ability to capture the One-Tail," I replied.
My decision to let the Shukaku go wasn't without consideration. Right now, Suna's high-ranking combat power was down to just Chiyo. Others, like Ebizō, were still a notch below Kage-level strength.
But Chiyo's power was entirely centered on her puppets. She might be fine against other ninjas, but dealing with a tailed beast, which was tough and resilient, was asking too much of the old lady.
At this point, several Konoha ninjas in the camp had already regained consciousness. Around us, injured Konoha ninjas stirred, their eyes widening at the sight of Tsunade's familiar summons coating their wounds with medical ninjutsu.
"I'm… alive?" one whispered, voice weak.
"It's Lady Tsunade's summon!" another noticed, pointing to the slugs.
"Lady Tsunade saved us!" a third called out gratefully.
"You've save them all," I said with a warm smile.
"Is that so?" Tsunade didn't feel she had done anything significant.
I could tell from her expression that she knew if I hadn't returned to assist, everyone in the camp, including herself, would likely have met their end.
After the war here was over, she likely planned to report my contributions to the Third Hokage in full detail, ensuring I wouldn't be shortchanged in the slightest.
Nearby, Obito crouched down to inspect Rasa's corpse and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! What's this? I thought this Suna ninja would be something amazing, but he wasn't even a match for Ryouma!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes at Obito and retorted, "Weren't you the one yelling and making a fuss about how Ryouma was in danger just a moment ago?"
"That's because that sand dragon looked so… so…" Obito's laughter stopped abruptly. He muttered defensively.
"Terrifying? Beyond your capabilities?" Kakashi offered.
Obito flushed. "I was going to say 'impressive,' you jerk!"
"Both of you, stop it," Rin intervened. "We all are fine, that's what matters."
"Don't get all smug now, Obito. With your skills, even if you can't defeat the enemy, you should at least be able to hold them off for a bit in a three-on-one scenario until I return. How did things end up like that?" I crossed my arms and frowned.
Having personally trained Kakashi, Obito, and Rin since they were young, I was well aware of their capabilities. It was precisely because of this that I put on a stern face and scolded them.
"This time, it's lucky that Captain Minato sent me back. Otherwise, you three wouldn't have gotten away with just a scolding." Feeling that I hadn't scolded them enough, I added another jab.
"And remember, staying alive is more important than looking impressive. There's no shame in retreat when you're outmatched."
At this moment, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin didn't dare to talk back. They quickly bowed their heads and apologized.
"We're sorry!"
Seeing this, I decided not to press the matter further. Raising them really was hard work.
"I'm heading back to the frontline battlefield now. You all stay here and behave. In the meantime, review what you did wrong in the previous fight."
"Yes…"
Hearing that I was about to return to the battlefield, I could see in Obito's eyes that he really wanted to come with me.
The fire in his eyes hadn't dimmed at all. He wanted to prove himself.
However, having just been scolded, he didn't dare voice his opinion. He was afraid I would get even angrier.
I knew he was probably thinking something ridiculous again. No doubt cursing Shiori like always.
After giving Tsunade a few more instructions, I didn't linger and turned to head toward the frontline battlefield.
---
Among the thick branches of the forest, I moved at high speed. From afar, it looked like a streak of blue light zipping by. Branches blurred beneath my feet as I rocketed through the forest.
At that moment, faint arcs of electricity occasionally sparked along my legs. This was lightning chakra being used at a low intensity to stimulate my leg muscles.
Each small spark of lightning stimulated my muscles, enhancing their output while minimizing chakra expenditure. It was like running downhill perpetually.
This method allowed me to travel efficiently.
Halfway through the journey, I suddenly stopped on a large branch. The silence that followed was brief before I sensed it.
"Why are you following me, Shukaku?"
As soon as I finished speaking, the ground beneath the tree I stood on began to bulge and shift. The forest floor moved unnaturally, as if the earth itself were breathing. Streams of sand emerged and swirled upward in spiraling columns.
This looked like the Sand Concealment Technique, used for quick movement.
Moments later, a large tanuki with a single tail appeared before me. It was none other than Shukaku himself. I wondered briefly if he missed me or if he simply found me handsome. But I didn't swing that way... though wait, what way exactly? Gender-wise or... species-wise?
Both, obviously!
"You're going to kill the people of Suna, right? Then I'll come with you," Shukaku said without hesitation.
"That's quite the assumption," I raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to defeat Suna's forces, yes. Not necessarily kill them all."
"Semantics," Shukaku dismissed with a wave of its sandy paw. "They all imprisoned me, one way or another."
"So you took my advice about revenge to heart," I noted, curious about its decision.
"I was already planning to crush them!" the beast said defensively. "Your words just... clarified things."
Earlier, Shukaku had asked me a question. After seriously listening to my response, it had likely thought long and hard but still didn't know what kind of life it wanted to pursue now.
Hearing that Shukaku wanted to join me in dealing with the Suna ninjas, I didn't refuse. However, there were some things I felt needed to be clarified.
"If your goal aligns with mine, then it's fine to travel together. But right now, the battlefield is a chaotic clash between Konoha and Suna ninjas. Your attacks have a large area of effect. What if you accidentally hurt people on my side? Friendly fire is kind of bad."
Did Shukaku even consider that? But seeing it scratched its chubby tanuki head in thought, I was sure it didn't consider it at all.
"Then what do you think I should do?" Shukaku tossed the question back to me, and I could see curiosity in its eyes.
---
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