After settling things with Tagitsuhime on Island Turtle, and receiving two baskets of snakeberries as a reward, she left satisfied.
As the coiling snake technique ended, the red serpent markings on Gekko Chizan's body gradually calmed.
"Chizan, you really just revealed our situation like that. Are you sure it's fine?"
"Relax, Chōmei. Ryūchi Cave isn't some random outsider. These Snake Princesses may not be good people, but hey, neither am I."
"Alright then, as long as you're in charge. Still, if we're going to live on this Island Turtle, let me come out and stretch from time to time. Those little toys are quite fun. By the way, that brat is already awake. Just pretending to sleep now."
Gekko Chizan was unbothered. After all, this had all been within his calculations.
However, the fact that Yugito Nii had woken up was unexpected. It seemed like things were about to get busy.
"Island Turtle is already heading south, just as I planned."
"For the time being, we'll be living on this island."
"There's no rush on the village side. I'm on leave anyway."
Just as Gekko Chizan said, he planned to stay on Island Turtle for the foreseeable future.
After all, the girl before him—Yugito Nii—was going to require quite a bit of effort.
"Since you're awake, quit pretending to sleep, brat."
"Heh, did you really think I didn't notice?"
Suddenly, Gekko Chizan grinned wickedly at the lying Yugito Nii.
At the sound of his laugh, Yugito Nii sat up instantly, eyeing Gekko Chizan warily.
"Who are you!?"
"Where am I!?"
"Are you really a Jinchūriki!?"
The young voice burst out with three rapid questions.
Seeing her guarded expression, Gekko Chizan chuckled. He clapped his hands, and a square crystal appeared instantly.
He placed it on the ground and casually sat on top of it.
This move made Yugito Nii's eyes widen in disbelief.
Though Matatabi had been sealed within her, she was still too young to be a proper shinobi.
And Gekko Chizan had long since put away his Konoha forehead protector. As an intelligence agent, walking around with a Leaf headband would draw too much attention.
"Who am I?"
"My name is Gekko Chizan. Like you, I'm a Jinchūriki—of the Seven-Tails."
"Yugito Nii, you're no longer in Kumogakure. This is Island Turtle—my domain."
"You'll be living here for quite a long time."
Yugito looked Gekko Chizan up and down, then scanned her surroundings, disbelief written all over her face.
"You kidnapped me—what do you want!?"
"Is it because of the Two-Tails?"
Though she wasn't yet a ninja, as a member of Kumogakure, she understood what a Tailed Beast was.
If someone had taken her away, it was surely for the beast inside her.
"Aye aye aye, I'm no good at raising kids."
"How should I put it? Kumogakure isn't worth dying for."
"So I rescued you. You should be thanking me."
"As a fellow Jinchūriki, I know what your life is like. Sticking with me is way better than staying in Kumogakure."
Gekko Chizan scoffed at the mention of Kumogakure.
Just thinking about what Raikage had done to him was enough to sour his mood.
"Also, stop calling it 'Two-Tails' like that."
"The beast inside you has a name, doesn't it? Matatabi!"
Gekko Chizan's smirk faded. Suddenly, he shouted harshly at Yugito Nii.
In the next second, her pupils turned to vertical slits, and her hair began to rise on its own. Waves of blue fire etched with markings burst from her body.
"Meow!"
A tremendous cat-like roar erupted from Yugito's mouth.
Seeing this, Gekko Chizan muttered, "A rampage?"
"No... doesn't look like a rampage. It's more like Matatabi took control of the body."
Matatabi's chakra surged out like a volcanic eruption.
Her mountain-sized body quickly began to form.
In a blink, the Two-Tails revealed her true form. Her beast-like eyes locked tightly onto Gekko Chizan.
"Yo, Matatabi, can you hear me?"
"Chōmei, give off some chakra—let her sense you."
Faced with a fully manifested Tailed Beast, Gekko Chizan decided caution was best.
"Alright! The Tailed Beast Cloak should be enough. Once Matatabi senses my chakra, she'll calm down."
No one knew where Chōmei got his confidence from, but Gekko Chizan chose to trust him. After all, Chōmei wouldn't just let him get beaten to death.
With a Tailed Beast Cloak and wings flaring behind him, Gekko Chizan flew up to Matatabi.
"Hey hey hey! Matatabi, can you hear me?"
"Roar! Meow!"
The roar, filled with feline power, sent a shockwave that blew Gekko Chizan backward.
"The Seven-Tails' aura... Human, are you the Jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails?"
Then a curious, feminine voice echoed from Matatabi's mouth.
Just as Gekko Chizan understood about the Tailed Beasts, Matatabi—despite being wreathed in flames—was one of the only two female Tailed Beasts, and she was gentle and well-mannered.
"Ara ara, Chōmei is my partner."
"As for you, Matatabi, nice to meet you. I'm Gekko Chizan."
Gekko Chizan grinned widely, eyes locked on the massive feline in front of him.
"How do you know our names?"
"Who exactly are you?"
Matatabi narrowed her eyes, full of suspicion.
Someone calling her by name—that was shocking. Only the Sage of Six Paths had known the names of all nine Tailed Beasts.
"Me? I'm Chōmei's Jinchūriki."
"I don't just know your name and Chōmei's—I know all the Tailed Beasts' names."
"Curious about who I am? Let's just say I'm the one chosen by the heavens, specifically to talk to you Tailed Beasts."
"No need to be tense. If you're uncomfortable, Chōmei can talk to you instead?"
Hearing that, Chōmei was thrilled and immediately wanted to start transforming, but Gekko Chizan pinned him down firmly.
Until the final moment, he still hoped to win Matatabi over himself.
Matatabi thought it over carefully, then slowly withdrew her chakra and lay down in a relaxed posture.
"Unbelievable... someone like you exists. Our names were only known by the Sage of Six Paths."
"But looking at how you and Chōmei interact, you really do seem to get along."
The Sage's old words surfaced in Matatabi's mind.
Could Tailed Beasts and humans become friends? Chōmei had actually done it...
For a moment, she thought of her own Jinchūriki—Yugito Nii, a small girl with a remarkably strong spirit.
From her, Matatabi had truly experienced the meaning of perseverance.
It was that very determination that kept her from rampaging all this time. She wanted to see what this girl might achieve...
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo