"Nine-Tails! It has to be the Nine-Tails!"
Shukaku roared in frustration, furious at losing once again to the person he hated most.
Even after Gaara took him on three rounds of the kiddie ride, it still wasn't enough to calm the rage burning inside him.
"That damn fox! Still so disobedient even while sealed!"
The scent of that annoying fox—however faint—was something Shukaku could never forget.
"And that kid with the Nine-Tails isn't normal either! Sneaky little brat had a hidden trump card all along. He's so young and already this underhanded—unbelievable!"
"But chakra... Weren't kids banned from using chakra in the Children's Division?" Gaara tilted his head and looked at the still-ranting Shukaku cradled in his arms.
"Any tool or technique can be used, except chakra. If you use chakra, you're immediately disqualified."
Weapons, strings, stone controls, spring systems—those were fine. But chakra? Absolutely not.
Take his Shukaku Model, for example—it was designed to self-destruct and take out the enemy if fatally damaged.
"If he cheated, there's no way he'd be allowed to take first place."
"That kid probably doesn't know either," Shukaku muttered, shaking his head with a slightly gleeful tone.
"That Kurama must still be sealed, so he could only manage that much. And since the kid's a Jinchūriki, most people who know wouldn't dare say anything. Unless Sunagakure wants to start a war, they'll have to recognize his victory."
"Is that so..." Gaara blinked and nodded slowly.
"So he didn't know either?"
"That tail-blast engine thing was probably something he made himself. It was just that damned fox who gave it an extra spark in the end!" Shukaku's anger was rising again. "That scheming bastard!"
"Nine-Tails... Nine tails..." Gaara blinked his big round eyes, then looked down at Shukaku. "Shukaku... you only have one tail. Is he stronger than you?"
"You idiot brat!" Shukaku snapped as if someone had stepped on his tail. "The strength of a Tailed Beast isn't measured by how many tails it has! I may only have one, but I could beat that Nine-Tails punk eight times over!"
"Really? Is that so?" Gaara asked with innocent curiosity.
"So the fewer the tails, the stronger the beast?"
"..."
Shukaku fell silent, as if suddenly unsure how to respond.
After a long pause, his gaze shifted evasively, and his voice turned uncertain.
"Y-Yeah! That's right!"
"Oh~" Gaara nodded, satisfied, and didn't ask any more. He simply went back to enjoying the kiddie ride.
Once the ride ended, he picked Shukaku up again.
"The next race is about to start. The ninja competition will definitely be more exciting. We should head back."
"Wait!"
Shukaku, who had been enjoying the music with a rare moment of peace, suddenly grew serious.
"I'm still mad! I want one more ride!"
"After the race?"
"No!"
"But the race is about to begin~ What if we ride just one more time?"
"Hmph." Shukaku's expression didn't change, but he gave a soft nod. "Fine. But right after the race, you better bring me back here! You know I'll be heading to the Land of Rain afterward!"
Just thinking about it made him sad.
That place...
Had the Ten-Tails' shell and the Rinnegan. Scary as hell!
...
A little earlier…
"Who?!"
Tsunade spun around mid-conversation, fuming, as Danzo walked in without knocking.
Her pupils narrowed sharply. She dug into her nose with a finger and scowled in clear annoyance.
"What the hell do you want, old man?"
"..."
Danzo went quiet. Facing Tsunade now, he found himself unsure of what to say.
After all, this crude, zero-elegance woman was the grandniece of his teacher, The First Hokage's granddaughter. The last heir of the Senju clan. Konoha's so-called princess.
So he coldly snorted.
"Hmph. Truly, Hiruzen trained his student well!"
He tried to invoke his status as her senior.
But Tsunade, having lived through far too much, was completely unfazed.
Still picking her nose, she gave a cold chuckle.
"Don't try pulling the old man card on me. Even if Gramps were here, I'd still punch him in the face."
"..."
Yeah. I believe it. Totally.
Danzo saw his tactic had failed and decided to cut to the chase.
"The Nine-Tails—"
"Don't know what you're talking about." Tsunade waved him off without even looking up. "Now get lost. I'm busy. If I lose that hundred million bet, I'm sending the bill to you."
"You—"
"You what? Didn't I say scram?"
"I—"
"Spit it out or shut it! I still have prep work to do!"
"..."
Goddammit. I don't even know where to begin…
Danzo suddenly felt exhausted.
What the hell was Hiruzen teaching her? Where's the respect for elders?!
He realized continuing this argument would be pointless. Looking over at Hiruzen's loyal protégés—Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and now with the Jinchūriki under protection—he knew there was no way he could take the Nine-Tails kid today.
His face darkened.
"You know how vital Jinchūriki are to the village. If something happens, not even you can take responsibility."
"Why don't you come see if I can?" Tsunade rolled up her sleeves and gave Danzo a menacing grin.
She was already pissed when she learned Kushina's child had been left to suffer in the village.
Now this fossil dared stir up trouble?
She slammed her palm down on the table, one custom-crafted by a master carpenter from Sunagakure.
CRACK!
The entire tabletop split in half.
"You walking out of here, or do I need to—"
Before she could finish…
"Hey hey! What's going on in here?" Jiraiya suddenly barged in, slipping between Tsunade and Danzo. He glanced at Kakashi—who was cautiously shielding Naruto—and gave a carefree grin.
"Someone seems pissed, huh?"
"Jiraiya." Danzo's eyes narrowed, but he quickly schooled his expression and spoke coolly. "The Jinchūriki—"
"Jinchūriki? Oh, right~ yeah, yeah." Jiraiya waved it off with a laugh. "That was just a fluke. The seal's perfectly stable. You know my sealing techniques, don't you? Really! I, Jiraiya the Gallant, never lie!"
"..."
Danzo now fully understood—he wasn't getting anywhere near the Jinchūriki today.
With two of the Legendary Sannin present, even he didn't have the guts to make a move.
He gave one last cold snort and shot Jiraiya a piercing glare.
"Very well."
With that, he turned and left.
Frustration gnawed at him, but... with that guy here, perhaps things were truly fine.
Walking down the corridor, Danzo sighed deeply.
"Hiruzen…"
...
Elsewhere...
Jiraiya let out a small sigh of relief.
At least it hadn't escalated into a fight.
Then he turned and saw the shattered remains of the expensive table Tsunade had just smashed.
His eye twitched.
That table… probably wasn't cheap…
He felt a pang of pain in his wallet.
Meanwhile…
Outside the village, atop the observatory—
"Mother~" Black Zetsu beamed with joy as he looked at the returning Otsutsuki Kaguya. He bowed respectfully.
"Mother, the race is about to begin. Your 4WD car has been fully tuned. Everything's in perfect condition!"
"Hmm." Kaguya responded with her usual cold indifference. She gave a small nod but didn't speak.
Feeling a tug on her sleeve, she frowned slightly and looked down.
At her feet stood a sleepy, yawning Temari, who had wandered over.
Without hesitation, Kaguya scooped her up.
"Here…" Temari rubbed her left eye with one hand and used the other to pull out a folded piece of paper from her ninja pouch. Her voice was soft and adorable.
"This is the track map. I secretly took it from Grandpa Ebizō. Don't tell my dad, okay? Auntie Kaguya, you have to win~"
"..." Kaguya remained expressionless, staring at Temari for a long moment, then finally gave a small nod.
"Mm."
Off to the side—
Black Zetsu, who had just been brushed aside again, felt the bitter chill of Sunagakure's September wind slap wildly against his face.
Suddenly, his heart went cold.
You damn brat. How dare you try to steal Mother's affection from me?!