Early morning...
It was starting to get a bit cold in the Land of Whirlpools in November.
Most people had changed into long sleeves and trousers. Some who had weaker constitutions even wore a large cotton coat over their clothes to keep themselves warmer.
It was not like the old days anymore...
Wearing patched, torn clothes and relying on one's own physical endurance to get through the cold, or stuffing clothes with dry grass and tree bark for warmth if absolutely necessary.
Now, as long as one worked diligently in the Land of Whirlpools, buying a set of new clothes for the family once a year was achievable, even if not every month.
After Lord Jun established the custom of wearing new clothes for the New Year, everyone deeply believed that wearing new clothes would surely bring good luck in the coming year. Furthermore...
Seeing out the old and welcoming the new meant life would get better year by year.
Therefore...
Now living in the Land of Whirlpools, they would prepare new clothes for their families in advance at the end of the year, to be worn when the new year began. Over the years, no one was short of clothes anymore.
Perhaps because they had been poor for so long, frugality was still ingrained in their hearts, but everyone no longer feared the cold.
"Mom..." A little girl with two small ponytails, carrying her small backpack, opened the door and called out happily, "I'm going out."
"Mm, be careful. Remember, don't take food from strangers, and don't go anywhere with strangers."
A gentle voice came from inside the house...
"And, don't play for too long, come home early."
"I know, Mom."
The little girl nodded, then closed the door and went out, the happy smile on her face never fading...
She finally had a day off today, and as a reward for doing well in a recent exam, she received a ticket...
A ticket to the Three-Tails Sea Amusement Park.
Although she felt a little disappointed that her dad and mom had to work overtime and couldn't go with her, she was still very happy to go by herself.
Classmates who had been to the amusement park said it was very fun, with many interesting things they had never seen before.
So...
She had always wanted to go!
"The Three-Tails..." The little girl narrowed her eyes happily, murmuring, "It seems to look like a turtle, but very big."
Regarding Tailed Beasts, they were also covered in biology class at the academy. A kind of magical chakra aggregate, possessing human-like intelligence. Some have bad tempers and fight at the slightest provocation, so you must be careful if you encounter them, and don't provoke them for no reason.
Although most of her knowledge came from books, she had seen other Tailed Beasts within the Land of Whirlpools.
For example...
The little girl looked at the signboard at the entrance...
The Four-Tails Hot Pot Restaurant!!!
Inside, there was a Tailed Beast that looked like a big gorilla, but it was very small, not nearly as big as described in the books...
The little girl wrinkled her nose...
It was probably only about the size of her backpack.
"Excuse me," the little girl called out, then walked directly into the restaurant. It was still early morning, and the hot pot restaurant wasn't open for business yet. But because her home was right next door and she was very familiar with the place, she could come in at this time to see the Four-Tails. As long as she didn't cause trouble, the older brothers and sisters inside wouldn't chase her away.
"It's Emiko-chan," a waitress said, smiling at the little girl who walked in carrying her backpack. "Here to see the Four-Tails again?"
"Yes, thank you," Emiko bowed, saying gratefully, "Miss Mitsuko."
"No problem, go on in!" Mitsuko waved her hand, then seemed to remember something, saying with a helpless expression, "The Four-Tails has been in a bad mood for some reason since early this morning, so be careful later."
She rolled up her sleeves...
"If he bullies you, tell Miss Mitsuko, and I'll have the boss beat him up later."
"Okay, Miss Mitsuko." Emiko nodded her little head, carrying her backpack, and said, "I'm going in now."
Then...
She skipped inside...
"That damned Isobu, why can it soar freely over the great sea and restore its true form?"
After walking along the corridor for a while, she heard a familiar voice, though it seemed very angry...
Emiko furrowed her brows slightly, then the corners of her mouth turned up. She felt her pocket and nodded reassuringly, then walked in...
"Uncle Four-Tails, Uncle Four-Tails..."
She saw a small red ape jumping up and down on a poster...
"I came to see you."
"Merely the Three-Tails..." The Four-Tails, who had been stomping angrily on the poster on a table, calmed down upon hearing the voice. He turned to look at the little girl approaching him and said flatly, "It's you, little girl. No school today?"
He was an elegant Tailed Beast. How could he let a kid see him lose his temper?
"It's the weekend, a holiday." The little girl, carrying her backpack, walked up to the Four-Tails happily, took a few fruit candies from her pocket, and offered them, saying, "Uncle Four-Tails, these are fruit candies for you."
Then, she adopted a serious tone and looked at the Four-Tails...
"Mom said you can't eat too much candy, or you'll get cavities."
"That's you humans." The Four-Tails snorted disdainfully, took the candies, unwrapped one, and tossed it into his mouth. "We Tailed Beasts don't get cavities."
So...
That bastard Roshi had the Uzumaki clan carve a small hole in the seal to let some of his chakra out. Otherwise...
He would have needed dentures long ago.
But...
After he finally got out, that guy actually made him be the mascot for the Four-Tails Hot Pot Restaurant, for public entertainment. If he refused, he wouldn't get money to buy candy.
It was truly despicable.
"Is that so?" Emiko, hearing the Four-Tails' words, was momentarily stunned, then looked at the Four-Tails with envy. "That's great! You don't get cavities? So you don't need to brush your teeth?"
"For the restaurant's hygiene inspections, I still brush my teeth and take baths, even though it's pretty useless for me." The small Four-Tails sucked on the candy, looking at the little girl. "As for other Tailed Beasts, I don't know."
If it weren't for that forever-single old dog using his salary to force him to brush his teeth, he wouldn't bother!
The Four-Tails sighed helplessly inside...
Was it easy, trying to support himself?
"Oh, so Tailed Beasts do brush their teeth." Emiko nodded in understanding. Then, under the Four-Tails' eye-rolling gaze, she looked down at the poster on the table and exclaimed, "Isn't this the poster for the Four-Tails Sea Amusement Park?"
"You know about it too?" The Four-Tails looked sideways at the little girl, displeased. "Somehow, all the ads these days are about this."
Not long ago, that Three-Tails guy was still living in a damp, dark single room, but now, for no reason, he's moved to a seaside suite. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got!
"Mm!" Emiko nodded and said, "I'm going there later. I heard it's really fun, and there's a very, very big Tailed Beast there, much bigger than you, Uncle Four-Tails."
Then, she looked at the Four-Tails curiously...
"Why are you so different from what the books say, Uncle Four-Tails? You're so small. You seem... weak."
"..."
Inhale, exhale, calm your mind...
The Four-Tails decided not to bother arguing with a little girl who hadn't seen much of the world. Probably even if he explained, she wouldn't understand anyway.
So...
He stomped on the poster again fiercely, snorted disdainfully, and wagged his tail. How could a mere three-tailed beast be stronger than him, with four tails?
A moment later...
The Four-Tails suddenly looked up, squinting at Emiko...
"Little girl, you're going there later?"
"Yes!" Emiko nodded happily. "I heard it's really fun there."
"Then..." A satisfied smile appeared on the Four-Tails' mouth as he jumped directly onto the little girl's backpack. "Take me with you!"
He wanted to see for himself just how well that three-tailed Isobu was living!
And also...
That damned Roshi, shamelessly exploiting labor, making him work day and night, creating so many clones to act as mascots in various branch stores, yet only paying one salary, and never giving a raise...
Hmph!
Sooner or later, he would go to the Land of Whirlpools Labor Bureau to file a complaint and have that bastard Roshi fined heavily!
But today, this great one is skipping work!
Damn black-hearted boss...
You go be the mascot yourself!
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