Hearing Mitsuki's answer, Shukaku froze for a moment.
That's right. It wasn't some mindless beast. Sure, it sometimes mocked itself as one, but that didn't mean it liked being called that.
Now, it wanted to know something else.
So it pressed further:
"Shimizu Mitsuki… if it were you, after being imprisoned for decades, what would you do now?"
Mitsuki thought for a moment before replying:
"I don't know what you'd want, but if it were me? After being locked away for so long, the first thing I'd do is get revenge on the ones who imprisoned me. Then I'd finally live the life I wanted but never had."
After saying that, Mitsuki no longer paid Shukaku any mind. He turned and walked away without hesitation.
On the way, he dragged Rasa's corpse along. Why only Rasa? Because Bunkupu's body had been burned to nothing by the flames.
Only Shukaku remained there, its small yellow eyes staring blankly, lost in thought.
…
After parting ways with Shukaku, Mitsuki quickly rushed back toward Tsunade.
By now, Tsunade and Rin had moved the Konoha wounded to a flat area on the outskirts of camp.
Mitsuki flickered into their midst, tossing Rasa's corpse casually to the ground.
"Mitsuki! You're not hurt, are you?" Rin ran up immediately, checking his body.
Though she had absolute faith in him, belief was one thing—worry was another.
"It's fine, Rin. Not only is Mitsuki unharmed, he even took on two enemies at once and defeated them easily. As expected of my little brother"
Tsunade's sensing ability wasn't weak. She knew Mitsuki's chakra had stayed calm and steady throughout the battle.
As if that whole fight had been no more effort than an evening jog.
Then Tsunade hesitated, asking:
"What about the One-Tail? Are we really just leaving it alone?"
"Yeah. It had no intention to fight. And with Suna's current state, they don't even have the strength to capture Shukaku."
Mitsuki had thought this through. Suna's only remaining top-tier fighter was Chiyo. The others, like Ebizō, were far below Kage level.
And Chiyo, for all her skill, was tied to her puppets. Against shinobi, she was deadly. Against a Tailed Beast with thick hide and endless chakra? That was asking too much of the old woman.
Back at camp, many Konoha shinobi were already waking up.
"I'm… still alive?"
"It's Lady Tsunade's summoning!"
"Lady Tsunade saved us!"
The sight of Katsuyu around them had the survivors cheering.
But Tsunade herself didn't think she'd done much. Without Mitsuki's return, everyone here—including herself—would have been doomed.
When the war ended, she fully intended to report Mitsuki's contribution to the Third Hokage—with some embellishment. No way would she let her little brother's efforts be underappreciated.
Nearby, Obito crouched over Rasa's corpse, studying it, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! And here I thought this Suna shinobi was so damn strong. Turns out he wasn't even close to Mitsuki's level!"
Kakashi gave him a side-eye and muttered:
"Didn't you just say a moment ago that Mitsuki was in danger?"
Obito's laugh cut short. He stammered:
"T-That was because that sand dragon looked so, so…"
He wanted to say "terrifying" but realized that would sound like he was admitting weakness—and boosting the enemy's prestige.
After all, that dragon of gold had been destroyed by Mitsuki in moments.
"Hmph. Don't joke around with me. With your strength, even if you couldn't beat them, three-on-one should've been enough to hold out until I returned. How the hell did you mess it up that badly?"
Mitsuki crossed his arms, frowning. Kakashi, Obito, and Rin had all been trained by him since they were kids. He knew their strength better than anyone. And because of that, he scolded them harshly.
"If Captain Minato hadn't sent me back, you'd all be in serious trouble right now."
Still feeling it wasn't enough, Mitsuki added another line.
The three of them bowed their heads immediately.
"Sorry!"
Mitsuki sighed. Raising kids really was a thankless job.
"I'm heading back to the front lines now. You three stay put. Reflect on where you went wrong in that fight."
"Yes…"
Hearing Mitsuki was about to head back into battle, Obito wanted badly to beg him to take them along.
But after just being scolded, he didn't dare. He worried Mitsuki would only get angrier.
'Man… if only my Sharingan would awaken already…' Obito thought bitterly.
He was secretly frustrated by Ruri's early awakening, though he didn't show it.
Kakashi and Rin, meanwhile, had no such thoughts. They understood their shortcomings. If they went now, they'd only be a burden to Mitsuki.
After exchanging a few more words with Tsunade, Mitsuki wasted no time and set off for the front lines.
…
Among the massive trees, a flash of blue lightning darted swiftly forward.
It was Mitsuki.
His legs sparked faintly with arcs of lightning chakra, just enough to stimulate his cells for speed without draining stamina.
Halfway there, Mitsuki suddenly stopped on a branch.
"Why are you following me, Shukaku?"
The instant he spoke, the ground beneath the tree swelled, sand bursting upward.
Subterranean Voyage!
From it, a giant tanuki tail rose, followed by the hulking form of the One-Tail itself.
"Of course I'm coming. You're going to kill Suna shinobi, right? I want in" Shukaku answered without hesitation.
Earlier, it had asked Mitsuki a question. After hearing the answer, it still hadn't figured out what kind of life it wanted now.
But causing trouble for Suna? That sounded plenty interesting.
It had been sealed away in a cramped space for too long. No way it was letting this go.
Mitsuki wasn't about to refuse backup from Shukaku. But there were things he needed to make clear first.
"If your goal is the same as mine, then sure, we can travel together. But here's the problem—the battlefield is full of both Konoha and Suna shinobi. Your attacks cover too wide an area. What if you hit my side by mistake?"
Shukaku hadn't thought about that. Its fat paw scratched the top of its head.
"Then what do you think I should do?"
The beast tossed the question back at Mitsuki—the human who had become the center of its curiosity.
"Will he tell me to leave?" Shukaku wondered.