After subduing the Nine-Tails, Kairen prepared to take it outside, so he asked,
"Nine-Tails, can you become smaller?!"
The Nine-Tails nodded. "Yes!"
It wasn't rare for tailed beasts to become smaller. In Boruto, Shukaku could even shrink with the help of a seal.
Being sealed inside a pot had made many people wonder—were they planning to stew Shukaku?
"Then after you shrink, follow me outside!"
"Alright!"
The Nine-Tails' deep voice sounded, and in the blink of an eye its enormous body slowly shrank.
In the end, it became about the size of a small dog, with nine tails standing upright behind it, looking extremely adorable.
This cute version of the Nine-Tails directly hit Kushina's soft spot.
She couldn't help herself and wanted to grab the Nine-Tails, planning to hold it in her arms and rub it like crazy.
The Nine-Tails hurriedly jumped away, bounced onto Kairen's shoulder, and said seriously to Kushina,
"Kushina, watch it. I am the strongest tailed beast."
After the Nine-Tails shrank, Kushina's earlier fear completely vanished. She laughed and said,
"If you'd been like this back then, the First Hokage definitely wouldn't have sealed you!"
"Hmph!"
The Nine-Tails snorted. It was a proud tailed beast—how could it possibly get by on cuteness?
The Nine-Tails said to Kairen, "Let's go out! I've been sealed for so many years—I don't even know what the human world is like anymore."
Kairen nodded. With a thought, his consciousness returned to his main body.
...
He opened his eyes. Night had fallen. Under the cover of darkness, Konoha Village surged like an undercurrent beneath a calm surface.
And on Kairen's shoulder, a fiery-red object appeared out of thin air, with nine tails standing upright—it was the Nine-Tails.
As soon as it reached the outside world, the Nine-Tails looked intoxicated.
"Ah! Fresh air. I really want to recite a poem!"
Kairen smiled. "You're just a fox—what do you know about elegance?"
"Hmph! I've lived for a thousand years. There's nothing I haven't seen. Many years ago, a poet even wrote a poem praising me!"
"What was it called again… Ah! That enormous fox! How vast you are…"
The moment Kairen heard it, he knew it was a doggerel—worse than anything he could write himself.
Kushina's consciousness also returned. Careless as ever, she pulled open her top, revealing her fair, tender belly.
"The seal is gone—it's really gone! What just happened really wasn't a dream!"
Kairen's eyes bulged straight out. Even though Kushina wasn't showing much, he could clearly see her underwear.
"Let me check if the seal is really gone?!"
Kairen took the chance to step forward, wanting to take advantage.
Kushina slapped Kairen's hand away and immediately scolded him, "
You'd better watch out for Minato's Flying Thunder God!"
Kairen curled his lips.
"Flying Thunder God may be fast, but it still can't compare to the speed of mine!"
"Nonsense!" Kushina snorted coldly.
The Nine-Tails said to Kairen, "Hurry and take me to have a look. I want to see what new curiosities humans have come up with!"
Kairen turned his head to look at the fox on his shoulder.
"You really are a big shot!"
He still agreed to the Nine-Tails' request. If he didn't satisfy this fox's curiosity, it would probably suffocate from holding it in.
"Miss Kushina, are you in the mood to accompany me for a stroll along the night streets?"
Kairen made a gentlemanly gesture and extended his hand to Kushina.
Kushina yanked her hand back and said at once, "You're going to rebel tomorrow, and you still have the mood to go shopping tonight?"
Kairen replied, "You don't understand. A rebellion is a rebellion, shopping is shopping—fun still has to be had!"
Kushina nodded. "You're paying!"
"No problem!"
The two of them, along with one fox, once again headed toward the center of the village.
The night wasn't too late yet, and many shops were still open.
Passing by a snack street, Kushina's appetite exploded, and she swore to eat Kairen into poverty.
The Nine-Tails also became interested and tasted some human food. Once it took a bite, it was completely hooked.
One person and one fox both had enormous appetites, and Kairen watched with great interest.
After the snack street, they went to places for entertainment—goldfish scooping, target shooting, fortune drawing…
After playing for about half an hour, Kushina was tired, her body covered with prizes won from the games.
She said, "That's it for today. We still have to get up early tomorrow to discuss mobilizing troops!"
The Nine-Tails snorted. "So weak!"
Kushina didn't argue with the Nine-Tails and looked at Kairen.
Kairen nodded. "Get a good rest. Tomorrow will be a transformation. You, Kushina, will be a participant in this transformation, and your name will be passed down to later generations."
"Haha… that's great!" Kushina laughed heartily.
"Then goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
The two of them walked off in different directions, slowly disappearing into the crowd.
The Nine-Tails squatted on Kairen's shoulder, happily eating a takoyaki.
With leisure to spare, it said to Kairen, "I still don't know your name."
"Moku Kairen. Just call me Kairen."
The Nine-Tails hit the nail on the head. "You like Kushina."
Kairen stopped in his tracks, thinking of Kushina's carefree smile and her innocent, lively personality.
"It's not exactly liking her. It's more like greed. I'm a very greedy person—when I see beautiful things, I want to make them my own, just like your power."
The Nine-Tails nodded. "Indeed."
"I just heard—you're preparing to destroy Konoha Village?!"
Kairen walked past a shadow and shook his head.
"Not to destroy Konoha, but to change Konoha. I'm going to ignite a revolution!"
"A revolution?! How big are you planning to make it?"
Kairen looked at the bustling crowd and said softly,
"To completely overturn the entire ninja world. I want to deny the one-country-one-village system established by Senju Hashirama."
The Nine-Tails was astonished.
"That big? Denying the entire ninja world—wouldn't that mean another war like the Warring States Era?"
"No. I alone will suffice! In this world, there is no one who can stop me!"
The Nine-Tails thought carefully about it, and it really was as Kairen said. Right now, he was like the Sage of Six Paths walking the world.
After thinking for a while, a surge of vengeance suddenly arose in the Nine-Tails' heart.
"If you're denying the ninja world established by Senju Hashirama, then I'll join as well."
Kairen smiled. Naturally, he knew how much the Nine-Tails hated Senju Hashirama.
"No problem. Tomorrow, I'll take you to wreak havoc on Konoha Village!"
"Good!"
One man and one fox drifted slowly with the crowd, until Kairen saw two familiar figures.
"Father-in-law?!"
Yūhi Shinku and Kurenai also noticed Kairen and immediately came over.
"Kairen!"
Kurenai's eyes were full of surprise as she grabbed Kairen's hand.
Kairen looked at the middle-aged man beside Kurenai. "Shinku-san, you?!"
Yūhi Shinku smiled. "I've been transferred back to the village. I don't know what happened either. The front lines suddenly ceased fighting entirely, and many ninja were recalled to the village."
Kairen said nothing more and didn't bother to think about the reasons behind it. Any conspiracy or scheme was useless against him.
Shinku examined Kairen carefully, his face filled with astonishment.
"It's only been a month, and your changes are already this great."
If not for Kurenai's explanation, Shinku wouldn't have recognized Kairen at all.
...
I recommend checking out my new Pokémon fanfic, "Pokémon System: Me, the Strongest Champion of the League"! It features a system that isn't overpowered, keeping the story balanced and engaging. The main character isn't Ash, but an original, cool MC, which makes it even more enjoyable to read. I'd love to hear your feedback!