After much deliberation, Chizhao carefully organized the Membrane Card and put it back into her bag.
After breakfast, she accepted the bento box Keiko handed her and sat at the entrance, meticulously organizing her clothes.
“Are you going to train today too?” Keiko looked at the hardworking Chizhao, feeling both proud and a subtle, inexpressible tenderness.
“Jiraiya Sensei’s assignment isn’t finished yet. If he comes back one day and sees that the progress is the same as when he left, he’ll start nagging me again.”
Chizhao stood up, slung the sōran blade onto her back, and greeted Keiko, “I’m heading out, Grandma!”
“Come back early tonight, and don’t get yourself hurt!”
“Got it!”
On the way to her training spot, Chizhao cautiously observed her surroundings, and after confirming no suspicious individuals were following her, she safely arrived at her destination.
She washed her face with the cool river water, and instantly felt refreshed.
Next, she needed to find a relatively secluded spot to release Shukaku.
Considering how much Chakra had been consumed before, Shukaku’s size shouldn’t be that huge anymore, right?
Just in case, she decided to go into the forest. If he was still as massive as usual, the forest could provide some cover, and she could quickly recall him.
Once inside the forest, Chizhao nervously took out Shukaku.
Recalling the scene of his rampage in Sunagakure, she couldn’t help but feel a shiver of fear.
It’s fine, this is far from the Village. If he really goes berserk, I can quickly recall him.
Chizhao took a deep breath and resolutely threw out the Membrane Card.
With a “bang,” a huge cloud of smoke exploded, and from within came Shukaku’s distinct, wild laughter.
“This great lord is finally free, hahahaha…!”
Chizhao waved away the smoke in front of her, nervously gazing at the faintly visible shadow within.
As the smoke gradually dispersed, she finally saw Shukaku’s true form.
She almost burst out laughing.
“What’s going on!! Why has this great lord become so small!!!”
Looking at Shukaku, who was now the size of a raccoon dog on the ground, Chizhao finally couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Hahahahaha, he’s too small! Hahaha…”
How could a dignified Tailed Beast endure such humiliation? He vigilantly watched the girl on the other side, who was laughing so hard she was doubled over.
“Did you do this to me? Damn you! Take this!”
After saying that, he furiously formed hand signs with both hands and roared, “Wind Release: Sand Bullet!”
Chizhao secretly thought this was bad and quickly drew her sōran blade, preparing for defense.
However, to her surprise, a puff of air was expelled from Shukaku’s front with a “plop.”
The world fell silent for a few seconds.
“Hahahahahahaha, I’m dying of laughter! Shukaku formed a hand sign and farted!”
Watching Shukaku stomp his feet in anger on the ground, Chizhao’s eyes were watering from laughter.
“Damn brat! Don’t laugh!”
Shukaku, in a fit of rage, picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at Chizhao.
Chizhao, unable to react in time, saw the stone about to hit her head and instinctively closed her eyes.
However, the expected pain didn’t come. She opened her eyes and saw the stone suspended above her.
It seemed to be blocked by some invisible barrier, and after a moment, it fell to the ground.
Shukaku stared blankly at everything before him.
This great lord’s attack… why is it ineffective against that girl?
Equally puzzled, Chizhao heard Xiao Wang’s voice in her mind.
【A Membrane Card that has been subdued cannot cause harm to its holder.】
My goodness!
It can be like this?
Unwilling to believe the scene before him, Shukaku continuously threw stones at Chizhao, but no matter how he attacked, the situation remained the same as before; he couldn’t harm her in the slightest.
Finally, Shukaku, exhausted, let out a long sigh, dragging a tail larger than his own body, and squatted by the river, gazing at his reflection in the water, his background becoming gloomy.
“Damn it! I finally got away from that brat, but in this state, how can I go fight Kurama? That scoundrel will definitely mock this great lord!”
Chizhao secretly chuckled as she watched the fluffy little raccoon dog, who was yelling at his own reflection.
Shukaku turned his head, fuming, to look at the little girl, and commanded impolitely:
“You’re the one who made this great lord like this, aren’t you! Whatever your purpose, quickly change this great lord back!”
Chizhao sat cross-legged on the ground, spreading her hands to indicate helplessness: “I can’t do that, because you were accidentally subdued by me. I truly don’t know how to change you back.”
“Is it related to that brat?”
Chizhao nodded.
“Hmph! I really don’t understand you humans. Do you think that by putting us inside your bodies, you gain power? How ridiculous.”
Shukaku scoffed, turning his head away in disdain.
His small figure squirmed by the river. Chizhao suddenly had the idea of trying to understand him, so she softly spoke:
“You’ve been confined inside a person’s body for so long, and the first thing you do when you come out is look for Kurama to fight. Don’t you hate humans?”
Shukaku paused slightly, then turned around, his yellow, star-shaped pupils carefully scrutinizing the girl in front of him.
“What’s your name?” he asked curiously.
“Shiratori Chichao.”
Shukaku paused slightly, a smile appearing on his face: “That’s a good name.”
He hopped over to Chizhao, lay down on the ground as if they were old friends, and looking at the tree canopy above, he murmured:
“We Tailed Beasts were born to help humans from the very beginning, but we never expected to become pawns for war… I wonder how sad the old man would be to see us Tailed Beasts treated this way.”
Chizhao, of course, knew that the “old man” Shukaku spoke of was the Six Paths Sage.
Indeed, the Six Paths Sage’s original intention was for peace, but he never expected that immense power would bring more greed.
Villages constantly fought and plundered each other, causing countless tragedies of families torn apart and homes destroyed.
But what could she do?
She was merely an NPC caught up in the currents of history.
Her gaze fell on Shukaku beside her, and she couldn’t help but start to doubt again.
But was it really like this?
“Hmm? Something smells good!”
Shukaku suddenly sat up, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.
Chizhao, full of doubt, sniffed carefully but didn’t detect anything unusual.
It wasn’t until she saw Shukaku, following the scent, moving closer and closer to her backpack that she quickly pounced.
“Wait! That’s mine! You’re not allowed to touch it!”
However, she was still a step too late.
Shukaku had already taken out the bento box, his eyes gleaming with greed.
“This great lord hasn’t smelled food in a long time! Let this great lord have a taste!”
Seeing this, Chizhao immediately grabbed one end of the bento box and began a fierce tug-of-war with Shukaku.
“You Tailed Beasts aren’t supposed to eat human food! Give! It! Back! To! Me!”
“You stinky brat, let go!”
“No! I! Won’t!”
Seeing that his strength was no match for the little girl in front of him, Shukaku grinned crookedly, extended his long tail, and began to tickle Chizhao under her armpit.
“Hey! Wait… Hahahahaha! Stop it~ Haha, stop! Ah hahahaha, don’t touch me hahahaha, the bento! Hahahahaha…”
The despicable One-Tail Shukaku!