In the Hidden Mist Village, the Tailed Beasts were allowed to roam freely.
This was not because the village had some kind of animal protection organization that believed the beasts should live peacefully in nature.
The truth was much simpler.
The Hidden Mist Village simply lacked shinobi skilled in sealing techniques.
Without powerful sealing experts, it was extremely difficult to capture and properly contain a Tailed Beast.
Although the nearby Uzu Shio Village was famous throughout the ninja world for its exceptional sealing techniques, the relationship between the two villages had always been distant and unfriendly.
As a result, there had never been official cooperation between them.
Because of this strained relationship, Uzushiogakure had never been invited to assist the Hidden Mist Village with sealing a Tailed Beast into a shinobi to create a Jinchūriki.
Therefore, the Tailed Beasts within the territory of the Hidden Mist Village simply lived as they pleased.
The Six-Tails was no exception.
Fortunately, the creature's location was not far from the Hidden Mist Village.
For an experienced Jonin, reaching its territory would take no more than five minutes if they moved at full speed.
Soon, Uchiha Su's group arrived at the forest where the Six-Tails lived.
The forest was lush and vibrant.
Towering trees stretched toward the sky, and thick vines wrapped themselves around ancient trunks.
But hidden within this peaceful environment was an enormous creature.
The Six-Tailed Beast, Saiken.
At first glance, it resembled a gigantic slug.
Its massive body slowly moved between the trees as if the forest were its personal playground.
Several tentacle-like appendages extended from its body, giving the strange impression that the creature possessed limbs.
Its body was covered in transparent mucus.
Whenever a drop of the sticky substance fell to the ground, it instantly corroded the soil beneath it.
Small pits formed wherever the liquid landed.
As the Six-Tails breathed, faint yellow mist spread outward into the surrounding air.
The effect of this mist was terrifying.
Any plants touched by it began to wither almost immediately.
Leaves curled and turned brown, branches shriveled, and even the grass on the ground decayed rapidly.
It was clear that the creature's mere presence was enough to devastate the environment around it.
Seeing this scene, Uzumaki Ashina stared at the Six-Tails in shock.
Then he turned toward the others with an expression filled with disbelief.
"Don't you have any protection measures for the Tailed Beasts?"
His tone was filled with confusion.
From the perspective of Uzushiogakure, the Tailed Beasts were incredibly valuable strategic resources.
Yet here in the Hidden Mist Village, they seemed to be treated like wild animals wandering around freely.
To Ashina, this was almost impossible to understand.
Hearing this question, Hōzuki Gengetsu frowned slightly.
"Wait… what kind of protection measures would a Tailed Beast even need?"
As the Mizukage, Gengetsu had naturally come to witness such an important event.
After all, sealing a Tailed Beast and creating a Jinchūriki was a major matter for the entire village.
Standing beside him, Genji nodded in agreement.
"Exactly."
"Tailed Beasts are terrifying monsters. There are only a handful of shinobi in the entire ninja world who could threaten them."
"So why would we worry about protecting them?"
Ashina sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"You misunderstand."
"I'm not saying the Tailed Beast itself needs protection."
"I'm asking whether you place any restrictions on it."
"What if it suddenly runs away?"
Gengetsu spread his hands with an innocent expression.
"That doesn't really happen."
He spoke as though the situation were perfectly normal.
"In fact, Tailed Beasts rarely wander far from their chosen territory."
"They usually claim an area as their domain."
"As long as you don't provoke them excessively, they have no reason to leave."
Genji nodded again and glanced at Ashina with a faintly amused expression.
The look on his face seemed to say:
It's difficult to explain this to villages that don't even possess a Tailed Beast.
He continued speaking.
"Take the Three-Tails for example."
"It has been staying quietly at the bottom of a lake for years."
"It's basically a shut-in beast."
"No matter what happens in the outside world, it never moves."
Ashina's face immediately turned red.
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
Uzushiogakure had always wanted to obtain a Tailed Beast.
Yet here in the Hidden Mist Village, they were treated almost casually.
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Alright… Uchiha brat."
"It's your turn now."
Uchiha Su stepped forward calmly.
He prepared to activate his Mangekyō Sharingan in order to control the Six-Tails.
However, just as he was about to act—
A strange pattern suddenly appeared within the Six-Tails' eyes.
It was another Mangekyō Sharingan.
Su blinked in surprise.
Then he turned his head toward the person standing beside him.
Uchiha Hikari.
Her expression was calm, as if controlling the Tailed Beast required no effort at all.
She spoke indifferently.
"Alright, Uzumaki Clan old man."
"It's your turn."
Her tone clearly lacked any warmth.
In truth, Hikari did not have a good impression of the Uzumaki Clan.
After all, it had been members of that clan who participated in sealing her away centuries ago.
The fact that she had not drawn her sword against them was already a sign of remarkable restraint.
By this time, Uchiha Nami had already finished arranging Hikari's accommodations.
However, after completing her task, she had quietly followed Uchiha Su to this location.
Given her strength and seniority, no one in the group—except Su himself—had the authority to stop her.
Now that the Six-Tails had been successfully controlled, Uzumaki Ashina stepped forward.
His expression became serious.
He approached Uchiha Setsuna, who would soon become the new Jinchūriki.
"Listen carefully," Ashina said.
"Do not resist during the sealing process."
"Wait for the seal to fully take effect."
"If you struggle or resist, the sealing technique will fail."
Setsuna nodded calmly.
"I understand."
Ashina quickly formed a series of hand seals.
Then he suddenly placed his palm firmly against Setsuna's abdomen.
"Four Symbols Sealing Technique!"
An unfamiliar power instantly flowed into Setsuna's body.
His brows furrowed slightly as he felt the energy spreading through him.
Soon, a pitch-black spiral symbol appeared on his abdomen.
Surrounding the spiral were numerous intricate characters forming the sealing formula.
At the same moment, the Six-Tails—still controlled by Hikari's Mangekyō—transformed into a beam of light.
The enormous creature shrank rapidly and rushed toward Setsuna's body.
It entered directly into the Four Symbols Seal.
Setsuna's eyelids twitched slightly.
The sensation was incredibly strange.
It felt as if the enormous creature had crawled straight into his stomach.
The experience made him deeply uncomfortable.
After a moment, he looked toward Ashina.
"Is it finished?"
Ashina shook his head.
"Not yet."
"One more layer is required."
"If two layers of the Four Symbols Seal are applied together…"
"They will evolve into the Eight Trigrams Seal."
"That form is much more stable."
"If you want the seal to last long-term, you should remain still and allow me to strengthen it."
He paused briefly.
Then he added with a mischievous smile:
"Of course… you could also refuse."
"If you do, there's a possibility that one day you might suddenly give birth to a Tailed Beast child."
Setsuna's expression immediately darkened.
"That won't be necessary."
"Please continue."
In truth, even without Ashina's warning, Setsuna could already feel the Six-Tails inside him.
The creature was restless.
It continuously struggled against the seal.
Dark emotions—anger, resentment, hatred—flowed from the Tailed Beast into Setsuna's mind.
The sensation was extremely unpleasant.
Ashina performed the Four Symbols Sealing Technique again.
When the second layer of the seal formed, the effect was immediate.
The Six-Tails inside Setsuna suddenly quieted down.
The overwhelming negative emotions faded significantly.
Setsuna finally felt some relief.
At the same time, he realized that he could draw upon the chakra of the Tailed Beast.
However, the amount he could access was far smaller than he had expected.
Confused, he turned toward Uchiha Su.
Su understood the question immediately.
"That's normal," he explained.
"The Tailed Beast has not formed any bond with you yet."
"Right now, the only relationship between you is hatred."
"If the seal didn't exist, you might not even be able to access its chakra at all."
He continued calmly.
"You must build trust with the Tailed Beast."
"Once it willingly lends you its chakra…"
"Your strength will increase dramatically."
Setsuna frowned deeply.
"You mean I need to develop a relationship with it?"
"Yes," Su replied.
"That is the fundamental requirement for becoming a true Jinchūriki."
"If you cannot achieve that, then becoming a Jinchūriki has no real meaning."
Setsuna clenched his fists.
"Understood."
"Young Master… I will try my best."
He paused.
Then he corrected himself firmly.
"No… I will definitely succeed."
His voice carried unwavering determination.
Even if the Tailed Beast were nothing more than a cold stone…
He would warm it until it melted.
Su nodded approvingly.
"Good."
"That's exactly the kind of determination you need."
After saying that, he walked over to Uzumaki Ashina.
With a bright smile, he said politely:
"I must thank you for your help over the past few days, senior."
"And please forgive any offenses I may have caused earlier."
Ashina stared at him in disbelief.
This sharp-tongued Uchiha brat…
Was actually thanking him?
For a moment, Ashina felt as if the sun had risen from the west.
"No need to thank me," Ashina replied calmly.
"Didn't you say that our villages are as close as lips and teeth?"
The rigid lines on his face softened slightly.
Although he did not particularly like the Uchiha Clan…
He had to admit something.
This young man standing before him was truly impressive.
Many times, Ashina found himself unconsciously treating Su as an adult rather than a child.
Su nodded with a smile.
"Of course."
"Our villages are neighbors as close as lips and teeth."
He paused briefly.
Then he added cheerfully:
"If Uzushiogakure ever encounters trouble in the future…"
"You are welcome to send someone to request help from the Hidden Mist Village."
Ashina nodded slowly.
That sounded reasonable.
But then Su continued speaking.
"Of course… by the time your messenger arrives…"
"The grass on your grave might already be three feet tall."
Su smiled brightly.
Ashina's face instantly turned stiff.
For a moment, he felt like slapping himself.
Why had he allowed himself to feel sentimental about this boy?
This brat hadn't changed at all.
He was exactly the same as before.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)