The dark sealing runes began to spread rapidly and construct a new cage in this consciousness space. However, Shukaku's entire head was firmly pressed beneath the water by the Nine-Tailed's irresistible giant claw; he couldn't lift his head, couldn't see any expressions that Naruto or the Nine-Tailed might have at this moment, and even less could he perceive the changes in the outside world.
All he could feel was the familiar, despair-inducing sealing power closing in, step by step, and the deep sorrow of losing his freedom again, of being imprisoned in endless darkness. This became his last memory before his consciousness sank... Like falling asleep, consciousness slowly floated up from the darkness.
When Shukaku 'opened' his eyes again, the expected gloom and oppression of the seal did not appear. What greeted his enormous eyes was a completely different sight, one that made him instantly hold his breath—
Before him was an incredibly vast, boundless golden desert! In the sky was a sun emitting warm light, beneath his feet were fine, scorching grains of sand, and in the distance were rolling, enormous sand dunes, like golden waves.
He could even see a few stubbornly growing cacti interspersed, forming a picture of his homeland, the most familiar and longed-for image in his memory!
"!!!"
Shukaku's remaining sleepiness was instantly washed away! He even incredulously raised his giant paw and vigorously rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating or still in some unrealistic dream.
However, the real sensation from his paw, the warmth brought by the sun, and the dry air unique to the desert that filled the atmosphere, all clearly told him—this was not a dream!
"Wooooah?!"
Shukaku looked around at this breathtaking scenery in disbelief, his brain almost stopped thinking. Wasn't this great one just pressed down by that Stinky Fox, about to be re-sealed? What exactly is going on? Could it be... could this great one really... really be back in the desert?!
Rational thought had been thrown to the winds!
"Wooooah—!!!"
Shukaku could no longer suppress the surging emotions within him, letting out a strange, cathartic cry. His massive body suddenly lunged forward, plunging headfirst into the nearest soft sand dune!
He frantically rolled and thrashed in the fine sand, letting the long-lost sensation of freedom envelop his entire body. He dug up large amounts of sand with his paws and tossed them into the air, watching the golden sand rain down, excitedly tumbling repeatedly on the giant sand dune, leaving winding trails.
This incredibly real, incredibly exhilarating feeling finally confirmed it for him—this was not a hallucination! He truly... truly left that narrow, dark sealing space!
"Wuu... wuwu..."
In his extreme excitement, a giant, crystal-clear tear actually seeped from the corner of his eye, slid down his sandy cheek, and was then absorbed by the dry sand.
Immediately, the brief sentimentality brought by that tear was replaced by an even more surging euphoria.
"Wahahahahaha!!! This great one... this great one is finally free!!!"
Shukaku's deafening, frantic laughter and excited, distorted howls echoed and spread intensely across the vast desert.
Shukaku was so excited, like a husky unleashed, bouncing and leaping without any regard for his image between the sand dunes, kicking up dust everywhere, fully venting the suppression of countless years of imprisonment and the boundless ecstasy of regaining 'freedom' now.
So happy... so wonderful... How many years has it been... This is the first time I've felt so unburdened!
The beauty of regaining freedom even made Shukaku, as he ran wild in the sand sea, feel that even if he saw that Stinky Fox's idiotic face right now, he could magnanimously overlook it!
Then... "Bang—!"
Shukaku, who had been running wildly with his eyes closed, didn't get to gloat for long before his entire face slammed squarely into an invisible barrier!
The impact caused his massive body, like a cartoon character, to splay his limbs dramatically, slowly slide down the barrier, and collapse limply onto the sand.
"Wuu..."
Shukaku shook his massive head, which was a bit dizzy from the impact, and groggily stood up again, his eyes filled with confusion and annoyance. What dared to block this great one's path?!
He suspiciously extended his paw and fumbled forward—"...What is this?!"
The sensation from his claw tips was clear and unambiguous—ahead was clearly an endless sea of sand, his vision unobstructed, yet there was a tangible, invisible, smooth, and hard wall, completely blocking his path!
Shukaku's heart suddenly 'thumped', and an ominous premonition washed over him like ice water.
"Damn it... don't try to play tricks in front of this great one!" He feigned composure, trying to cover his inner panic with a roar. The next moment, he instinctively wanted to gather Chakra and unleash a powerful Sand Bullet to blast this damned barrier!
But... where was his Chakra?!
Shukaku discovered in horror that although he could clearly sense the vast Chakra still present within him, he couldn't mobilize even a fraction of it! All his power was confined within his body!
"You're even dumber than I thought, stupid tanuki."
A voice he detested the most, full of mockery, lazily rang out, "But it really is a good deal for you. How is it, isn't this desert pretty good? This is a scene that Naruto, that kid, specially simulated for you using the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. That kid is too kind-hearted; this great one advised him not to be so good to you, but he didn't listen."
Shukaku was startled and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw a familiar, infuriating surge of red Chakra suddenly appear in the air ahead. The Chakra quickly condensed and transformed, finally becoming a... Mini Nine-Tails, only the size of his paw?!
But that Mini Nine-Tails continued to speak in a tone that made Shukaku clench his fists.
"I don't know why, but Naruto is particularly concerned about your Jinchuriki. I hear you haven't been very well-behaved in the seal these past years, have you? Therefore, this great one left a wisp of my Chakra in that kid's body, as the... well, 'administrator' of this sealing space."
"Wuwuwu... Go to hell! Stinky Fox!!!"
The huge sense of disparity hit Shukaku hard, almost making him faint from lack of breath! So... so he was still in the sealing space after all?! This vast desert was just an illusion simulated by sealing Ninjutsu?! That stinky brat simulated it too realistically!
There was nothing for it, after all, Naruto had long since thoroughly studied the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style to make the Nine-Tailed more comfortable. Now, the Nine-Tailed could already run freely on the grasslands in his own sealing space, and even go fishing.
And... the Stinky Fox even left a wisp of Chakra consciousness here?! He remembered the days when the Tailed Beasts were not yet sealed and lived freely; that scoundrel always had the upper hand... Now, even being sealed couldn't escape his 'clutches'?
"Roar—!" Anger and frustration made Shukaku lose his reason. He raised his giant paw and slammed it down hard towards the Mini Nine-Tails!
The Mini Nine-Tails looked at the giant paw pressing down like a mountain, with no fear in his eyes, but rather an even stronger disdain... About a few minutes later.
The Mini Nine-Tails, with a satisfied and comfortable expression, leisurely squatted on Shukaku's massive body below, which was covered in... psychological wounds and bruises from a one-sided beating.
Although neither side could use Ninjutsu, Shukaku's defeat and posture were, as countless times over thousands of years, without suspense.
"You really are impatient, stupid tanuki." The Mini Nine-Tails picked his teeth with a paw and said slowly, "Although you still look so huge now, your Chakra's essence is still in a sealed state. Not to mention... tsk tsk, you only have one tail."
Hearing the Nine-Tailed again use the old cliché of tail count to define strength, Shukaku was so angry that all the sand on his body trembled, but he didn't even have the strength to protest, only letting out unwilling "wuwu" sounds from his throat.
"What's wrong? Are you mute, you bastard?" The Mini Nine-Tails deliberately leaned closer and asked in a tone designed to infuriate a Tailed Beast, "Never mind, this great one won't bother with you; it's time to go back to Naruto's side to rest. After all, that kid 'earnestly' asked me—if you're not well-behaved and dare to make the Jinchuriki lose sleep... Hehehe."
That last meaningful laugh, full of menace, made Shukaku's massive body involuntarily shiver.
The satisfied Mini Nine-Tails consciousness transformed into a red light and vanished.
In the empty "desert," only One-Tails Shukaku remained, sprawled on the ground, physically and mentally wounded. The more he thought, the more wronged he felt, wanting to cry loudly, but also afraid that the damned fox would suddenly return and see him in such a disgraceful state.
Please... please... He had a ninety percent chance of guessing that this 'leave a wisp of consciousness to supervise' bad idea was definitely suggested by the Stinky Fox himself!
The thought of living under that scoundrel's shadow for the long years of his future imprisonment filled Shukaku with despair.
Why... why couldn't he escape the fate of being bullied by him, even when sealed?!
The more Shukaku thought, the more wronged he felt, and he couldn't help but bury his huge face deep in the sand, letting out muffled and sad "wuwu" sounds, his huge tail also listlessly patting the sand.
However, this sealing space, meticulously constructed by Naruto, was simply too comfortable for Shukaku—the warm "sunlight," the fine "sand grains," the familiar dry air... As he cried, the exhausted Shukaku's whimpers gradually turned into even snores.
He actually... fell into a deep sleep, sprawled on the messy sand.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"