By the time A returned with the freshest cut of beef, he was greeted by a surprising sight.
Killer B no longer looked stiff or awkward. Instead, he was casually chatting with Uchiha Kaien, the two tossing comments back and forth with a natural ease.
"You're late. This beef's going to have to wait until dinner now," Kaien said, nodding toward the table already filled with dishes. He gestured for A to stick the still-bloody beef in the fridge for the time being.
...
With a sigh, A did as told.
Sometimes, he really couldn't tell whose home this was anymore—his or Kaien's. How had that guy made himself so comfortable in just one day?
Did he seriously already treat this place like his own?
Though grumbling internally, A didn't slow his movements.
Question:How many steps does it take to put beef in the fridge?
As A opened the fridge door, Kaien randomly found himself pondering that.
...
Evening.
Bathed in the glow of dusk, the horizon was painted in warm hues of orange. The clear divide between sky and earth made the entire village feel like a scene from a painting.
After a full day of training, people began slipping into their evening routines. Some relaxed, others pushed themselves further.
A and Killer B belonged to the latter group.
The two long-time partners had already begun their coordination drills.
In Kumogakure, taijutsu was foundational—no matter how advanced the training, it always returned to the basics of body refinement.
At the moment, A was helping B map out a new regimen to boost his physical endurance.
Kaien, meanwhile, sat nearby with a bored expression, watching their session unfold.
Unlike usual, he wasn't holding Phantom Beast in his lap; he'd left it indoors.
A regular cat was a convenient way to put others at ease—and easy to take care of.
Kaien silently calculated how long the training would last. Then, wrapping his arms around his knees, he pretended to nap.
But his consciousness had already descended into Phantom Beast's body.
"Even though I've done this before, the perspective of a cat is still kind of amazing," Kaien murmured, flexing one paw before relaxing it again. The soft pads on his feet made jumping and landing absurdly easy.
As a gold-ranked trait [Summoning – Phantom Beast], this creature had its own unique perks.
Kaien could not only summon Phantom Beast, he could become it. And when he did, it truly felt like he was a cat—right down to instinctive behaviors encoded in its very being. Uncontrollable urges like licking his paw just… happened.
Sometimes, he'd attach his consciousness to Phantom Beast and make his real body massage the cat. The full-body relaxation that followed was addictively satisfying.
But right now, Kaien hadn't forgotten his true purpose: to pay a visit to the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki.
His main body pretending to sleep? Perfect alibi.
[Summoning – Phantom Beast] allowed him to use 75% of his original strength. That was more than enough to deal with a jinchūriki.
Especially when combined with his Mangekyō Sharingan and the [Alluring Gaze]—even at three-quarters power, he was terrifying.
After all, genjutsu was a natural counter to Tailed Beasts.
Before long, the not-so-innocent Phantom Beast slipped quietly out of A's house, headed straight toward B's location.
Kaien released his sensory ability. In an instant, the chakra signatures scattered across Kumogakure lit up like glowing blue fireflies in his mind.
Among them, one stood out—tainted with an ominous crimson hue.
"Found him."
That sinister red glow could only belong to the Eight-Tails.
Even sealed within a jinchūriki, its chakra couldn't escape Kaien's detection.
Thanks to the effects of the [Seed of Perception], his perception was razor-sharp.
Moments later, Kaien arrived outside B's home.
Peering through the window, he spotted B, who wore a rare expression—one of deep frustration.
That half-white, half-green hair remained as striking as ever.
B was undeniably talented—his abilities, traits, lineage, and willpower were all top-tier.
That's precisely why he was chosen to host the Eight-Tails.
Unfortunately, not everyone was like Naruto—eternally optimistic no matter what.
Even though Kumogakure officially called Blue B a "hero," the truth was clear: a monster resided within him.
Most people instinctively avoided him. Even friends and family kept their distance.
If it weren't for the unwavering respect he held for the Raikage, Blue B might've long since crumbled under the pressure—from both the outside world and the beast inside him.
Using a Tailed Beast's power came at a cost. It infected the user's chakra and slowly wore down their mind.
Over time, calm became anger. Stability became volatility. That fear bred isolation—and isolation fed the beast's influence.
Eventually, that hole in the jinchūriki's heart would become too wide to ignore. When it did, the Tailed Beast would rampage—and the host would die.
Kaien's goal was simple: speed up that process.
As for healing Blue B's emotional wounds by slowly building affection?
Too time-consuming. Too inefficient.
That was Kaien's judgment.
He already had a better candidate in Blue B—young, moldable, and full of potential.
Why bother clinging to someone already at their limit?
Better to "liberate" him, then reinvest the nutrients into his freshly planted crop.
Kaien padded quietly to the window. With one paw, he pried it open and slipped inside like he belonged there.
With a light bounce, he landed on the sofa right beside Blue B.
...
As the last rays of sunlight stretched into the room, Phantom Beast's shadow grew longer.
Until it completely enveloped Blue B.
Only then did Blue B finally notice something was off.
Four snow-white paws came into view.
He looked up, puzzled—and found himself staring straight into a pair of blood-red Sharingan.
A cat… with Sharingan?
And… what kind of pattern was that?
Instinctively, Blue B reached for the blade beside him. But he never got the chance to use it.
"Genjutsu: Mangekyō Sharingan."
In a single instant, Blue B was completely trapped—unable to resist.
Kaien's paw pressed against his coat, right over his stomach.
Through the Sharingan, he dove straight into Blue B's mind.
...
The inner world was pitch black, completely silent. Kaien stared forward, barely making out the enormous silhouette of a beast—tentacles like massive octopus arms coiled around the space.
As he moved closer, he cast an illusion over himself. His features were hidden in black mist. Even his Sharingan changed, now appearing as vivid blue eyes.
Just an innocent traveler, curious and lost.
Wasn't the Child of Prophecy supposed to be a blue-eyed boy who frolicked with Tailed Beasts?
Kaien smirked slightly, indulging in the twisted irony, and continued forward.
This was a seal space—there was no such thing as a "lost traveler" here.
The moment the Eight-Tails sensed an intruder, it let out a deep, rumbling growl.
Its full form emerged before Kaien's eyes.
A bizarre creature with the body of an ox and the tentacles of an octopus—Gyūki, the Eight-Tails.
"Hello there, Eight-Tails," Kaien said lightly. "How's your day been?"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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