After explaining everything, Xin left Ophis behind and quietly stepped out. He casually grabbed a drink from the fridge, then made his way to where the Anbu agents were stationed, keeping an eye on Kushina.
"What's this kid up to?" One of the Anbu muttered as they saw Xin walking towards them.
"Hey, you two have been working hard," Xin said, tossing them a couple of cold drinks. "Take a break?"
Caught off guard by Xin's sudden appearance and gesture, the ANBU agents politely declined. "Sorry, Xin-sama, we're on duty."
"No hard feelings?" Xin grinned.
The agents exchanged uneasy glances. They didn't want to offend him, but they had a job to do. Just as Xin kept them distracted, Ophis made her move.
Inside the house, Ophis leaked a small pulse of chakra. Following Xin's instructions, Kushina loosened the seal just enough to let the Nine-Tails sense what was happening.
The Nine-Tails didn't react at first, until the moment Ophis's chakra hit its senses. Instantly, the massive fox's eyes snapped open, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air.
This... this was definitely tailed beast chakra. But it wasn't like anything it had ever encountered before.
The chakra was similar to Kurama's, yet still different in some key ways. What really got to him, though, was the intoxicating scent that came with it.
Just as Kurama was about to investigate further, Kushina quickly tightened the seal, cutting off the chakra flow. Kurama was left staring dumbfounded.
"RAAGH! You little brat! I'll eat you! I'll rip you to shreds!" Kurama roared in frustration. Kushina was definitely messing with him on purpose, and it drove him mad.
On the other side of things, Xin, who had been keeping the Anbu agents distracted, decided he had done enough. Tossing the drinks aside, he muttered, "Ungrateful, huh? I try to be nice, and this is the thanks I get."
The ANBU agents exchanged bewildered glances. They were utterly lost.
"What the hell just happened?"
"I have no idea. But I'll tell you this-part of me wants to beat that kid senseless."
"Go ahead. Weren't you the one calling him 'sir' just a moment ago?"
"...."
"Should we report this to the Hokage?"
"If you're fine with embarrassing yourself, be my guest. I'm staying out of it."
Deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, the two Anbu operatives agreed to act like nothing had happened. After all, getting berated by a ten-year-old was humiliating enough. The last thing they needed was the Hokage finding out.