And at the very front of everyone—
Mei Terumī stood there, arms crossed over her chest, her red eyes calmly gazing into the distance.
No one spoke.
There was only the sound of the wind blowing through the Village entrance and the sound of footsteps drawing closer and closer.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
With every step that fell, the ground trembled slightly.
Those were the footsteps of the Three-Tails.
Finally, that golden figure appeared in everyone's field of vision.
Yang Jiu walked at the very front, his ten-meter-tall silver-gold body shining brilliantly under the sunlight; the golden electric arcs occasionally leaping around him reminded everyone who saw him of yesterday's earth-shaking battle.
And following behind him—
Three-Tails Isobu.
A forty-nine-meter-long behemoth, its shattered shell still seeping blood; two of its three giant tails dragged powerlessly on the ground, while the other was half-broken.
But even so, that terrifying Aura belonging to a Tailed Beast still made everyone feel suffocated.
With every step it took, the ground vibrated.
With every breath it took, the pressure in the air increased by another notch.
Five hundred Ninjas took a step back in unison.
Hands holding Kunai were shaking.
Hands forming Seals were trembling.
The sound of someone swallowing saliva was clearly audible.
Yang Jiu stopped his footsteps a hundred meters from the Village entrance.
He raised his head, looking at the dense crowd at the Village entrance, then looked at the red figure at the very front, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Mei Terumī."
His voice was low like thunder, spreading throughout the entire Village entrance.
"Such a grand display, welcoming me?"
Mei Terumī slowly walked forward.
Her gaze swept over Three-Tails Isobu—that forty-nine-meter-long behemoth, the shattered shell, the lowered head—and then she withdrew her gaze, landing it on Yang Jiu.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
In that smile, there was no fear, no alertness, only the composure of old friends meeting.
"Of course."
She spoke softly.
"But I also didn't expect that you could actually do it."
She paused, her red eyes looking directly at Yang Jiu.
"Subdued?"
Yang Jiu looked at her.
Looking at this woman who was the only one not showing any tension among the five hundred shivering Ninjas.
The corners of his mouth split open slightly.
"The Three-Tails is now the clan guardian beast of my Wolf Tribe."
His voice was as calm as water.
But when these words fell into the ears of the five hundred surrounding Ninjas, it was like a Tailed Beast Ball exploding in their minds!
Boom—!!!
In that instant, the entire Village entrance fell into a deathly silence.
Some people opened their mouths wide but couldn't make any sound.
Some people stared with wide eyes, their pupils trembling wildly.
The Kunai in someone's hand slipped, hitting the ground with a crisp sound, yet no one looked down to see.
Time seemed to freeze.
Three seconds later—
"Guar... clan guardian beast?!"
A young Chunin finally squeezed out a sentence, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.
"A Tailed Beast... as a clan guardian beast?!"
"How is this possible!"
"This is a terrifying monster..."
Standing in the crowd, Mei Terumī's red eyes were similarly surging with hard-to-conceal shock.
She had thought Yang Jiu might defeat the Three-Tails, might drive it away, or even might Seal it—
But she never imagined that he had actually subdued it.
And he even intended to use a Tailed Beast as a clan guardian beast?
Her brow furrowed slightly.
One must know that Tailed Beasts were notoriously cruel and tyrannical.
They were Incarnations of calamity created by the Six Paths Sage, having lived for thousands of years with disdain and hostility toward humans etched into their bones; even successive Jinchuriki could only suppress and borrow their power through Seals, with no mention of taming them.
Much less making them willingly serve as a 'clan guardian beast'.
Was he not afraid that the Three-Tails would suddenly go on a rampage one day and wipe out the entire Wolf Tribe?
Mei Terumī took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and her gaze fell upon that behemoth with its head lowered.
The Three-Tails' single eye was half-closed, and it lay quietly behind Yang Jiu, motionless.
No cruelty.
No tyranny.
There wasn't even any sign of struggle.
Just like a truly tamed... beast.
Seeing this scene, she fell silent.
In her heart, a trace of unspeakable envy even arose.
If only the Hidden Mist Village could also have a Tailed Beast willingly serve as a Village Guardian Divine Beast.
Not many, just one would be enough.
With such a monster that had lived for thousands of years standing guard, who would dare look down on this Village that had just emerged from the shadow of the Blood Mist?
Who would dare provoke them at the border?
Who would dare strike at the Hidden Mist's Ninjas?
Regrettably—
With the current Hidden Mist Village, it was simply impossible.
Let alone making a Tailed Beast willingly submit, even sealing a Tailed Beast and creating a perfect Jinchuriki was difficult to achieve.
After all...
After the madness of the Village of the Bloody Mist, the Hidden Mist Village had lost too many people and too many talents; its current strength was not even half of what it was at its Peak.
Mei Terumī looked at the Three-Tails lying quietly behind Yang Jiu, a trace of complex emotion flashing through her red eyes.
Envy.
Helplessness.
And also a trace of—
Indescribable unwillingness.
She took a deep breath, suppressed all emotions, and that signature smile reappeared on her face.
Only this time, there was a hint of curiosity in that smile.
"Just now..."
She raised her head, her red eyes looking directly at Yang Jiu.
"That pressure, was it yours?"
Yang Jiu looked at her, a hint of playfulness flashing in his golden eyes.
"What do you think?"
Mei Terumī didn't answer, just quietly looking at him.
Yang Jiu smiled.
The next second—
Boom!!!
An invisible pressure erupted from him with a bang!
But this time, it was far from as terrifying as before.
There was no change in the sky and earth, no tearing of space, only a pure pressure from the depths of the Soul, spreading out to the surroundings like ripples!
In an instant, the world seemed to lose its color, becoming a patch of grey.
Not far away.
Those Genin and Chunin who hadn't had time to completely disperse instantly widened their eyes.
And then—
Thump! Thump! Thump!
One after another, like wheat being mowed down, they fell to the ground in unison!
Some still held Kunai in their hands, some maintained a posture of turning around, some had their mouths open as if wanting to say something—but all lost consciousness and fell into a deep coma!
As for the Jonin, although they didn't faint, their faces turned pale, their legs went weak, and they only barely managed to stand by leaning against nearby buildings!
Ao's Byakugan trembled wildly, cold sweat pouring from his forehead like rain!
Chōjūrō leaned against a wall, panting heavily!
Even Mei Terumī felt a bout of dizziness, her heart pounding incessantly.
But she didn't fall.
She just stared blankly at Yang Jiu, stormy waves surging in her red eyes.
Three seconds later.
The pressure dispersed.
Yang Jiu withdrew his Aura, as if nothing had happened just now.
He lowered his head, looking at Mei Terumī's slightly pale face, the corner of his mouth curling into an arc.
"Know now?"
Mei Terumī opened her mouth, but couldn't say a single word.
She looked at this ten-meter-tall silver-gold giant wolf, looked at those calm golden eyes, and only one thought remained in her mind—
Just what kind of monster is this...
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