"Three-Tails? Three-Tails?" Uzumaki Jun immersed his consciousness into the Three-Tails' seal. The seal had been reinforced by the elders, so he wasn't afraid of any accidents.
The environment inside wasn't great. There was a pool of water underfoot, and the surroundings were pitch black. Aside from a cage in front of him, there was nothing else.
"Roar!!" The Three-Tails roared furiously when it saw someone enter. "Human, human, despicable human."
It took a closer look and realized it was a seven-year-old child. Looking again, it grew even angrier. "It's you, it's actually you, damn brat."
This child, this very child, was the one who had trapped it here.
Are kids these days really this strong?
But here, it wasn't afraid, because neither could do anything to the other.
Since it was already sealed, neither could harm the other.
So the Three-Tails kept roaring, glaring at Uzumaki Jun.
Uzumaki Jun shrugged. He had expected this, but he didn't mind. Although the tailed beasts had lived for thousands of years, they were still quite naive, steadfastly adhering to the Sage of the Six Paths' teachings. As long as you didn't provoke them, nothing much would happen.
But...
Had he offended it?
Damn...
Uzumaki Jun suddenly realized that he and the Three-Tails might have a serious grudge.
"Don't be angry," Uzumaki Jun coughed lightly and said with a smile. "There's not much of a grudge between us, right?"
"Heh!" The Three-Tails sneered, still refusing to listen, continuing to mutter things like "damn brat" and "shameless human."
Probably because it had never been to school, the tailed beast's insults were limited to the same few phrases. Uzumaki Jun said indifferently, "Anyway, you're trapped here now. There's nothing you can do."
"..."
Are all kids these days this annoying?
The Three-Tails was choked by Uzumaki Jun's words and angrily shut its mouth, lying down behind the bars.
"What's wrong?" Uzumaki Jun asked when he saw this. "Not cursing anymore?"
But the Three-Tails ignored him, turning its head away with a cold snort.
Seeing this, Uzumaki Jun could only say, "Isobu."
Whoosh!!!
The Three-Tails opened its eyes sharply and growled, "Brat, how do you know my name?"
In the shinobi world, people only knew them as tailed beasts, not their real names. Worse, humans even used their tails to measure their strength. What ignorant humans.
"Someone told me," Uzumaki Jun blinked. Having strength made all the difference. Without it, did you really think a tailed beast would chat peacefully with you?
They'd just hit you with a Tailed Beast Bomb.
"I know quite a lot. For example, the Nine-Tails is called Kurama, the Eight-Tails is Gyūki... and the One-Tails is Shukaku."
Uzumaki Jun recited the names of all nine tailed beasts.
"Oh, and the Nine-Tails always bullies you guys."
"Who told you that?" The Three-Tails glared at the child and roared, "Kurama only bullies Shukaku, that little thing, not me, the great Three-Tails—Isobu!"
It looked ready to beat up Kurama right then and there.
"..."
Sure enough, tailed beasts were all tsunderes.
Uzumaki Jun narrowed his eyes and said teasingly, "Guess?"
"..."
Hearing this, the Three-Tails turned its head away again. Those who knew their names were either long dead or...
People not to be trifled with.
Though it was burning with curiosity, Isobu still acted disdainful, as if it didn't care whether Uzumaki Jun told it or not.
"..."
Seeing the Three-Tails ignoring him again, Uzumaki Jun shrugged. He had only come in to see the Three-Tails and build some rapport. After all, it would eventually have to be handed over to Kirigakure. Before the Third Shinobi World War, he probably wouldn't be able to tame...
A tailed beast.
"Well, I'll leave if there's nothing else," Uzumaki Jun waved.
"Human, what exactly did you come here for?" Seeing the annoying brat about to leave, the Three-Tails panicked. This place was so boring, with no one to talk to. "Hurry up and say it."
It acted as if it was in a good mood and willing to listen.
But Uzumaki Jun ignored it and said, "I'll tell you next time we meet."
Then he left directly.
For a tailed beast, twenty years or so was nothing. However, Uzumaki Jun didn't realize...
In a confined space, silence was the scariest enemy.
When sealed as a jinchūriki, at least there was someone to talk to. But when sealed in a scroll or vessel, the silence was terrifying. Pitch black, with no movement except oneself. So whenever tailed beasts were sealed like this, they just slept.
This was also why tailed beasts would rampage wildly when released.
Wouldn't you go crazy if you were locked in solitary confinement?
But...
"Hey hey, damn brat, don't go!"
"Let's talk some more!"
"What do you want to know?"
"..."
The Three-Tails kept talking, desperate for conversation, but...
Uzumaki Jun still left.
Seeing the seal space return to silence, the Three-Tails pouted angrily and muttered, "Damn brat."
"When is 'next time'?"
...
Uzumaki Jun left the seal space. He didn't know how terrifying the Three-Tails' loneliness was. Seeing the worried looks from the elders, he smiled and said, "It's fine. I just went in to take a look."
"Jun, that's a tailed beast!" The elder, thinking he didn't understand how dangerous tailed beasts were, said sternly, "They're terrifying monsters in the shinobi world. You must know..."
But Uzumaki Jun didn't listen to the elder's lecture. He curled his lips. What terrifying monsters? They were just a bunch of tsunderes. As for why they attacked humans...
If you were going to capture them, couldn't they fight back?
"It's fine," Uzumaki Jun said helplessly, seeing the elders' concern. "I was just curious about what a tailed beast looks like."
"Don't do this again," the elder said sternly.
Uzumaki Jun nodded. He'd deal with future matters later.
Turning to Uzumaki Kai, who was now always by his side to relay his orders, he thought for a moment and said, "Go to the underground hideout and find a man named Gato. Bring him here."
Now that the war was about to end, it was time to start preparing for recovery and rebuilding.
Due to the war, the national treasury was running low on food and money. So Gato would have to make a trip. As a merchant, he was much safer than shinobi, as long as he hired enough guards.
As for Uzushio shinobi...
It was better not to let them wander around for now. Gato could go to the Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Nations, where supplies and food were plentiful. He could hire Konoha shinobi as escorts. As long as he didn't reveal he was Uzushio's merchant, there shouldn't be any issues.
So...
"Gato needs to go buy salt," Uzumaki Jun murmured.
With grain in storage, there's no panic in the heart.
As for everything else, it would have to be done step by step. Domestic construction, housing—these were all important.