Chapter 40, Part 1: Oh my god! Indra, you…

Uchiha Masaki collapsed to his knees on the sand, his mind still blank from the terrifying, world-destroying attack. His gaze toward Yan Sheng was filled with disbelief and horror.

Before he could think further, a violent roar from the abyss abruptly interrupted all his shock and thoughts. Instinctive fear, like ice water poured over his head, almost froze his blood.

"Roar!"

The enormous body of the One-Tailed Beast, made of sand and chakra, emerged from the man-made crack.

At the same time, the magnificent kaleidoscope pattern in Yan Sheng's eyes quickly faded, returning to bottomless blackness. A stinging and empty feeling came from his left eye—the ability of [Fleeting Beauty] entered a downtime of about twelve hours and could not be used again.

The [Netherworld Vision] in the right eye can still be activated.

Countless flowing data and colors suddenly appeared in Yan Sheng's field of vision, representing the outline of the soul, the radiance of merit, and the darkness of karma, all of which flooded into his perception.

Then, he clearly saw that on the chest of the massive body of the One-Tailed Beast, there was a clump of dark purple karma that he had never seen before.

Yan Sheng was taken aback.

This was the first time he had ever seen karma of this color. The instant he gazed at it, as if an instinct had been triggered, a certain understanding directly entered his mind: it was a color "beyond cause and effect," not belonging to the cycle of reincarnation, not bound by common sense, but a higher level of existence, close to "rules."

However, even if he saw through this truth, the ability of [Netherworld Vision] was destined to offer no real help in the current battle. It couldn't amplify the edge of his blade, nor could it predict the enemy's next move; it was merely a cold, objective statement of facts.

This means that in the upcoming battle, he will have to rely on the power he has cultivated in this life to face the enemy head-on.

But Yan Sheng showed no sign of panic.

After years of arduous training, he has successfully fused his breathing techniques from his previous life with the chakra of this world. Although it is certainly not as powerful as his demon form from his previous life, it is sufficient to deal with the One-Tailed Beast, which has now revealed its form.

—The combination of the ultimate body control brought by the breathing technique and the violent energy of chakra resulted in sword skills that were far more exquisite and powerful than in his previous life, at least dozens of times more so.

Of course, that 'boundary' still exists.

The latter six forms of Moon Breathing place an immense strain on the body, and forcing them into use with his current physique would be tantamount to self-destruction. Therefore, he can only utilize the first six forms.

“Uchiha Masaki.” Yan Sheng’s calm voice rang out, “Use your Sharingan to record its movements, analyze its patterns, especially the gaps in its defense transitions.”

"Yes!" Uchiha Masaki snapped out of his daze, activated his Sharingan, and stared intently at the One-Tailed Beast.

Over there, the One-Tailed Beast, sound asleep, was slapped awake. Always grumpy from being woken up, it was completely enraged. It let out a low roar, its massive claws lashing out, creating a sandstorm that crashed down on Yan Sheng like a giant tsunami. At the same time, it opened its enormous maw, and terrifying chakra began to gather.

Yan Sheng's eyes narrowed, and his chakra erupted from his feet.

Breath of the Moon, First Form, Dark Moon, Night Palace.

His figure instantly transformed into an elusive streak of light, rushing headlong into the towering sandstorm. His blade unleashed an arc of sword energy, cleaving the oncoming sand waves in two.

His speed was so fast, his movements so fluid, that the sandstorm that could have engulfed an army was torn open by him alone with his sword, creating a passage.

Uchiha Masaki stared in disbelief, feeling as if he were in a dream.

Just as Yan Sheng broke through the sandstorm, the purplish-black Tailed Beast Ball in the mouth of the First Tail had already taken shape and was about to erupt.

Yan Sheng's eyes were cold, and he changed his tactics without hesitation.

Moon Breathing - Second Form - Pearl Moon Dance.

He suddenly spun around, his sword drawing two huge, crescent-shaped arcs, not aimed at the One-Tailed Beast's main body, but instead slashing fiercely at the sand armor where the One-Tailed Beast's jaw and neck connected.

"boom!"

The slash exploded, and although it failed to break through the One-Tailed Beast's thick defense, it generated a huge impact, causing the One-Tailed Beast's head to tilt backward.

The Tailed Beast Ball, about to erupt, instantly lost its aim, shooting off at an angle into the sky, and finally exploding into a huge "firework" in the distant sky.

"Roar!" The One-Tailed Beast became even more enraged after its attack was interrupted, and its huge tail swept towards Yan Sheng like a mountain range.

Yan Sheng retreated rapidly, and at the same time, the flash of his sword changed again.

Moon Breathing, Third Form, Aversion to the Moon, Erosion.

Countless small crescent-shaped blades with corrosive properties rushed towards the sweeping giant tail like a swarm of bees. Although they could not completely stop its momentum, they could continuously weaken and cut the sand chakra on it, slowing down the speed of the One-Tailed attack and buying Yan Sheng precious time to dodge.

Yan Sheng's figure flashed and moved rapidly around the mountain-like body of Ichiba, like a hummingbird circling a giant elephant. He executed the first six forms of Moon Breathing in turn, exquisitely beautiful, each strike carrying a sharpness and coldness that could tear everything apart.

The First Form can dash forward and tear through, the Second Form can deliver a powerful strike to interrupt, the Third Form can corrode and weaken, the Fourth Form can provide area-of-effect control, the Fifth Form can unleash a powerful burst of attacks, and the Sixth Form...

Uchiha Masaki was completely dumbfounded. He frantically used his Sharingan to record the scene, feeling an even greater shock than when the One-Tailed Beast appeared.

Young Master Yan Sheng's true strength is terrifyingly high; he can fight a tailed beast to a standstill.

Also, where did he learn this swordsmanship...? Is Young Master Yan Sheng a swordsmanship genius?

Yan Sheng was completely focused on the battle, oblivious to Uchiha Masaki's thoughts and having no interest in knowing them. His breathing was long and rhythmic, and his chakra flowed through his body like a rushing river, perfectly synchronized with his sword techniques.

He weaved through the gaps between the flashing blades and the sandstorm, searching for that one and only chance.

To "tame" this beast, simply hiding and harassing it is not enough.

He needs the decisive power to make a final decision.

As he fought, he activated the [Yellow Spring Vision] in his right eye, his icy gaze piercing through the massive sand shell and locking onto the surging dark purple karma in its chest.

Instinct told him that this was the key.

......

The roar of the tail was earth-shattering. Every swipe of its claws and every flick of its tail stirred up a devastating sandstorm, trying to crush that extremely annoying insect.

However, Yan Sheng always managed to escape danger at the last minute with his exquisite swordsmanship and agility.

The first six forms of Moon Breathing seemed to come alive in his hands, able to be combined and transformed at will. The fusion of chakra and breathing techniques imbued each of his attacks with a chilling sharpness that seemed capable of tearing apart the soul, constantly leaving deep slashes on the One-Tail's massive body. Although these wounds were quickly filled by the flowing sand, they were undeniably consuming the One-Tail's power and continuously enraging it.

Uchiha Masaki had already calmed down from his initial shock. His three-tomoe Sharingan was running wildly as he frantically recorded and analyzed the One-Tailed Beast's attack patterns, the flow of chakra, and the extremely brief gaps during its defensive transitions.

Then he discovered that although the One-Tailed Beast's attacks were incredibly powerful, their patterns were relatively simple. It relied more on absolute strength and massive chakra to crush its prey, and its enormous body sometimes appeared rather clumsy.

"Right side! 0.3 seconds after the Sand Claw strike! Chakra under the armpit will briefly dissipate!" Uchiha Masaki shouted. His voice was insignificant amidst the sandstorm and roar, but he knew that Yan Sheng could hear him.

Sure enough, just as the giant claw missed its target once again, sending up a sandstorm, Yan Sheng's figure appeared as precisely as a ghost under the armpit of its raised right forelimb.

Moon Breathing, Fifth Form, Moon Soul Calamity Vortex.

A breathtaking storm of moon blades erupted instantly, slashing fiercely into the exposed, weakest point of chakra flow under the armpit of the One-Tailed Beast.

"Sizzle—"

It was no longer the feeling of cutting through sand and soil as before; this time, the katana seemed to have cut into something more substantial.

"Roar!"

The tail let out its most painful howl since the start of the battle, showing that the blow had taken a heavy toll on it. And it was indeed heavy; a huge gash was visibly ripped open in its sandy armpit area, and its massive body staggered a few steps as a result.

Right now.

In that split second when the tailed beast lost control due to excruciating pain, its defenses opening to their greatest vulnerability—

Like an arrow released from a bow, Yan Sheng charged into Yiwei's body through the gap that had been cut open!

"Young Master Yan Sheng!" Uchiha Masaki was terrified.

The body of the One-Tailed Beast is not actually flesh and blood, but a chaotic energy space composed of highly concentrated, extremely violent chakra and sand.

An ordinary ninja who broke in would probably be crushed instantly by this terrifying torrent of chakra.

But Yan Sheng was prepared.

[Full Concentration Breathing]

His breathing rhythm was compressed to the extreme in an instant, and the chakra around his body circulated wildly in an unprecedented way, forming an extremely condensed protective gale that constantly emitted cold moon blades, forcibly opening up a small, temporary safe zone in this violent chakra turbulence.

His goal was crystal clear—directly ahead, that deep purple karmic force pulsating like a heart.

The One-Tailed Beast sensed the uninvited guest intruding into its body and frantically mobilized its chakra, attempting to annihilate the intruder.

Terrifying pressure pressed in from all directions, and the protective aura around Yan Sheng emitted a hum that seemed unable to bear the strain, as if it would shatter at any moment.

But he ignored everything else, his eyes fixed only on the 'heart' that was so close at hand.

The sword in his hand emitted a shrill hum, and all his power—chakra, breathing techniques, and willpower—was concentrated at the tip of the blade.

Moon Breathing - Land Form - Everlasting Night Lonely Moon - Infinity.

He pushed his body to its absolute limit, unleashing the last move he could control at the moment.

That extremely condensed, slender crescent-shaped slash, seemingly capable of cutting through space, was like the only light in the darkness, precisely piercing the dark purple karmic force.

"Pfft."

"Aww!"

A terrifying, piercing scream erupted from its tail. Then, its massive body stiffened abruptly as if its bones had been removed, before crashing to the ground with a deafening roar, kicking up a cloud of dust. The sand armor covering its body began to crumble and slip uncontrollably.

Yan Sheng, who rushed into his body, was violently ejected by a huge repulsive force the moment he hit the 'heart'. He crashed heavily onto the sand in the distance, vomiting a mouthful of blood. His face was as pale as paper, clearly indicating that he had suffered serious internal injuries.

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, half-knelt up, and stared intently at Yiwei, who was lying on the ground convulsing in front of him.

The enormous body of the One-Tailed Beast convulsed and shrank violently. Its once boundless chakra leaked out rapidly like a punctured airbag. It lost the terrifying energy that supported its massive size. Its mountain-like body shrank rapidly, and the sand collapsed. In the end, only a small thing the size of a palm, barely maintaining the outline of a raccoon dog, remained in the original place.

It slumped onto the sand, its once raging crimson eyes now filled with bewilderment and confusion, completely unaware of what had happened—the inexhaustible chakra that had existed since its birth had vanished, and it now felt weaker and more bewildered than ever before.

While I was still in a daze, a shadow fell over me.

Little Yiwei blankly raised its head and saw the human who had caused its current situation walk up to it, coldly looking down at it.

***

The desert returned to silence, with only the mournful sound of the wind blowing across the dunes, and... a discordant sobbing sound.

Uchiha Masaki had finally recovered from the huge shock of "the tailed beast being destroyed by the young master and turned into a tiny little thing" when he looked in the direction of the sound and was immediately stunned again.

The shrunken One-Tailed Beast sat on the sand, covering its face with its two tiny sand claws. Its round little body twitched, and large "tears" formed from a mixture of pure chakra and sand rolled down from between its little claws, falling onto the sand and making small craters with soft "plop, plop" sounds.

"Waaah... Waaah... Damn it... It hurts so much... You wretched humans!" It cried and cursed incoherently, its voice heavy with childishness and sobs, a stark contrast to its previous earth-shattering roar.

The monstrous, ferocious beast that had just been so destructive was now crying pitifully, like a child who had been robbed of his candy and beaten. This stark contrast shocked Uchiha Masaki's understanding, making him momentarily feel...a little soft-hearted? And even a little absurdly comical.

But Yan Sheng was not soft-hearted at all; he did not possess the emotion of "soft-heartedness." Looking at Xiao Shazi, who was crying and trembling in front of him, his cold and handsome face remained unmoved.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly reached out and pinched the sand on the back of Xiao Yiwei's neck.

"Hiccup?!" Little One-Tail, who was crying so intensely, suddenly froze, its sobs abruptly ceasing, and it let out a hiccup. It kicked its short legs in fear, trying to turn around to see which bastard dared to offend its One-Tail Master like this, before Yan Sheng pulled it in front of him.

Yan Sheng lifted it to eye level and swayed it from side to side, as if assessing the sturdiness of an object. Little Yiwei was dizzy from the shaking, furious but unable to speak, holding back tears, glaring resentfully at this terrifying human with its small, bright eyes.

“Very good.” Yan Sheng uttered two words calmly and without any emotion—this size is very easy to carry.

He naturally tucked Xiao Yiwei into his large sleeve pocket, and even kindly adjusted its position to make it a little more "comfortable" so that it wouldn't fall out.

Uchiha Masaki: "..."

They watched helplessly as the legendary creature, resembling a tamed pet, was casually slipped into Yan Sheng's wide sleeve without batting an eye.

At this moment, all the terrifying rumors about the Tailed Beasts' destructive power, deeply ingrained in our understanding, and the filter of awe and reverence, shattered completely with a "snap."

***

Daylight broke.

As he embarked on his journey back to his clan's territory, Uchiha Masaki's inner turmoil was far more intense than the endless desert horizon before him.

His gaze repeatedly drifted to the tall, aloof figure ahead. The boy's steps were steady and swift, his clothes fluttering in the hot desert wind, showing no sign that he had just experienced an earth-shattering battle, except that his face was slightly paler than usual, and the small thing in his sleeve pocket occasionally twitched very slightly, indicating that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Countless questions churned in Uchiha Masaki's mind like boiling bubbles.

His lips moved a few times, but the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.

He had followed Young Master Yan Sheng for two years, and those two years were enough for him to understand the temperament of this young master: cold, taciturn, and with a deep mind like a bottomless pool of cold water. He never explained anything and never bothered to explain anything to anyone.

His power and his secrets belong only to him. Asking about them will most likely only result in cold indifference, or even annoyance.

well.

Uchiha Masaki ultimately followed in silence, suppressing all his questions and transforming them into a more complex sense of awe.

......

After the initial confusion, Xiao Yiwei, whose sleeve pocket had been stuffed inside, slowly came to her senses.

What a disgrace! Absolutely a disgrace!

It, the one-tailed Shukaku, has dominated the ninja world for a thousand years. Today, it was not only brought back to its original form by a human and picked up like a chick, but was also stuffed into his sleeve as a toy.

This is intolerable! Absolutely intolerable!

As a result, Yan Sheng's sleeve pockets began to stir.

First came the slight wriggling, then the soft, whimpering complaints.

"Hey...human...I'm hungry!" Little One-Tail tugged at Yan Sheng's arm with its paw, trying to get his attention. "I want to eat...eat that! The sweetest purple grape in the desert oasis."

Yan Sheng remained expressionless, his steps unwavering, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Little One-Tail waited a while, and seeing no response, it became angry and pulled harder on Yan Sheng's arm: "Did you hear me! You stupid human! I, Lord One-Tail, want to eat the Purple Grape! Now! Immediately! Right now!"

Yan Sheng continued to ignore it.

Little One-Tail's eyes darted around, and she changed her excuse again: "And another thing! Can't you walk a little more steadily? You're making me so wobbly! One-Tail Master wants to sleep! How can I sleep if you keep swaying like this? Walk more steadily!"

The more it talked, the more convinced it felt it was right. It started wriggling around in its sleeve pocket, trying to assert its "rights" and vent its dissatisfaction in various ways.

One moment it complains that the wind and sand outside are too strong and hurt its ears; the next moment it cries out that it is thirsty and wants to drink iced flower dew collected in the morning; and then it complains that the pocket in its sleeve is too dark and makes it hard to breathe.

Taking advantage of its small size, it felt that Yan Sheng couldn't do anything to it, and became even more noisy. Chattering and grumbling, it was like a spoiled little tyrant, turning the whole journey into its personal stage for complaining.

Uchiha Masaki followed behind, his eyes twitching as he listened.

He couldn't reconcile this noisy little thing with the enormous creature from before. This tailed beast's personality... was far too childish?

Yan Sheng initially ignored him, treating it as mere background noise. But his patience had its limits, especially after a battle, when his body wasn't at its best and he needed to remain vigilant while traveling.

Finally, when Xiao Yiwei tried to scratch the skin on the inside of his arm for the nth time with its sharp little claws, accompanied by its unreasonable demands of "I don't care! I want to eat! Go find some for me!", Yan Sheng frowned with a cold arc.

The hand hanging by her side reached into her sleeve pocket and precisely pinched the small clump of sand that was scattering inside.

Then, forcefully clench your five fingers together.

"Waaaaah—!"

A short, sharp cry came from the sleeve pocket, then stopped abruptly.

Yan Sheng showed no mercy in his squeeze, nearly crushing the One-Tailed Beast's body, which was made of chakra and sand.

In an instant, all the noise, wriggling, and complaints in the sleeve pocket disappeared.

A deathly silence.

Yan Sheng released his hand expressionlessly, as if he had merely adjusted his cuffs.

From then on, for the rest of the journey, the pocket remained as quiet as if it were empty.

Huddled in the corner, trying to curl up into the smallest ball, not even daring to make a sound of crying, Little Yiwei was inwardly cursing wildly and viciously:

'Damn humans! Bastards! Demons! You heartless executioners! This is killing me! Just you wait! You just wait! When I regain my power! I will... I will... I will... you... you...'

It insisted for a long time, but found that based on that unforgettable pain and repression, it didn't even dare to depict a particularly extreme scene of revenge in its imagination.

Finally, all the surging anger and curses transformed into a single, repetitive, and utterly intimidating wail that echoed in its little head:

'...Damn humans!'

***

After returning to his ancestral home, Yan Sheng did not go back to his residence to tidy his dusty clothes. Instead, he headed straight for the mansion in the center of the ancestral home, a symbol of the pinnacle of power.

He arrived without hindrance at the depths of the mansion, in front of the study where clan leader Uchiha Madara handled affairs. He knocked twice, and after receiving permission, he opened the door.

Inside, Madara Uchiha sat behind his desk, reviewing scrolls. The afternoon sun shone through the window, casting interplay of light and shadow on his sharply defined profile, making him appear even more dignified and profound.

He didn't look up, but his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before his deep, imposing voice rang out: "I told you, don't bother me unless it's urgent."

Yan Sheng seemed not to hear the displeasure in his words and walked straight to the table.

Ban then raised his eyes, his deep, dark eyes like an icy pool containing invisible pressure, looking at the uninvited intruder. Seeing that it was Yan Sheng, his slightly furrowed brows relaxed a little, but the next moment they furrowed even more—he noticed the sand and dust still clinging to his younger brother's robes, the tiny tears, and the faint smell of blood.

"They fought," he said definitively, then asked, "Where are you hurt?"

Yan Sheng did not answer his question. He reached into his sleeve, rummaged around for a moment, and then pulled out something, casually placing it on the scroll filled with important information that was spread out in front of Ban.

It was a palm-sized, raccoon-shaped toy made of sand. The workmanship looked a bit rough, like a clay toy that a child had casually sculpted.

Ban's gaze fell on the little thing.

"What's this?" he asked. "A souvenir?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the "little clay sculpture" seemed to tremble uncomfortably, either because it had been placed on a smooth scroll or because it felt two extremely oppressive gazes.

Ban's eyes sharpened instantly.

It can move?

It's not a toy.

His gaze was fixed on the small thing on the table as if it were a physical object. The little thing trembled even more violently, and even the sand that made up its body made a slight "rustling" sound.

Ban had never seen such a creature before. It resembled a raccoon dog, yet was made of sand, and seemed to possess consciousness; clearly, it was a living being.

Some kind of strange summoning beast? Or a creation of a bloodline limit?

Just as Ban was rapidly trying to figure out what this thing was, Yan Sheng's calm and composed voice rang out, answering his question.

"This is a tail."

The air in the study seemed to freeze for a moment.

The incense smoke on the table rose straight up, and the shouts from the training field could be faintly heard outside the window, but they seemed to be infinitely pulled away and isolated.

A rare look of surprise appeared on Madara Uchiha's handsome face, which was always composed and unfazed even in the face of a collapsing mountain. His gaze slowly shifted from the little sand raccoon that was trembling under his gaze to Yan Sheng's face.

Two strikingly similar, equally handsome, and coldly dignified faces stared at each other silently across the desk.

Silence spread through the air.

After a while.

Madara Uchiha's lips moved, and a deep, mellow voice rang out: "Yan Sheng, are you joking with me?"

It seems that people really do need to go out more. Look, after just one trip out, his usually aloof and serious younger brother, who's like a little old man, is already telling jokes.

The joke was a bit lame.

However, there was no hint of joking in Yan Sheng's dark eyes, only his usual calm and seriousness.

"I injured it, and that's how it turned out. It's perfect for carrying around."

"......"

Madara Uchiha fell silent again.

His gaze returned to the trembling little sand raccoon, but this time, his eyes were no longer filled with curiosity about strange creatures, but with scrutiny, inquiry, and a hint of absurdity that he desperately wanted to believe yet found hard to accept.

He suddenly stretched out his finger and reached towards the little thing.

However, before the fingertips could even touch it, the little raccoon seemed to sense something terrifying. It let out a mournful "woof" in fright, then closed its eyes, its whole body stiffening like a statue, just like a frightened sheep that had died.

Yes, that face... those eyes... that terrifying chakra that seems to devour everything...

Memories from a thousand years ago exploded in Yiwei's mind like being plunged into ice water from a red-hot iron, making Yiwei's scalp tingle.

"Oh my god!" After a while, it finally found its voice and let out a louder, more panicked scream, "Indra?! What are you doing here? No! I must have messed up my brain! I'm hallucinating, that damned human brat must have made me stupid, even giving me this terrifying hallucination!"

It babbled incoherently, stubbornly denying everything it saw in this way.

How could Indra still be alive? He's dead! He's been dead for hundreds of years!

As Yiwei screamed, she snapped out of her daze and frantically tried to roll over and get up, wanting to escape this terrifying "hallucination".

But the more flustered he became, the more mistakes he made. His short legs, made of sand, kicked futilely on the scroll, rolling twice more instead, making him look both pathetic and comical.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Since there are no Jinchuriki yet, the Tailed Beasts don't harbor as much hatred towards humans, so I've made the One-Tail a bit cuter here!