As the people of Sand Village gradually left, only three young shinobi— Shinku, Sakumo, and Naoto—remained in the pit with Hiruzen to guard Shukaku.
Meanwhile, Shikatsu, Torifu, Takumi, and Ebizo continued negotiations in the reception room, while Chiyo and Shamon focused on helping the wounded and dealing with the aftermath in the village.
Chiyo, concerned about leaving Hiruzen alone with Shukaku, whispered, "Sensei, shouldn't we have someone stay and watch the Hokage?"
Shamon shook his head, "No need. The Hokage is wise; he wouldn't act recklessly over something like this. Besides, we're already short on manpower. It's better not to add more complications."
Back in the pit, Hiruzen casually used Earth Release to create some makeshift stools and a table. Sitting down, he struck up a conversation with Shukaku.
"So, One-Tail, how old are you? You keep calling me an 'old man' like a little kid."
"I'm Shukaku, and I'm nearly a thousand years old! I'm not a child!" the voice inside the seal retorted.
Hiruzen chuckled, "A thousand years old, yet you still throw tantrums and terrorize the Sand Village. Why are you picking on them?. I can't stand bullies happening in front of my eyes."
Shukaku huffed, "They were the ones who wronged me first! I shared the Sand Manipulation Technique with them, then even taught them sealing jutsu because they didn't have one but what did they do? They locked me up and refused to let me out! Don't you think that deserves punishment?"
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. So that's how the Sand Village got their Magnetic Release? They actually tried to use a tailed beast's own sealing knowledge against it? If he were in their position, he might have done something even bolder, but for now, he needed to keep Shukaku talking.
"Ah, so they broke their promise to you. I can't stand people who go back on their word either."
Shukaku grumbled in agreement, "I never go back on my word, but they did. They said they'd let me go, but they lied."
Hiruzen leaned in, "Who exactly betrayed you? Maybe I can help you get revenge."
"Reto, Shamon, and the rest… but only Shamon is still alive."
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. "So if you want revenge, shouldn't you go after Shamon instead of attacking innocent people? If someone wrongs you, you should punished them only by not involving everyone else. That's the right way to do things."
Shukaku went silent. This was new—no human had ever tried reasoning with him before. Usually, they either feared him or tried to fight him.
Meanwhile, Shinku, Sakumo, and Naoto stood nearby, struggling to contain their laughter. Watching their Hokage lecture a tailed beast like a misbehaving child was both impressive and hilarious. But when Hiruzen shot them a sharp look, they quickly covered their mouths.
After a long silence, Shukaku's voice came through hesitantly. "What… what do you mean by 'right way'? What is morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor?"
Hiruzen smiled, "I'm glad you asked. Let me explain…"
He then began teaching Shukaku about these five fundamental values, hoping to guide the ancient beast toward a more reasonable way of thinking.
Hiruzen continued his lesson, explaining the importance of the five aspects of personal growth:
Morality – Understanding right and wrong, and treating others with fairness.
Intelligence – Learning and thinking critically instead of acting recklessly.
Physical Fitness – Maintaining strength and discipline, something Shukaku already excelled in.
Aesthetics – Appreciating beauty and culture, developing hobbies instead of causing destruction.
Labor – Understanding effort and fair exchange, rather than expecting something for nothing.
He pointed out, "You taught them Sand Manipulation and Sealing Techniques in exchange for freedom, but they betrayed you. While that was unfair, the exchange itself wasn't equal. You trusted them, but they never truly intended to honor the deal."
Shukaku remained silent, seemingly deep in thought. Hiruzen decided to press further.
"Wouldn't it be better to become a tailed beast who embraces all five aspects in this new era?"
Nearby, Shinku, Sakumo, and Naoto were mesmerized by Hiruzen's words. They quickly took out small notebooks, writing down his wisdom as if they had discovered a treasure.
Finally, Shukaku spoke, his voice softer than before. "A long time ago, an old man also spoke to me like this… but I loved sleeping too much and forgot his words. Maybe he said something similar about morality, intelligence, and all that. I only remember him telling me not to harm humans."
Shukaku sighed, "But humans are annoying. They constantly wake me up, blame me for things I didn't do, and try to seal me away. It's a never-ending cycle. Years ago, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara decided we tailed beasts were too dangerous, so they captured us and locked us away. I was sealed in a tea kettle and sent here. The people of the Sand Village couldn't contain me properly, and Reto, their leader, kept disturbing my sleep. I got so annoyed that I gave them my own sealing technique—yet they turned around and used it against me. Shamon later tricked me into teaching him Sand Manipulation, and then he refused to let me go."
Shukaku paused before continuing. "It's been so long… maybe I really did forget what the old man said. Alright, fine. I'll try to be a good tailed beast—one that embraces all five aspects of morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor."
Hearing this, Hiruzen smiled. He stopped calling himself 'old man'—that's progress.
"You haven't seen how much the world has changed over the years. You're out of touch. How about this—I'll find someone to accompany you on a journey so you can explore and understand the modern era. But since your true form is too large and might frighten people, I'll create a seal that allows you to reside inside a human. This way, you can travel while resting when needed. The space might be small, though—do you mind?"
Shukaku was stunned, "You… you're actually a good person. No one's ever been this kind to me except for the old man. Fine, I'll teach you something as thanks! Even though your chakra isn't much compared to mine, it's still greater than most humans. I'll teach you the Sand Manipulation Technique."
Shinku, Sakumo, and Naoto were speechless. Their Hokage had actually talked Shukaku into willingly accepting a seal. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Since we're friends now, you should come out," Hiruzen said. "It's not polite to keep hiding."
"…Are you going to hit me if I come out?"
"No, I never attack my friends. Besides, if I really wanted to, your seal wouldn't be able to stop me."
A moment passed before Shukaku reluctantly agreed. "Fine… step back."
As the sand seal crumbled away, a towering tanuki-like beast emerged, its presence overwhelming. Instinctively, Shinku, Sakumo, and l Naoto jumped back.
Hiruzen smirked, "Shukaku, you scared ny disciples."
Shukaku flinched, ears drooping. "I didn't mean to!" His massive form shrank down until he was the size of an ordinary person.
Shinku, Sakumo, and Naoto quickly recovered. "It's okay, it's okay! We were just surprised." But deep down, they were thrilled—Hiruzen had just referred to them as his disciples! That was a major honor.
Hiruzen stepped forward and patted Shukaku's shoulder. "Let me introduce you properly. These are my disciples—Yuhi Shinku, Hatake Sakumo, and Mitarashi Naoto. I also have three other students back in Konoha—Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. They're still young, so I didn't bring them along. If you ever cross paths with them on your travels, look out for them, alright?"
He gave his students a subtle wink. Understanding the signal, they immediately bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, Shukaku-sama."
Shukaku trembled slightly. It felt… nice. He puffed out his chest, sand shedding from his body. I should give them something in return!
"Alright," Shukaku declared. "Since you respect me, I'll teach you a powerful Wind Release technique. My wind jutsu is incredibly strong—you'd better learn it well!"
The three shinobi's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Shukaku-sama!" This time, their gratitude was completely sincere.