Chapter 24: Konoha, what makes you think you are worthy of special treatment from Emiya Shirou!

Behind the mountains of Konoha.

The Nine-Tails, feeling despondent, chose Mito Uzumaki. After all, it truly did not want to be exploited by that man, Uchiha Madara; at the very least, Mito Uzumaki seemed to hold Emiya Shiyuan in high regard. If nothing else, the fact that Mito was willing to respect Emiya Shiyuan suggested that she was, perhaps, not such a bad person after all.

Thus, Mito Uzumaki became the first Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. She would seal the beast within herself to prevent Madara Uchiha from summoning it, to stop it from rampaging across the ninja world, and to do her best to dissolve its negative energy.

"Hmph..." The Nine-Tails felt no great resentment. It knew this was the best option currently available. Mito’s attitude toward it was gentle, and unlike Madara, she showed no desire to manipulate or exploit its power. It made sense—her husband was Hashirama Senju, and that bastard was more than just powerful. Still, the Nine-Tails felt a lingering trace of regret.

Standing proudly within the sealing barrier, the Nine-Tails poured its chakra into Mito while casting a haughty glance at Emiya Shiyuan. "Emiya Shiyuan! You will regret this! Once you witness the true, unleashed power of a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, you will surely regret refusing to let me seal myself within you over a thousand years ago..."

"Eh?" Hashirama Senju looked at Emiya Shiyuan, puzzled. "I thought it was said that you wanted to become the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, Emiya-dono? What does this mean?"

"Bastard..." The Nine-Tails glared at Hashirama with annoyance.

"Hashirama..." Mito quickly diverted her focus to call out to her husband.

"Brother..." Tobirama Senju frowned, hastily pulling his brother aside, hoping he wouldn't speak further and jeopardize the sealing process. Seeing his brother still itching to question Emiya, Tobirama leaned in and whispered the truth. How could he not understand the Nine-Tails' meaning by now? The beast clearly had an embarrassing history; it must have wanted to be sealed within Emiya Shiyuan, only to be rejected. This legendary saint... even the Tailed Beasts were willing to become his companions, even the most vicious and powerful of them all, the Nine-Tails.

Emiya Shiyuan watched as the Nine-Tails' figure gradually vanished into the sealing barrier, transforming into a stream of orange rainbow light that merged into Mito. Emiya Shiyuan held too many secrets. Many of a Jinchūriki's mysteries could not be hidden from a Tailed Beast. Even in this era, the perspectives of the Nine-Tails and Emiya would eventually diverge. It could never truly understand Emiya’s thoughts; these beasts, created by the Sage of Six Paths, were born with a deep, unbreakable bond to him.

In ancient times, the Nine-Tails had once left. Its departure had been a choice. Emiya felt a pang of longing for Katsuyu; perhaps only the slug he had raised since it was small would unconditionally support any decision he made, even knowing his true nature. The Nine-Tails... it would always cherish the Sage of Six Paths more. Emiya felt no regret, however, knowing that his old friend was, after all, the creation of the Sage, and the bond between them was something he could never attain.

A breeze swept past. A golden light suddenly erupted from Mito Uzumaki. The red-haired woman of the Uzumaki clan looked as if she were draped in gold; her hair and even her clothes were enveloped in golden chakra. Two fox-ear-like ribbons of gold sprouted from her head, and six pitch-black magatama appeared on the collar of her golden garment.

The flow of golden chakra was so abundant that it revitalized Mito’s weary spirit. As the first Jinchūriki, her chakra was striking, and her presence surged as she received the beast's gift. The Nine-Tails Chakra Mode! Only a Jinchūriki could truly unleash the power of a Tailed Beast. Mito could clearly feel the terrifying amplification of her physical strength under this chakra.

"This is..." Hashirama’s face showed shock as he stared at the chakra leaking from his wife. "This chakra is almost on par with mine!"

"You can actually use Kurama’s chakra directly?" Emiya Shiyuan watched the golden radiance and praised softly, "It seems you and Kurama are getting along quite well, since it is willing to let you use its chakra..."

"The Nine-Tails is actually quite easy to get along with..." Mito lowered her eyes. The truth was, the beast was incredibly arrogant, but Mito had to speak well of it. Because the Nine-Tails was Emiya’s friend, she dared not cage it completely, and fortunately, the beast did not entirely reject her touch. The only annoyance was that, within the sealing space, the Nine-Tails was constantly clamoring for her to use this power to kill her husband, Hashirama, and then challenge Emiya Shiyuan...

However, this was not the end of the journey for a Jinchūriki. Mito could clearly feel that using the chakra was not yet seamless; she and the Nine-Tails had not achieved true mutual trust. This raw, crude Chakra Mode was merely the Nine-Tails indulging her for the sake of Emiya Shiyuan. The path of the Jinchūriki had only just begun. She had a long road ahead.

Compared to her ability to use the chakra, Mito was more concerned with another discovery—a revelation that left her uneasy. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, she possessed vast chakra and powerful sensory abilities, allowing her to perceive the kindness and malice in others. The Nine-Tails Chakra Mode further enhanced these senses. It was precisely because of this that she felt unsettled. She could distinguish the intentions of everyone present, yet even with the Nine-Tails’ help, she could sense nothing from Emiya Shiyuan, save for a flicker of kindness when he spoke of the beast.

"..." Mito’s brow furrowed. What did this healer from the ancient era think of the people of the future? Why could she not sense his heart?

"You seem to be probing me..." Emiya Shiyuan cut through the silence, asking with mild curiosity, "Is there something wrong with me?" As a ninja with high vigilance and sensory prowess, Emiya prioritized this training above all else, knowing the troubles of the ninja world. In the ancient era, he had always feared being watched by Black Zetsu.

"..." Mito fell silent. She thought of Emiya’s prestige, his help in her becoming a Jinchūriki, and acknowledged her own strange thoughts. "Our Uzumaki clan has powerful sensory abilities; I can perceive the good and evil in people, and the Nine-Tails' chakra can do the same... But... we cannot detect..." Mito stared intently at Emiya, voicing her concern, "There are no emotions on your part, Emiya-dono."

The air grew heavy and strange. Only the Nine-Tails had spent time with Emiya in the ancient era. Even as a young beast, it had been able to sense human intent, and it, too, had been baffled by its inability to read Emiya’s emotions. Back then, the Nine-Tails had been innocent and had asked him directly. It had received an answer that left it somewhat unhappy.

At this moment, realizing that its Jinchūriki had asked the same foolish question, the Nine-Tails couldn't help but mock her. "Hey... you woman, you think too much. Back in the ancient era, Emiya Shiyuan spent his days healing the sick. He saved more patients in his lifetime than you have ever seen people, and to him, one patient is no different from another."

"To us... Uchiha Madara is a bastard who deserves to be executed. To you, who hold positions of power, the commoners you look down upon are just worthless trash. But to Emiya Shiyuan... whether it was a severely wounded Uchiha Madara or a sick person on the side of the road, he would save them, for he is a doctor."

"Even that old man, the Sage of Six Paths, whom you humans worship as a god, is no different from an ordinary human in his eyes. Who do you think you are? You woman... why on earth do you think you lot deserve special treatment from Emiya Shiyuan? That is far too greedy..."