Chapter 12: The Nine-Tails Awakens

By tearing just one card, Kakashi's chakra had multiplied by ten!

This meant that many high-consumption jutsus that he couldn't frequently use before could now be used freely.

The number of times he could use his signature jutsu, Raikiri, had increased from four to forty!

His chakra had evolved into an incredible amount!

"This... this is unbelievable, boss! I can really feel the increase in my chakra!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Hearing Kakashi's words, Sakura and Sasuke, who were initially skeptical, were astonished. Their jaws dropped.

They had doubted that a mere card could multiply someone's chakra tenfold, but it turned out to be true!

Who exactly was this shop owner, An Lan?

An Lan smiled slightly. "It just works. Don't ask too many questions because even if I explained, you might not understand."

Kakashi didn't press further.

Even though this boss acted mysteriously and spoke cryptically, the benefits he provided were undeniably real.

Moreover, if he angered the boss, he might take back that amazing MP3 player.

After finishing her shumai, Sakura wiped her mouth and excitedly approached An Lan. "Boss, does this mean that if we make ten purchases, we can also draw a prize?"

"That's right. As long as you meet the requirement, anyone can draw. But as an honest shop owner, I suggest you spend within your means. Don't blindly purchase just for the lottery; after all, this is a gourmet shop, not a lottery store," An Lan advised.

Sakura had been ready to order ten more servings of shumai right away, but after hearing An Lan's words, she reconsidered.

She found that the boss was quite kind.

He didn't exaggerate his prizes just to make them spend more.

Such an honest boss was indeed rare.

"Alright then, boss, we'll come back for lunch. You'll be open, right?"

An Lan nodded.

After a short rest in the shop, the group left.

Naruto and his friends were all fired up today!

As soon as they stepped out, they rushed to take on missions in the village.

Even Sasuke, who usually disdained low-level tasks, was motivated today.

The mysterious MP3 that could make Kakashi's expression change...

The Chakra 10x Card...

Konohamaru's Platinum Star...

If they could also win a grand prize, wouldn't the Uchiha clan's revenge finally have hope?

After the breakfast rush, An Lan cleaned up and went back to the second floor to tally the earnings.

Thanks to his morning efforts, he had sold 310 servings of the three-egg shumai, earning 155,000 ryo and 310 consumption points.

And most importantly, he had also synchronized the Chakra 10x Card that Kakashi had drawn.

Now, his own chakra had increased tenfold, making the Nine-Tails inside him akin to having ninety tails!

"Hmm? What's happening? Why do I feel heavy in the rear..." A deep voice rumbled inside An Lan's belly.

The Nine-Tails slowly opened its eyes, glancing at its backside... Whoa! Why were there so many tails? There were almost more tails than its body!

Originally, the Nine-Tails had only nine tails.

But because An Lan used the Chakra 10x Card, and since the Nine-Tails was the main source of his chakra, its chakra also multiplied tenfold.

Thus, it now had ninety tails.

"That idiot Naruto! What did he do to me? Is he looking for death again?" the Nine-Tails cursed, fusing its tails back together.

Being a chakra entity, it didn't need surgery to reduce the number of tails.

"System, what's going on? Didn't you put the Nine-Tails to sleep? Now it's making a racket inside me," An Lan asked with a frown.

"Apologies, the anesthetic has worn off..."

An Lan: "..."

Did they really use anesthesia?

"Arrange something; I need to have a word with the Nine-Tails. Otherwise, it'll keep making noise and drive me crazy."

The system immediately complied.

An Lan's consciousness separated, entering his belly, and stood before the cage that sealed the Nine-Tails.

"Naruto! How dare you come in here?!" The Nine-Tails roared in fury, its blood-red eyes glaring, claws ready to break out of the cage.

But as it got closer, it was dumbfounded.

Who the hell was this?

"Hey! Who are you? How did you get in here? Is Naruto dead?" The Nine-Tails was puzzled.

It remembered sleeping for a long time, and its head still felt groggy.

Had many years passed during its slumber?

Was Naruto dead?

Was this the new Jinchuriki?

"My name is An Lan. I am your new master. From now on, you can call me master, boss, or lord... whichever you prefer."

"..."

The Nine-Tails had never met such an arrogant Jinchuriki before.

Did this guy, An Lan, even understand what a Jinchuriki was?

A mere Jinchuriki acting so superior?

"You've got some nerve, Jinchuriki," the Nine-Tails said, black-faced.

"Yes, I do. Is there a law against being bold?" An Lan retorted.

"..."

The Nine-Tails felt it couldn't win an argument with this Jinchuriki...

"Call me master or boss. If you amuse me, I'll let you out," An Lan said.

The Nine-Tails raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Of course. If you don't believe me, I'll open the cage right now."

An Lan pretended to be clueless and approached the seal on the cage, waving his hand over the seal symbol.

As he waved, the Nine-Tails' eyes followed, left and right, up and down. An Lan's teasing had the Nine-Tails nearly drooling.

"Hurry up and open it! If you do, I'll listen to everything you say!"