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In the end, Ōnoki gave in. For the sake of Iwagakure, for the bigger picture, he had no choice but to surrender.
The Four-Tails had already become Hayato's trophy. More than that, the beast now stood on Hayato's side, making it officially his. And since Iwagakure were the ones who first stirred up trouble—slowly infiltrating Amegakure's territory—their shinobi being killed inside the Land of Rain was nothing more than what they deserved. Then, when Iwa tried to launch a full-scale war against the Rain, reparations became inevitable. Not just food, but resources, supplies, and even a few ninjutsu. Among them were the ones Hayato valued most: Iwagakure's secret techniques—Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique and Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique.
Hayato had specifically asked for those two. The Light-Weight Rock Technique granted the ability to fly.
A shinobi who could fly had the kind of overwhelming advantage that could crush anyone at the same level. As for the Added-Weight Rock Technique, its attack power was decent, sure, but that wasn't why Hayato wanted it. What he truly valued was the role it played in training.
Increasing someone's load was invaluable for a taijutsu-focused fighter like Hayato. Before, he would often strap huge boulders to his back for resistance training. Later, others like Might Guy and Lee would also train with weights strapped to their bodies.
But with the Added-Weight Rock Technique, training with extra weight became ridiculously easy for Hayato.
After striking the deal with the Tsuchikage, Hayato left the Land of Earth with a smile and made his way back to the Land of Rain.
The moment he set foot across the border, a blue blur came flying at him.
"Boss, look out!" the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, immediately jumped forward, pretending to be on high alert.
"Get lost!" Hayato barked, kicking Son Gokū square in the rear. The beast obediently jumped aside, clearing the way just as that blue figure dove straight into Hayato's arms.
"Hayato!" came a soft, trembling voice. "You're finally back! I missed you so much!"
There was only one person who would ever call him that so affectionately—Konan. She had run all the way to the border just to wait for him, determined to be the first to see him return.
"Alright, alright!" Hayato chuckled, pinching her nose. "You're a grown woman now. If people see you like this, they'll laugh."
"Hmph, I'd like to see who dares." Konan puffed up her cheeks and put on a serious face, suddenly looking more intimidating than cute. The nearby shinobi quickly averted their eyes, none daring to watch further.
Hayato only shook his head with a smile.
"It's done. Iwa surrendered and paid a heavy price for it. Let's head back," he said, patting Konan gently on the head.
"Really?" Konan's eyes lit up. "I knew you were the best!"
The surrounding shinobi couldn't hide their excitement either. Their eyes gleamed as they stared at Hayato, filled with burning admiration—borderline fanaticism. The kind of devotion where, if Hayato ordered them to take their own lives, they probably would without a second thought.
Just then, the Four-Tails came trotting over, wagging like a giant, overgrown puppy.
"Boss, boss! Don't forget about me!"
That broke the spell. Everyone's eyes finally shifted off Hayato and onto the massive beast before them. At the sight of Son Gokū's towering frame, quite a few shinobi stiffened. Some even showed outright fear in their eyes. After all, this was a tailed beast—a creature of limitless chakra and terrifying power.
...
When they saw such a powerful tailed beast calling Hayato "boss" all the time, everyone froze in shock. But a moment later, their expressions shifted into something more natural, almost like it made perfect sense. After all, who was Hayato? To them, he was like a god. For a mere tailed beast—just a beast in the end—to bow down before him, wasn't that the most normal thing in the world?
"This is Son Gokū! My pet! From now on, treat him well," Hayato introduced the Four-Tails to the people gathered around.
The corners of Son Gokū's mouth twitched at that. Pet? What kind of joke is this? He was a tailed beast, the kind of creature whose very name struck terror in everyone who heard it. And now someone dared to call him a pet? But then he remembered those bone-crushing fists of Hayato's… and decided to just let it go.
Sure, being called a pet rubbed him the wrong way, but what happened next took him completely by surprise. Instead of fearing him, the people of the Rain Country started looking at him with respect, even admiration—because he was Hayato's pet. Some even tried to offer him fruits and meat, though as a tailed beast he didn't actually need to eat. Still, being treated with reverence felt… pretty damn good.
Over time, Son Gokū found himself enjoying life in the Rain. No more hateful stares, no more being hunted or branded a monster, no more endless vigilance. Instead, people came every day to care for him, to wash his fur, to treat him kindly. For the first time, this life felt amazing. And before long, the Four-Tails had given his heart completely to the Rain Country.
"Wow, Hayato-nii, you're incredible! You even got your hands on Earth Country's secret jutsu—the Weight–Rock Technique! You can use it to fly!" Konan's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"Flying? Don't you already fly with your paper jutsu?" Hayato said casually.
"It's different! The Weight–Rock Technique can stack with my Paper Style, which means my flying speed will get way faster!" she explained, her face glowing with excitement.
"As long as you like it," Hayato said with an indifferent smile.
"Hehe, of course I like it! If it's from you, I'll love anything!" Konan said happily.
Hayato only shook his head and went back to flipping through the stolen Earth ninja techniques, leafing through the scrolls like it was nothing. Almost absentmindedly, he said to Konan,
"Oh, by the way, Konan."
"What is it, Hayato-nii?"
"Earth Country's handled. Next, put out a notice across the Rain: every foreign shinobi has to leave—Leaf, Sand, even wandering mercenaries. If they don't comply, kill them on sight. And if anyone wants to enter Rain Country, they'll need to register first."
"....."