Kankuro and Youen stared curiously at the small dot of light floating out of Hikari's chest.

The light flashed brilliantly for a short moment. When they had blinked once again, there stood on the top of the table a lustrous creature the size of a small dog.

The pure-white creature had the body of a horse, the face of a dolphin, and five horns and five branches of long, silky soft tails with a shade of tan on each ends. Even with its diminutive size, it was exhuming a proud and majestic aura.

"B-big brother, this is... don't tell me..." Youen pointed at the creature with trembling hands.

"Yes," Hikari nodded. "This is a spirit beast from this world!"

"This One is a Tailed Beast!" Kokuo groaned.

"It can talk! It is indeed a spirit beast!"

The two of them quickly stood up and gave it a cupped fist salute alongside a respectful bow.

""This humble one greets the Venerable One!""

"Hoo..." Kokuo's eyes were brimming with indulgence. "I thought you're an exception, but is everyone from your past life actually treating these 'spirit beasts' well?"

"Any cultivators, even unorthodox ones, will treat Spirit Beasts with utmost reverence, Venerable One," Hikari responded.

"Hmm? Explain it to This One. "

"In our realms, Beast is the term for lesser beings who had attained even a sliver amount of consciousness, the most basic prerequisite to pursue Dao. If they managed to learn how to cultivate their qi, either through their bloodline or from chance encounter, they will be considered as Magical Beast.

From there on, those who deviated from Dao and become blinded by power are called Demonic Beast, while those who could attain Dao, the enlightened ones, are called Spirit Beast. The latter is always capable of speech, and of similar rank to deity-level cultivators, perhaps even stronger. To show respect to the strong is a common sense, no?"

"Hmm, This One likes the way your people think!" Kokuo nodded. "Maybe This One should go there with you when the time comes."

"Well... sure?"

'If we could go there, that is...'

"Uh... Would Venerable One graces us with your name?" Kankuro timidly asked.

"Hmm. It is not a problem," Kokuo replied. "This One is called Kokuo, the great Five-Tails. Burn that in your mind!"

""King Mu?"" The two said at the same time.

A vein popped up on the white beast's head.

"This One said, Kokuo! Who the hell is this King Mu?!"

"Ah, it's this wise Emperor from the Zhou Dynasty-" Kankuro answered.

"What does that have to do with This One?! This One doesn't even know what that 'chou' thingy is!"

"Uh..." Youen scratched his cheek. "That's how your name is written in our language..."

"..."

So that was why the girl called him like that way back when...

"Forget it. Hikari, This One has a surprise for you."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Hmph. The Tailed Beast had a smug look on its face. It began opening its mouth very slowly, as if trying to create a dramatic effect.

When its voice finally came out, she couldn't hide her astonishment.

"I can speak your language now."

Everyone was pleasantly surprised. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Venerable One... since when?!"

"Heheheh. This is result of my three years observation hearing you and that doggy."

"Impressive! As expected of an exalted spirit beast! This humble one admits defeat!" Kankuro clapped his hands merrily.

"Fufufu... As the saying goes, 'Young plants can not be forced to grow by stretching them'. It seems that all those times watching in silence finally bear fruit," Daji chimed in.

"It's not only cute, but also highly intelligent. It's surely a high-ranked spirit beast! Have you really mastered our language? Can you speak up more? Hey, hey, say more~" Youen urged while waving his fists in excitement.

Facing the barrage of more and more complex foreign words, as well as their expectant faces, the wise and honorable Tailed Beast... cowered and retreated back. It lowered its head until it reached the surface of the table in a manner resembling a dogeza.

"This One... This One apologizes..."

"""..."""

Why did it revert back to normal tongue...

Apparently, Kokuo could only understand limited number of words. It seemed more learning was required beyond this point.

The reincarnators' feeling was like getting a reward from the lottery, but the reward turned out to be free potato supply for a year. It was the pitiful kind of disappointment where you don't know whether you should be happy or sad...

Leaving the now-depressed Tailed Beast aside, Kankuro's expression grew serious as he turned to Hikari.

"Venerable Yao, the spirit beast came out from your body, does that mean...?"

The brown-haired girl winced.

"Yeah, so... it's sealed inside my body..."

The two blinked rapidly.

"Big brother... don't you know that sealing a spirit beast inside any container is an act punishable by Heaven...?"

"Venerable Yao, I know that you're trying to cultivate as fast as possible, but this method is..."

"You guys, calm down. It's not my fault!" she groaned. "It's already like this by the time that I woke up."

"Just let it out, then," Kankuro remarked.

"I can't. I've already unlocked the seal, but if I fully separate Venerable One from my current body, I'll die. The only option is to wait until this body has reached high enough cultivation stage to the point where losing Venerable One wouldn't be fatal."

"So... Nascent Soul stage or higher, huh... how long would that take?" the Anbu murmured.

"Well, how are you guys' cultivation?"

"Qi Condensation stage, seventh rank," Youen promptly replied.

"Qi Condensation stage, first rank," Kankuro replied, his face slightly red from shame.

"My cultivation is a bit different, since I'm following the path of a Magical Beast. But if I compare it to you guys, it's equivalent to Qi Condensation stage fourth rank," Daji said.

So, everyone were still in Qi Condensation stage at this point...

"...I'm also in Qi Condensation stage, fifth rank... and that's after four years of constant training..."

Hikari knocked her head on the table, thinking that life was really hard.

If they were still stuck in Qi Condensation stage at this age, wouldn't they miss the timing to reach Foundation Establishment stage? Could they even reach Nascent Soul stage in their entire lifetime?!

"My seventh rank is achieved through eight years of cultivation, and that's only because this body is better-honed than your younger body, big brother... relying on chakra alone is really bad for our progress."

"You guys are lucky to be able to train for years!" The black-clothed boy laughed in self-mockery. "I had only started six months ago..."

"Eh?" Hikari turned to him. "Come to think of it, Ox-Head... this is supposed to be 'reincarnation', right?"

"Yes?"

"Then why did I wake up in an eight-years-old body?"

"Oh, it's because our souls were damaged in the process."

Usually, a proper reincarnation was harmless for the soul. In a pristine condition, a soul's memories, if they hadn't been removed by Five-Fragrance Tea, would resurface around the time that their physical body was able to form consciousness.

However, in the case of a wounded soul, the memories from their previous life would be buried until the soul could return back to its normal state. The amount of time spent recovering was proportional to the damage.

"In my case, I needed around thirteen years before my memories resurfaced."

"It's more or less the same for me," Youen commented.

"Then... why is everyone ended up arriving in the same place?" Hikari wondered out loud. "With that many reincarnation path mixed in one pool, shouldn't we become separated in various planes of existence?"

"Ah, that..."

Kankuro glanced at Hikari.

"...it's Venerable Yao's fault."

"Eh?!"

The black-clothed boy coughed.

"Basically, when a soul entered a path, the entrance's light would intensify for a moment. Usually, it doesn't mean anything, since they're all contained in separate pools. However, at that moment, everyone who had fallen into the mixed pool was trying their best to survive. Logically, they would grasp toward the brightest light that they could find. The little difference that Venerable Yao had started ended up attracting everyone toward this world... is what I hypothesized."

"..."

Uh.

UHHHH.

How many had fallen into the pool? Wouldn't this world become infested with people from their realm?! This is a recipe for disaster!

"Congratulations, big brother, you've started a huge karmic overflow. What an achievement," Youen smirked.

"I didn't mean to do that! It was a mistake!"

"Yes, yes, everyone said that. It won't hold in court~"

"LISTEN TO ME! I'M INNOCENT!!"

"Alright, alright, everyone calm down," Kankuro harrumphed.

The commotion finally receded soon after.

"Sorry, we got a bit carried away..."

"Is all good," the boy grinned. "Nothing had happened so far, so I think the world can still hold on quite well. However, I actually agreed with Venerable Yao's plan to return back to our world. The Underworld is still in chaos after the attack. They'll need all the help that they can get. The faster that we can do it, the better."

"About that, there are two ways to return. I'm sure you guys already know about it," Hikari said. "The first method is simple, we just cultivate until we reached early Immortal stage. We can start preparing for Realm Manipulation ancestral mystic arts at that point. I'm sure with our combined effort, we can breach a path back to the Yang Dynasty. The second method..."

"We just have to die... right?" Youen murmured.

"Yes. I've actually considered this idea a long time ago. If we die, our souls will return back to the Underworld. That should be the fastest way to reach our goal. However... I can't be sure that the underworld of this realm is the same as ours, that's why I'm not confident enough to try it. We only have one shot, after all. If we lose our memories while being reincarnated, then it's all over."

"But thankfully, we now have Ox-Head here," Daji glanced at the boy.

As the Guardian of the Underworld, Ox-Head had an irremovable connection to that realm. Even if he got accidentally reincarnated, as long as his soul wasn't cleansed by King Yama himself, he would still retain this privilege. Thus, asking Ox-Head would be the most accurate way to gauge the situation.

Sadly, Kankuro shook his head with a grim expression.

"I have thought about it as well. However, I couldn't feel any connection with this realm's Underworld. Things work differently here. If we ended up dead at the moment, we might not be able to return."

As expected, things were never so easy...

"But, there's actually a way."

Their ears perked up when they heard that.

"I can still feel a connection to our Underworld, but it's vague. The problem is, I am a spirit of both mortal and heavenly realm, since I had to be able to go between those two places for my work. My connection was split between them. But, if we can find a soul who has undisputed connection to the Underworld, I might be able to connect a path of karma between there and this realm."

"In other words..."

"If you die and allow your soul to follow that path, you'll end up back in our Underworld!"

"That's great!" Hikari almost bounced up from her seat out of excitement. But then, she frowned again. "A soul with strong connection to the Underworld... who would it be aside from you?"

"Well..." Kankuro rubbed his chin. "Underworld staffs, maybe? Those heavenly souls who don't have to enter the mortal realm, their connection is stronger than mine. Did any of them fall into the pool?"

"Not sure..." Youen muttered. "Maybe... one or two did? I was too focused in the battle back then. Big brother Wu destroyed the entire place though. I won't be surprised if some Underworld staffs got mixed in."

"So, what you're saying is that we should find these people first."

"Exactly."

"Huh... easier said than done."

Their little group had grown to four at the moment, but from Hikari's point of view, it had taken four long years and a sheer amount of luck. Even if they did find another reincarnator, there was no guarantee that it would held an Underworld staff's soul. It would be a wild goose's chase in this vast, unknown world.

Still...

"It's better than nothing, right?" She grinned.

"Better than waiting until our hair turned white just to reach Foundation Establishment stage," Youen nodded.

"That will be our plan for now," the black-clothed boy said. "Find other reincarnators aside from us, and see if they're a member of the Underworld's staffs. If they still have strong enough connection to the Underworld, then I'll open a path and we can immediately go through. A bit crude, but let's do this!"

"Then, I'll leave the search outside of this village to you and little Mei."

"Uh... Venerable Yao..."

Kankuro suddenly turned apologetic, prompting Hikari to raise an eyebrow.

"I can't do it at the moment... I'll be busy with the Chuunin selection exam."

"In that case, me too. I'll have to accompany that hopeless boy," Daji chuckled.

Eh?

Ehhhh?!?

"There's a Chuunin selection exam starting next week. Big brother Huang, you don't know about it? That the reason why Honorable Ox-Head, who's now a shinobi of Sunagakure, can enter Konoha."

"I don't know! Why would I know something like that?!"

Youen sighed. Nevertheless, he was still smiling.

"I figured that you wouldn't. Don't worry. Honorable Ox-Head and big sister might not be available for now, but there's still you and me, right?"

"I can't get out of the village for too long, though."

"Tut, tut," the Anbu waved his finger playfully. "Remember, this is the really important Chuunin exam that will be the focus of the entire continent. The Third Hokage will be very busy with preparation. Security will also be concerned with people who are trying to get in, but they won't be that attentive for people who are trying to get out."

Hikari's eyes shone immediately.

"You mean-?"

"Yup," he smirked. "When the Chuunin exam started, you and I will have a little escapade of our own~"

---

After the discussion was finally concluded, they passed the rest of their time with lighter topics. Kokuo was the focus of many questions, mainly asking about its life as a 'spirit beast'.

The result were some teary-eyed cultivators who felt sorry for the little beast's tragic past.

"The people of this realm is so cruel... to treat a spirit beast like a tool... unforgivable!" Youen gritted his teeth.

"This is the reason why so many beasts in the past had entered the wrong path and turned into Demonic Beasts. To see the mistakes of the past repeating in a different world is just sad," Kankuro commented.

"Hmm, hmm, I definitely going to your world," Kokuo said with a wide grin. It then turned its eyes to the alluring beauty who was still cradling Hikari in her arms. "Doggy, why you impolite to I though?"

"Fufufu... the only one that I revere is my beloved Huang'er. Why should I bow down to a dirty farm animal like you?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold after her remark. The smile on Kokuo's face was extinguished in an instant.

"Uh... Venerable One, don't worry about it. She's always like this, hahaha..." Hikari laughed nervously. She shot the woman a warning glare, but the latter just smiled at her while tightening her hold.

Ah, those twin peaks were squeezing on her even more...

"Y-y-your t-tea..."

At that unfortunate moment, the waitress had returned with with five cups of steaming-hot tea on her tray. She placed one in front of each guests, lowering her head further down when she reached Hikari and Daji's seats, but then got confused when she had to put the last cup.

Err... who should she give it to...?

Her eyes landed on the white, plush-like animal-thingy sitting on top of the table. The two had a short staring contest for a moment before the girl started blinking rapidly, her feeble processing power finally short-circuited as she put the cup right in front of the plush.

"En-enjoy your tea..."

She ran off like the passing summer wind.

"Is... is that waitress alright...?" Kankuro murmured.

"Who knows? She's always been like that."

Daji took Hikari's cup, and then blow on it to make it a bit cooler. Only then did she handed it over to the owner. After that, she brought her own cup to her lips.

Seeing the two enjoying their tea, Youen and Kankuro followed suit. Kokuo dipped its head into the cup in front of it as well.

"Well, let's have a taste... GEHOHEHCKEHCKECHK"

They fell on their knees while retching all over the place.

Dear Jade Emperor in Heaven! Just one sip and they almost had a heart attack! What kind of otherworldly taste is this?!

""WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!""

""Sencha."" Hikari and Daji calmly answered.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SENCHA?! WHAT KIND OF SENCHA TASTED LIKE MELTED LEATHER?!"

"This tea house's sencha, apparently."

The brown-haired girl took another sip as if there was nothing wrong with the drink.

Meanwhile, Kokuo was sprawled on its back, mouth frothing while its body was convulsing uncontrollably. When the retching duo saw it, they were horrified beyond belief.

"B-big brother, big sister... how could you guys drink it so casually? What kind of higher level cultivation training is this?!"

Hikari just gave them a serene expression, like a monk who had reached enlightenment.

"You get used to it."

""I DON'T WANT TO GET USED TO IT!""

In the end, regardless of their complains, the tea house had gotten three more loyal victi- uh...customers.