Chapter 53: Choices
As I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in the middle of a massive, shady forest.
The air here felt… still. Not in a lifeless way—but in the way that everything was watching.
Everywhere I looked, I saw cats.
On the tree branches, lounging lazily.
In the grass, their eyes glinting with curiosity.
Even on the rocks, tails swaying rhythmically as they observed me in eerie silence.
They came in all shapes and sizes—sleek and muscular panther-types, tiny kitten-sized scouts, and even some that looked like they were more mist than fur.
But one thing was consistent across most of them: dark colors.
Shades of black, deep navy, smoky gray… their coats blended so perfectly with the shadows that it was hard to tell where one ended and the next began.
There were a few rare exceptions—white cats, glimmering like pale spirits among the dark. But even they felt... muted.
Like whispers in a forest that wasn't made for them.
Which made sense.
Can't call yourself the Moonshadow Clan and have your whole bloodline looking like snow, right?
Also, I definitely somehow ended up in heaven.
"Follow me!" Yoru chirped, her tiny black form bouncing ahead with far too much energy for someone who'd just been crying an hour ago.
The small cave entrance she ran into looked like it was designed for… well, actual cats.
I had to crouch.
At one point, I was basically on my elbows and knees, muttering about how I was going to lose skin off my shoulders at this rate.
But eventually, the narrow path opened up—and what I saw made me stop in my tracks.
An entire network of caverns stretched before me, glittering with bioluminescent moss and veined crystal.
The walls pulsed faintly with chakra, like the place itself was breathing.
And in the center of it all—a massive underground waterfall thundered down from the cave ceiling, cascading into a crystal-clear pool that lit the entire cavern in a shimmering, pale glow.
Even from a distance, I could feel the weight of it in the air, like it could tear someone in half without hesitation.
"…Okay," I muttered, eyes still locked on the water.
"Maybe you weren't exaggerating when you said your mom killed your uncle with a waterfall."
Yoru just tilted her head innocently.
"Uncle shouldn't have touched her tail."
Fair enough.
Eventually, after weaving through winding tunnels and leaping across smooth stone paths, I was led into what looked like a natural throne room—a high cavern where light filtered in through cracks in the ceiling, making everything shimmer in soft, silvery hues.
At the center of the chamber…
a massive black cat lay curled, her body practically blending into the shadows. She looked like an older, terrifyingly larger version of Yoru, with a sleek, dense coat and a regal air so thick it was suffocating.
I was about to say something when Yoru—completely unfazed—leapt onto her back like it was a beanbag chair.
She flopped dramatically, paws dangling off the sides of her mother's massive frame, and started patting her head like crazy.
"Moooom! Wake up! This is my new contractor I was telling you about!" Yoru beamed, smacking the side of the cat's face with her tiny paw and pointing proudly in my direction.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, the enormous cat's eyes slowly opened.
And wow.
They were massive.
Glowing golden-yellow, slit down the center like a blade—sharp, ancient, terrifying.
I instinctively tensed up—every cell in my body yelling predator.
But then…
The slits in her eyes widened slightly, round pupils forming as they softened.
That regal, menacing aura thinned… just a little.
She tilted her head, observing me with an expression that could only be described as… curious and amused.
I wasn't sure if I should bow, salute, or just not move at all.
"Okay? And why did you bring him here, Yoru?" the Matriarch asked, her voice deep, elegant, and somehow still warm.
I froze.
Wait... didn't you want to see me?
My eyes snapped to Yoru, who was now sprawled lazily across her mother's head, batting her tail back and forth like none of this was her problem.
She met my gaze with that same wide-eyed, blank-faced innocence she always wore when she knew she was caught.
"...Didn't you say your mom wanted to see me?"
"I did," Yoru replied nonchalantly, rolling over and flopping dramatically onto her back.
"But I also might've said it like this because it was really, really important so you'd come faster."
I narrowed my eyes.
The Matriarch let out a soft, amused rumble that sounded almost like laughter.
"She's crafty. Just like her mother."
Yoru grinned.
Typical cat.
"Well," the Matriarch said, finally sitting upright, her full height casting a long shadow over the cavern floor, "Now that you're here, I suppose it's time we see whether you're worth her enthusiasm."
She turned her massive head, locking eyes with me.
"Yoru... why did you bring this human to me?" the Matriarch asked, her golden eyes half-lidded with curiosity rather than concern.
Yoru, still perched on her mother's massive head, casually licked her paw, as if she'd been waiting for the question.
"I brought him," she began, pausing dramatically, "because he smells like choices."
The entire chamber fell silent.
Even the sound of the waterfall in the distance felt muted.
"…What?" I asked, caught completely off guard.
The Matriarch's eyes narrowed just slightly—not in annoyance, but contemplation. "Explain, child."
Yoru stretched with a little yawn before continuing, "Most humans we meet smell like decisions that were already made for them. Like they're just walking someone else's path. But he... he smells like someone who's still deciding what he wants to be. Like his story is still changing."
She flopped upside down, paws dangling lazily.
"And I think those are the most fun to be around."
The Matriarch blinked slowly, then looked at me again—this time, her gaze sharper, more focused.
As if she was finally seeing me not just as a contractor but a possibility.
"…Interesting," she replied.
I stared at Yoru.
"What the hell do you mean I smell like choices?"
The tiny cat just blinked at me like she'd dropped some great revelation and now I was the dumb one for not getting it.
The Matriarch let out a soft, deep chuckle that rumbled through the cave like a purring thundercloud.
"Don't take her words too literally," she said, lowering her massive head to rest near mine, golden eyes glinting.
"Yoru… has a strange gift. Ever since she was born, she's had a nose unlike any of our clan."
She paused, her voice thoughtful now.
"She claims she can 'smell the world.' Not just people or food or danger—but feelings, potential, moments that are about to matter. Forks in the road before they're even visible."
I blinked.
"She smells... possibilities?"
"In a way, yes," the Matriarch said with a small nod. "And usually, she wastes that gift chasing butterflies or pretending to be a ninja under the moonlight. She's still a child, after all."
Yoru puffed out her chest proudly. "I am amazing."
The Matriarch sighed but smiled gently.
"So when she told me she'd taken an interest in a human—I didn't say anything when she contracted the clan with you. Even if our clan doesn't like to work with the Leaf anymore…"
She turned her gaze back to me.
"Because when a child who sees nothing as serious suddenly takes something seriously… we listen."
…And now I had no idea whether I should feel honored or terrified.
The Matriarch tilted her head slightly, eyes softening with a patient curiosity.
"And what are the choices you smell, Yoru?" she asked, her voice laced with the kind of warmth only a mother could manage.
Yoru sat up tall—well, as tall as a small fluffy cat could—and squinted her eyes shut in the most exaggerated "thinking" face I'd ever seen. Her little tongue stuck out, one paw tapping her chin dramatically like she was contemplating the fate of the universe.
"…Mmm… mmmMMM…" she hummed, swaying slightly as she focused.
The Matriarch and I waited patiently as the tiny black cat finished her antics.
Finally, Yoru's eyes popped open, bright and full of childish excitement.
"He'll become part cat!" she declared proudly.
"…What?" I said flatly.
"He'll become part cat! Like the big flaming blue ancestor kitty-kat!" she announced proudly.
I froze.
Flaming blue…?
No way.
The Matriarch's expression changed for the first time—her eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation.
"You speak of the Two-Tailed Beast," she said. "The living fire of our bloodline. That is no ancestor, little one… that is a demon."
Yoru giggled. "I like her. She feels all grumpy but warm on the inside."
And just like that, it clicked.
My mind flashed back to the battle just a few weeks ago. The Hidden Leaf had captured the Two-Tails—sealed, sedated, and caged in secrecy.
Very few people even knew the full details… and yet here Yoru was, talking about it as if it were a bedtime story.
I didn't need the system to tell me—this was it.
A special opportunity.
Seems like the game had flagged me.
Presented me with a silent 'fork in the road.'
And now, that silent question lingered:
Do I want to walk the path of a Jinchūriki?
Even though I connected the dots, I didn't say anything.
Some things didn't need to be voiced just yet.
I definitely wanted to be a Jinchūriki.
That much was clear.
But… Did I want to be this one?
The host of the Two-Tailed Beast—the flaming cat?
I didn't know.
If I had the choice… honestly, I'm not even sure which tailed beast I'd go for. Each had their own nature, strengths, temperaments.
But this?
This wasn't some scroll selection menu—it was real.
Especially now that I know the Naruto world is real…how will bonding with a tail beast affect me?
If I remembered correctly, a person could only host one tailed beast.
So if I chose wrong… well, I guess I'd be stuck with a fire-breathing demon cat in my soul for the rest of the game…maybe even my life.
Still… I suppose I'd learn more about it as I progressed in fuinjutsu. That path held the answers—the deeper mechanics behind sealing, the truth behind these beasts, and maybe even what it meant to carry one properly.
For now, I simply nodded and kept my thoughts to myself.
...
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator