Uzumaki Naruto paused, then continued striding toward the Hyuga Clan, while his consciousness had already entered the seal.
The dim sewer-like space.
Uzumaki Naruto did not know how many times he had come here.
Following the long path to the seal, he looked at the Nine-Tails standing upright, its nine tails sweeping across the sky, and smiled. "Hey, Kurama, maybe I really will need to borrow your power."
Although he had never drawn heavily on the Nine-Tails' chakra before.
Naruto believed that with his willpower and Adamantine Chains, he could withstand the Four-Tails state without any problem.
"Naruto, are you finally going to borrow my power!?" The Nine-Tails lowered its massive head to look at Naruto, a trace of excitement in its deep voice.
He recalled his first meeting with Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto had only been a one-and-a-half-year-old baby then.
At that time, he had wanted to kill Naruto and escape the seal, but he had failed.
Yet the baby had not seemed afraid of him. Instead, Naruto had come to the Sealing Space time and again, sitting outside the cage and talking to him.
He had been too lazy to pay Naruto any attention, merely letting the baby ramble outside the cage.
Until Uzumaki Naruto turned four.
The Nine-Tails remembered it clearly. That time, Naruto had been struck on the head by a stone and entered the Sealing Space while unconscious.
That had also been the first time he offered to lend Naruto chakra, using it to take revenge on those Konoha villagers.
Unfortunately, Naruto had refused.
Even up until today, Naruto had never truly borrowed his power.
Every time Naruto came to the Sealing Space, it was only to chat. The Nine-Tails was beginning to wonder whether Naruto had a masochistic streak.
If he did not, how could he let others bully him for seven years?
What was more, he had told Naruto his true origins long ago, yet Naruto had merely smiled and said he already knew.
Though the Nine-Tails did not understand Konoha, he knew that the Hokage was the most powerful leader.
You were the son of Konoha's leader. Not only had your identity been concealed, but you had also been bullied every day. How could any normal person endure that?
Yet Naruto had not only endured it, he even wore a smile at all times.
Only the Nine-Tails knew how much coldness was hidden beneath Naruto's smile.
"I'll lend you my power. Go on, kill all the ninjas who bullied you and all the villagers harboring malice. Show them all the darkness in your heart. Destroy that damned village. I won't take your body."
The Nine-Tails' voice was wildly fervent.
Killing!
Destruction!
Kill every human who had humiliated Uzumaki Naruto.
Though he was not involved himself, the Nine-Tails was just as eager, excited, and fervent.
The suppressed volcano... was it finally about to erupt?
"No!"
Unexpectedly, Naruto shook his head.
"It's still too early to borrow all of your chakra. After all... Kurama, it seems you haven't fully acknowledged me yet, have you!?"
Naruto smiled as he looked into the Nine-Tails' huge eyes.
If the Nine-Tails completely acknowledged him, he would become a perfect Jinchuriki, and there would not be the slightest chance of losing control.
The Nine-Tails fell silent.
He truly had not fully acknowledged Naruto. It was not because he did not trust him, but because the nature of a tailed beast would not allow him to acknowledge the weak.
Naruto smiled, turned, and left, speaking as he walked.
"Kurama, if there's a chance... let's fight."
Though Kurama had a good relationship with him, Naruto could not earn Kurama's acknowledgment if he was not strong enough.
A fight was the best choice.
The Nine-Tails revealed a faint smile as he watched Naruto's departing back, then growled, "Brat, don't get too cocky. You're still a hundred years too early if you want to defeat me."
At that, the Nine-Tails' voice paused slightly before he spoke again.
"Naruto, can you tell me now... what exactly is your purpose?"
The Nine-Tails knew that he did not understand Uzumaki Naruto.
Even though he had watched Naruto grow up, he still did not understand the boy.
Ever since Naruto mastered Adamantine Chains and reached the strength of a jonin, why did he still remain in Konoha?
Was there anything here worth staying for?
The Nine-Tails could not understand.
He wanted to understand Naruto better.
To understand Naruto's heart.
Just as Naruto was about to vanish from the Sealing Space, he paused, tilted his head slightly, and revealed a brilliant smile.
"My purpose?"
"There is only one purpose: destroy this filthy, dark Ninja World!"
His consciousness returned to the outside world.
Naruto stopped walking, his azure eyes looking toward the Hyuga Clan.
"System, how much money do I have left?"
Naruto asked.
Replying to host: You currently have 7.42 million remaining.
"Use all of it to purchase detection ninjutsu."
The next second, Naruto closed his azure eyes. His detection range expanded from merely his line of sight to several thousand meters in every direction.
His consciousness swept through one place after another in the Hyuga Clan.
At last, it stopped outside Little Hinata's bedroom.
"Hyuga Hinata, don't stop. Learn properly from your younger sister. Practice another ten sets of Gentle Fist. You are not allowed to rest until you finish..."
"Your movements aren't standard. Do it again."
"Why can't you learn from your younger sister? You are the Main Family of the Hyuga Clan. Don't disgrace us..."
A Hyuga Clan ninja looked coldly at Little Hinata, his voice stern as he berated her mercilessly. From time to time, he used a stick to strike her arms and legs.
Little Hinata's fair palms had turned bright red, faintly swollen, yet she still held back her tears as she struck the wooden post before her.
Bang! Bang! Bang...
"..."
Standing at the main gate, Naruto's eyes had turned scarlet, but he still forced himself to keep watching.
The surrounding rookies did not dare persuade him. Their faces were filled with worry as they looked at Naruto, praying over and over for Nara Shikamaru to bring his father over soon.
About half an hour later.
Little Hinata finally finished one hundred sets of Gentle Fist. Her small hands were swollen, red as though blood might drip from them.
Thud!
Exhausted beyond measure, Little Hinata collapsed to the floor. Her face was deathly pale, but she still endured it and looked toward the stern middle-aged ninja.
"Lord Setsuna, can I go to school now?"
Hyuga Setsuna sneered.
"That won't do. If you go to school, you'll definitely go looking for that Fox Demon Brat, won't you?"
"You are the Main Family, the future clan head of the Hyuga Clan. Our lives will be in your hands. How can you associate with that damned brat?"
"Continue."
"Practice another hundred sets of Gentle Fist. Only when you have forgotten that Fox Demon Brat, or surpassed your younger sister, will you be qualified to stop. The Main Family of the Hyuga Clan cannot be trash."
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