"Not bad. The past year or so at the academy wasn't wasted."
Shamu praised Naruto.
"I brought you here today so you could get to know the Nine-Tails."
"You suffered all these years because of him. But back then, he came to Konoha because someone controlled him."
"Now that you know you're a Jinchuriki, you need to learn how to get along with a Tailed Beast."
"Living peacefully with a Tailed Beast won't just make you stronger. It's also what your father hoped for you."
At the mention of his father's hopes, light gradually returned to Naruto's eyes.
"Don't worry, Shamu! I'll work hard!"
Hearing Naruto end with that familiar "Believe it," Shamu knew Naruto had regained his spirit.
Shamu led Naruto forward. The current scene was merely a mental illusion; though the gate seemed far beyond the horizon, it was actually not far away.
As Shamu led Naruto onward, the Sharingan in his eyes kept spinning.
The distance between Shamu and Naruto and that gate visibly shrank at a rapid pace.
"An Uchiha!!"
A thunderous voice exploded beside Naruto's ears, and he instinctively covered them.
Bang... A massive claw struck the gate, and the "Seal" character in its center radiated a dazzling light.
"Roar! Damn it!" The Nine-Tails' claw was violently knocked away. Yet it crashed into the gate again with even greater ferocity, producing dull booms.
"Calm down, Nine-Tails!" Shamu glared.
The Nine-Tails' entire body went rigid before it fell straight to the ground with a tremendous crash. It could neither speak nor move.
Such powerful ocular strength!? Could it be that person!?
The discomfort of being unable to move was nothing compared to the terror in the Nine-Tails' heart. He was afraid. He had encountered such overwhelming ocular power from only one person before—Uchiha Madara!
The Nine-Tails