Nine-Tails Fox Demon

"Why is this place so awful?" Naruto frowned at the pooled water on the ground.

The current Sealing Space reminded him of the first time he had met Aizen.

Their first meeting had taken place in this dark, cold, damp space.

But as Naruto and Aizen communicated more, their relationship gradually grew closer, and the Sealing Space within Naruto gradually changed its style as well.

It could become a fresh-air grassland or transform into a magnificent palace.

What Naruto had not expected was that a refined and gentle Bleach like Aizen actually preferred Naruto to turn the Sealing Space into a windswept cliff.

Standing atop the cliff, the entire area seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Violent winds howled beside his ears, and when he looked down, he could see the dark abyss below, awakening the deepest fears within one's heart.

Naruto had once asked Aizen about it.

Aizen's answer had been unexpected: it was the place closest to the heavens.

But now, the Sealing Space had returned to its original state.

Could this mean something?

Naruto immediately raced toward the familiar sealing gate at incredible speed.

There was no change to the sealing gate itself. Only, Aizen's gentle smile and magnetic voice were gone, replaced by a dark crimson shadow as immense as a mountain.

"Brat, you're here." A deep, hoarse voice sounded from behind the gate. Then the figure shifted, and the entire Sealing Space seemed to tremble faintly.

Under the dim light, Naruto finally saw the creature behind the gate clearly.

A gigantic crimson fox with nine tails.

Was this some kind of beast?

Where was Mr. Aizen?

Naruto's gaze sharpened, brimming with danger.

Mr. Aizen was gone?

"Good eyes. But that gaze shouldn't be directed at me. It should be directed at them." A dense, cold, hateful negative aura suddenly emanated from the giant beast. It passed through the iron gate and enveloped Naruto, making him shiver as an indescribable frenzy and killing intent surged up from the depths of his heart.

He desperately wanted to destroy something in that instant.

The ugly faces of the Konoha Villagers immediately surfaced in Naruto's mind.

He had once sunk into pain because of them, longing every day to be acknowledged.

He wanted to kill them.

He wanted them to experience the pain he had once endured.

"Brat, I understand how you feel. You clearly did nothing wrong, yet you were treated like an animal. You are not at fault. They are. Konoha is. Your gentleness and refinement are only a disguise. I can see into your heart. You are just like me. We both hate Konoha!"

The crimson beast arched his body, his nine fiery tails whipping through the air as his seductive voice echoed throughout the entire space.

"Come. I can give you the power to overthrow Konoha. Accept it. Accept your truest self. Destroy Konoha. Kill them all. Make them regret everything they ever did to you." As those hate-filled words rang out, the giant beast stepped forward and fully exposed his enormous body to the light.

The moment he saw the nine-tailed fox overflowing with negative emotions, Naruto understood.

No wonder the villagers regarded him as the Nine-Tails Fox Demon.

No wonder the Third Hokage had gone to such lengths to control him.

Because there truly was a Nine-Tails Fox Demon inside his body.

Though he did not know the relationship between the Nine-Tails Fox Demon and himself, one thing was certain: the villagers did not know the truth about it.

And the truth was most likely in the hands of Konoha's upper ranks.

The villagers were merely pawns meant to drive him into darkness, only for the Third Hokage to save him afterward.

"How foolish." A mocking smile curled across his lips.

Once he figured it out, the boiling killing intent in his mind receded like the tide. In the next moment, Naruto resumed his gentle, refined smile.

"Hm?" Nine-Tails lowered his head and looked at the mild-mannered Naruto, surprise flashing through his eyes.

He had not expected Naruto to break free of his killing intent so quickly and show him such a gentle, irritating smile.

That smile reminded him of the Fourth.

The man who had sealed him away.

"Brat, wipe that hypocritical smile off your face!" Rage churned in his heart. Nine-Tails grabbed the iron gate and let out a thunderous roar at Naruto.

The breath from his mouth even blew Naruto's blond hair upward.

Naruto continued smiling and elegantly smoothed his hair back.

"Are you the Nine-Tails Fox Demon?"

"Hmph, that's right. I am the Nine-Tails Fox Demon. Those people sealed me inside you because they wanted to use that to control my power. To them, you are merely a weapon. No, you are only a container that can be replaced at any time." Nine-Tails concealed his furious expression and answered without hesitation, though his words were only half true.

"Brat, I know you hate Konoha. You hate them for sealing me inside your body. You hate them for hiding the truth from the villagers and making you live amid insults all these years."

"All of this can be changed. As long as you accept my power and kill them all, the resentment in your heart will be washed away, and you will be reborn."

Nine-Tails recited the words he had rehearsed countless times within the Sealing Space.

He hoped to use them to drag Naruto into the abyss.

He was eager to see the Fourth witness his own son destroying Konoha.

That would undoubtedly be the most spectacular and dazzling sight in the Ninja World.

As soon as he finished speaking, crimson Chakra poured out from Nine-Tails's body and entered Naruto's. Even more terrifying, boiling killing intent than before surfaced in Naruto's mind.

Third Hokage, you people sought to brainwash Naruto and turn him into Konoha's lapdog, yet you made the most crucial mistake. I, Kurama, have been gathering strength all this time. I will use the darkness you drew out to make Naruto fall completely and turn him into my instrument of vengeance.

Nine-Tails laughed wildly in his heart, already impatient to see Naruto consumed by killing intent.

But in the next moment, his expression froze.

In his view, Naruto wore an amused smile, his eyes fixed on him with mockery.

The killing intent around him was gone, and even the blood-red Chakra had faded away. In its place was a faint blue glow surrounding him, along with a long blade that had appeared in his hand.

From that blade, Nine-Tails sensed an enormous threat. His body arched, his fur instantly stood on end, and his eyes filled with shock and wariness.

"Impossible. How could you break free from my killing intent?"

"What is that sword? What kind of Kekkei Genkai is this?" His body instinctively retreated a step as he bared his teeth and demanded an answer.

When he looked at Naruto's small body again, Nine-Tails's eyes were already filled with grave caution.

He understood that he had underestimated Naruto.

Naruto seemed to have awakened an extraordinary Kekkei Genkai.

His Chakra possessed extremely potent corrosive power, something ordinary Kekkei Genkai could not resist. This also meant Naruto's Kekkei Genkai had awakened some time ago, and he had already mastered it.

Had Konoha truly failed to notice during all this time?

Nine-Tails felt a chill shoot through his body.

A child of about five had mastered an unknown Kekkei Genkai while under ninja surveillance.

It was utterly chilling.

"Thank you for telling me part of the truth. You've cleared up my confusion." Naruto gently stroked Kyoka Suigetsu, a faint curve resting on his lips.

That also explained the Third Hokage's and the villagers' attitudes toward him all this time.

This meant that

he actually possessed Reiatsu, Chakra, and the power of the Nine-Tails Fox Demon within his body.

These would become the support that carried him to greater heights!

Only,

the Nine-Tails Fox Demon's power was not his own!

"Those who become intoxicated by power that comes from others are weaklings."