"I have absolutely no interest in your power." The gentle smile vanished from Naruto's face, replaced by a disdainful look.
"No interest? Do you even know what you're saying?" Upon hearing Naruto's answer, the Nine-Tails first stared in disbelief before furiously grabbing the iron gate and roaring.
"I am the Nine-Tails Fox Demon capable of overturning the Ninja World! Even if all of Konoha's strongest fighters came at me, they wouldn't gain a thing! I could easily raze Konoha to the ground! Kage-level experts are nothing before me! I am the power every ninja village desires! And the power every ninja village fears! Why do you think Konoha has been so peaceful? Because I am here, and the other ninja villages can only hold themselves back!"
"And now you're telling me you have no interest in my power?"
At that moment, a finger and words like a nightmare suddenly surfaced in the Nine-Tails' mind: "Nine-Tails, you are too powerful, so you must be sealed."
The Nine-Tails instinctively shrank back, and his tone weakened considerably.
"Ahem. Of course, there are indeed some freaks in the Ninja World who are still very strong, but they're all dead."
"Just a beast after all." Naruto sneered dismissively.
"To be honest, a frail infant could become a vessel to seal your power. It's hard for me to believe your words and accept that you're truly so powerful."
"Perhaps you really are strong enough that the Konoha Villagers fear you and Konoha's higher-ups crave control over you. But in Konoha's eyes, you are ultimately just a weapon."
"If they could seal you once, they could seal you a second time. To them, you can no longer stir up any trouble."
"Even if I accepted your power and slaughtered people freely in Konoha, so what? At most, I would satisfy the rage and desire buried deep in my heart. The end awaiting me would certainly be suppression once again. And as the vessel, I would be a vessel incapable of inheriting the Will of Fire in Konoha's eyes. My fate would be obvious: death."
"And you would be sealed into a new vessel, your wildness worn away through day after day of taming, until you became Konoha's watchdog."
At this point, Naruto laughed mockingly.
"And you still want to tempt me into causing chaos in Konoha. Anyone who says something like that is either stupid or evil."
Through their brief exchange, Naruto understood.
Most of what the Nine-Tails had said was probably true.
He was the Nine-Tails' vessel, watched over by Konoha—a weapon of war.
That also explained why the Third wanted to brainwash him and instill the Will of Fire in him.
Neither the Nine-Tails nor Konoha could be trusted. The only one he could trust was himself.
Once Naruto finished speaking, the entire Sealing Space fell into a long silence.
Only the Nine-Tails' faint breathing echoed quietly.
At first, he was furious, but he soon fell into deep thought.
Everything Naruto had said was true.
He indeed had ill intentions, though he had not truly expected Naruto to destroy Konoha.
His power was mighty, but he was ultimately only one individual.
Konoha truly had many hidden methods.
Although more than half of its top fighters had withered away, it was still not something he could contend with.
It was hard to imagine.
Five-year-old Naruto was so mature, and his clear thinking was terrifying.
They said those involved could not see clearly, while onlookers saw the truth.
Yet the Nine-Tails felt that Naruto was the "onlooker" who could see through both Konoha's schemes and his own.
He was only five years old!
Combined with the mysterious Kekkei Genkai he had displayed earlier, one that even the Nine-Tails had to fear—
The Nine-Tails could not help but draw in a sharp breath.
Konoha, what kind of terrifying existence had you forced into being?!
Fourth, you surely never imagined your own son would be this terrifying, did you?!
"Hahahahahaha!" The Nine-Tails suddenly threw back his head and laughed wildly.
It was the most freely he had laughed in years, so hard that tears nearly flowed from his eyes.
"Interesting, interesting! Very good! Konoha definitely hasn't realized just how terrifying you are, brat. I understand now. I get it!"
So Naruto's feelings toward Konoha were negative.
His refined gentleness had always been nothing but a disguise!
The Nine-Tails decided to change his strategy.
He withdrew his smile.
"Brat, you really are interesting. But have you considered that since Konoha wants so badly to control my power, that proves my power is truly strong? If you want to walk your own path in the future, your Kekkei Genkai alone definitely won't be enough."
"What are you trying to say?" Naruto tilted his head.
"Haven't you been learning ninjutsu recently? The Chakra you use is all Chakra I gave you. Compared to my own Chakra, it doesn't even amount to a drop in the ocean."
"I can lend you my power and even help you grow stronger. We're in the same boat, after all."
The Nine-Tails bared his teeth in what he believed was a gentle smile, though it was actually hideous.
The Nine-Tails was certain Naruto could not refuse such a tempting offer.
No, no one could refuse it.
After all, he was the Nine-Tails, foremost among the tailed beasts, possessing the power to overturn an entire ninja village.
"Sorry, not interested." Naruto simply shook his head.
"You are ultimately just a prisoner. The weak do not even have the right to gaze upon the heavens. I am destined to reach the pinnacle. Your power is not worthy of becoming my aid."
"I have even less interest in cooperating with a loser."
"I enjoyed talking with you, but goodbye." Naruto turned around decisively. No matter how furiously the Nine-Tails raged, Naruto ignored him and elegantly walked back in the direction he had come from.
No matter how sweetly the silver-tongued Nine-Tails spoke, Naruto would never fully believe him.
After being tempted by the Nine-Tails' Chakra this time, he was certain of one thing.
The failures of his various ninjutsu today had definitely been driven by the Nine-Tails.
That crimson Chakra, filled with violent energy, felt strangely familiar.
Naruto remembered sensing similar Chakra while attempting ninjutsu today.
Not only was this Chakra difficult to control, it even interfered with his own Chakra, causing his ninjutsu to fail.
That meant his talent for ninjutsu was not actually poor. He had merely been interfered with by the Nine-Tails.
This Nine-Tails was very bad.
So none of his words or promises could be fully trusted.
Besides.
This Nine-Tails had revealed far too much information in such a short time, and his temper was so violent.
That was enough to show he was merely a hot-tempered beast with a poor mind.
Wouldn't cooperating with someone like that just be digging a hole for himself?
So Naruto decisively rejected the Nine-Tails' proposal and chose to leave.
Moving away from the iron gate, he focused intently on leaving the space.
The next moment, Naruto's consciousness lost awareness again, and he returned to reality and fell into a deep sleep.
The Nine-Tails let out a roar of rage within the Sealing Space after being scorned.
He could only rage helplessly behind the iron gate.
"Naruto Uzumaki! You will regret this! You will definitely regret this!"
Naruto had ruthlessly torn away the outer shell the Nine-Tails had wrapped around himself, exposing his true nature.
He, the Nine-Tails, was nothing more than a prisoner.
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