After returning home and washing up, Naruto opened a book on Chakra and reviewed it once more.
He had never been someone who enjoyed reading, but under Aizen's guidance, he had gradually come to understand the importance of knowledge.
Besides strength, wisdom was also something that could not be overlooked.
He had once heard Aizen say, "The sharpness of a weapon is certainly important, but without a mind to wield it, that sharpness will only wound yourself."
Naruto read quietly for an hour.
To him, that hour was not merely time spent reviewing. It was also a chance to calm himself and reflect on everything he had done.
After the events of the past few days, he had more or less figured out the conspiracy surrounding him.
What gave him the biggest headache now was the Nine-Tails.
Naruto put down the book, sighed, and formed hand seals with practiced ease.
"Clone Technique."
Smoke billowed, and a bizarrely shaped human appeared before Naruto.
Naruto punched his own clone apart, a flawless smile on his face.
The Nine-Tails was still diligently disrupting his Chakra.
Since you refuse to show mercy, don't blame me for being cruel. Let's suffer together.
"Drip." The familiar sound of dripping water rang out in the Sealing Space again. Naruto opened his eyes to find darkness stretching before him, and a cold curve immediately formed at his lips.
He dusted off nonexistent dirt from his clothes and slowly made his way toward the iron gate.
The instant Naruto entered the Sealing Space, the Nine-Tails sensed him. He sneered disdainfully, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.
He was not as stupid as those humans thought. For years, he had been lying low, using his red Chakra to continuously erode this Sealing Space.
Though the effect was minuscule, it had worked. Perhaps in a few decades, he would be able to completely escape the prison that was Naruto Uzumaki.
However, while he interfered with Naruto's Chakra, Naruto's Chakra control would also decline drastically, leaving him unable to perform ninjutsu perfectly.
That brat Naruto had once scorned his power. Little did he know that without control over his Chakra, he could not even become a ninja.
Let's see how you beg me, brat.
The Nine-Tails could barely contain his smug delight.
"Tap." Naruto's footsteps stopped before the iron gate.
"Stop pretending. I know you're awake," Naruto said gently beside the Nine-Tails' ear.
The Nine-Tails did not answer. He scratched his cheek with a claw and muttered to himself, "Where did this mosquito come from? How strange."
"Oh? What is that brat Naruto Uzumaki doing? This old man took a nap. Is my Chakra working? Still interfering? This mosquito is annoying. Let me increase the amount of Chakra a little."
Red Chakra overflowed from the Nine-Tails' body and spread through the Sealing Space.
Naruto did not get angry at the sight. Instead, amusement appeared in his eyes.
"So you want to play this game? Interesting."
He had read many books about the realities of the Bleach world. He understood that for a prisoner imprisoned for a long time, every day was unbearably dull.
And trapped in the dark Sealing Space, it was easy for one's mental state to collapse. Perhaps that was one of the reasons the Nine-Tails was so irritable.
To him, Naruto was undoubtedly an outlet for his emotions.
The Nine-Tails, who had long craved social interaction, surely could not wait to communicate with him in every possible form.
Naruto sat on the cold floor and pretended to mutter carelessly, "This Sealing Space is really tiny. You're an animal too, so how do you handle eating, drinking, and relieving yourself? Why does it smell bad? Nine-Tails, have you not bathed? Sorry, I forgot. You can't bathe in here at all."
The first trait of a prisoner: inconvenient living conditions.
At that, the Nine-Tails snorted and wrinkled his nose.
A bad smell? Where was there a bad smell?
Unhurriedly, Naruto used Reiatsu to form a grill. He skewered chicken wings and placed them over the flames.
"I suddenly feel a little hungry. Time for some barbecue."
He sprinkled on cumin and chili powder, then thoughtfully formed a fan from Reiatsu and fanned the aroma through the iron gate where the Nine-Tails was.
The Nine-Tails' nose twitched frantically, and his throat bobbed.
"Under the roasting of natural charcoal, every fiber of the chicken danced, perfectly wrapped in the fragrance of smoke. The high heat crisped the skin while sealing in the juices. One bite and the aroma bursts forth—tender, juicy, and delicious. Smells amazing~~" Naruto kept turning the chicken wings, their fragrance drilling relentlessly into the Nine-Tails' nose from every possible opening.
The second trait of a prisoner: craving food.
Damn brat.
The Nine-Tails pinched his nose with a claw while saliva flooded his mouth.
Within the Sealing Space, he did not need to eat, drink, or relieve himself, but he certainly retained the memories of tasting delicious food.
When he had been free, he would sometimes hunt for wild game in the forest.
The scent now was a hundred times—no, ten thousand times—more fragrant than any delicacy he had tasted before.
"Brat, your grilled skewers stink. Get lost," the Nine-Tails snapped angrily.
Naruto ignored him and continued turning the skewers.
After being imprisoned for too long, prisoners developed an intense craving for fine food.
Once that craving was awakened, it became impossible to stop.
For a prisoner, nothing was more painful than being able to see it but not eat it.
You like interfering with my Chakra control, don't you? Then I'll let you experience what it feels like to wish you were dead, Naruto thought viciously as he elegantly turned the skewers.
"A pair of grilled wings, double the happiness."
"Something this delicious should be shared," he muttered loudly.
"Hmph, brat, do you think this lord would like such low-grade food? Let me tell you, this lord has tasted countless delicacies. These little trinkets of yours are all trash to me."
"I know. That's why they're for me. A high-class demon beast like you naturally has food worthy of your status. How could you possibly think highly of mortal food?" Naruto blew on the skewer and stuffed it into his mouth under the Nine-Tails' bloodshot gaze.
As he ate, he commented, "The taste isn't bad."
"Gulp." Naruto seemed to hear some creature swallowing saliva. His perfect, elegant smile nearly broke as he fought the urge to cackle.
But Naruto knew that tormenting him with appetite alone would not be enough.
He wanted to make the Nine-Tails completely collapse in both body and mind.
So he used Reiatsu to create a computer inside the iron gate.
"Goodbye, Nine-Tails. I hope you'll learn to behave by the next time we meet."
Before leaving, he seemed to remember something and turned back to add:
"Oh, right. Isn't the Three Body Technique basic ninjutsu? Why is it so difficult to learn?" With that, he revealed a meaningful smile and vanished from the Sealing Space.
"What trick is that brat playing?" After Naruto left, the Nine-Tails turned around and muttered, his gaze drawn to the strange machine.
It was a square object resembling a television, with a mouse-like object beside it, as well as a rectangular board and a cylindrical object.
"What are these?" The Nine-Tails leaned closer curiously and poked around wildly with his claws.
He did not know what he had touched, but the square object suddenly lit up, displaying the word Windows.
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