That's all...
With despair, Kazashiro closed his eyes, preparing to face his fate.
"Kazashiro!"
Um?
Who was calling me? The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
"Kazashiro, are you alright, Kazashiro, Kazashiro!"
Feeling himself being lifted up, Kazashiro barely opened his eyes and saw Obito's silly-looking face come into view.
"A hallucination? How could I see you, you idiot, even on my deathbed...?"
Fine, let me have one last hurrah before I die.
He raised his hand and gently tapped the other person on the head. "You idiot, remember to get rid of your habit of being late..."
After saying this, Kazashiro completely lost consciousness.
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
When Kazashiro opened his eyes again, he saw a corridor that seemed to stretch on forever, with water reaching his ankles beneath his feet.
"Here it is..."
Looking at the somewhat familiar scene before him, Kazashiro tried to walk deeper into the corridor.
He didn't know how long he walked, but Kazashiro stopped when he came to a more spacious area.
Before him stood a massive iron gate, behind which lay a huge shadow, from which a faint red light could be seen.
Is this my own consciousness space? Since I was able to get here, it means my life is not in immediate danger...
Mustering his courage, Kazashiro took a few steps forward and finally saw the full extent of the shadow behind the door.
Isobu.
A Tailed Beast that resembles a turtle.
Kazashiro mustered his courage and began to scrutinize Isobu before him, while Isobu was also observing Kazashiro with his Red Eyes.
Hello, Isobu.
Seeing that the other party didn't seem to be making a scene like the Nine-Tails, Kazashiro braced himself and greeted them.
Isobu spoke sullenly, "I'm not well."
Kazashiro, who hadn't expected a serious response, did indeed receive a rather unserious one.
After shifting its massive body, Isobu took a few steps forward.
The fact that I am here means that after many years, I have once again been sealed into the body of Jinchuriki, and I have completely said goodbye to the days when I could swim belly up in the ocean and chat with cute little boys.
If nothing unexpected happens, I'll have to watch this brat grow up, then slowly age, and eventually transfer me into the body of the next Jinchuriki before he dies, or he'll either be tormented to death by me before that.
Boring.
However, the little girl in front of me is quite cute.
Wait a minute, something feels off...
Opening his eyes wide, Isobu scrutinized Kazashiro again, his deep voice finally cracking slightly. "You, are you a man?"
???
Are you polite?
Does this how Tailed Beast communicate with their Jinchuriki?
Kazashiro was dumbfounded, and after a long while, he nodded. "Yes, a genuine male."
The guy's situation is alright; it's not too bad.
Isobu felt a little gratified.
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly rushed towards the cell door. "You know my name?!"
Because he rushed too fast, Isobu's entire head slammed into the cell door with a dull thud. Kazashiro was so frightened that he thought the other person was about to go berserk after learning that he was a boy. It wasn't until he heard the other person speak that he realized that this guy's Tailed Beast reaction was a beat slower than others!
"Yes, I know your name is Isobu, and I also know that the Nine- Kurama or Kurama, and the Eight-Tails is called Gyuki..."
He named a few Tailed Beast he could still recall, and seeing that Isobu didn't react excessively, Kazashiro introduced himself, "My Shimura Kazashiro. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll likely be spending a long time together. I hope we can get along well and work together to deal with the Ten-Tails and Kaguya Otsutsuki..."
How did you know my name?
Isobu's expression turned serious; he wanted to get an answer from Kazashiro.
What should I say in this situation? Should I say I've traveled through time?
Or was all of this guided by the Sage of Six Paths?
Knowing he couldn't let his opponent see through him, Kazashiro forced himself to remain calm and stared directly at Isobu in front of him. "A strange old man told me this in a dream. He said that Kaguya Otsutsuki's followers are Shinobi World, and that I must get along well with you Tailed Beast so that we can work together to resist the Ōtsutsuki's invasion in the future."
A strange old man?
Is it the Six Paths?
And there's Kaguya Otsutsuki and the Ten-Tails...
Isobu was beginning to believe Kazashiro's story to some extent.
This wasn't because he was too easily fooled, but because the existence of the Ten-Tails and Kaguya Otsutsuki was an absolute secret that couldn't be easily known by a child of his age.
Could this be what the old man was talking about...?
Wait a minute, wasn't it supposed to be blonde and blue-eyed? Why did they dye their hair?
These eyes aren't green either.
Isobu began to think.
Kazashiro nervously observed the other party's reaction.
I hope my lie won't have too many flaws.
He had already prepared a description of the Sage of Six Paths' appearance, but he was afraid that Isobu would suddenly ask about it.
Silence...
A long silence...
So much time passed that Kazashiro began to wonder if the giant in front of him had fallen asleep.
"We alone cannot stop the Ten-Tails."
Isobu suddenly spoke, startling Kazashiro.
"Well, let's just do our best, with the two of us."
Seeing that Isobu had no doubts about him, Kazashiro breathed a sigh of relief and revealed a confident smile.
In the final battle, all I need to do is cling to Naruto and Sasuke. Before that, all I need to do is try to create an environment where the two of them can get along peacefully. At the very least, the Night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre must never happen!
Through the iron gate, Kazashiro extended his fist.
Besides, as long as I firmly control the Rinnegan and prevent others from reviving Madara, wouldn't I still be able to stop Black Zetsu's actions?
Thinking about it this way, things don't seem so bad after all.
Although Black Zetsu may be immortal, his Sealing Jutsu are not to be underestimated. At worst, he could push his father up and give him a demonstration of the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing. Although Hokage might not become Hokage, he would be more than qualified to be a martyr.
Looking at Kazashiro's outstretched fist, Isobu thought for a moment and felt that trusting this guy wouldn't cause any real harm, so he finally extended his own... fingernail.
"Nice to meet you, Isobu."
Feeling the trust in Isobu, Kazashiro revealed a bright smile.
"Kazashiro, right?"
Isobu nodded, making the name firmly etched in his mind.
"Go outside, there are people waiting for you."