Forest.
An endless forest.
Gales howled, and the trees swayed wildly, as though they feared the presence in the sky.
There hung a massive sphere of rock, like a small asteroid. Dark red chakra flowed across its surface like magma, while nine enormous tails were pinned deep within the stone by even thicker golden chains.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox floated at the pinnacle of this mental world like a martyr nailed to a cross.
"Sawada Hiroki!!!"
Accompanied by a deafening roar, the rocky sphere shook violently, pebbles raining down in a steady stream.
The Nine-Tails' scarlet vertical pupils, larger than lanterns, locked firmly onto the tiny figure standing atop a treetop below.
When enemies met, their eyes burned especially red.
How could it possibly forget him?
That damned brat! What was he trying to do again!?
He was more arrogant than Senju Hashirama! More contemptuous of everyone than Uchiha Madara!
"ROAR—!!!"
The Nine-Tails struggled madly. The Adamantine Sealing Chains stretched taut, emitting a teeth-grinding creak.
"You still dare come here?! This is my territory, not your backyard! Get out!!"
A terrifying chakra pressure swept across the entire forest like a tangible storm, snapping countless trees in half.
Kushina, standing beside Hiroki, went pale and instinctively gripped his sleeve tighter.
Yet the Nine-Tails, bound to that enormous rocky sphere, looked absurdly comical.
Because no matter how it struggled, countless chains still restrained it.
It could only rage helplessly.
Hiroki merely raised a hand and lightly waved away the dust before him.
"What a loud voice."
He looked up at the furious giant in the sky, his expression calm.
"Do you remember our previous agreement?"
"To turn the ninjutsu in my mental world into something others can understand—"
"Don't even think about it!!!"
A savage sneer appeared on the Nine-Tails' enormous fox