The Great Battle Reaches the Ninja World's Frontier, Even Chakra Is Annihilated

Today is the day of the Nine-Tails transfer, which also means that the life of Uzumaki Mito is nearing its end.

Genichi looked at the old woman before him. Even though she had practiced the Yin Seal, her face had begun to show the ravages of age, and her eyes were perpetually clouded with the gloom of twilight. Remembering how she had always taken special care of him and helped him so much in the past, his heart was suddenly filled with sorrow.

"Mito, Grandma..." Kushina was devastated. Tears streamed down her face as her voice broke intermittently. Nawaki and Tsunade also had bloodshot eyes, unable to speak.

"There, there, children, do not be sad. As a ninja, I am quite satisfied to have lived until now," Mito slowly comforted them. "My life has been quite fulfilling, and I have no regrets left. It is just that I am still a bit worried about you children."

"Tsunade, gamble less in the future. Take good care of Nawaki; he is impulsive and easily taken advantage of."

"Nawaki, you too. Do not make everyone worry. Your sister has been hurt too deeply by war; you must help her well."

"Sigh, I could go on forever. Monkey, take them outside. Genichi and Kushina, stay behind. While I still have a little strength left to suppress the Nine-Tails, let us complete the transfer as soon as possible." After a brief pause, Uzumaki Mito decided to proceed with the transfer of the Nine-Tails immediately.

Once only the three of them remained in the room, Genichi spoke up: "Grandma Mito, before we begin, could you let Kushina and me talk to the Nine-Tails? Just like that time when I was a child. Let us try to see if we can persuade it to cooperate."

Hearing this, Uzumaki Mito's expression grew complex. She did not consider the Nine-Tails a creature one could easily reason with. Now that they were moving the Nine-Tails from one prison to another, how could a few words convince it to cooperate? She sighed, "Very well, if that is what you wish."

The scene shifted as the three of them arrived in the Nine-Tails' sealing space.

"Ha! So this day has finally come. Mito, are you counting on this little brat to seal me? Once I get out, I will destroy this village and kill every one of you!" Sensing the situation, the Nine-Tails struck first.

No one paid the Nine-Tails any mind. Genichi looked at the nervous Kushina, placed a hand on her head, and rubbed it firmly, comforting her: "Are you scared, Kushina? Don't be. Foxes are actually canines, after all. Let's just pretend we're keeping a dog at home from now on."

"You stinking brat! How dare you call me a dog!" Before Kushina could respond, the Nine-Tails was already bristling with rage.

The Nine-Tails still remembered this boy; he was one of the rare humans who held no prejudice against Tailed Beasts. He was decent enough among humans, yet now he had become an accomplice in its imprisonment.

How could humans and Tailed Beasts ever understand each other? Old Man Six Paths, you were just fooling us beasts.

Kushina, who had long known she would become a jinchuriki, had already felt the Nine-Tails' evil chakra, but this was her first time facing it directly.

She felt an intense terror and couldn't help but feel nervous and afraid, yet she still said shakily: "I... I can do it. Don't... don't worry, Genichi."

Genichi continued to comfort her: "The Nine-Tails is actually just like us humans. It has its own thoughts, joys, and sorrows. It is not the mindless beast that only knows how to destroy, as the legends say."

"In the system of jinchuriki, it is just as much a victim as Kushina is."

"Hmph, what is the point of saying all that? Do you think that by saying a few nice words, I will obediently cooperate? Impossible. Sooner or later..." The Nine-Tails looked on with disdain.

Hearing the Nine-Tails, Genichi remained noncommittal and continued to ask: "Kushina, do you want to know how the Nine-Tails was captured by Konoha and imprisoned within a jinchuriki?"

Kushina, having calmed down, thought for a moment. She tilted her small head to the side and bit her finger: "Wasn't it captured by the First Hokage?"

Genichi suddenly looked up and said in a voice loud enough for the Nine-Tails to hear clearly: "For the past thousand years, the Nine-Tails has been coveted by humans for its immense power and dragged into various conflicts. Let us set that aside and start with Madara Uchiha, who was on par with the First Hokage."

"That day, the Nine-Tails was resting peacefully in a valley. Madara Uchiha suddenly appeared, shouted, 'Beast, lend me your chakra,' and then opened his eyes wide. His Sharingan genjutsu instantly controlled the Nine-Tails, turning it into his mount."

The Nine-Tails could not stand it anymore. It had never considered itself inferior to anyone in its life. As the most beloved child of the Sage of Six Paths, it was the strongest Tailed Beast in history, far surpassing Shukaku and the others. The one thing it could not accept was someone questioning its strength.

"Bullshit! What do you know, you brat? Back then, Madara Uchiha waited devoutly outside the valley for a week before I deigned to see him. He complained about Hashirama's injustice, begged me bitterly, and almost knelt on the ground to plead with me."

The Nine-Tails grew more smug as it spoke: "It was only because I felt pity that I agreed to lend him a hand and signed a temporary summoning contract to seek justice against Hashirama Senju."

"Heh." Hearing this, Genichi almost burst out laughing. He suppressed the mirth in his heart and continued: "Let's assume what the Nine-Tails says is true. After the battle at the Valley of the End, Lord Hashirama realized the danger the Nine-Tails posed."

"So later, Lord Hashirama found the Nine-Tails wandering leisurely in the forest. That day, Lord Hashirama pressed his palms together in front of his chest, instantly entered Sage Mode, and unleashed the Sage Art: Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands."

"He summoned a giant statue of a thousand-armed Bodhisattva dozens of times larger than the Nine-Tails, with thousands of arms growing from its back. Then, with a single hand, he grabbed the Nine-Tails like a little chick."

"Only then did Lord Hashirama slowly say: 'Nine-Tails, your power is too great. I am sorry, but I cannot let you roam free'."

"In the end, the once-free Nine-Tails was sealed inside Grandma Mito, living in darkness until this very day."

Kushina looked bewildered. What did it mean by a thousand hands, and grabbing the Nine-Tails with one hand like a chick? Was he talking about the Nine-Tails in front of them? She murmured: "Isn't it very pitiful then?"

Hearing this little brat dare to pity Lord Nine-Tails, the beast immediately roared in anger: "Damn it, you stinking brat! You understand nothing! What you know is just Hashirama Senju's revisionist history, bragging about himself!"

"Let me tell you the truth. Back then, when Hashirama Senju came for me, I wanted to retreat, but I couldn't avoid him and was forced to fight."

"His strength was indeed not bad, and his Wood Style had some strange properties; for a time, we were evenly matched. Sigh, that battle moved mountains and filled seas, shifting the stars. We fought to the edge of the Ninja World until our chakra was worn thin. It wasn't until three days and three nights later, when I had no desire to continue and wanted to disengage, that he found an opening and won by a narrow margin."

"I only lost by one move, do you understand?"

You can lie to your brothers, but don't lie to yourself, Genichi added silently in his heart.

He turned to Kushina and said: "Well? You didn't expect the Nine-Tails to have this kind of personality, did you? You're not as nervous anymore, right?"

Kushina nodded. If it could communicate, it was indeed much easier to accept than a beast that only knew how to destroy.

"Big Fox! Everything we just talked about is in the past. How about we talk about the future?" Genichi asked loudly.

"What is there to talk about? You lot just want to change the location where you keep me locked up," the Nine-Tails refused to engage.

"We've known each other for so many years, but it seems we haven't formally introduced ourselves. My name is Chiba Genichi, and this beside me is Uzumaki Kushina. What about you? Do you have a name?"

"I would never give my name to..."

"I heard from others that your name is Kurama. Is that true?"

Hearing this, the Nine-Tails' face lost all its composure. It asked excitedly: "Where did you hear that name?"

"It seems it's true. From now on, I'll call you Kurama. Now, I'll ask you directly: Kurama, do you want freedom?" Genichi asked solemnly.

"Freedom? That sounds nice, but do you think Konoha will let me go?" The Nine-Tails, still shocked that its true name had been spoken, looked on with disdain.

"Do you think leaving Konoha would truly make you free?" Genichi countered.

"Otherwise, what? If it weren't for Hashirama, I don't know how much freer I would be right now."

Genichi explained slowly, "Every nation is currently researching mature Tailed Beast sealing techniques. Your power is undeniably great, but once you leave Konoha, you would only be swarmed by other ninja, and in the end, you would simply be sealed away in a different place."

"If you can cooperate with Kushina, I can promise that as long as you are willing, Kushina will be your final jinchuriki."

"On what grounds can you make such a guarantee?" Having lived for thousands of years, the Nine-Tails felt that if it were only a matter of a few decades, it might not be unbearable.

Watching the Nine-Tails waver, Genichi upped the ante, "Not all seals are created equal. The new Eight-Trigrams Seal is composed of two Four-Symbols Seals; even if some Tailed Beast chakra leaks out, the seal's stability will be maintained."

"Simply put, if you and Kushina cooperate well, once I become Hokage, you could keep the majority of your chakra dormant within Kushina while condensing a small portion into a miniature Nine-Tails to live in the outside world."

"Right now, I am merely a Konoha jonin lacking a voice, but in the future—ten years at most—I will become Hokage!" Genichi said confidently, "Just endure for ten years; after ten years, I will certainly fulfill this agreement."

The Nine-Tails was already tempted, but due to its pride, it hesitated to agree.

Seeing this, Genichi decided to play his trump card, "Ah, you Tailed Beasts must be as friendly as brothers, right? I heard the One-Tail is being kept tightly imprisoned by Sunagakure ninja and subjected to all sorts of torture; even its Magnet Release has been deciphered. If you agree to my terms today, I will take you to visit your brother when the opportunity arises in the future."

"A ninja never breaks their word?" Without a second of hesitation, the Nine-Tails felt that hesitating for even a moment would be a sign of disrespect toward this man, who was clearly full of sincerity.

"With the Hokage Rock as my witness, I will never go back on my word." Genichi made his guarantee, his tone carrying a strange inflection.