"Kurama, it's been a long time!" Shi Xiu's lips curled into a faint smile as he looked at the Nine-Tails, his expression calm.
Yet the instant the Nine-Tails saw Shi Xiu, it stiffened like a startled animal, every hair on its body standing on end as if struck by lightning.
"Shi Xiu! You... how are you still alive?" The Nine-Tails' eyes widened as it cried out in disbelief, its voice full of fear and shock.
It clearly remembered its past with Shi Xiu. Those terrifying experiences still haunted it like nightmares.
Hearing the Nine-Tails, Shi Xiu only chuckled, then strolled toward the massive stone gate sealing it away.
Shi Xiu reached out with his right hand and lightly touched the gate with his long fingers, seemingly unconcerned by the Nine-Tails' fear.
At the sight, the Nine-Tails' pupils contracted sharply, as if it had seen the most terrifying thing in the world. It scrambled backward, desperate to get away from Shi Xiu's touch.
"You... what are you trying to do?" The Nine-Tails fixed its gaze on Shi Xiu, not daring to relax for even a moment.
Its enormous body trembled uncontrollably with terror, its majestic bearing completely gone.
After all, to the Nine-Tails, Shi Xiu was even more terrifying than Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
No matter how powerful Hashirama and Madara were, neither of them had ever used a giant Buddha clad in Susanoo to beat it to a pulp.
Although the Nine-Tails was full of questions and couldn't understand how Shi Xiu had miraculously survived until now, the familiar chakra signature left no doubt: the person before it was the very Shi Xiu who had once made it suffer so much.
"Kurama, don't be so distant. We go way back. It's been so long since we last met, so I came by to catch up and strengthen our friendship." Shi Xiu kept smiling, trying to ease the tension.
The Nine-Tails wasn't buying it. It turned its head aside and snorted contemptuously.
At that, Shi Xiu's smile vanished, replaced by a cold expression.
He narrowed his eyes and glared at the Nine-Tails. "If you give me that look again, I'll summon the giant Buddha and beat you up!"
!!!
The Nine-Tails shuddered in fright and immediately sat up, eyeing Shi Xiu warily.
Its nine tails swished uneasily, afraid Shi Xiu might—
At the sight, Shi Xiu's playful expression disappeared in an instant, replaced by a stern look.
"Enough, Kurama. You're not needed for what comes next. I have something important to discuss!"
The Nine-Tails felt a twinge of confusion and discontent. It stared at Shi Xiu in surprise, thinking, This guy came all the way here to find me, and now he says I have nothing to do with it. What's he playing at?
But wary of Shi Xiu's strength, the Nine-Tails chose to stay quiet for the moment.
Shi Xiu flashed over to the seal. He raised his right hand and pressed it against the seal without hesitation.
A crisp click rang out, and the Eight Trigrams Seal, previously still, began to turn slowly. As it spun faster and faster, a powerful surge of energy emanated from it.
But just as the seal was about to come undone, a strong hand appeared out of nowhere and seized Shi Xiu's arm.
A blinding golden light flared, illuminating the entire space as bright as day.
Shi Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly. Once he adjusted to the glare, he realized he was in a completely unfamiliar space.
A blond young man stood before him. He, too, stared at Shi Xiu in surprise, apparently unable to understand why he had appeared.
After a long moment, the blond young man came to his senses and asked haltingly, "L-Lord Shi Xiu? What are you doing here?"
"Minato, I came to talk to you about something important." Shi Xiu looked at Minato with a grave expression, as if what he was about to say was of utmost importance.
Minato felt a little awkward. He scratched his head, then forced a smile and asked, "Um... is this about the mysterious man who controlled the Nine-Tails?"
But Shi Xiu shook his head without hesitation. "No! I already know the mysterious man's true identity, but what I need to tell you now is even more important."
Minato froze, utterly bewildered.
His eyes widened. "What? Lord Shi Xiu, you already know? Then could the mysterious man really be the legendary Madara Uchiha?"
Shi Xiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He covered his face and sighed. "Oh, Minato. You're so clever in battle, so how do you become such a lovable fool in everyday life?"
Thinking that, Shi Xiu couldn't help looking Minato over again.
Shi Xiu couldn't help wondering if Minato's personality really was quite similar to Hashirama's. Whether in the heat of battle or facing a complicated situation, they could always demonstrate extraordinary wisdom and cunning. But in everyday life, the innocent, even slightly foolish side they revealed without meaning to was genuinely amusing.
Could this be what people meant by being wise enough to seem foolish?
Shi Xiu furrowed his brow slightly, a helpless look on his face. "The mysterious man is actually Obito. That's right, Uchiha Obito! It's just..." He broke off, as if there were still important details he hadn't revealed.
But Minato's eyes widened in disbelief, and he interrupted, "How could it be Obito? Obito died a hero in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge! Lord Shi Xiu, are you sure you haven't made a mistake?" His voice trembled with emotion, as if he couldn't accept such a shocking truth.
Shi Xiu quickly raised a hand to stop Minato from asking more. His expression turned grave, and he stared intently at Minato. "Minato, I'm not joking. Your current form is only a chakra manifestation, and it won't last long. So please calm down and listen carefully while I explain the rest."
Minato paused at that, then quickly nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. His expression grew serious as he focused completely on what Shi Xiu had to say.
Shi Xiu breathed a sigh of relief. After a brief pause, he continued, "The mysterious man really is Obito, but Madara brainwashed him..."
When Minato heard that Obito had been brainwashed by Madara Uchiha, his confusion only deepened.
Minato's lips trembled as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't ask.
"But Madara is already dead. Obito is merely using Madara's name to continue his schemes. His goal is to gather the Nine Tailed Beasts. So far, he has successfully controlled the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki with genjutsu: Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage."
As soon as he heard this, shock appeared on Minato's face. He stared straight at Shi Xiu, unable to contain his disbelief and astonishment, and blurted out,
"How is that possible?!"
Shi Xiu glanced at Minato, then patiently explained, "Obito's right side was crushed by a boulder, and the entire right side of his body was badly damaged. Later, Madara transplanted White Zetsu Cells into the injured area, replacing the right half of Obito's body."
Shi Xiu paused, as if recalling something. He couldn't help it; he had been in this world for so long that some of the original events in Naruto had become hazy.
"The White Zetsu implanted in Obito was created by Madara using Hashirama Cells. Also, in ancient times, the people whose chakra was drained by the God Tree would turn into White Zetsu."
Minato's already wide eyes seemed to freeze in place. He was so deeply shocked that he couldn't recover for a long time.
Minato looked at Shi Xiu and asked, "But why did Obito become like this? That child Obito, he..."