Heart-to-Heart with the Nine-Tails

Perhaps Naruto's Heavenly Mouth had really worked. The Nine-Tails, once known for its savagery and violence, sat down and listened to Naruto properly.

"Let's talk about something that interests you. The Fourth Ninja World War will begin later. The one starting it will be Uchiha Obito—the same person who controlled you and attacked the Hidden Leaf back then!"

Naruto's opening words hit Kurama like a blow to the head.

"What? That person was Uchiha Obito? Not Madara Uchiha? Don't lie to me, kid. Wasn't Obito your father's student? How could he possibly have that kind of strength?"

Kurama immediately questioned Naruto's first statement. Reality was always that surreal.

"Yes, it was Obito. He got news from inside Konoha Village that my mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was about to give birth. Then he released the Nine-Tails, intending to destroy the Hidden Leaf."

"And his motive... you might not believe it, though I don't really want to say it either. It was for a woman—Rin Nohara, from my father's team!"

Well, that instantly made Kurama unable to sit still. It stared at Naruto in disbelief. "You're saying that Obito pulled all those stunts and acted like he was taking revenge on the whole world, all because of a woman?"

It wasn't that the Nine-Tails didn't believe him. It was just that such a reason made it wonder whether it was listening to some wild Hidden Leaf gossip—wild enough, and ridiculous enough.

"Yes, but the mastermind behind all of this was Madara Uchiha!" Naruto brought up a name Kurama desperately did not want to remember.

"How is Madara Uchiha involved in this? Wasn't he dead already?" Kurama interrupted again.

"Don't rush me. I'll get to it." Naruto rolled his eyes at Kurama, telling it to let him finish.

"Alright, alright, Naruto, keep going!" Kurama gave an awkward laugh and told Naruto to continue. It would not interrupt again.

It had lived for so long, yet it had never heard gossip this exciting. All those years suddenly felt wasted. It looked exactly like a spectator eagerly waiting for the next scandal.

"Madara Uchiha was dead, but not entirely dead. During his battle with Hashirama Senju, he bit off a piece of Hashirama's flesh. In the end, he accidentally awakened the Rinnegan—the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths!" Naruto paused. He knew Kurama would be shocked.

Sure enough, Kurama said in astonishment, "What? The old man's eyes? Madara Uchiha could awaken them?"

"Yes. Madara Uchiha deciphered from the stone tablet in the Uchiha Clan's territory that the Sharingan could gradually evolve until it became the legendary Rinnegan. That also required the Senju Clan's unique power of all things—strictly speaking, the power unique to Hashirama Senju."

"After Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan evolved into the Rinnegan, a special being called Black Zetsu helped him learn that he could use the Ten-Tails to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi, plunging everyone in the world into an illusion and achieving true peace in the ninja world. Ah, no—nuclear peace!"

"But after his battle with Hashirama Senju, his body was full of old wounds, and he did not have long left to live. So he made preparations, choosing an outstanding Uchiha descendant to inherit his will and name."

"That person was Uchiha Obito!" As Naruto said this, the Nine-Tails could not help interrupting again.

"Wait, Naruto. But as far as I know, Uchiha Obito was in Minato Namikaze's team, right? His strength was at the bottom of the barrel. That Hatake Kakashi fellow seemed stronger than him. Could he really be called outstanding?"

"The Sharingan is also known as the Eye That Reflects the Heart. The Uchiha Clan is both a cursed clan and one blessed by heaven.

When members of the Uchiha Clan came to understand love, gained love, and then lost it, intense emotional stimulation caused their brains to secrete a special chakra that stimulated their eyes. That was the Sharingan, the Eye That Reflects the Heart.

Emotional stimulation was a necessary condition for awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, but the clan member affected by those emotions also needed a certain degree of innate quality.

In other words, even if some Uchiha Clan members were given a Mangekyo Sharingan, their physical constitution might not be able to endure it.

Obito was the promising talent Madara Uchiha had carefully selected. Obito himself had been a warmhearted good person, but through Madara Uchiha's deliberate arrangements, Obito personally witnessed Kakashi kill Rin Nohara. Seeing the woman he loved killed by his closest friend, the enraged Obito awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan."

"Under Madara Uchiha's guidance, he chose to walk the same path. He wanted to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi and create a world where Rin Nohara existed, so he could reunite with Rin in the world of illusion."

"Oh, I see. Then what about Madara's Rinnegan? Did he give it to Obito after he died? But Obito's eyes still seemed to be Sharingan before, didn't they?"

Kurama could not only enjoy gossip—it could even ask questions.

"The Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique inherent to the Rinnegan summons Yama when used. Yama rises and opens its great mouth, releasing the souls of countless dead. Those souls are returned to the dead, thereby reviving them.

It can revive the dead within a certain range.

The more people revived, the more chakra it consumes. It can even drain the user's chakra completely and cause death.

If the revived target is an Impure World Reincarnation, the Impure World Reincarnation state will automatically be released."

"Madara Uchiha's plan was to have Obito revive him through Impure World Reincarnation, then use the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to truly revive him. After that, Madara would reclaim his Rinnegan, gather all the tailed beasts, combine them into the Ten-Tails, become the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, and finally activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi, ensuring there would never again be war in the ninja world!"

"Wait, Naruto. How did Madara Uchiha know he would definitely be revived? Did Uchiha Obito truly inherit Madara Uchiha's will? Was he really working wholeheartedly to revive Madara Uchiha?"

Kurama now seemed to have become a hundred thousand whys, questions endlessly surfacing in its mind.

"Kurama, don't ask everything at once. Some things haven't happened yet. And since I know about some things, I'll definitely stop them. If you know too much, wouldn't it stop being interesting?"

Naruto smiled slightly and stopped spoiling the future. This was also the proper way to keep someone—ah, no, a tailed beast—in suspense.

That was the charm of leaving things unfinished. The less you were told, the more curious you became, and the more desperately you wanted to know.

"Damn it, Naruto. You stopped halfway through." Kurama lay back down, turning its head away and refusing to look at Naruto as if it were angry.

"I'll give you one last spoiler, Kurama. In the future, we'll fight side by side. You and I will become inseparable comrades—and friends."

Naruto looked into Kurama's eyes and spoke sincerely.

"Hmph. Who knows whether you're telling the truth or lying?" Kurama did not look at Naruto, but its tail wagged happily from side to side. It was clearly in a very good mood.

"You should leave. I'm tired today." Hearing Kurama's words, Naruto turned around and prepared to leave.

The moment Naruto turned away, Kurama opened its eyes and shouted after him, "Hey, Naruto!"

"What is it, Kurama?" Naruto did not turn back, leaving Kurama only with a cool silhouette.

"If something happens, remember to come ask me for help. Considering how pitiful you are, it wouldn't be impossible for me to lend you a hand." Kurama spoke with haughty pride.

"Got it. I'll consider it your rent, my friend!" Naruto waved and vanished from before Kurama.

"Hmph! Rent? Who's your friend?" Kurama denied it with its words, but it could not suppress the smile on its face.

"Naruto Uzumaki... what a fascinating man. I look forward to the day we become friends!"