Talking to the Nine-Tails

Evening.

At Shinku Yuhi's house.

"Sorry to intrude, Shinku!"

"No need to be so formal, Minato. Make yourselves at home."

Seated at the head of the table, Shinku Yuhi welcomed Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki as guests.

Kushina hadn't managed to wrangle an invitation. Shinku's wife had invited them herself.

Minato Namikaze had yet to distinguish himself in battle for Konoha.

But he was Jiraiya's student and a pillar of the Hokage faction. He was bound to become an important figure in Konoha one day.

The leading candidate for Fourth Hokage was currently Hiruzen Sarutobi's student, Orochimaru, known as the Cold Lord.

Minato had close ties to Orochimaru too, and he was the most outstanding genius of his generation.

There was every reason to get on good terms with someone like him.

Kazan hadn't given any of that much thought. Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.

He was still staring at Kushina's stomach.

"You little brat, don't you know that's rude?" Kushina shot him an annoyed look.

She didn't know what to do with Kazan.

If she hit him, the impact hurt her instead. He was as hard as iron.

If she argued with him, the obnoxious brat attacked her age every time. He was vicious.

"When you talk to someone, you should look them in the eye."

Kazan kept staring at Kushina's stomach without blinking.

"Right, Nine-Tails?"

Hmph!

Inside the seal, the Nine-Tails lay on the ground with all four limbs sprawled out.

He couldn't understand how that brat could hear him, or perhaps sense his emotions.

There was something uncanny about him.

"Come on, don't be so stubborn. Don't you want freedom? Why not do what that cat in Kumogakure did?"

Don't compare me to the Two-Tails. I will never submit to humans.

"How is that submitting? This is about getting your freedom!"

"Don't you want to try good food? Oh, right. I know you Tailed Beasts are made of Chakra, but if you ate human food, would you have to poop?"

You damned brat! Stop bothering me. I would never eat human food!

The Nine-Tails flew into a rage, pounding the sealed gate until it boomed.

What kind of questions was this blasted Konoha brat asking?

Did Tailed Beasts poop?

Didn't he have any sense?

"You've got quite a temper. Just like those Uchiha, all prickly and proud."

Do not lump me in with the Uchiha!

The Nine-Tails had intended to ignore Kazan, but at the mention of the Uchiha, murderous intent filled his eyes.

Kushina wanted Kazan to stop. The seal inside her was rumbling, and she could feel the Nine-Tails bristling.

Just you wait, brat. Once I'm out, you'll be the first one I kill!

To the Nine-Tails, the name Uchiha was taboo.

It all stemmed from Madara Uchiha's final battle with Hashirama Senju. Madara had used his overwhelming ocular power to enslave the Nine-Tails, forcing him to sign a Summoning Contract.

It was a lifelong humiliation for the Nine-Tails.

"Not every Uchiha is the same."

Kazan was hinting at Madara Uchiha. With other people present, he didn't say the name outright.

Humans aren't all the same, either. Even from inside this cage, I can feel the sickening malice you humans harbor toward one another.

Betrayal, greed, jealousy, suspicion...

There was so much of it. The Nine-Tails felt those dark emotions every day.

Peace on the surface, turmoil underneath.

Hmph. Why am I telling a brat like you all this? Stop bothering me!

"I know what you mean. I'm a Taijutsu ninja, Nine-Tails."

Kazan looked away and ended the conversation. He could tell the Nine-Tails didn't want to talk anymore.

Given his personality, it was remarkable that he had said this much.

The Nine-Tails said nothing else. He closed his eyes and rested inside the cold chamber of the seal.

Maybe there really are exceptions like you. But you're only one grain of sand in a desert.

The Nine-Tails didn't trust humans. He had talked with Kazan for so long only because he sensed none of that malice in him.

He had heard the stories about Kazan. His parents had died in battle, and he had little talent for Ninjutsu. He had trained his fists since childhood, hoping to reach the heights through Taijutsu.

Someone like that was different from the others.

"Finished? What did the Nine-Tails say to you?"

Kushina was curious.

Ever since the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside her, she had barely spoken to him.

Her grandmother, Mito Uzumaki, the first Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, had never told her to befriend him.

As a child, Kushina had heard words of comfort from Mito Uzumaki: "Even as Jinchūriki, we can still find happiness."

To them, the Nine-Tails was both a burden and a responsibility.

Kushina Uzumaki saw herself as a vessel protecting Konoha.

"You and I are both unlucky. You can hold the world at bay, and I can hold you at bay."

That had been her first exchange with the Nine-Tails. They had been at odds from the start.

Mito Uzumaki had been even more direct. She had told the Nine-Tails, "If you use your power, you'll only draw hatred. Stay quietly inside me."

And yet Kazan had willingly struck up a conversation with the Nine-Tails. He was practically a heretic.

"He said you're not cute at all. You fly into a rage and fling your hair around, and you cook every day even though you're terrible at it. Any man who marries you must have offended the Sage of Six Paths in a past life."

"What?!!!"

Kushina shot to her feet and slammed both hands onto the table with a bang.

"Did the Nine-Tails really say that?"

I said no such thing!

The Nine-Tails wasn't afraid of Kushina Uzumaki, but damn it, he wasn't going to take the blame for that!

He was about to lash out when Kushina Uzumaki's consciousness entered the chamber of the seal. She looked just as furious as he felt.

She trembled with anger, her red hair whipping around. "Nine-Tails!"

"Human, what are you doing here?!"

The Nine-Tails looked at Kushina with contempt. He guessed she had come to question him, but he had no intention of explaining himself.

"Did you really say those things?"

"So what if I did? Anyone who marries you must have offended the Sage of Six Paths in a past life. Look at that hair of yours. Its color is more ominous than my Chakra!"

How dare he!

"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Furious, Kushina sent golden chains shooting from her body, binding the Nine-Tails tight.

"Kushina! I'll kill you for this!"

Hatred filled the Nine-Tails' eyes.

A moment later, Kushina's consciousness returned to reality. She clapped her hands, looking as though she had gotten that anger out of her system.

"You two have an interesting way of communicating."

"What's interesting about it? Don't think I don't know you lied. The Nine-Tails never said any of that. He's not that petty."

"I see. You know him pretty well, then."

"Uh..."

...