Kinshiki Otsutsuki glanced at Momoshiki and asked, "My lord, shall we capture him alive straight away?"
"Of course."
Momoshiki Otsutsuki raised a hand to straighten his cuff. "The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is only valuable alive."
"At the very least, he must remain alive until I have devoured all his chakra."
Naruto gritted his teeth, his back pressed against the cold rock, his chest heaving violently.
His chakra had already bottomed out, and the Nine-Tails inside him was still gathering chakra at a despairingly slow pace.
He felt his vision darkening slightly. His ears buzzed, and every muscle in his body screamed with the pain of overexertion.
Given time, these injuries would have been nothing.
With his regenerative ability, he could have healed on his own.
But not now. Momoshiki and Kinshiki would never give him that chance.
There... there's still hope...
He told himself inwardly, speaking to the Nine-Tails inside him as well. Big Brother Naraku must already be on his way... I just have to hold on a little longer...
Momoshiki seemed to see through his thoughts. He sneered and slowly stepped forward. "Are you waiting for reinforcements? That Shihōin Naraku?"
Naruto's pupils contracted slightly.
"It's no use."
Momoshiki raised his hand, aiming his palm at Naruto as a ring of eerie ripples spread through his Rinnegan. "Even if he rushes here from Konoha, it will take time."
"And that will be more than enough time for me to take you away."
A black chakra rod slowly emerged from his palm, aimed at a vital point on Naruto's body.
Naruto's back was pressed firmly against the rock. He had nowhere left to retreat.
The Nine-Tails inside him growled, "Naruto! Just stall for two more minutes! Only two minutes!"
"Two minutes..." Naruto murmured the words once, then abruptly raised his head.