Or rather...
Perhaps this is Araki's original soul.
Or perhaps...
As the Nine-Tails pondered, it dared not think any further. Its eyes began to radiate a cuteness when it looked at Araki, not daring to reveal even the slightest hint of ferocity, for fear that Araki would misunderstand.
"Come here."
Araki stood at the doorway, looking at the Nine-Tails in that posture, without feeling the slightest ripple in his heart. After obtaining Hashirama Senju's memories, he felt that it was perfectly normal for the Nine-Tails to appear in this form before him.
Isn't this exactly how your pet looks when it sees its owner?
Moreover, it's the kind of pet that bares its teeth at its owner before being beaten into submission.
You should at least have this basic memory!
"..."
Nine-Tails was speechless. It didn't want to move at all, or rather, it wished it could get even further away from Araki. But since the other party had already said such things, if it didn't move, it didn't know what even more unacceptable things might be waiting for it.
"If you don't come over, I'm going inside."
Seeing that Nine-Tails Araki n't reacted for a long time, Araki reached out towards the seal. He didn't intend to tear it open, because this would greatly affect Kushina's life; he was just going through the motions.
But just by putting on an act, the Nine-Tails's expression changed drastically. Its fox face twisted visibly, filled with terror.
"No, no, no..."
Nine-Tails immediately lay down and shuffled forward, not even daring to stand up, quickly moving towards Araki's direction, which was towards the iron gate, and said, "I'm coming."
Before long, Nine-Tails lay down in front of the gate, his eyes fixed on Araki. The closer he got, the more clearly he could feel the powerful aura of Hashirama Senju emanating from Araki, which intensified the fear in Kurama's heart.
" The Nine-Tails."
Araki reached out his right hand and touched Nine-Tails's nose. Its long snout was perfect for stroking up and down, but because the fox's head was too big, he couldn't easily pat it. Even so, the scene was already incredibly impressive.
Araki's tone was more like that of someone meeting a very familiar old friend. His usually unwavering tone had changed, revealing a hint of concern.
"You're really amazing!"
"The sensation is even more pronounced under such close contact!"
"As expected of the strongest among the Nine Tailed Beasts!"
Araki sighed from the bottom of his heart, because he could indeed clearly feel that abundant Chakra.
only...
Upon hearing these words, the already distorted face of the Nine-Tails completely collapsed.
Damn it!
That's outrageous!
That familiar feeling!
Nine-Tails cursed inwardly, but dared not express it, even worrying that Araki would notice, so it lowered its head even further.
Kushina, standing to the side, had an even more interesting expression. She had originally thought that no matter what Araki did, she could face it calmly, because from the beginning she had kept telling herself that Araki was extremely powerful.
But when she saw Araki gently stroking the fox's head, the tranquility in her heart completely vanished; this was a scene she never dared to imagine in her dreams.
Suddenly Kushina seemed to realize something and abruptly looked towards the flowers and trees.
" Araki, was it you that day?"
Kushina's cheeks flushed red. At the border of the Land of Fire, she had been drugged and lost consciousness, so she entrusted everything to Nine-Tails.
She originally thought that this was the end for her, and that from now on her body would be controlled by the Nine-Tails.
But...
When I woke up, everything had changed back!
The Nine-Tails was sealed away properly again, and she had asked the Nine-Tails many times, but the Nine-Tails remained silent and she never received an answer.
"Which day?" Araki paused, not understanding what Kushina was referring to.
"The day I lost control!" Kushina said immediately.
"Oh..." Araki nodded. At this point, there was no need to hide it anymore, and said, "It's me."
"What did you do to me that day?" Kushina pressed, seemingly excited at finally getting an answer.
Chapter 27 I didn't say that Tsunade-sensei only gave it to me once!
Konoha: Nobody knew I could use Wood Release! Chapter 27: I didn't say Tsunade-sensei only taught me it once!
Kushina stared intently at Araki. This question had been troubling her for a long time. Ever since returning from the border of the Land of Fire, she had been wondering if it had anything to do with Araki.
However, Araki never admitted it at that time.
But now is the time; if you ask, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Kushina felt this was an extremely rare opportunity, so she immediately seized it and asked Araki the question that had been on her mind the most.
"I... didn't do anything..."
Araki paused for a moment. It was a perfectly normal question, one he already knew the answer to, but the way they were talking made it difficult for him to answer. It seemed to carry an additional layer of meaning. After a moment's thought, he added, "That day, I subdued the Nine-Tails in its berserk state and brought it back into your body, right?"
As they were talking, Araki asked Nine-Tails a question, and to get Nine-Tails to answer, he slapped Nine-Tails's fox mouth hard.
"Yes, that's right."
Nine-Tails responded with utter helplessness. He didn't want to say such a thing at all, but the boy named Araki standing next to him was simply too terrifying. The aura emanating from him was the same as that of Hashirama Senju, which made it feel a tremor from the depths of its soul.
That's why it didn't dare to make any rash moves; it only had one thought in its mind: to get through this period as quickly as possible.
Only now did Nine-Tails truly realize that the outside world was not as simple as it had imagined. Perhaps, hiding inside Kushina's body was the safest thing to do.
Is that really all there is to it?
Kushina stared at Araki suspiciously. She didn't find anything particularly strange about it, but she wanted to investigate further what had happened. After all, from her perspective, there probably wouldn't be another chance to ask after this.
However, she also got the answer she wanted to know: her regaining consciousness was indeed related to Araki.
That's enough.
She'll take whatever information she gets as she goes; she's pretty easygoing about it!
"Back then, you broke the seal on the Nine-Tails Nine-Tails, and it took control of your body, going berserk. I used Wood Release Ninjutsu to control the Nine-Tails and persuaded it to return to your body. It's that simple. However, because Wood Release Ninjutsu needs to be kept secret, I didn't mention it to you or Jiraiya-sensei at that time." Araki thought for a moment and explained again. After Kushina wasn't an outsider; she was one of the closest people to him since he came to the ninja world. Since he would find out sooner or later, and the matter involved Kushina, it was better to clarify things now to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings or trouble.
"Wait, wait..."
Upon hearing Araki's words, Kushina immediately picked up on a few key phrases, then made a gesture to stop him, her eyes fixed intently on Araki.
"Um, how about we go outside to talk?"
Araki could tell that Kushina still intended to ask more questions, and since they were currently in a spiritualized state, this state was not suitable for maintaining for too long. It not only greatly depleted his body but also affected Kushina's health.
Araki came here this time to meet Nine-Tails ).
After all, he had already revealed the matter of Wood Release to Kushina, so he also needed to talk to Nine-Tails and ask him to calm down.
Buzz!
After speaking, Araki did not wait for Kushina's response. Instead, his body trembled slightly, and his spirit suddenly and rapidly dissipated.
whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Immediately afterwards, Kushina also felt a powerful pull that drew her out of the dark corridor, and the scene before her eyes returned to the forest.
Looking at everything in the woods before her, she felt as if it were all a dream, as if what had just happened and what she had heard was a dream.
So much so that when he looked at Araki's expression, he was completely stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Let's go."
Araki waved to Kushina, because they had been standing still for a long time, and his ominous premonition had grown stronger. He felt that something was about to happen in Uzushiogakure, where the Uzumaki Clan lived.
This feeling grew stronger and stronger.
Araki had an indescribable feeling, vaguely sensing that it might be related to the Hashirama Cells in his body, but without any substantial evidence.
These are merely speculations.
"Oh, right, I didn't finish what I was saying earlier, so you have to answer my question."
Kushina quickly caught up with Araki. Just now, when the two were talking, she still had many questions in her mind. If she didn't find out the answers, she wouldn't be able to eat or sleep.
"Go ahead and ask." This time, Araki didn't refuse anymore, and even he was curious about what else he wanted to ask.
" Araki, are you saying that you already knew Wood Release back then?" Kushina narrowed her eyes and stared at Araki.
"Yes." Araki nodded, sensing a dangerous aura emanating from Kushina. It seemed she was on the verge of a violent outburst, her red hair almost whipping up from her loose back.
"Didn't you just say you were only learning these today?" Kushina keenly caught the potential contradiction in his statement, her gaze towards Araki sharpening as if to expose his lie. She then asked, "In that case, how did you master Wood Release back then?"
"All I've mastered this time is Sealing Jutsu," Araki said, shaking his head.
"Didn't you say that Tsunade-sensei gave you the pills?" Kushina's brows furrowed tightly.
"It was indeed the pill that Tsunade-sensei gave me today. It granted me more memories, allowing me to find the conversation with Mito Uzumaki, and even glean some insights and experience regarding sealing techniques, but..." Araki said, pausing slightly, "I didn't say Tsunade-sensei only gave it to me once!"
"Ah?"
Upon hearing this, Kushina suddenly realized what was happening and stared at Araki, asking, "Have you taken this kind of pill before?"
In an instant.
Kushina was even more shocked.
It seems that Araki harbors many secrets, and what has been revealed so far is only the tip of the iceberg, which intensifies her desire to explore further.
Chapter 28 The Envoy from Kumogakure has arrived!
Konoha: Nobody knew I could Wood Release! Chapter 28: The Envoy from Kumogakure has arrived!
"Of course, otherwise how could I have mastered Wood Release Ninjutsu? I have a very high percentage of Hashirama Cells in my body," Araki said, patting his chest.
"I see."
This time, Kushina understood everything, so she dismissed her doubts. This was a very comfortable feeling for her, knowing that any problems could be resolved immediately, instead of accumulating in her mind and causing further doubts.
"Am I the only one who knows about this?" Kushina asked again.
"Yes, only you. I only told you. No one else in Konoha, except for Tsunade-sensei, knows anything," Araki explained. He brought up Tsunade-sensei again; he had to bring Tsunade down now, otherwise many things couldn't be explained. Then, he added, "Don't tell Tsunade-sensei about this. She told me not to tell anyone, including you. I just don't want to hide it from you anymore."