"So this is..."
The Nine-Tails was in a frenzy, and even Kitagawa Minamoto found himself momentarily dazed.
He hadn't expected the Nine-Tails to be so sensitive—far more than he had imagined!
"And all I did was take a quick glance, yet I ended up in the depths of Naruto's mental world?"
Looking around casually, he realized he seemed to be in some sort of prison.
He was floating mid-air, with water flowing all over the ground below him.
Through the reflection in the water, Kitagawa Minamoto caught a glimpse of himself, and the sight almost startled him.
"Is that me?"
In the reflection, a figure shrouded entirely in chakra stood suspended in the air.
The brilliant blue chakra obscured his features, leaving only his white eyes distinct and striking.
Moreover, the chakra seemed to form faint antennae on his head, giving him an aura of mystery and majesty—a visage befitting someone undergoing an Ōtsutsuki transformation!
"My appearance changes even in the mental realm?"
Kitagawa Minamoto gradually composed himself. Transforming into this form didn't seem like a bad thing.
If he had entered in his original appearance, it might have caused more complications.
"Who are you?!"
Just as he was lost in thought, the Nine-Tails roared from a distance.
Raising his head, Kitagawa Minamoto saw the massive beast in vivid detail.
The Nine-Tails bared its fangs and glared at him with fury. Its already enormous form appeared even larger with its fur bristling in rage.
Cold, malevolent chakra flowed around it, causing the water on the ground to surge into waves that rippled outward.
"Who am I? Don't you already know?"
Kitagawa Minamoto pondered for a moment before adopting the tone of "Ōtsutsuki Minamoto" and testing the waters.
"Stop pretending, you fraud! I don't know who you are!"
The Nine-Tails' roars grew louder, and its chakra surged more violently. Yet the seal remained firmly in place, locking it down.
No matter how much it struggled, it couldn't break free!
Though the Nine-Tails' anger was evident, a flicker of fear flashed in its eyes.
"This guy..."
The Nine-Tails didn't recognize the figure before it, but the presence—or rather, the aura—of this person triggered an instinctive reaction within it.
It was as if his very soul was responding, filling him with a deep, primal fear.
"And why does this guy's chakra feel similar to the old man's?"
The Nine-Tails' tails swayed wildly. The similarity in the aura was uncanny, yet it wasn't identical—which only made the Nine-Tails even more uneasy!
"Looks like there's been a misunderstanding, but that's fine."
Hearing the Nine-Tails' response, Kitagawa Minamoto immediately realized the beast had misunderstood something.
But he didn't mind. After all, the mental and spiritual realms were different from the physical world.
Especially now, with his improved control over his powers, using the Byakugan to observe from such a distance would naturally confuse the Nine-Tails.
With that thought, Kitagawa Minamoto suddenly smirked mischievously.
"Little fox, you may not know me, but I know you. Or rather, I know you as the Ten-Tails, or even as the Divine Tree."
"You!"
The Nine-Tails' chakra erupted in a violent storm.
The terms "Ten-Tails" and "Divine Tree" were ancient and distant, far removed from the present.
While the term "Ten-Tails" might still be known to some, "Divine Tree" was practically unheard of among ordinary people!
Now, the Nine-Tails' inner turmoil grew more intense, its fear and unease amplifying with every passing moment.
"Naruto, are you okay?"
In the outside world, Iruka watched in alarm as Naruto suddenly froze, red chakra beginning to seep out of his body.
"Nine-Tails? Tch, what perfect timing!"
Mizuki raised an eyebrow at the sudden development.
The situation had already been unpredictable, and even he was struggling to keep up.
"But it seems luck is on my side. Iruka, Naruto!"
"Damn it..."
Seeing Mizuki raise his massive shuriken and aim it at them, Iruka gritted his teeth.
The moment the shuriken flew, he ignored his injuries and threw himself toward Naruto to shield him.
"You're quite the unruly fox."
Back in Naruto's mental world, Kitagawa Minamoto watched as the Nine-Tails thrashed about, causing the turbulent waters to grow even more chaotic. He shook his head in mild exasperation.
"I only wanted to ask you a few questions, but it seems you're unwilling to cooperate. In that case, forgive my intrusion."
"Who the hell are you?!"
The Nine-Tails roared furiously, but in the next instant, it felt an overwhelming repulsive force pinning it down.
In the blink of an eye, its enormous body was pressed against the watery ground, unable to move!
"This seal is surprisingly effective..."
Kitagawa Minamoto was slightly surprised. He had only intended to subdue the Nine-Tails temporarily, but the results exceeded his expectations.
The seal, evidently reinforced by Jiraiya, was already highly effective at suppressing the Nine-Tails. Additionally, this was only half of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
"No wonder Sasuke, even in his Three-Tomoe Sharingan state, could casually disperse the Nine-Tails' chakra and leave unharmed."
Kitagawa Minamoto nodded thoughtfully. Then, with a faint smile, he casually asked,
"Now that you've calmed down, let me ask my first question: where is the other half of your chakra?"
"You damned bastard!"
The Nine-Tails, already agitated, grew even more enraged at the mention of its missing chakra. Though it was pinned down, it continued to struggle violently.
"Second question: Even though you've been divided, your ancient memories should remain intact. Where is Kaguya Ōtsutsuki? And where is your original form?"
Kitagawa Minamoto's tone remained calm, but his questions struck a nerve with the Nine-Tails.
"ROAR!"
The Nine-Tails let out a deafening roar, thrashing with renewed vigor. Kitagawa Minamoto, however, noticed something intriguing.
"As I thought, the memories are still there. They're just being awakened gradually as the Nine-Tails' chakra erupts."
Kitagawa Minamoto's initial goal had been to observe the Nine-Tails and gather information about the remnants of Naruto's parents sealed within him.
Unfortunately, the Nine-Tails wasn't cooperating. Still, he had gleaned most of what he wanted.
"Perhaps I should stir the pot a bit more."
Watching the struggling Nine-Tails, Kitagawa Minamoto feigned a look of regret.
"It seems you either refuse to cooperate or your memories are damaged. In that case, I'll let you off for now. Hopefully, next time we meet, you'll have better answers for me."
"Who are you?!"
The Nine-Tails roared once more, its chakra shaking the entire space. Kitagawa Minamoto, however, remained unfazed.
"Don't waste your energy. It's pointless. As a fragment of the Ten-Tails' chakra, you should understand one thing."
Pausing briefly, Kitagawa Minamoto's form began to fade. As he watched the increasingly frantic Nine-Tails, his voice remained calm and clear.
"Power without balance is a flaw."
"So next time we meet, I expect you to show some respect. Because next time, it won't just be my chakra confronting you."
"And as for who I am..."
Kitagawa Minamoto's voice grew sharper as he delivered his parting words.
"Remember this: My name is Ōtsutsuki Minamoto!"
As his words echoed, an immense repulsive force erupted, pinning the Nine-Tails firmly to the ground.
Its once-surging chakra dissipated, and the entire space plunged back into darkness.
"Huh?"
In the outside world, Naruto suddenly froze, surprised to find the violent chakra within him fading away.
The pain, anger, and fear that had consumed him moments ago were gone, leaving him feeling clear-headed once more.
"Iruka-sensei!"
At that moment, Naruto saw Mizuki's massive shuriken flying toward them, with Iruka rushing to shield him.
Struggling to stand, Naruto's determination burned. Iruka's tough-love approach had always been clear to him, and he couldn't bear to see his teacher get hurt.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
Just as the shuriken was about to strike, a massive earth wall rose from the ground, intercepting its path.
At the same time, a voice echoed through the forest.
"Tch. I thought you'd be more impressive, but this is all you've got?"
Looking up, they saw a silver-haired figure standing atop the earth wall.
With his back to the moonlight, his face was obscured, but his arms were crossed as he surveyed the scene below.
"Minamoto-sensei?"
"Minamoto!"
Iruka froze mid-step, while Naruto's face lit up with a mix of surprise and embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Mizuki's face turned deathly pale. Though he had never seen Kitagawa Minamoto in action, he had heard from other Jōnin that Minamoto had once defeated Jiraiya!
Facing such an opponent, Mizuki knew he didn't stand a chance.
"Minamoto-sensei, you're just in time!"
Suddenly, Mizuki shouted, attempting to shift the blame.
"Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals, and they—"
"Your schemes have already been fully exposed, Mizuki."
Kitagawa Minamoto cut him off coldly.
"The Hokage sent me here to see what you were up to. I didn't expect your ambitions to be this grand."
"You..."
Mizuki clenched his fists, unwilling to accept his fate.
[Side Quest Completed: As the White-Haired Protagonist, It's Only Natural to Clean Up!]
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Exclusive Naruto Quest Completed: Results Far from Ideal]
[Calculating Rewards...]
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