Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: The Relationship Between Jinchūriki and the Tailed Beasts!

Upon hearing the words of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, even the stoic Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, sighed with emotion.He remembered the past clearly.Back then, when he was surrounded by the elite shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village—even when the notorious Golden and Silver Brothers, infused with Nine Tails' chakra, personally joined the battlefield—there was no way he could have survived such a siege.And yet, he had made his choice.Without hesitation, Senju Tobirama decided to stay behind, choosing the path of death—a path from which there would be no return.Because he understood the condition of Konoha all too well.The once-proud Senju Clan had already faded into history, its name now only a whisper of the past.In this grand war that spanned the entire ninja world, faced with the overwhelming might of the Cloud Shinobi Village, Tobirama managed to reverse the tide of battle with his own overwhelming power.To him, his mission as Hokage was complete.But for Konoha… another victory only meant one thing: the higher-ups and major clans would become even more complacent.At that moment, he finally understood why his brother Hashirama had chosen death.The true Will of Fire meant knowing when to step aside, leaving opportunities and responsibility to the younger generation—the new hope.If Tobirama hadn't fallen in battle, if he had continued to protect Konoha, then the political structure of the entire village would have remained stagnant until his death.Nothing would have changed.But as the facts eventually proved… after becoming Hokage himself, Tobirama realized that some of his decisions had indeed been flawed.Only then did he truly appreciate the greatness of his elder brother, Senju Hashirama.Tobirama's death—just like Hashirama's—was destined to mark the beginning of a new era for Konoha.That was the Will of Fire as understood by the First and Second Hokage—sacrificing oneself for the future.But even with such noble intentions, neither of them could have imagined what the Will of Fire would later become.It had long since twisted into a tool used by those in power to control the hearts and minds of the villagers.And now, even if they wanted to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi about it directly, neither Tobirama nor Hashirama could do so openly.After all, regardless of their personal views, this was still Konoha's internal matter.To air such grievances publicly would only invite ridicule from the outside world.---[Namikaze Minato began to recount the events of the night of the Nine Tails' attack in great detail.]As Hokage, Minato had done everything in his power to protect the village.He saved the newborn Naruto.He redirected the Tailed Beast Bomb.He subdued the rampaging Nine Tails.He even confronted and defeated the mysterious masked man who had orchestrated the attack, managing to dispel the man's powerful eye technique.It was not an exaggeration to say that Minato had single-handedly saved the village that night—at the cost of his own life.---["So... what you're saying is… why did Mom end up getting attacked by that masked man when she was at her weakest?"]Naruto's question struck directly at the heart of the mystery.Minato looked at his son, clearly impressed by how quickly Naruto had grasped the most critical issue of that night.Yes, that was the true mystery behind the Nine Tails incident.Kushina, being a Jinchūriki, would have had her seal at its weakest during childbirth.That knowledge was supposed to be top-secret within Konoha.The fact that an outsider had learned of it—and even launched an attack at that precise moment—was deeply alarming.Rumors had spread afterward, suggesting that the Nine Tails had been controlled by the Uchiha clan.But Minato had fought the masked man personally.Whoever that man was, he was far stronger than Uchiha Fugaku.This wasn't just some random Uchiha.It could very well be..."Uchiha Madara..."---Naruto blinked. That name again.He had heard it before—the man who had once co-founded the Konoha village alongside the First Hokage.A man so dangerous that even the Second Hokage had lived in constant fear of what the Uchiha clan could become.Even Kurama, the Nine Tails himself, trembled at the sound of that name.Was he really that powerful?Minato smiled and gently placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder."Naruto, there are many powerful shinobi in this world. Among them are those with great ambition—and great darkness. That's why I want you to become stronger. Strong enough to protect yourself..."He then turned his gaze toward the Nine Tails, eyes firm."...and to protect Nine Tails as well."---"Protect Nine Tails?" Naruto echoed, confused.Kushina stepped forward and gently explained."Yes, Naruto. Kurama is a powerful tailed beast, and many people in the ninja world would go to any lengths to capture him.""But the relationship between a Jinchūriki and their Tailed Beast is one of mutual support.""When the Jinchūriki is weak, they must rely on the beast's power. But when they grow strong, they must also protect the Tailed Beast in return."Naruto blinked in awe."So… I can protect Kurama too, someday?"---Kurama scoffed."Hmph! You? Protect me? Don't make me laugh. You're too weak.""Maybe the Naruto from that other world could do it. But you? Don't count on it."Naruto grumbled."Come on, Kurama, can't we just get along?"Kurama snarled back."Enough with the nonsense. If you keep blabbering, this system will shut down. And don't expect me to lend you any power to deal with those Uchiha brats either!"Naruto: "..."---The Fourth Raikage, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up."Jinchūriki and tailed beasts helping each other… this Naruto kid from the Uzumaki clan has the same mindset as Killer Bee."Terumi Mei nodded thoughtfully."I've heard that your village's Jinchūriki are perfect hosts, able to live in harmony with their tailed beasts. Is that true?"The Fourth Raikage puffed up proudly."Of course! It's only a matter of time before the Land of Lightning becomes the strongest nation in any world!"But then, Onoki of the Hidden Stone interrupted."Have you forgotten about the Land of Whirlpools?"The Raikage froze.He remembered now...That version of Naruto from the alternate world had said he would make Konoha part of the new Whirlpool Country.If Naruto really became a perfect Jinchūriki…Then things could get very complicated.Even the Eight Tails had admitted: when it came to raw power, even all eight tailed beasts together were no match for Kurama.---Senju Tobirama suddenly turned to Hiruzen with a stern expression."Monkey, do you know who that masked man was? Who dared to attack the Hokage and the village?"Hiruzen frowned."I'm not sure either. Wasn't it Uchiha Madara? @Uchiha Madara!"Uchiha Madara responded nonchalantly:"Huh, yes. It was me."Tobirama snorted."Quit pretending. If it really were you, there would be no need for a mask. Knowing you, you'd be parading your Susanoo all over Konoha like a fireworks show.""You wouldn't need the Nine Tails' help. And besides, you wouldn't have lost to the Fourth Hokage!"Madara: "..."Though he resented Tobirama deeply, even he had to admit—This man was terrifyingly sharp.He might have even understood Hashirama better than Madara himself.Tobirama was deep, calculating, and dangerous.Still... in the end, it was Obito who had failed.He had the perfect setup.And yet, he was defeated head-on by Minato.Even Kurama was taken away.A complete disgrace!---Uchiha Obito: "Are you seriously hurt?"---[To be continued...]