To create a completely independent, yet utterly real world—this was something that shattered Orochimaru's understanding and overturned his worldview.
If Senju Haruto had used the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to conjure an illusory world, Orochimaru wouldn't have been this shocked. But… this was no illusion.
This was a real mirrored dimension.
Such a thing could only be described as a god's power.
Minato Namikaze looked around. The space stretched vast and endless, without borders. Empty, quiet, and boundless—perfect for releasing the Nine-Tails and performing the sealing ritual.
"How in the world is this possible…?" Minato's heart was filled with awe.
What unsettled him most was that when Haruto pulled them into this space, he hadn't sensed even the slightest trace of chakra.
That meant one of two things: either the ability Haruto used wasn't ninjutsu at all, or he had long since surpassed dimensions Minato could comprehend.
Before Minato had even tried to sense Haruto's chakra, the man had already refined chakra, formed hand seals, and completed the technique.
He might not be the strongest or the most brilliant among the Hokage. But when it came to analyzing situations and gathering intelligence on the spot, Minato was confident in his abilities.
Yet standing before Haruto, he realized just how small and powerless he truly was. Forget analyzing—the truth was, he couldn't even begin to understand what kind of level Haruto had reached.
Because Haruto had already stepped into a realm Minato couldn't even imagine.
And Minato was absolutely certain—whatever this technique was, it was not genjutsu.
First, because the Nine-Tails was sealed inside his own body. After years of coexistence, Minato was close to being a perfect jinchūriki. Second, as the Fifth Hokage, Senju Haruto had no need to rely on illusions.
"Orochimaru…" Minato swallowed and turned to him for answers.
But Orochimaru knew little more than he did. He merely shook his head, indicating he couldn't explain how Haruto had accomplished this either.
"This is a kind of magic," Haruto explained lightly. "It can… create a world identical to reality. Here, we can destroy freely without worrying about affecting the real world."
When he spoke of the key point, Haruto deliberately chose the word create. Explaining it from the beginning would take far too long.
"…Alright." Minato didn't understand what this so-called "magic" really was, but he knew this wasn't the time to pry further.
He raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers, and pressed them to his abdomen. As his fingers rotated, the sealing formula began to unravel.
Whoooosh—!
A violent wind erupted from Minato's stomach, followed by a raw, overwhelming force surging outward in all directions.
Sakura instinctively stepped back.
Naruto, however, stepped forward, shielding her with his body.
After all, he had been the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki for most of his life. During Madara Uchiha's invasion of Konoha, he had reached mutual understanding with the yang half of Kurama.
Even now, standing before the yin half of the beast, Naruto felt no fear.
Quite the opposite—Kurama had become his most important friend. His closest companion. His irreplaceable bond.
The yin Kurama's fur was darker in color than the yang half.
"Tch."
The moment he was freed from Minato's body, the Nine-Tails couldn't resist muttering in annoyance. Despite being sealed, he had always been aware of the outside world.
"Long time no see, Kurama!" Naruto greeted him with a wide grin.
"Naruto…" Kurama called his name out of habit, but his gaze quickly shifted toward Haruto.
Though sealed, the tailed beasts shared a common mental plane. Yet now, Kurama could no longer sense any of his brethren.
That could only mean one thing: all of them had been rejoined into the Ten-Tails.
"Haruto…" Kurama's tone grew cautious.
From him, Kurama felt not only a familiar chakra, but also a strength so immense it defied description.
Even if he returned to his full form—yin and yang united as the complete Nine-Tails—his chakra would pale compared to Haruto's.
It was undeniable.
Senju Haruto had already become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
And not just that. Kurama could also sense the Six Paths' power—both the yin and yang halves—within him.
To put it bluntly, Haruto was now stronger than the Sage of Six Paths himself. Crushing Kurama would take no more than a flick of his finger.
As for Minato, there was little to say—he was merely Kurama's former jailor.
"You understand the situation, don't you?" Haruto raised his head slightly, his voice deep and heavy as he met Kurama's gaze.
A warning. A threat.
If the beast didn't cooperate, Haruto would force him to.
Kurama's fur bristled at the thought of the powers Haruto commanded—the Eternal Mangekyō, Susanoo, the Rinnegan, Wood Release, and countless more. The pressure was suffocating.
"…I understand."
No matter how much he longed for freedom, no matter how much he hated being sealed inside a jinchūriki, Kurama knew he had no choice.
Refuse, and what then? Did he really think Haruto would let him walk free? More likely, the man would hammer him into the ground with True Thousand Hands, wrapped in a towering Susanoo.
No—the smart move was to nod and accept.
Besides, Kurama also knew something else.
Naruto wasn't like other jinchūriki.
He truly understood the tailed beasts.
Being sealed inside his body might not be such a bad fate after all.
And so, what followed was simple.
Faced with Haruto, the Nine-Tails became uncharacteristically obedient, like a tame animal.
Like an innocent, harmless fox.
The sealing itself was handled by Minato, who was already well-practiced in the art. And thanks to Edo Tensei, he wouldn't die from losing the tailed beast.
Within moments, the yin half of Kurama had been sealed inside Naruto's body.
Naruto had once again become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—and in doing so, his life was fully restored. He no longer needed to fear an early death.
And more than that…
Naruto quickly adapted and immediately entered his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
The Land of Fire had gained another immense source of strength.
"Now then… it's Sasuke's turn."
Haruto murmured to himself, waving a hand as he transported everyone out of the mirrored dimension.
The reunion and small talk that followed didn't interest him. After a few brief words, he headed straight for Sasuke's hospital room.
...
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