After Mito finished her instruction, everyone else left, but she called out to Kyuushin.
"You've been training a bit too aggressively lately," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "I know you want to get stronger, but constantly pushing your body to its absolute limit is not a good thing. It might exhaust your future potential."
Mito stated this directly, and Kyuushin knew she was referring to the Gene Lock.
"Each time I use it, the side effects decrease," he argued. "That means my body is gradually adapting to this state. It should be fine, right?"
Mito nodded slowly. "When I just checked your body, I didn't find any lasting damage, and your physical fitness has even improved further. However, that special state is the first of its kind. Whether or not there are hidden side effects is still unknown, which is why I want you to use it with caution."
*Are there any side effects to the Gene Lock?* Kyuushin thought. Besides the possibility of gene collapse from forced use, there didn't seem to be any. But if gene collapse occurred in this world, without the Main God Space to fix him, it would truly be incurable. He nodded, indicating that he understood her concern.
After a moment of silence, Mito suddenly asked, "Kyuushin, do you know about the Tailed Beasts?"
Hearing the question, Kyuushin paused, wondering why she was asking him this now.
"Yes," he replied. "I've read about them in the family's records. They are divided from the One-Tailed to the Nine-Tailed, and each one has the power to move mountains and fill seas. The First Hokage captured them and distributed them among the great nations to maintain a strategic balance."
"That's right. You see it very clearly. Hashirama's purpose was indeed that, but as time went on, the Tailed Beasts gradually became tools of war. This recent attack on Kumogakure... I also utilized the power of the Nine-Tails." She looked at Kyuushin, her gaze serious. "Do you know what a 'Jinchuriki' is?"
As soon as she asked, Kyuushin immediately knew where this conversation was headed. But he was only seven years old. Wasn't it too soon to talk about this? He remembered that in the original story, Mito only told Kushina when she was nearly on her deathbed. But now that she had asked, he couldn't feign ignorance.
"Yes, Grandma. You are the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, aren't you?"
"That's right," Mito sighed. "After Hashirama defeated the Nine-Tails, to prevent another rampage, I voluntarily requested to have it sealed within me. But as I said, the Tailed Beasts have become weapons of war, and Jinchuriki are just the living containers for those weapons. That is the tragedy of being a Jinchuriki."
Mito stroked Kyuushin's hair, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I've told you so much, and you're so smart. You must know what I'm trying to say, right?"
Kyuushin nodded. He had long been mentally prepared for this day, but he hadn't expected it to come so soon.
"I'm sorry, Kyuushin. When I brought you and Kushina from the Land of Whirlpools, it was to have one of you become the next vessel for the Nine-Tails."
"Yes," Kyuushin replied calmly. "I guessed as much not long after I arrived."
"I'm sorry that you children must bear such a heavy fate."
The Nine-Tails. Although Kyuushin knew its true nature, at this time it was still regarded as a symbol of disaster, terror, and destruction. He had been conflicted about this since his reincarnation. Should he actively seek to become the Jinchuriki?
The benefits were obvious. With the Nine-Tails' chakra, he would instantly be Kage-level, a power that would be invaluable in the early days. But the downsides were numerous. There was no guarantee he could gain the Nine-Tails' recognition. It would make him a priority target for future enemies. And the beast itself was a huge burden that could hinder his own growth.
It seemed like it wasn't worth it. Perhaps it would be better to let Kushina become the Jinchuriki, just as in the original story. That would allow him to develop freely, and with the power of the Gene Lock, his future achievements might be even greater.
But things weren't that simple. Based on his understanding of Kushina, despite her fear, her strong will would compel her to volunteer. If he, in turn, insisted on letting her take on the burden, his standing in Mito's eyes would plummet. No matter how much she doted on him now, such an act would brand him as selfish and irresponsible. The Konoha elders would never trust him. In this world, once your integrity was questioned, you would be an outcast. His best outcome would be defection, and he would be relentlessly pursued by Konoha. He was a social creature; he couldn't live a life of complete isolation.
Therefore, although there seemed to be two paths, there was actually only one. No matter when Mito asked, he had to insist on becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki himself.
After thinking it all through, becoming a Jinchuriki didn't seem so bad after all. He had his own advantages. His foresight gave him knowledge of the Nine-Tails' true personality; it wasn't a mindless beast. With enough patience and sincerity, peaceful coexistence should be possible. As for becoming a target, if he was strong enough, it would be hard to say who would be hunting whom. Finally, he possessed the Gene Lock. His potential was limitless, and as long as he studied sealing jutsu well, he could minimize the negative impact of the Nine-Tails.
And in Kyuushin's heart, there was another ambition. The Nine-Tails was the most powerful part of the Ten-Tails. If he could discover some of the Ten-Tails' secrets through it, that knowledge could help him go even further in this world. After all, he knew that powerful enemies would come one after another, and even the fated protagonist would one day fall. If he didn't work hard, he would just become cannon fodder in the battles to come.