Chapter 271: Nine-Tails: Stop Flying
After learning that in order to train in Sage Mode he had to eat worms here to purify his body and harmonize with nature, Naruto suppressed his discomfort and started eating them as if they were ramen.
"This kid must be the Child of Prophecy. Look how deliciously he's eating. We barely even had to persuade him."
"Back when Jiraiya boy and Minato boy came, they resisted eating worms so much."
"Excellent. He is a genius!"
Shima and Fukasaku praised Naruto back and forth from the side.
Naruto had been suffering miserably, but hearing the stream of compliments made him feel lightheaded.
Since childhood, he had hardly ever been praised.
He had always been called dead last, and today someone was actually calling him a genius?
Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails was in agony.
Late at night, after Naruto fell asleep, the Nine-Tails immediately dragged him into the sealing space.
Bang.
The Nine-Tails slammed a claw against the gate, "You brat, stop eating those disgusting worms. If you want power, I can give it to you. As long as you behave and listen!"
"Huh? You can feel me eating worms too? That's great. I'm not the only one being grossed out."
Naruto cheered.
Only afterward did he process what the Nine-Tails had said.
Naruto lowered his head and thought for a while.
"According to Grandpa Third and that Second Hokage stone-face uncle, I have to master both Sage Mode and the Nine-Tails' power to rescue Sasuke, Pervy Sage, and Mom…"
"Your power is indispensable."
"But when I was training before, Pervy Sage also said I have to be careful with you, I must not be tempted."
"Nine-Tails, are you trying to tempt me right now?"
After thinking for a long time and still not quite understanding what "tempt" really meant, Naruto simply looked up and asked the only other being present.
"…"
The Nine-Tails became even more certain that without its power, this foolish brat would never be able to protect his beloved Sasuke.
And when that happened, Naruto would definitely treat it as a substitute and head down the irreversible path foretold by the Great Toad Sage.
"Even if I tell you no, would you believe me?"
"Yes."
"…Then accept my power and stop eating worms!"
"No. I have to learn Sage Mode."
Naruto shook his head firmly, "Only by learning Sage Mode and mastering your power at the same time can I defeat Orochimaru and the others and save everyone."
If it were before, the Nine-Tails would have scoffed. With my power alone, what need is there for those stinking toads' strength?
But the Nine-Tails knew the lineup on Orochimaru's side. The Second and Third Hokage aside, the key was that damn First Hokage.
Perhaps Naruto's reasoning was not wrong.
"Fine. I agree."
The Nine-Tails let its claw drop weakly.
"Huh? Nine-Tails, when did you become so easy to talk to?"
Naruto was curious.
"Do you remember those Ōtsutsuki? Their goal is the tailed beasts. They turn us into pills and swallow us."
"You're too weak. If next time no one protects you, I'll die. And if I die, you as the jinchūriki won't survive either."
"So right now, we're grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Do you understand?"
The Nine-Tails offered a perfectly reasonable explanation.
That explanation had once been its genuine thought, but now its top priority was preventing that prophecy from coming true.
Otherwise, it would rather die.
Naruto's consciousness returned from the sealing space to reality.
"I have to train in Sage Mode and also try to master the Nine-Tails' chakra. I am so busy. I better hurry up and sleep."
Naruto muttered to himself, then instinctively used his self-taught "flying sleep method."
Inside the sealing space, the Nine-Tails was still pleased with itself for successfully persuading Naruto when suddenly a strange sensation spread through its entire body, making the old fox blush.
"You brat, stop that right now!!!"
The Nine-Tails' furious voice echoed in Naruto's mind.
"What's wrong, Nine-Tails? Didn't you say our senses are connected? I was just trying to fall asleep quickly and let you enjoy it too."
Naruto shuddered, then asked in confusion.
"Do you even know what you're doing?"
"You're still in your growth phase. Doing this is very bad for your body!"
"You were malnourished as a kid, and now you're doing this too. Do you still want to chase girls in the future?"
The Nine-Tails felt as though it had turned into Naruto's personal old grandpa, lecturing him earnestly.
"This has something to do with chasing girls?"
Naruto immediately latched onto the key phrase.
"Of course."
Seeing that Naruto was actually listening, the Nine-Tails relaxed slightly. "If your foundation is too weak, even with the Uzumaki bloodline, my chakra, and even some future person's Yang power, it would only raise you to an average level. You still wouldn't be outstanding."
"But that thing is usually hidden. How does that attract girls?"
Naruto was puzzled.
"Have you forgotten about things like the Byakugan? And precisely because it's hidden, it's valuable. If you have enough capital, you can reveal it casually and impress people."
"What do you have right now?"
The Nine-Tails began making things up on the spot. As long as Naruto stopped randomly flying and affecting it, that was enough.
"Really?"
Naruto was half-convinced.
He remembered going to the bathhouse with everyone recently and noticing that Shino's bug was extremely robust.
But Shino did not seem particularly popular with girls either.
"Of course it's true. With your intelligence and talent, do you really think I could trick you?"
"That's true."
Naruto thought about how the two sages had called him a genius earlier that day and immediately believed the Nine-Tails.
The next morning.
Sage Shima went to Konoha to buy groceries.
No one knew why a toad that ate worms needed to buy vegetables. Was she restocking from the Aburame clan?
In any case, she planned to visit Tsunade on the way and ask about Jiraiya's situation.
"Mm, Sage Shima, just focus on helping Naruto master Sage Mode as much as possible. There's no danger to Jiraiya's life. You can rest assured."
Tsunade did not reveal much.
It was not that she did not trust the sages of Mount Myoboku. She was simply worried that out of concern for their junior, they might not bear to see Naruto train too hard and accidentally tell him everything.
So she chose not to disclose the details.
"No danger?"
Sage Shima left, only half-convinced.
Just as she hopped out the window, she glanced back and saw Kakashi entering the Hokage's office behind her, handing a book to Tsunade with an air of secrecy.
"Hokage-sama, this confidential matter has been completed."
"Good work, Kakashi."
"?"
Sage Shima memorized the book's title.
She went to a bookstore, bought a copy, then used reverse summoning to return to Mount Myoboku.
"The author is Kakashi? No. This was written by that little girl Tsunade."
Recalling what she had just seen, Sage Shima immediately reached her conclusion.
"Let me see what kind of secret you've got."
Sage Shima began flipping through the pages.
(End of this chapter)