"Tch… as expected of the Nine-Tails~"
A sudden voice came from beneath the fox's massive paw.
The Nine-Tails, who had been preparing to manipulate Naruto, froze in place instantly.
"This… is impossible!!"
"A mere human?!"
Feeling the tremendous force under its paw, the Nine-Tails let out a shocked cry.
After all, it was the Nine-Tails—
The strongest of all tailed beasts.
A single strike from its claw should have crushed any opponent.
Yet the human in front of it withstood it with only his body.
It was horrifying.
No, more precisely—it was horrifying for a tailed beast.
"Damn it! This can't be happening!"
"Die!!"
The Nine-Tails pressed down with all its strength, determined to crush Sarutobi Hakuto's hands.
It was the strongest of all tailed beasts—how could it possibly lose to a mere human?
Yet no matter how hard it pressed, Sarutobi Hakuto's hands didn't budge an inch.
Seeing this, Naruto outside the iron cage was utterly astonished.
"Big Brother Sarutobi Hakuto… you're so strong!"
He had already thought Sarutobi Hakuto defeating arrogant Sasuke was impressive enough.
But now, he could actually withstand the massive fox in front of him.
Naruto had worried about Sarutobi Hakuto getting hurt—but clearly, he had overestimated the danger.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hakuto felt the Nine-Tails' overwhelming strength firsthand.
It allowed him to get a clearer understanding of his current abilities.
Since merging with the "Homeland Human" template,
He hadn't yet fully tested his own potential.
After all, up to this point, he had only fused about 30% of the template.
[Host: Sarutobi Sarutobi Hakuto]
[Age: 10]
[Ninjutsu: None]
[Taijutsu: None]
[Genjutsu: None]
[Bloodline: None]
[Template: Homeland Human]
[Fusion: 30%]
[Unlocked Abilities: Super Defense, Super Strength, Super Speed]
[Next Template: Superhuman (Steel Body)]
This encounter was the perfect chance to test the limits of his unlocked abilities.
Even now, his super strength was enough to rival the Nine-Tails.
Though not at full "Hyperhuman" level yet,
Once he achieved 100% fusion with the Homeland Human template,
He could unlock the full powers of a Hyperhuman—
Super strength capable of lifting planets and resisting black hole forces.
With a reference point in front of him,
He had to test every ability.
"Ha!"
With a roar, Sarutobi Hakuto's power erupted.
Even as the Nine-Tails struggled, it was no match for him.
The massive fox was flung violently across the sealed space,
Crashing into the walls with a thunderous boom.
BOOM!
"This… is impossible!!"
"How can a human possess such strength?!"
"What… are you?!"
The Nine-Tails scrambled back to its feet, looking at Sarutobi Hakuto with growing caution.
In its understanding,
Even Hashirama Senju had to rely on Wood Release to suppress it—
A mere human's physical strength should never have been enough.
Yet here stood Sarutobi Hakuto—
Not even human in the Nine-Tails' eyes.
Sarutobi Hakuto didn't bother answering its questions.
Finally, he had a reference point—he intended to use it well.
Seeing Sarutobi Hakuto's playful smirk, the Nine-Tails felt a rising sense of dread.
Before it could react,
Sarutobi Hakuto bent his legs slightly,
Stomped hard,
And shot forward like a cannon.
BOOM!!
The speed was so fast that even the Nine-Tails couldn't react.
By the time it realized, a sharp pain coursed through its body.
POOF!
The Nine-Tails curled up from the impact.
But Sarutobi Hakuto wasn't done.
His figure blurred from one spot to another.
Even without activating flight,
His super speed made him nearly indistinguishable from flying.
Each punch struck with terrifying force, making the Nine-Tails writhe in pain.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
The sound of fists colliding echoed throughout the sealed space.
The once-mighty Nine-Tails
Was now beaten into a pitiful mess.
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
"I… I am the Nine-Tails!!!"
"Die, you brat!!"
Infuriated beyond endurance, the Nine-Tails began concentrating chakra in its mouth.
Its fearsome aura spread through the sealed space.
It was preparing its ultimate attack—the Tailed Beast Bomb.
The Nine-Tails had Sarutobi Hakuto locked in its sights.
Chakra coalescing,
It was about to unleash its attack.
But Sarutobi Hakuto flashed before it, appearing directly in front of the fox.
The Nine-Tails froze in panic.
It tried to release the Tailed Beast Bomb,
But Sarutobi Hakuto suddenly grinned,
And clamped the fox's mouth shut with both hands.
"Wuuuuhhh!!!!"
"Damn it!! Wuuuhhh, let go!!!"
At that moment, the Nine-Tails completely panicked.
It struggled violently,
But Sarutobi Hakuto, familiar with its strength, gave it no chance to escape.
Boom—
With a muffled thud, the struggling Nine-Tails went still.
The Tailed Beast Bomb it had formed exploded inside its mouth.
The blast stunned the Nine-Tails from the inside.
The massive fox froze in place, questioning its very existence.
"Wait… Nine-Tails?"
"The strongest tailed beast?"
"Is this… it?!"
Seeing Sarutobi Hakuto—the mastermind behind this—still mocking it,
The Nine-Tails almost cried.
At this moment, it longed for the Sage of Six Paths.
After being raised peacefully in the forest,
A monstrous human with Sharingan forced a contract,
Then summoned it to fight—only to be sealed by someone even stronger.
Finally free,
It was split in half by a yellow-haired brat.
Now, restrained in a small child's body,
Another brat was mercilessly pounding it again.
Thinking of this,
The Nine-Tails genuinely began to cry.
"Big Brother Sarutobi Hakuto… the big fox… it seems like it's crying…"