Chapter 23: Naruto's First Tailed Beast Transformation
Conversations or trades with a hidden agenda are the most stable relationships before the goal is achieved; though cruel, this is the reality.
Survival and interests are inherent programs carved into the bones of all living creatures; this is not something that can be resisted just by wanting to.
Of course, there are countless noble personalities and even more people who would sacrifice their lives for righteousness, but unfortunately, Narutodoes not have that realization yet.
After undergoing a life experience game, Naruto's values have been reshaped.
This reshaping cannot be called good, but it's not exactly bad either; at the very least, Naruto no longer lives so miserably and tiredly.
Furthermore, Naruto is now highly skilled in disguise; before he reveals his true fangs, he is still that sunny, enterprising, noble, and self-sacrificing good youth of Konoha!
"I look forward to the arrival of that day!" The Nine-Tailed withdrew all of its Aura. "However, there is still a long time until that day. Shouldn't we both receive some benefits from each other to build a good foundation?"
"First, tell me the truth about everything, and I will let you out for a breath of air, provided that this 'breathing' is controllable!" Naruto made a timely concession. "After all, for our first trade, it is necessary to establish a relationship of mutual trust."
"Don't be so utilitarian at such a young age; you're not like your late father, Minato Namikaze, at all."
"You're already a thousand-year-old monster, don't be so petty about everything with a child!" Narutoretorted.
"Sharp-tongued!" The Nine-Tailed attached a new label to Naruto. "I hope that after you know the truth, you can still speak to this old man like this."
"This must be told starting from three years ago..." Without waiting for Naruto to speak again, the Nine-Tailed began to talk to itself. "At that time, I was also in a sealed state, but the vessel sealing me was your mother—Kushina Uzumaki."
Seeing the Nine-Tailed enter the flow, Narutotactfully did not interrupt it, but sat down cross-legged again to listen quietly.
But the more he listened, the deeper Naruto's brow furrowed; the twists and turns of the past exceeded Naruto's imagination.
Naruto had never imagined that besides the two forces of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, there was a third-party force hidden behind him!
Furthermore, through the Nine-Tailed's narrative, he learned that the strength of this third-party force was incomparable to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura; these muddy waters were far more exciting than they appeared on the surface.
"Just like that, half of this old man's body was sealed within you by your father using the Reaper Death Seal, and right before being sealed, I seized the opportunity to kill your parents."
"Kurama, based on what you've said, the real mastermind is someone else, right?" Narutosuddenly interrupted the Nine-Tailed's continued narration. "The death of my parents and your breaking out of the Seal were orchestrated by someone behind the scenes, and that person is an unknown Uchiha clansman claiming to be Uchiha Madara, right?"
The Nine-Tailed was silent for a moment and nodded slightly.
Although the pride of being a Tailed Beast made the Nine-Tailed reluctant to admit it, the facts were as such, and it could find no reason to refute them.
And Uchiha Madara and the Uchiha Clan were the pain of the Nine-Tailed's life!
The Mangekyo Sharingan was the power the Nine-Tailed hated and feared most in its life!
All of this was a lesson summarized by the Nine-Tailed after experiencing many severe beatings; it felt much better now that it had said it out loud. After all, the brat before it had already stepped one foot onto the bandwagon of targeting the Uchiha Clan alongside it.
"I will never forget the evil power of the Mangekyo Sharingan!" The Nine-Tailed gnashed its teeth in hatred. "I was controlled and provoked by that Mysterious Person, which ultimately led me to choose to take revenge on Konoha."
"In that case, to some extent, we are potential allies..." Naruto bowed his head in mock contemplation. "What do you say to dealing with that Mysterious Person before we have our life-and-death struggle?"
"With just you?" The Nine-Tailed was extremely disdainful.
"Yes, with just me!" Naruto appeared quite confident. "Since you have already been sealed within my mother's body for decades, and this small amount of time is nothing to you with your near-eternal life."
"Since that's the case, let us add a cooperation treaty on the basis of our mutual trade. I think this will be beneficial to both of us!" Naruto tried his best to persuade it, and after finishing, he extended his fist again.
The Nine-Tailed looked at Naruto's serious expression and extended fist; after thinking for a moment, it also extended its beast claw.
...
Naruto, who was in a state of shock, was still communicating with the Nine-Tailed, and the communication between consciousnesses was extremely rapid; although the two seemed to have talked for a long time, in fact, only a brief moment had passed in the outside world.
At this time, Naruto was unconscious due to excessive blood loss, and Hyuga Hiashi and that Anbu member were not Medical Ninjas skilled in healing either; all they could do now was simply treat Naruto's wounds.
"Naruto-kun... he... he..." Hyuga Hinata stood behind Hyuga Hiashi with a worried face. "Is he still savable... Father..."
"Hinata, don't worry, Naruto has just fallen into shock due to excessive blood loss." Compared to the heavily injured Naruto, Hyuga Hiashi was still more concerned about his daughter. "Ka... this Anbu member is already doing his best to treat him. As for you, were you hurt?"
"I'm fine, Father!" After hearing that Naruto was not in great danger, Hyuga Hinata relaxed a lot, and her speech became much more fluent. "I was protected very well by Naruto-kun; he blocked several fatal attacks for me!"
Hearing Hyuga Hinata's words, Hyuga Hiashi's gaze toward Naruto changed again; this debt of gratitude would be difficult to repay!
Just as Hyuga Hiashi felt the crisis had temporarily passed, a sudden change occurred; a crimson Chakra Cloak actually floated up around Naruto's body.
"This..." Hyuga Hiashi suddenly remembered something. "Get away from Naruto, quickly! It's dangerous there!" After reminding that Anbu Ninja, Hyuga Hiashi grabbed Hyuga Hinata and flashed a great distance away!
"I... won't allow... you... to hurt my companions!" Naruto stood up once more, and a single crimson tail appeared faintly behind his back.
Although Naruto's three-year-old body's Physiquealready far exceeded those of his peers, it could not withstand too much of the Nine-Tailed's power during this first Tailed Beast Transformation; being able to faintly maintain the Ichibi state was already the limit.
Of course, the reason Naruto underwent the Tailed Beast Transformation was to fulfill the promise made after finishing his conversation with the Nine-Tailed, and the dominance of this Tailed Beast Transformation was in Naruto's hands.
Otherwise, the Nine-Tailed would not have said those two lines of dialogue!
However, the Nine-Tailed was never a good trading partner; after gaining a small amount of freedom, it showed a tendency to break free from Naruto's control!
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