Hearing Naruto's words, Kakashi and Jiraiya both widened their eyes in shock.
They exchanged a glance, their expressions filled with disbelief.
In their view, the Nine-Tails was a powerful and dangerous tailed beast that had once brought immense disaster to Konoha.
Yet now, Naruto was claiming that not only could he communicate with the Nine-Tails, but he could also actively borrow its power.
"Naruto, is that true?" Kakashi placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders, looking seriously into his eyes.
Naruto nodded firmly.
"It's true, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not lying to you."
Jiraiya looked up at the sky, contemplating Naruto's words to himself.
If Naruto truly could coexist peacefully with the Nine-Tails and borrow its power, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boon for Konoha.
But at the same time, he knew well that the Nine-Tails' power was too immense; if it ever went out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Naruto, remember this: although the Nine-Tails' power is great, it is also very dangerous," Jiraiya said earnestly, his gaze falling back on Naruto, his eyes filled with care and concern.
"You must learn to control it. You cannot let it control you."
Naruto nodded seriously, a confident smile appearing on his face.
"I know."
Watching Naruto, Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura walk away, Kakashi felt a hint of worry rise within him.
He withdrew his gaze from the three and turned to look at Jiraiya beside him.
Jiraiya stood with his arms crossed, gazing into the distance with a contemplative expression.
"Lord Jiraiya, is it alright for Naruto to have this kind of contact with the Nine-Tails?" Kakashi's voice carried a note of concern.
While it was a pleasantly surprising development that Naruto could have such contact with the Nine-Tails in such a short time and remain conscious, it also filled him with worry.
After hearing Kakashi's question, Jiraiya pondered for a moment.
After a while, he slowly spoke: "I think it should be fine."
"I've traveled the shinobi world for many years and have heard quite a bit about jinchuriki," Jiraiya continued.
"Kumogakure has a perfect jinchuriki who seems to get along very well with their tailed beast." A hint of emotion colored his voice. "That perfect jinchuriki can not only freely wield the tailed beast's power but can also communicate with it, their understanding as deep as that of longtime partners."
"Maybe Naruto can become like that too." A hopeful smile appeared on Jiraiya's face, a sparkle in his eyes.
"That boy Naruto, though he usually seems carefree, has a resilient heart and immense capacity for acceptance."
"I believe that if he works hard, he might just be able to build a good relationship with the Nine-Tails and become a perfect jinchuriki like the one in Kumogakure."
Kakashi listened quietly to Jiraiya's words, his worries gradually easing.
"I hope so. Naruto really is the most unpredictable guy."
...
Otogakure, inside a dimly lit base.
Orochimaru, clad in his signature attire, looked at the Sound Four who had returned in disgrace. No, now there were only three; Tayuya had been killed by Sasuke.
"So you couldn't even bring back Sasuke?" Orochimaru said with a mocking smile.
He lifted his head slightly, his cold eyes scanning the three before him.
Seeing his expression, the three immediately knelt on one knee, their bodies trembling slightly, not daring to meet Orochimaru's gaze.
"Forget it. You're dismissed." Orochimaru waved his hand, his tone betraying impatience.
Relieved, the three quickly stood up and hurriedly withdrew.
They did not know that their fates had already been decided the moment they turned away; in Orochimaru's mind, they had already been sentenced to death.
"I'll find an opportunity to turn the three of them into test subjects." Orochimaru licked his lips, a cruel glint in his eyes.
He felt no pity for these three failed subordinates; in his eyes, they were merely tools to be used at will.
"It seems, Sasuke, that I'll have to go and get you myself," Orochimaru muttered to himself, a sinister smile spreading across his face.
His condition was remarkably good at that moment.
Back then, Roy's sudden appearance had disrupted his plans. Though the First Hokage's Impure World Reincarnation body had been taken, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal that the Third Hokage had intended to perform was also interrupted.
After sustaining minor injuries, Orochimaru had seized the opportunity to finish off the Third Hokage.
With his hands unsealed, he was now more ambitious than ever, burning with desire for Sasuke's Sharingan.
"Sasuke-kun, your Sharingan will surely be mine," Orochimaru murmured, extending his tongue to lick his lips again.
However, just as he was lost in his fantasies, his expression suddenly changed, a flicker of vigilance in his eyes.
"Who?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the dim base.
Just then, a dazzling trail of light pierced through the base's wall, radiating brilliance.
Immediately after, Roy appeared inside the room.
"It's you!" Orochimaru exclaimed, a mixture of shock and rage, his eyes widening.
He had not forgotten the crushing defeat he suffered in the Forest of Death; it was a permanent humiliation.
Orochimaru stared intently at Roy, who had suddenly appeared, his body unconsciously tensing, every nerve signaling danger.
"Who exactly are you? How can someone as powerful as you exist in the shinobi world?"
Orochimaru spoke slowly, instinctively licking his lips again, the snake-like motion making him seem even more sinister and strange.
His eyes were filled with confusion and apprehension. The Roy before him was overwhelmingly powerful, far beyond his imagination.
It seemed as though Roy could annihilate him in an instant, if he wished.
"This body might be done for today," Orochimaru thought to himself, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.
But he was Orochimaru, after all, an ambitious scientific obsessive. Even facing a desperate situation, he would not give up easily.
He quickly ran through his contingencies in his mind. Fortunately, he had prepared backups elsewhere; there was still a chance for resurrection.
Having come to that conclusion, he instead calmed down, a bold idea forming in his mind: seize this opportunity to probe the depths of the man before him.
"You can't be from Konoha, nor from the Akatsuki." Orochimaru licked his lips again, curiosity joining the wariness in his eyes.
As a scientific obsessive with a mad pursuit of power, he was always filled with an urge to explore unknown, formidable forces.
Roy's appearance was like a mysterious puzzle, stirring the deepest, most intense curiosity within him.