Sora's consciousness drifted into darkness, and his mind sank into a void. Then, gradually, his senses returned.
At first, everything was black—an endless dark stretching in all directions. It was silent except for a faint breathing coming from something large.
"Where am I?" he asked himself.
Was he dead? His heart pounded at the thought.
Then, in the darkness, suddenly appeared a pair of huge, glowing white teeth grinning at him. They were set in a broad, monstrous mouth, causing Sora's body to immediately tense up.
Fear gripped him and froze him in place as a deep, growling voice broke the silence.
"Why so scared?"
"Who... who are you?" Sora managed.
The creature's voice was rough, echoing across the emptiness as it plainly declared, almost casually, "I am the demon that lives inside you."
Sora was more than confused; he thought he was hallucinating, like he was trapped in some twisted genjutsu. Surely, he had to have been captured by the Akatsuki, or some other enemy, and this was all a trick.
But then, the creature let out a long, evil laugh.
"Ryugetsu told me you'd be weak," it bluntly said.
The comment hit him hard. His stomach clenched, and his mind became flooded with doubt and fear. But as the creature's laughter echoed, Sora felt another strange sensation, an unsettling sense of truth that this wasn't an illusion.
It was real.
Before he could utter another word, the darkness shifted. Then a light flickered somewhere in the distance that pierced through the void.
Sora blinked, disoriented.
When he looked around, he found himself no longer in that emptiness. Instead, he was lying on a bed inside a large tent with medical supplies and other beds covered in white sheets.
He struggled to sit up, but his muscles were too weak from exhaustion.
It wasn't long until another ninja, dressed as a nurse, approached him. She smiled gently as she reached out and said, "I'm glad to see you're awake."
"What... what happened?"
"You've been asleep for two days."
Two days?! That couldn't be right. They were currently at war, and he'd been knocked out that long?
Concerned, he pleaded, "The fight with Konan?! What's happening in the war?!"
"Calm down," she answered. "We're still at war, but you're in no condition to fight. The four lords have ordered you to rest until you recover."
His heart sank. He had. He'd been unconscious for half a day, and so much was happening outside. He felt helpless and frustrated because he believed he had failed Ryugetsu.
"But I need to know what's going on," he pressed.
The ninja considered him carefully. Then she finally spoke, "One of the four lords has been dispatched to the west. To confront someone named Sasori."
Sora's eyes widened at the news. From what he knew, Sasori was a known threat. While such a strong foe was out in the field, Sora was stuck here, defenseless.
His body tensed as he clenched fists in frustration before soon lowering himself back onto the bed, arm over his eyes.
He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of disappointment pressing down on him. He was supposed to protect his beliefs and fight alongside the others. Instead, he was lying here.
The nurse gently poured some tea into a cup and set it by his bedside, saying, "I'll bring you some medicine to help you recover."
As she turned to leave, he finally shifted his gaze to stare at the ceiling tiles. A strange stillness filled the tent. It was too quiet, almost unnatural after all he had been through.
He slowly turned his head to the left to look at the sparse interior. There wasn't anyone else here, so he lay there with his thoughts.
That creature's words echoed in his head, making him think, 'Did lord Ryugetsu really say I was weak?'
By the time the nurse returned, he shifted back to her and asked, "Where's everyone?"
She poured more medicine into a vial, then answered without hesitation, "Everyone except me was dispatched to the south borders."
"Why?"
"I don't really know how to answer that," she paused, considering her words. "Apparently there's a shark problem. Like some kind of threat that's keeping them busy."
The words made Sora sit upright abruptly as his eyes widened in alarm. "Kisame!"
Elsewhere.
Ryugetsu stood quietly in line alongside John and Hoshikaze. Kaito was absent from the scene, posted at a distant warfront, unable to join them now.
It wasn't long before Ryugetsu broke the silence as if sensing something and said, "It seems Sora has awakened."
"How is he faring with the Nine-Tails chakra?" Hoshikaze asked.
That question was mainly directed at Ryugetsu, for only that clone could truly answer.
Some time ago, Ryugetsu had ventured into Sora's subconscious to uncover a few things. Inside the boy's mind was like a dark corridor. And at the end of it was the Nine-Tails.
Yet the beast was not quite like Naruto's or Minato's. This version of the Nine-Tails was younger and smaller with yellow fur, as if it had recently been born. It also had what looked like a chakra-made collar around its neck that was adorned with spikes.
Needless to say, it was still enormous for its size.
"You," it growled. "I know you…"
It was understandable that the beast would just so happen to know who Ryugetsu was. Or at least who Arthur was, considering Arthur's previous battles with the creature during his efforts to control Sora.
Ryugetsu ignored the beast, placing his attention instead on the collar. He had recognized the collar as a sealing instrument.
He examined it closely and noted that the end, ethereal chain was tied to the platform they stood upon. As he walked toward it, he was able to hold the matter in his hands.
"Hmm…" he said, understanding its contents.
As such, he infused his chakra into the seal and subtly weakened it.
The Nine-Tails was surprised by this action and asked what he had done. Ryugetsu explained that he had loosened the seal's hold, aiming to show the beast that its power could be a resource, not just a prison.
"Are you not aware of what kind of creature I am?" the beast responded with curiosity.
"I know you better than anyone, Kurama… You of all Tailed Beasts should understand your power is valuable in battle." The Nine-Tails was visibly taken aback because it had been addressed by name. "Find it surprising that I know who you are?"
So Ryugetsu continued, "I'm someone who understands your story: where you come from, who created you, and the purpose you serve. I've even seen the truth about your father, Hagoromo, and his mission."
The Nine-Tails was silent as it digested his words. It had fought many battles and many enemies, but hearing this—the mention of his creator after so long—was different. Just that revelation was enough to make it want to hear more.
"This is why we need your cooperation," Ryugetsu added. "We are training Sora to be something special, and lending him your chakra will greatly help in that matter."
The beast's eyes widened slightly. "You want me to share?"
"Did I stutter?"
The Nine-Tails was taken aback due to Ryugetsu's calm demeanour and the fact that he was speaking as an equal.
As such, the beast let out a small, almost amused laugh. "That's a tall order, just so you know…"
"I don't expect you to give it freely. But I do expect you to understand that your strength can serve a purpose beyond mere destruction."
Kurama regarded him carefully before asking, "And why should I trust you?"
Ryugetsu's expression was steady as he said, "Because I've shown no hostility and loosened your chains, did I not? Can you not also sense negative emotions? What darkness do you see in me?"
The Nine-Tails looked at him for a long moment. Its mind was perplexed because of how right Ryugetsu was. Not only could it sense no ill will from Ryugetsu, but it began to feel a sense of ease from knowing that Ryugetsu knew Hagoromo.
"You're a rare one indeed," the beast finally said.
"The boy you're in is a weak one, so we expect you to listen. Not out of command but out of the chance to be let loose."
Now the fox understood something. So its grin grew wider as it wondered, "So you want me to help turn him into your weapon, is that it?"
"Not just a weapon," Ryugetsu corrected. "He's your vessel to play with."
After consideration, the beast finally said, "Fine. I'll help you. But I do it on my terms."
"We wouldn't have it any other way…"
Upon hearing the events that unfolded during an unspecified time, the clones were now certain that Arthur's goals of taming Sora had not at all faltered.
Ryugetsu was showing good fruit in having agreed to send Sora out to fight Konan. That not only allowed the boy to become aware of the beast inside him, but it also assured the clones that the Nine-Tails would cooperate.
Each of the clone's attention then turned to the window as if sensing something. The direction they were looking at was where Kaito had gone to.
On the western border of the Bird Country, close to a desert, there were many shinobi bustling about a war tent. And in the center, on a precariously tall pole, stood Kaito.
His figure was still and unmoving atop the highest point like a silent sentinel. And his gaze was toward the distant, beyond the horizon where the enemy forces had taken position.
From below, a voice broke the quiet.
"Excuse me, my lord!" said an Uchiha scout. Kaito's eyes shifted downward, and the man froze slightly due to the weight of his stare. He lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry for bothering you, my lord, but our messenger has returned."
The scout then held out what looked to be a scroll.
Kaito's eyes narrowed, and without moving from his perch, he extended a hand, causing a thin chakra chain to snake out from his palm. It reached down and plucked the scroll from the shinobi's outstretched hand.
A couple hours ago, Kaito had sent in a scouting team to determine what the Akatsuki's next move was. So far, only three of their main members had made moves: Hidan, Konan, and Kisame.
There was a fourth member who had also been stationed around here, locking Kaito's group in a stalemate until someone made a move. That Akatsuki member was none other than Sasori.
After unfurling the scroll and reading its contents, the message was straightforward: Sasori of the Red Sand had issued a one-on-one battle.
Although Kaito never made a face, he was quite amused internally.
Of course Sasori, of all members, would wish to challenge Kaito. They were, after all, former partners.
Kaito held the scroll for a moment longer before dropping it to the ground. His voice was calm as he ordered without looking down, "Tell the men stationed in the desert to fall back to the campsite.
The shinobi nodded, accepted the message, and turned to leave.
As he departed, Kaito's gaze drifted back to the horizon.
What was Sasori thinking, challenging Kaito like that? Surely Pain orchestrated this as a tactical means since that member knew most of Kaito's fighting methods.
Yet a ploy like that could also be a double-edged sword since Kaito knew all of Sasori's fighting methods—including the ones that weren't shown.