"Love?"
It was as if Danzo had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. He couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Kaito, are you serious?"
"That rascal, he's always pulling things like this." Tsunade and Orochimaru were equally unconvinced that this was Kaito's brilliant method for dealing with the Nine-Tails.
"Of course, I'm serious."
Kaito shifted in his lounge chair and nodded. "The Nine-Tails is an aggregate of negative emotions. Only 'love,' its polar opposite, can hope to tame and persuade it."
"You yourself just said that the Nine-Tails is a collection of so many people's malice. How could Nawaki possibly influence it all by himself?"
Tsunade couldn't forget the suffocating feeling of being overwhelmed by sheer malice when she'd fought the rampaging Nawaki. She was the first to voice her disapproval of Kaito's method.
Orochimaru also shook his head. "Love is a vague, ethereal concept that cannot be accurately measured by scientific means. I do not have much faith in your method either."
As for Danzo, he didn't buy it for a second. "Kaito, I now have reason to suspect you are deliberately deceiving us. You owe Konoha a reasonable explanation."
"Sigh. This is why you adults are so rigid and boring. You simply don't understand the greatness of love."
Kaito turned his head to Nawaki and asked, "Nawaki, do you believe in love?"
"Love? I don't really know what it is," Nawaki said, confused. "Though, Grandma once said that we jinchuriki are containers for the Tailed Beasts, but if we fill the container with love beforehand, we won't have to worry about them."
"Grandma said that?" Tsunade frowned.
"It seems your grandmother was also a person of great love. What we call 'love' is the sincere desire in your heart to protect another. In other words, you need to see the Nine-Tails as your companion and protect it always."
Kaito continued, "Nawaki, do you want to join me in solving this problem that even the First Hokage couldn't? If we succeed, Konoha will never have to worry about the Nine-Tails rampaging again."
Grandfather, Grandmother... Images of Mito Uzumaki and Hashirama Senju flashed through Nawaki's mind, followed by Tsunade's worried gaze, the Nine-Tails' savage face, and the fearful eyes of so many others.
Finally, he nodded with determination. "Yeah! I believe you, Teacher Kaito. I'm going to become friends with the Nine-Tails!"
"Nawaki..."
Tsunade started to say something, but Nawaki cut her off. "Sis, I know it'll be hard, but I want to try. The man who will be Hokage can't be someone who might become a threat to the village at any moment, right?"
"I understand."
Tsunade took a deep breath and looked at Kaito, clenching her fists tightly. "I'm entrusting Nawaki to you. If you mess this up, don't blame me for what happens next!"
"Don't worry," Kaito said with a faint smile. "When I do something, I do it right."
With the formidable Tsunade staunchly defending him, even Danzo had to agree to let Kaito continue teaching Nawaki.
"You have one month. If you can't show any results by then, Konoha will re-evaluate whether this arrangement should continue."
Danzo was deliberately putting pressure on Kaito. In reality, he only had the authority to tattle to the Third Hokage; the final decision still rested with Hiruzen.
Unfortunately for him, Kaito had his own plans and wasn't falling for it.
'One month? I might not even be in Konoha by then.'
Over the next few days, Kaito focused on teaching Nawaki how to maintain a calm and steady heart under various extreme conditions.
For example, he had to perfectly replicate a piece of calligraphy while enduring the sounds of fingernails scraping a blackboard and a knife dragging across glass. He had to practice singing a song while surrounded by the freezing aura of ice. He even had Orochimaru trap him in genjutsu filled with terrifying scenes.
According to Kaito's plan, this was all a prerequisite for being able to face the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox as an equal.
The goal was to ensure that when Nawaki finally met it, his heart would be peaceful and without a single ripple, giving the Nine-Tails the impression that he wasn't seen as some monster, but as an ordinary living being.
After a series of these exercises, Nawaki was nearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and the audience quickly lost interest.
Under orders from the Third Hokage, Tsunade had to leave for the battlefield. Orochimaru went back to his own research. Danzo also disappeared, leaving only three squads of Anbu to keep a close watch on Kaito from the shadows.
This gave Kaito the perfect opportunity to make his move.
One morning, hoping to avoid another session of "sonic torture," Nawaki woke up early. After washing up, he went out to the courtyard and, as expected, saw his tutor—Kaito.
His body trembled involuntarily. He gave a slight bow. "Good morning, Teacher Kaito."
"Good morning to you, Nawaki."
Kaito wore a warm smile, though in Nawaki's eyes, it was the smile of a demon.
After their usual simple morning exercises, the two had breakfast and returned to the courtyard.
Bathed in the faint light of the rising sun, Kaito announced, "Today's first task will be an assessment to test your growth. If you pass, we can move on to the next lesson, and you won't have to suffer anymore."
"Really?!" Nawaki was ecstatic.
The past few days had made him question his very existence. The chance to escape the torment was, naturally, wonderful.
"Really," Kaito nodded. "Are you ready?"
"Hold on, let me get centered."
Nawaki took a deep breath. He recalled the bitterness and sorrow of the past few days, and his heart immediately became as still as a deep well, steady as a rock.
"I'm ready. Bring it on."
"Alright. Be careful."
Kaito stood up straight, his expression deadly serious. He slowly extended his right fist toward Nawaki. When it reached its limit, his pinky finger suddenly shot out, wiggling playfully.
"Nawaki, you're this." Kaito's voice dripped with contempt. "Get what I mean, you little piece of trash?"
Under the influence of the [Taunt] skill, Nawaki's peaceful state of mind was shattered in an instant. A fiery rage burned in his heart, and he wanted nothing more than to kill Kaito.
But just as he was about to lift his foot and lunge forward, he forced himself to a halt.
"I am the grandson of the First Hokage! The blood of the Uzumaki and Senju clans flows in my veins! I am not trash! I am the man destined to become Hokage!"
Although his eyes still seethed with anger, he didn't move to attack Kaito.
"Is that so?" Kaito said dismissively. "Someone who can only rely on the glory of his elders, whose own strength is mediocre at best, dares to say he's not trash? You think you're worthy of being Hokage?"
He took a step forward, and an endless, oppressive aura, like the depths of an abyss, surged from him, pressing down on Nawaki.
Nawaki felt as if a great mountain was crushing him, leaving him breathless.
His once-firm will was pierced by Kaito's words, and he looked as if he was about to crumble.
"Am I... really not worthy of being Hokage?" Nawaki's mind went blank.
At that critical moment, a cool sensation on his chest startled him back to his senses.
He grasped the necklace Tsunade had given him, and the fire in his heart blazed anew.
"That's right! My strength is mediocre right now! I'm not as good as many of the other excellent ninja in the village! But my desire to protect Konoha, my dream of becoming Hokage—that's stronger than anyone's! No matter what, I will become Hokage!"
Meeting Kaito's cold, indifferent gaze, Nawaki shouted with all his might.