Land of Water.
At the entrance of a shinobi encampment, hundreds of Konoha ninja stood in two neat rows on either side of the gate, as if waiting, welcoming, someone important.
At the front stood Orochimaru, Kushina, Fugaku, Shisui, and several others.
The Sannin, the prodigy, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki… shinobi famed throughout the entire ninja world, yet every one of them had their necks stretched forward, wearing expressions of eager anticipation.
"Clan Leader… is this really okay?
We're ignoring the Mist side completely just to stand here waiting?
Even if we're welcoming Lord Garp, you didn't have to summon every Uchiha on the battlefield.
We're here to deal with the Mist and protect the village, not to welcome some individual."
After waiting for a while, Shisui couldn't hold back and quietly murmured to Fugaku.
"Silence."
Fugaku shot him a glare.
Konoha… always thinking only about Konoha.
Open the Mangekyo Sharingan and suddenly you think you're floating above everyone? Did he forget that Uchiha once opposed the Iron Fist himself?
If there weren't outsiders present, Fugaku would've already scolded Shisui into the ground.
"…"
Shisui opened his mouth, but when he saw Fugaku's gaze turning colder and his Sharingan lighting up, he hesitated and shut his mouth.
Still, he felt a bit unconvinced inside.
They were Uchiha, the strongest clan in Konoha. Was this necessary?
Garp had been the clan's enemy in the past, and now he wasn't even a member of Konoha. Did the entire Uchiha clan really need to treat him with such formality?
"Even with a Mangekyo Sharingan, he still can't see the reality of things?"
Orochimaru's ear twitched as he heard the quiet exchange. A trace of disdain flashed through his serpent-like pupils.
So what if it's Mangekyo?
Weren't there plenty of Mangekyo wielders in the past who suffered miserable defeat under that hero's Fist?
Even the legendary Eternal Mangekyo could only rank beneath him. What were today's Uchiha compared to that man?
"Hm?"
Kushina suddenly frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Orochimaru, standing in front of her, turned his head.
"It's nothing."
Kushina shook her head, but her consciousness suddenly sank into a dark, damp space. She strode forward until she stood before an enormous cage.
"Nine-Tails, what did you call me in here for?"
Seeing the massive Kurama behind the bars, Kushina felt puzzled.
Maybe she was mistaken, but she could swear the normally fierce and arrogant Nine-Tails looked… a little timid today.
"Ahem… I, the great me, do not like the climate of the Land of Water. I want to go back to Konoha."
Seeing Kushina's strange look, Kurama bared his fangs and quickly put on his usual cold and domineering act, chin raised.
"No. Uncle Garp will be arriving any moment.
He's not only the hero who ended the Warring States Period, he's also the hero who saved Konoha in its darkest crisis. I'm waiting to welcome him."
Kushina refused instantly.
"Are you refusing me, the great Nine-Tails?"
Kurama's eyes chilled.
"So what if I am?"
Kushina raised an eyebrow, shot him a disdainful look, and turned away.
"W–wait. You stand right there."
Kurama tried to posture, but the moment he remembered Garp was almost here, his eyes immediately panicked.
"What is with you today?"
Kushina's curiosity grew.
Why was the Nine-Tails acting so weird?
Ever since this morning, he'd been jumpy and uneasy.
"If you're willing to return to the Land of Fire right now, I'll let you use my chakra."
Kurama lifted a clawed finger.
"You think I need your permission to use your chakra?"
Kushina stood with her hands on her hips, full of confidence.
"You…. Fine. When you use my chakra, I'll stop the tailed beast chakra from corroding your mind and body. That's acceptable, right?"
Kurama was so furious all nine tails stood upright, but sensing Garp draw nearer, he forcibly swallowed his anger.
"Can you give me a reason?"
Kushina blinked at him in surprise.
She could forcefully extract the Nine-Tails' chakra thanks to her unique physique and powerful seals, but she wasn't a perfect Jinchuriki.
During partial transformation, Kurama's negative emotions would invade her mind, and her body would suffer under the corrosive chakra.
"You don't need to know the reason. Just answer, yes or no?"
Kurama felt panic swelling. Garp was getting too close.
"No."
Kushina stared at him, full of gossip.
"You woman. . Fine. I just don't want to see the Iron Fist. Is that good enough?"
Kurama slammed his paws against the bars in frustration.
"Ohhh, so you're afraid of Uncle Garp.
I remember now, Grandma Mito said that before he retired, he rounded up all nine of you tailed beasts and kept you as pets for a long time."
Kushina smirked.
"Silence. I was never that bastard's pet."
Kurama's expression twisted with shame as painful memories resurfaced.
Kushina thought he was about to explode, but before she could react, the raging Kurama suddenly froze, his fox eyes widening.
He scrambled backward, kicking the floor, curling up into a ball in the corner of the cage.
"What's wrong with you?"
Kushina stared in shock.
Just then, a teasing, amused voice echoed behind her, reverberating through the entire seal space.
"Kurama… what did you just call this old man?"
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