At first, the Nine-Tails thought that Mito was about to die, and its power would inevitably weaken, allowing it to try to break the seal and escape this cage, just like when Mito gave birth last time.
However, it hadn't been happy for long before it learned that Uzumaki Mito had found the next vessel and would continue to seal it.
It couldn't help but let out a roar, but in this mental world where nothing else existed, not even a ripple could be stirred; there was only the sound of chains rattling, yet beneath those powerful Adamantine Sealing Chains, not a trace of its immense chakra could leak out.
Thus, the Nine-Tails could only glare at Mito with bloodshot eyes, as if trying to kill her with its gaze, and growled in a low voice, "Uzumaki Mito... you damned old hag, you're about to die, yet you still want to keep this old man here!"
Mito's gaze held a hint of apology, but it remained firm. She said, "Nine-Tails, to be honest, I don't harbor any ill will towards you.
It's just as my husband said, your power is too great, and now that my husband has passed away, there's no one in the entire village who can suppress you."
"That's all your fault!" Every time the Nine-Tails recalled its past, a destructive rage echoed in its heart. "If it weren't for that Uchiha Madara and that Senju Hashirama, how would this old man have fallen to such a state? And you shameless humans even tried to use this old man's power and seal me inside your body."
Regarding this matter, Mito did feel a sense of guilt towards the Nine-Tails. She sat kneeling quietly, looking up at the Nine-Tails, and said, "Nine-Tails, I once believed you were the nightmare of the entire world, and so, I could only become your nightmare to protect others."
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes slightly, a cold sneer in its heart. In the early days of the Shinobi Sect, Tailed Beasts were always respected by believers, regarded as sacred beings.
However, at some point, people gradually began to fear the Tailed Beasts' immense power and started calling them demons. The Nine-Tails and the other Tailed Beasts had no intention of arguing; they simply lived as they pleased.
But they never expected that while they had no intention of confronting humans, humans would go to great lengths to find ways to deal with them, using the chakra methods taught by the Sage of Six Paths to develop various sealing techniques and artifacts.
For a thousand years, with the exception of the Nine-Tails itself, all other Tailed Beasts had experienced being sealed—though they later found ways to break free.
Then, more than twenty years ago, even the most powerful Nine-Tails could not escape the clutches of humans.
That man named Uchiha Madara, with a powerful ocular power not inferior to that of the Sage of Six Paths' eldest son, instantly robbed it of its consciousness, driving it to battle its archenemy, Senju Hashirama.
After the battle, it was once again restrained by Senju Hashirama, and then sealed within Mito's body.
And that was the beginning of all nightmares. Senju Hashirama might have restored the Sage of Six Paths' Jinchuriki method from the Uzumaki clan's ancient texts, thereby sealing Tailed Beasts into human bodies.
And the one who sealed the Nine-Tails itself was actually a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths' second son.
What an ironic fact this was! In its early years, the Nine-Tails had even teamed up with Ashura to confront his elder brother, Indra, but now, Ashura's descendants were treating it this way!
Upon hearing Mito's words, the Nine-Tails felt even more enraged, yet also a strange sensation.
It seemed Mito herself wasn't happy about sealing it. Then, the Nine-Tails noticed certain words in Mito's speech and couldn't help but ask, "'Once'? What do you mean?"
"I never let you know about the outside world, so perhaps you don't know that a part of the old Shinobi Sect site was excavated, and documents detailing the Shinobi Sect were discovered within it," Mito sighed softly.
"We only now realize that you once had a very close relationship with the Shinobi Sect's leader."
"...You actually know about this?" The Nine-Tails knew that after a millennium of conflict, the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths had forgotten their origins, only remembering the grievances of their ancestors.
Although it felt wronged and angered by being sealed by Ashura's descendant, it never intended to accuse the other party.
If you ask why, it's because the Nine-Tails had lost faith in humans. It didn't see any meaning in bringing up past friendships with them, especially those with Ashura.
It had no intention of discussing those old matters with Mito, and Mito naturally couldn't understand it. If everything had gone as usual, they would certainly have said goodbye with such thoughts.
However, now Mito had learned from the Shinobi Sect's documents that the Nine-Tails once had a very close relationship with their ancestors.
Rather than an adversarial relationship, it was more like a friendship, and no one knew when the relationship between the two sides underwent such a drastic change.
Knowing this, Mito was naturally embarrassed and didn't know how to talk to the Nine-Tails, so she continued the past practice of both sides ignoring each other.
Perhaps because she was nearing her death, Mito's mindset had broadened. She wanted to offer some help to Kushina and also intended to have a conversation about their grievances.
"Yes, I never imagined such a past. My perception of you was likely wrong," Mito said frankly.
"What's the point of saying that? Do you think that just because you realize this, you'll release this old man?" The Nine-Tails was silent for a moment, then sneered.
"Of course not," Mito replied directly. While she could understand the Nine-Tails' position, the Jinchuriki system was established by Senju Hashirama to maintain the balance of power among the Five Great Nations.
If she were to give up the Nine-Tails, she would lose her advantage in conflicts with other countries—other countries wouldn't be so kind as to abandon their Tailed Beasts. She couldn't bear such a great responsibility.
"Then what's the point of telling me all this? Hmph, humans are truly hypocritical." For a moment, the Nine-Tails had thought it might actually leave this place, but the outcome was still the same, and it couldn't help but purse its lips.
"Although I cannot let you leave, I believe we should try to communicate. Not just you, but as Jinchuriki vessels, we also encounter unforeseen difficulties.
In a sense, the Jinchuriki and the Tailed Beast are in the same predicament and should be able to confide in each other," Mito said.
"Jinchuriki are like that because you humans brought it upon yourselves, aren't they?" The Nine-Tails had witnessed countless human conflicts, even the Shinobi Sect established by the Sage of Six Paths himself had split and disappeared, let alone anything else.
It scoffed at Mito's suggestion.
"Alas, I understand. It's very difficult to ask you, who have been forcibly sealed, to understand others.
But the situation is as it is now. At the very least, Jinchuriki and Tailed Beasts should no longer hate each other."
As the Nine-Tails was sneering, it suddenly felt the presence of something else. It was within Mito's gaze. It quickly noticed the three-year-old girl in Mito's arms and paused for a moment: "This girl, is she the vessel you've chosen?"
"Yes, her name is Kushina. After me, she will be the one to live with you." Mito looked at the sleeping Kushina, a gentle expression appearing on her aged face.
She said to the Nine-Tails, "Nine-Tails, you have a lot of prejudice against me, and I don't expect you to understand me.
However, Kushina knows nothing. She is being forced to accept this fate, without even the option to choose. Your fates are both like this, so why must you continue to harm each other?"
The Nine-Tails remained silent in thought. Just as Mito said, for an adult Mito with her own will, no matter what she said, the Nine-Tails couldn't easily forgive her actions.
However, the three-year-old girl before it would become the next vessel, and unlike Mito, she was forced into this choice.
No one had asked for her opinion. To some extent, her situation was indeed very similar to the Nine-Tails', but to say it could understand her didn't seem so easy.
"There's still a long road ahead, Nine-Tails. You can take your time to consider. For me, I hope that in the future, you two can get along amicably, and perhaps, it can even find a new path for you."
Mito smiled as she looked at the Nine-Tails and said, "I sincerely hope that day will come."
The Nine-Tails' gaze remained fixed on Mito, while Mito looked at it with a slight smile. After a while, the Nine-Tails snorted and said, "It won't be that easy to make this old man reconcile with humans!"
Hearing this, Mito didn't feel disappointed. In her opinion, for the Nine-Tails to say such a thing meant that it also had a desire to get along with people; otherwise, it wouldn't have said so.
"Nine-Tails, let's talk more in the future. You must be very bored here, and you probably want to know what's happening outside, right?" Mito said with a smile.
"Whatever!"
#
After the Uzumaki clan members arrived at Konohagakure, Fumori Masaki immediately ordered new residences to be built near the Senju clan compound.
By now, the village's ninjas and ordinary people were very skilled at working together. For materials like wood and stone, they relied on ninjutsu to complete tasks quickly, while craftsmen were mainly responsible for the intricate work that couldn't be done with ninjutsu.
This wasn't something that could be accomplished solely by the destructive power of ninjutsu; it still required the manual skills of ordinary people.
Of course, if there was someone who mastered the Wood Release secret technique, they could instantly raise a large number of houses from the ground.
Wood Release essentially uses chakra to mimic and promote plant growth, as well as imbue them with power.
Once the chakra is removed, the grown trees would lose their vitality, but they were still very useful as material for building wooden houses.
However, Senju Hashirama, who possessed such strength, had already passed away, and Nawaki, who showed talent for Wood Release, was too young.
Even as a member of the Senju clan, his chakra was insufficient to support the construction of houses.
Nevertheless, if he only served as part of the overall system, that would still be acceptable.
Near the Senju clan compound, Nawaki was seen shouting while forming hand signs, manipulating his chakra to give wood a basic shape.
Meanwhile, the ninjas and craftsmen nearby quickly approached and began adding bricks and tiles.
This was the role ninjas played in the process: swiftly completing troublesome, time-consuming general tasks, leaving the craftsmen to handle the precise work.
"Amazing!"
"Is this the First Hokage's legendary Wood Release that ended the era of war?"
"I never thought you'd be so powerful."
The Uzumaki clan members watching immediately gathered around Nawaki. They were all children, the oldest being only ten, and they were very curious about the legendary Wood Release secret technique, discussing it animatedly.
Nawaki, basking in their praise, inevitably became a bit smug, waving his hand and saying, "It's nothing much."
"It is nothing much. It's far from Grandpa's Wood Release, Nawaki. Don't think this is enough." At that moment, a female voice spoke up.
"Big sister." Nawaki called out, and everyone quickly turned their heads to see a blonde woman walking quickly towards them; it was Tsunade.
As a kunoichi, Tsunade's attire was not flashy, focusing on simplicity. Her hair was simply tied into a ponytail, and her posture was upright, walking with a spirited demeanor.
The Uzumaki clan members were surprised by Tsunade's beauty and figure, and also awestruck by her aura, feeling admiration, longing, or curiosity.
Tsunade looked at the houses, which were already taking shape, and nodded slightly. She said to Nawaki, "You're doing quite well, aren't you? Did you cause any trouble for anyone?"
"How could I! Big sister, don't underestimate me. I'm not a child anymore." Nawaki's voice involuntarily rose.
"You haven't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet, so don't say you've grown up." Tsunade laughed heartily, vigorously ruffling Nawaki's hair.
After Tsunade appeared, the Uzumaki clan members quickly shifted their attention from Nawaki and ran to Tsunade's side, curiously asking her all sorts of questions.
Compared to the young Nawaki, the older Tsunade instilled more trust in them, making Nawaki feel somewhat abandoned.
Not far away, others were watching: the couple Fusō and Ise.
Upon learning that members of the Uzumaki clan had arrived, Fusō immediately rushed over, wanting to see her clansmen.
Although she had been away from her clan for a long time, Fusō could vaguely recognize the faces of some of the children, never expecting to see them in Konohagakure.
"Fusō, don't you want to go say hello to them?" Ise already knew his wife's identity. He never would have imagined that he would marry a wife from the Uzumaki clan.
Although Fusō's bloodline wasn't considered top-tier within the clan and she couldn't be called a noble, she wasn't someone a commoner could marry, yet Ise was fortunate enough to have her.
"Let's wait a bit. I need to think about how to explain things to them." Fusō smiled, then looked at the child she was holding. "Regardless, as a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, we should still be with them, shouldn't we, Nagato?"
Young Nagato couldn't understand his mother's meaning, but seeing the smile on his mother's face, Nagato also involuntarily smiled, waving his hands, which made the couple beam with joy.
While the Uzumaki clan's residential area was being rapidly constructed, Fumori Masaki met with someone he hadn't seen in a long time in his office.