Chapter 71: Echoes of a Proposition
"Submit to me. I will show you a brand new world."
For a moment, the Nine-Tails had an illusion. Aizen seemed to be a deity on high, his presence allowing no blasphemy. It felt as if every word he spoke was a divine decree, immutable and absolute.
The fear of this unknown power and the profound pressure on its soul completely extinguished the Nine-Tails' innate arrogance. For the first time, it was utterly suppressed in terms of sheer presence.
"DAMN YOU! HOW DARE YOU THREATEN ME! I WILL KILL YOU!"
But the Nine-Tails was, after all, a demonic beast that even Kage-level ninja feared. After a brief moment of stupor, its savage nature reasserted itself. It bared its fangs and claws, roaring with world-shaking fury. Aizen's actions were a direct challenge to its dignity, sending the ferocious beast into a violent rage.
The Nine-Tails threw its head back and let out a deafening screech. Terrifying chakra erupted from its body, sweeping out in all directions with overwhelming force. Instantly, the entire prison space became a sea of flames, a vision of hell on earth.
BOOM!
A deafening, crisp sound echoed as the Nine-Tails' claw, sheathed in raging red chakra, slammed against the iron bars of its cage. Yet, the bars held firm, unyielding, forever imprisoning the beast within.
"DAMN IT! INSIGNIFICANT HUMAN! PATHETIC HUMAN! I'LL KILL YOU!" The Nine-Tails fell into a rampage, its fury causing the very space around it to distort and tremble.
"And this level of provocation is enough to make you lose control? What an honor you bestow upon me," Aizen sneered, his contempt palpable. From beginning to end, he had never truly regarded the Nine-Tails as a threat.
Suddenly, Aizen frowned. He felt an external force intervening from the outside world. It was a power he recognized—Jiraiya's.
Hmm? A pity.
Aizen's brow furrowed, and for the first time, a flicker of genuine displeasure crossed his features.
Jiraiya's intervention meant the situation outside had become unstable. Aizen immediately understood this was a consequence of the Nine-Tails' brief rampage.
"Farewell, amusing king of the Tailed Beasts," Aizen said, a meaningful smile gracing his lips. "Perhaps you will be more agreeable the next time we meet."
His form gradually blurred, fading until it vanished completely from the sealed space.
After Aizen disappeared, the rampaging Nine-Tails slowly calmed. Yet, the image of Aizen was now seared into its mind, etched deep within its soul.
The Outside World
Aizen's consciousness returned to clarity. He opened his eyes, feigning exhaustion, and found both himself and Naruto lying on the bank of the hot spring.
The scene had changed. Naruto was unconscious, his body covered in lacerations and burns as if scorched by extreme heat.
Aizen struggled to sit up. The stream that had once fed the pond had completely evaporated, leaving behind a dry, cracked clearing. This was clearly the aftermath of the Nine-Tails' chakra leaking out—something Aizen had just witnessed from within the seal.
"Se-Senior... what happened to Naruto?" Aizen asked, his face pale, his voice weak and trembling as he weakly rose to his feet.
Jiraiya stared at Aizen for a long moment, his brow furrowed before slowly relaxing. He looked down at the unconscious Naruto, a trace of guilt in his expression. "The two of you sank and nearly drowned. Based on what I saw, it was likely due to the seal being initially released and Naruto's excessive excitement... It caused the Nine-Tails' power to run wild."
"Fortunately, that violent energy subsided as suddenly as it appeared. Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous."
Recalling the scene, a deep doubt surfaced in Jiraiya's eyes. When he had used his own power to suppress the rampaging Nine-Tails chakra within Naruto, he had vaguely sensed the presence of another, foreign energy. But it had faded away too quickly for him to get a proper read on it.
His earlier stare at Aizen had been because he suspected the boy might have had a hand in it. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. How could a boy who appeared to be only thirteen years old possess a power that even he, a Sannin, found formidable?
Jiraiya shook his head lightly, dispelling the distracting thoughts. The priority now was to get Naruto to the medical team and wake him as soon as possible.
With less than a month until the finals, every minute counted. Otherwise, they would be the ones being admired from the stands, not the other way around.
As night fell, Jiraiya bid a brief farewell to Aizen and left the hot spring area, carrying the unconscious Naruto. Aizen was left alone to make his way back to his residence in the northern sector of the village.
Aizen walked along the quiet path, but then abruptly changed direction. He headed towards the bustling streets leading to the lodging area for the Sand Village genin, driven by a sudden impulse.
There, he found a scene that piqued his interest.
Dosu, one of the Sound Ninja trio, was challenging Gaara to a one-on-one fight