"I didn't kill you because I'm looking out for another version of myself, not because I didn't want to!"
Kurama said this, then turned and ran off, frolicking through the Red Space.
Ever since Hashirama captured him, claiming his power was too strong to be left unchecked, he had come to see all humans as filthy creatures.
Even while sealed inside Uzumaki Mito, he could still observe the outside world.
Though he hated Hashirama, he had to admit—this was the most powerful human he had ever encountered in a thousand years. There was simply no comparison.
A human, and yet… stronger than even some of the tailed beasts.
But this existence, for the sake of "peace," had died.
And the ninja villages that had promised peace? When they heard the rumor of his death, they immediately went to war.
They didn't expect him to survive. He had been beaten badly but spared—and then, later, when Hashirama truly died, those same villages started fighting again.
All of it reinforced Kurama's belief: humans were filthy.
Yet Yuki Seisui was one of the rare humans who didn't make him want to gnash his teeth.
After all this time together, Kurama was fairly certain this kid harbored no ill intent.
And—
As Kurama ran, he glanced at Little Nine, who stood vigilantly in front of Seisui, and shook his head.
This other version of himself seemed to like this human—much like his past self had with Hashirama.
Before Hashirama's death, he had told the nine tailed beasts that they would one day live in peace with humans and eventually unify.
They would split again, gather once more, and a certain blue-eyed youth would laugh, calling forth the names of the nine beasts. This was the harbinger of change.
Though Seisui didn't have blue eyes, Kurama always felt Hashirama had made a mistake.
From the first meeting, this kid had approached him playfully—and even knew his name.
Though it had been odd with Shukaku, he understood their relationship wasn't bad—they had grown up together, and it was more playful than hostile.
Shukaku could never have revealed their names, just as he could not have revealed the others'.
But this kid had said "Kurama," accurately naming him.
Kurama could only assume Hashirama had gone senile in his final moments and misremembered.
"This kid… is the one to lead us."
Although running off, Kurama's attention never left him.
Seeing Kurama like this, Seisui couldn't help but smile.
So tsundere.
A tsundere little fox!
"Wuhu! The great Little Nine has defeated the Old Nine again!"
"I'm amazing, right?" Little Nine posed hands on hips, seeking praise as Kurama ran further away.
Seisui laughed. "You're incredible, Little Nine." He lifted Little Nine into the air, praising him. "From now on, I'll rely on you to protect me!"
Hehe, Little Nine scratched his head bashfully. "I'm not that amazing…" But then he straightened with determination. "I'll protect you, Seisui!"
"Good. But you have to grow up quickly." Seisui set him down, tapping his forehead.
"If you don't grow, you won't beat others."
"Mm-hmm!" Little Nine nodded enthusiastically, then stood tall, gesturing dramatically. "I'll grow as big as Old Nine!"
"Then you'll be able to protect me properly!"
Seisui chuckled as he watched Kurama running farther. "Kurama, don't go too far!"
Kurama ignored him, unwilling even to respond.
But then Seisui called out again. "There's a statue of an Jashin in this space—stay away from it if you see it!"
"That thing's dangerous!"
Hearing this, Kurama instantly stopped.
An Jashin… he didn't know much, but Hashirama had once spoken of it. A truly malevolent being, sealed inside a statue by the old man himself.
Now this kid had somehow put it here.
Kurama froze. This wasn't supposed to be a conscious space—how could a statue sealing an Jashin end up here?
He walked back to Seisui, lowered his massive head, and stared him down.
To match his earlier persona, he released some Nine-Tails chakra, exuding a murderous aura that radiated pure terror.
"This isn't your conscious space?!"
Seisui, sitting cross-legged with Little Nine in his lap, remained calm.
"Of course not."
"Why would you think my conscious space looks like this?" He pointed at the skeletal remains of bandits, long decayed into mere bones. The crimson light of the Red Space seemed to accelerate decomposition.
"A conscious space reflects the instincts of the subconscious."
"Why would you think a cheerful, sunny boy like me has a grotesque, bloody space?"
Kurama paused, taken aback.
"Am I a psychopathic killer in your eyes?"
"Are you not?" Kurama countered. "Aren't all humans like that?"
Seisui fell silent, unsure how to reply. After a long pause, he said, "Not all humans are like that."
"Humans and the tailed beasts can live in peace, Kurama."
"Don't let stereotypes guide you."
Kurama blinked. That sounded familiar… Hashirama had said something like that.
But did humans really want peace with us tailed beasts?
Kurama's eyes reflected rare confusion. Since birth, only Hashirama had treated them kindly. Others treated them like monsters, hunting them even.
Initially, he had tried to let humans live, but repeated attacks forced him to annihilate them. That was how the legend of the Nine-Tails was born.
Humans attacked first, yet named him the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.
Could such humans truly live in peace with the tailed beasts?
Sensing Kurama's thoughts, Seisui sighed. "People have always assumed you're nothing more than beasts, mindless and cruel. Through rumor and repetition, they came to see you as disasters incarnate. But I know you think, you have your own will—you're intelligent beings. If you trust me, even a little, we can try to live together in peace."
He smiled, standing and extending a hand toward Kurama.
"I'll lead you and the others into the sunlight!"
Seisui exuded confidence and warmth. Kurama tentatively reached a paw, then quickly pulled back.
"I'm just comparing hand sizes, not agreeing to anything!"
After a few seconds, Kurama spoke again. "You said I could leave before?"
Pfft.
Little Nine snickered atop Seisui's head. Seisui patted her, signaling her to stop.
"Of course it's true. Sign a summoning contract with me, share some chakra to maintain this seal, and you can leave. If you don't share, only one of you can leave—the other stays here."
Seisui hugged Little Nine in his arms.