Chapter 535: Naruto and Kotoamatsukami
"Koto... Kotoamatsukami?"
The Nine-Tails was pinned to the ground by four giant hands, looking like an overly active husky being punished by its owner, rolling its yellowish-white eyes trying hard to look at Haruno Sakura.
Although it didn't know what jutsu "Kotoamatsukami" was, the Nine-Tails instinctively felt something bad.
"What jutsu is that... what do you want to do to this old man!"
It struggled to turn its body, rubbing out a small gap between its mouth and the floor, and spoke somewhat indistinctly.
"Kotoamatsukami?"
Haruno Sakura chuckled lightly and glanced at the Nine-Tails.
As her eyes rippled, she suddenly had another idea.
"Whatever, I'll just tell you about this jutsu." The girl changed her style and introduced her ninjutsu to the Nine-Tails.
"Kotoamatsukami... is the strongest genjutsu in the world."
"This genjutsu can permanently change a person's thoughts, no matter how huge or absurd the change is. For example..."
She paused, an ambiguous smile appearing on her face, and continued: "For example, it can make you submit to the humans you hate the most."
Haruno Sakura stopped leisurely after saying this.
She gave Sasuke a look. The two simultaneously released the Susanoo clamping down on the Nine-Tails, letting it get up. Then they looked over coldly, admiring the expression on the Nine-Tails' face.
"What did you say?"
The Nine-Tails shook its fur, its face so gloomy it seemed it could drip water.
It suppressed its anger, killing intent faintly discernible in its hazy vertical pupils, its voice as cold as an ice cave: "You're saying... this genjutsu can permanently control me?"
"If you don't believe it, forget it." Haruno Sakura spread her hands and shrugged her shoulders.
"Anyway, you'll personally experience it right away."
Actually, Haruno Sakura also didn't think the efficacy of Kotoamatsukami could truly be this powerful. Of course, Sakura had experienced this jutsu on herself; even with her genjutsu resistance, she would still fall for it, let alone others?
But can Kotoamatsukami really cause a permanent effect on an existence of the Nine-Tails' level, making it completely change its attitude on the most important matters?
Haruno Sakura didn't think it was that simple.
If this jutsu was really so unsolvable, why was Shisui forced to death, and why hadn't Danzo used it in all the years he had it?
Haruno Sakura, who had truly cast and experienced this jutsu, understood it best. Kotoamatsukami was far from reaching the effect of a so-called "mental stamp".
Its terrifying aspect lay in being able to implant a thought into the enemy's heart.
The jutsu's efficacy would tell the person hit by Kotoamatsukami that this thought belonged to the target themselves, making them subconsciously believe it, until this thought gradually grew stronger, like spring rain nourishing things, imperceptibly changing the target's mind and thoughts.
In the end, the target would truly believe that they came up with this thought themselves.
For example, if Danzo wanted to become the Fifth Hokage, he could cast Kotoamatsukami on the Third Hokage-sama, making the Third gradually develop a favorable impression of him, slowly changing his thoughts, feeling his ideas and working style were very suitable to become Hokage, and thus passing the position to him; of course, he could also be a bit simpler and cruder, forcefully changing Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts, making him suddenly generate a strong thought of "designating Danzo to be Hokage".
—If Danzo treated the Third Hokage as a fool.
The Third was not stupid. Thoughts could be changed, but the way of thinking wouldn't change. Even if he suddenly felt Danzo looked handsome and pleasing to the eye, at most he would develop a favorable impression of Danzo, and wouldn't deduce from this that Danzo was suitable to be the next Hokage.
As for going hard directly... the Third wasn't a rash young lad who would act on impulse over a momentary slip of thought. When making decisions, he would naturally generate countless thoughts and make comprehensive considerations, and the thought of "letting Danzo become the next Hokage" was just one of them. No matter how strong it was, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had enough willpower to weigh the pros and cons, wouldn't let this come true.
This feeling is like when something you like the most but can't afford suddenly goes on a 90% off sale. You strongly want to buy it, but thinking about having to save money for a car and pay off the mortgage, you suppress the urge to splurge with great self-control.
The human heart is the most complex thing in the world.
And Kotoamatsukami is the art of playing with the human heart.
Used well, it can twist the kindest person into the most evil person, and can also turn what a person hates most into what they love most.
Flawless, without a hint of abruptness, so clean it makes one's hair stand on end.
Used poorly, it would be like Mifune in the original story, where people could tell at a glance that Danzo had tampered with it.
—Since it's an art, it's naturally very hard for a rough guy like Danzo to master.
Similarly, Haruno Sakura also had great self-awareness:
Undoubtedly, she was a tomboy.
That is to say, she couldn't learn from the delicate-minded Shisui; the exquisite and powerful Kotoamatsukami, in her hands, was nothing more than a hammer.
She also didn't know how to subtly implant thoughts to change the Nine-Tails; she would only forcefully twist the demon fox's thoughts like forcing oneself upon someone.
Haruno Sakura would only forcefully implant the thought of "submitting to Naruto" into the Nine-Tails' heart.
This set of actions might not take effect permanently, but as long as it could hold for a few years, or over a decade, that would be enough.
"Alright, enough nonsense."
The corners of Haruno Sakura's mouth curled up, outlining an evil and charming smile: "Let's begin."
As she spoke, the girl gathered chakra in her eyes, and the four-corner windmill in her eyes began to spin slowly.
Just as Sakura's Mangekyo genjutsu was ready to launch, and the Nine-Tails' whole body was tense, waiting in full battle array.
"Wait!"
A voice suddenly broke the solemn atmosphere.
"Sakura, wait a minute, don't do this!"
Haruno Sakura was slightly stunned, turned her head, and the person speaking was Naruto, who had just woken up.
The girl frowned slightly, but still stopped the Kotoamatsukami that was restless in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Sakura..." The boy rested on Sasuke's shoulder, walked over slowly, shook his head and said, "Please don't cast Kotoamatsukami on the Nine-Tails."
Haruno Sakura frowned tighter and said uncomprehendingly: "But it just bewildered you into sinking, and lured you into Nine-Tails Mode, almost killing you!"
"You don't want to make friends with it, do you... it hates you!"
She stared intently into Naruto's eyes and warned solemnly.
The Nine-Tails hated Naruto—or rather, all previous Jinchuriki—to the bone, because a Jinchuriki was the cage that imprisoned and enslaved it!
"I know."
Naruto walked over unsteadily, limping, but his expression was extremely firm.
"But, I truly want to become friends with the Nine-Tails."
Because only in this way could he become a perfect Jinchuriki like Killer B.
Naruto walked in front of Haruno Sakura, looked at her seriously, and spoke slowly.
Haruno Sakura's frown deepened. She could tell that what Naruto just said wasn't wild talk.
The boy in front of her had made up his mind.
Should she say he's naive, or brave?
However, this choice... is indeed Naruto's style.
The girl's red lips parted slightly, wanting to say something, but was momentarily speechless.
Instead, the Nine-Tails sneered: "Oh ho ho ho ho!"
The demon fox abruptly stretched out its sharp claws, the tips sticking out from the gap in the grille, almost piercing Naruto, and then shouted: "Come here, brat! Let me tear you to pieces, let me smash your body into ten thousand pieces!"
"Let me kill you first... hehehe... and then we'll be friends..."
To Naruto's goodwill, it made such a response.
The Nine-Tails cracked its mouth, revealing sharp teeth and smiling ferociously, its words brimming with deep malice that seemed to condense into substance.
Haruno Sakura's face was solemn, and she exchanged a glance with Naruto.
Sighed.
Naruto's choice might be stupid, inefficient, and even possibly never succeed, but what Haruno Sakura admired most was exactly this stubbornness of Naruto's.
Out of some kind of mental neat freakishness, Sakura didn't much like using the Kotoamatsukami move on others, so if Naruto was willing to use a clumsy method to deal with the Nine-Tails, she was happy to see it happen.
But... facing the Nine-Tails with this attitude, did Naruto really have a chance to open his heart to it?
"The Nine-Tails can't be communicated with at all!" She frowned deeply and said, "Even so, do you still want to stick to your choice?"
"It hates us, it hates humans!" Haruno Sakura added a reminder.
Regarding such a heterogenous life form that hated humans, her view was quite negative.