Chapter 400: The Nine-Tails Refuses
"Sa—…"
Naruto's joyful expression froze.
Sakura's body was intact… except for her face, where a rock the size of a bowl had completely crushed it beyond recognition.
This kind of injury… extinguished the very last hope in Naruto's heart.
Sakura was dead.
And she had died in such a cruel, disfigured way.
Thump!
Thump!
In an instant, Naruto's heartbeat thundered like war drums, echoing in the air.
Tsunade and Shima instantly sensed the change.
"No!"
"Naru—ahh!"
Boom!
Red and black chakra exploded from Naruto's body. The massive surge instantly blasted Tsunade and Shima far away.
"Tsunade!"
Just as Jiraiya arrived, he caught both Tsunade and Shima mid-air—one in each arm.
"Jiraiya! Seal Naruto—don't let the Nine-Tails escape!"
As soon as they landed, Shima urgently called for Jiraiya to act. Of all of them, only Jiraiya's sealing skills were high-level enough—especially against the Nine-Tails.
Jiraiya looked at Naruto, now partially transformed with four tails of chakra, and tried to move—but his body remained bound by an invisible force. He could only say with frustration:
"I… can't."
"What do you mean, 'can't'?!" Shima turned stiffly, stunned.
"It's Li Yao," Tsunade said coldly.
Jiraiya nodded. "He's still controlling me. I can't act against Naruto… I couldn't even move away earlier until he released the limit."
"So that bastard is still alive…" Tsunade's voice held bitter disappointment.
Having seen Li Yao's space abilities before, Tsunade had suspected that even such a destructive blast wouldn't kill him. After all, he could slip into his alternate dimension anytime.
Still… what if he hadn't?
But with Jiraiya now standing here, it meant only one thing: Li Yao had survived. And he was still out there.
"Li Yao!!!"
Shima cried out. She finally understood—Jiraiya, revived by Edo Tensei, was still under Li Yao's control. Which meant Li Yao had not only lived through that attack—he was likely watching them at this very moment.
"Where is he?"
"Has he come?"
Shima scanned her surroundings nervously. Tsunade tensed as well, looking around instinctively.
"When I came here, he was still back where he stood after the fight… I don't know now."
Jiraiya wasn't sure. With Li Yao's space-time jutsu, he could appear here in a blink. Or worse—he could be observing from within that strange dimension and they'd never know.
"Wait… Naruto…" Tsunade suddenly noticed something odd.
Jiraiya and Shima looked as well—and were stunned.
Naruto, who had already entered his tailed beast transformation, wasn't going on a rampage or attacking indiscriminately.
He was just sitting there, unmoving, like a lifeless puppet.
"Why?"
"Nine-Tails… if you can kill that bastard outside, I'll give you everything. My body. My soul."
"So why aren't you moving?!"
Inside Naruto's seal space, his spiritual form was roaring in fury.
He had already ripped off the seal tag from the gate. He had completely released the Nine-Tails' chakra. He wasn't resisting anymore.
And yet… the Nine-Tails did nothing.
Naruto's only thought—
Kill Li Yao.
If it meant killing Li Yao, he was willing to give the Nine-Tails everything—his body, his soul.
Even if it meant dying—it would be worth it.
But then something happened that Naruto never expected.
Even though he had fully released control, the Nine-Tails didn't move. It didn't react to his body or soul at all.
The beast that used to seize even the smallest chance to take over his body… now just lay dormant, unwilling to emerge.
Naruto couldn't understand.
No matter how he screamed, the Nine-Tails didn't budge.
Finally, when Naruto had roared himself hoarse and was starting to regain a bit of composure, the Nine-Tails finally spoke:
"Calm down, Naruto."
"Wha… Nine-Tails?"
Naruto blinked in surprise.
It was the first time he had ever heard the Nine-Tails speak without malice—its tone calm, emotionless.
The tone wasn't threatening, but… equal.
Like talking to a fellow being.
That alone was enough to bring Naruto back from the edge of madness.
Once Naruto quieted down, the Nine-Tails continued:
"Listen. That guy out there… he's terrifying. Even with my power, we can't beat him."
The moment Li Yao appeared, the Nine-Tails had remembered the Loran Ruins.
Naruto had been unconscious then, but the Nine-Tails had sensed everything.
Li Yao's current strength was frightening, yes—but in the other world, he had shown a terrifying space-devouring ability that made even the Nine-Tails feel helpless.
Against that level of power, the Nine-Tails knew it didn't stand a chance.
Though it hated to admit it, the truth remained:
Only a jinchūriki and tailed beast working together could bring out a tailed beast's full potential.
The tailed beasts alone couldn't execute complex jutsu or use their chakra to the fullest.
The Nine-Tails knew—against Li Yao, its only move would be a Tailed Beast Bomb. And that alone wouldn't do much.
If it tried to fight alone, it would end up like when it fought Madara and Hashirama: completely overpowered.
"Even you… can't beat him?!"
Naruto's spiritual form stared at the Nine-Tails, his belief system cracking.
He didn't grasp the full meaning of the Nine-Tails' words.
What he heard was this:
The Nine-Tails—the embodiment of destruction—was admitting defeat. Was afraid. Wouldn't even fight.
It shattered something in Naruto.
Hopelessness overtook him once again.
If even the Nine-Tails won't fight, then how the hell am I supposed to win?
With my words?
Naruto collapsed against the gate, eyes vacant. He had no idea what to do anymore.
The Nine-Tails looked at him, frustrated. It roared:
"What happened to your ninja way?! Have you already forgotten it?! Is your resolve that weak?! You're just going to give up now?!"
What was Naruto's ninja way?
"I never go back on my word." That was Naruto's ninja way.
And what gave him the confidence to say that?
As ironic as it sounded…
It was the Nine-Tails' power.
As long as the Nine-Tails' chakra was with him, Naruto believed he could overcome anything.
And so, he believed he could keep his word—no matter what.
(END CHAPTER)
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