After Aomi bid farewell...
His figure vanished in an instant, without a trace of warning.
So much so that Naruto and Kurama still wanted to say something to Aomi, but had no chance.
"Brother Aomi, did he really leave?" Naruto murmured, staring at the spot where Aomi once stood with complicated eyes:
"Kurama, we have to become stronger, we have to find a way to meet Brother Aomi again!"
Naruto clenched his fist tightly and turned to look at the Nine-tails, only to freeze upon seeing the fox's expression.
When Aomi said goodbye, the Nine-tails' reaction wasn't very strong, and it even put on a mature and composed appearance, telling Naruto that Aomi's departure was inevitable and advised him not to say anything rude like a child...
Even in their last conversation, the Nine-tails was still joking around, lightening the mood, and even mocked Naruto's lack of tact, engaging in a playful argument, appearing quite at ease...
But when Aomi truly left.
The Nine-tails' tails drooped dejectedly to the ground, its mouth corners dropped, and its eyes were filled with a heavy, unshakable gloom, staring directly at the photo of Aomi, itself, and Naruto.
Even the once-agitated Tailed Beast Chakra calmed down, and its once shiny fur seemed to have dimmed a bit, matching its mood...
The contrast with before was enormous!
Naruto wanted to, as usual, tease the Nine-tails about its inconsistent behavior like a friend who always gives a hard time.
After all, wasn't it the Nine-tails that said Aomi's departure was inevitable and that they shouldn't be sad? So why, when it comes to itself, does it end up like this?
But seeing the sadness in the Nine-tails' eyes, Naruto found himself unable to voice his intended words.
Because Aomi's appearance was like a dream, plucking Naruto and the Nine-tails from their living hell and bringing them into a new life...
Not only did he imbue them with dreams, but he also provided the resources needed to achieve them, even leaving behind three energies of Chakra...
Even though Aomi emphasized that they were equal friends...
But this sincere heart, purely hoping they wouldn't be burdened and could pursue their path and witness higher vistas...
How could the word 'friends' possibly encompass it?
Even Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato, due to his Fourth Hokage status, wanted Naruto to accept some grievances he suffered in Konoha, to actively become part of the village...
Even the Six Paths Sage, who created the Nine-tails, made a judgment on the fates of the nine Tailed Beasts upon farewell, letting them wait for the legendary Child of Prophecy...
All inevitably mixed with their personal ideals.
This isn't to say there's something wrong with the Six Paths Sage and Namikaze Minato, but compared to Aomi in the eyes of Naruto and the Nine-tails, it unavoidably falls into a lesser category.
"Kurama, Kurama, are you okay?" Naruto sighed, walked over to the Nine-tails, sat cross-legged beside it, gently patting the fox's furry coat, and asked quietly.
The sadness of the Nine-tails, isn't it a reflection of the emotions swirling in his own heart?
"I'm fine, Naruto... I'm just, I'm just wondering how we can meet Mr. Aomi again..." Kurama stared at the photo in its hand, then after a moment of silence, spoke to Naruto:
"Naruto, Mr. Aomi has left us with too many resources. We can't let down his expectations!"
Kurama pointed to the neatly arranged and dazzling scrolls in front of them, picked one up, and a gleam of shock flashed in its eyes, followed by a deep sigh.
The three Chakra energies Aomi left for Naruto and Kurama, this scroll is one of them, encompassing all the Jutsu in the Ninja World, and even methods to refine organ-related Kekkeigenkai...
And, a special Jutsu prepared for the Nine-tails—one that allows it to draw power from other Tailed Beasts and become a new Ten-tails!
"Mr. Aomi really thought of everything..."
Kurama murmured: "This Jutsu was specially designed for me… could Mr. Aomi have predicted my feelings for the other Tailed Beasts? It's a gentle extraction, not devouring..."
Naruto leaned over to look at the Jutsu in Kurama's hand, a bit at a loss.
Although he learned a lot from Aomi, he still didn't have a systematic framework concerning the Tailed Beasts and the Ten-tails...
It's not that Aomi ignored this crucial part, but in Aomi's arrangement, these matters were naturally more efficiently handled by Kurama...
Especially when it concerns the Six Paths Sage.
Just as Aomi predicted, upon seeing the scroll that would help him become the "Ten-tails," Kurama once more fell into silence, not immediately responding to Naruto.
After a long while.
Kurama first closed his eyes in pain, but when he reopened them, a never-before-seen lightness and determination appeared in the crimson vertical pupils.
It had already made its choice!
As a Jinchuriki, having been nearly imprisoned for nearly a hundred years, Kurama knew from the depths of its heart how despairing it was to be powerless, manipulated...
Originally living freely in the world, it was reduced to a tool of power extraction, only able to coax Jinchuriki into rampaging, with the best outcome being breaking free and causing a ruckus, only to be subdued by ninjas and sealed into another vessel...
Even to be split in two by wretched ninjas using the Power of Death!