Candles illuminated the depths of the cave with an orange glow.
This location was quite old, last used to seal the Nine-Tailed.
It was originally a semi-abandoned facility, so there was no time to install electricity.
In the center of the area was a stone platform, on which Tsunade lay, looking nervous and uneasy.
The flickering firelight danced across her face, and Tsunade nervously swallowed.
Only familiar faces were near the stone platform.
The Hokage had not been notified, so he was absent. Miki and Mito stood beside the platform, while in the distance, Hitomi quietly leaned against the wall, observing.
"Let's just tie her up," Miki said to Mito.
"Don't scare her!" Mito comforted Tsunade, "It won't hurt at all, it'll be over in a flash."
Tsunade nodded nervously.
"Just lie still, okay?" Mito said, then lay down on the stone platform and turned her head to look at Miki.
"Let's begin."
Miki was to preside over the sealing.
Miki nodded and placed her hand on Mito's abdomen.
The first step of the ritual was the division of the Nine-Tailed.
After activating the jutsu, Miki's mind sank, entering the sealing space within Mito's body.
This was not another dimension, but a materialized world of Chakra.
Figuratively speaking, it was another dimension, separate from the four-dimensional space of reality.
The dimension of the mind space.
This was a vast, desolate land of solid rock, with towering vermilion torii gates everywhere.
The torii gates were immense, forming a special seal, sacred and majestic, with intertwining shimenawa ropes connecting them.
On the ground was a shallow, mirror-like layer of water.
It reflected the many giant torii gates in three dimensions.
This represented a dual, powerful seal of positive and negative within the sealing jutsu.
Miki landed on a giant torii gate, followed closely by Mito appearing beside her.
The two looked towards the center of the seal, where a massive, orange-red fox lay curled up.
Sensing the visitors in the sealing space, the Nine-Tailed opened one vertical pupil.
Unlike when it was inside Naruto, where it could perceive the outside world, the Nine-Tailed was now oblivious to what was about to happen.
"It's really big…" Miki said.
"Isn't it…?" Mito said happily, "Isn't it quite cute?"
Miki turned to look at Mito; this person also treated the Nine-Tailed as a pet.
"It's just a shame I can't let it out for a walk," Mito said regretfully, "the Nine-Tailed has too bad a temper."
"It's quite well-behaved now," Miki said, clapping her hands.
However, nothing happened.
The Insects had not come in with her.
Miki lowered her hands, looked at Mito, and said, "It's your turn to perform, Mito."
"Watch closely." With that, Mito slammed her fists together, twisted her neck, and with a crisp crack of bones, she leaped up and heavily smashed onto the surface of the lake.
No exaggerated columns of water erupted. What appeared to be water was not; ripples spread out in circles, disturbing the lake's calm.
Just like the Nine-Tailed's current mood.
Almost the instant Mito leaped down, the Nine-Tailed instinctively stood up, its eyes fixed on Mito, baring its fangs in a threatening manner.
"Ah, it's bristling," Miki said, looking at the Nine-Tailed, and let out a laugh.
'Bristling' usually refers to anger.
But there's another situation…
Fear.
As Mito stepped forward, the Nine-Tailed retreated.
It kept backing up until its rear hit the shimenawa, the edge of the sealing Barrier, at which point it could retreat no further.
"Good, Nine-Tailed, don't move, okay?" As she spoke, Mito swung a heavy punch, and the air exploded with a loud bang.
Mito must not be a person who likes small animals.
The Nine-Tailed felt this deeply and said, "Are you here to borrow Chakra again, Mito? I'll give it to you."
The so-called borrowing of a Tailed Beast's Chakra.
One is if the Tailed Beast gives it willingly, the other is if the Jinchuriki takes it by force.
Clearly, Mito had done the latter.
And this method was excessively strong.
It meant she had complete control.
Miki couldn't help but think of Tsunade's Nine-Tailed Beast Chakra when she was six years old.
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