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Terumi i glanced at Karin and lowered her voice, "We hope to hire Naruto to help us with a sealing."
She paused for a mont before cautiously uttering a word: "The Three-Tails."
This was an issue that the Mist Village was eager to resolve.
The village needed a new Jinchuriki, a "deterrent" in tis of war.
When they were applying pressure on the Konoha Village, their initial demand was to obtain Zabuza and the Ice Release, but they quickly changed their request, hoping that the Konoha Village could provide at least a sealing team to help the Mist Village seal the Tailed Beast.
However, this proposal was decisively rejected by the Konoha Village.
When Terumi i first heard the news of Uzumaki Naruto's arrival, the idea of asking him for help occurred to her.
After all, according to the Mist Village's intelligence, this "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki" who had left the village to travel had a rather impressive level of sealing techniques.
The recent interaction further solidified her decision, leading her to voice her request now.
"Seal the Three-Tails?" Naruto was slightly surprised.
Terumi i nodded, her eyes firm. "Yes, we will offer very generous compensation."
"The Mist Village's research on Uzumaki sealing techniques, or other Mist Village secret techniques or information you might be interested in."
"You can ask for anything. As long as we can fulfill it, we will agree."
Naruto asked, "Has the Three-Tails caused a lot of trouble for the Mist Village?"
Terumi i was stunned, "Trouble?"
She seed a bit puzzled by the word.
"Like destroying the village, attacking villagers, or affecting the environnt?" Naruto elaborated on the term.
Terumi i shook her head, "No, not really."
Most ninjas' understanding of Tailed Beasts is that they are "ferocious beasts" and "natural disasters." Indeed, most Tailed Beasts are hostile to ninjas, fitting this stereotype.
But the Three-Tails was an exception among the Tailed Beasts.
Its temperant was much calr, currently residing in the depths of a lake outside the Mist Village.
If undisturbed, it would not initiate an attack.
"Is that so?" Naruto raised his hand and placed it on his stomach. "Then I should ask for its opinion. If it's willing, I can agree to help you create a Jinchuriki."
"It?" Terumi i found it a bit unbelievable. "Do you an the Three-Tails?"
Naruto responded with a "hmm."
"Why ask for the Tailed Beast's opinion?" Terumi i questioned.
Naruto looked at her, "The Mist Village should know that I am also a Jinchuriki?"
Terumi i nodded.
The Konoha Village had once tried to hide this information.
However, when Naruto left the village and his identity as the Fourth Hokage's son was revealed, combined with the persistent rumors about him being a "Demon Fox," it wasn't hard to deduce that he was a Jinchuriki.
"I made a promise to the Nine-Tails," Naruto continued candidly, "that I would no longer forcibly use its power."
"I think..."
"Since the Three-Tails is behaving itself, there's no need to punish it."
"After all, no creature willingly remains imprisoned in a cage."
"And since I've made such a promise to the Nine-Tails," Naruto paused slightly and then smiled, "now helping soone else to oppress its kind would make that promise a joke."
Terumi i stared at Naruto, the incredulity in her eyes gradually solidifying.
This guy... is this the kind of person he is?
"We can offer 'a lot' of compensation," Terumi i said, repeating her request and emphasizing the word "a lot."
Naruto responded frankly, "This isn't about the compensation."
Terumi i frowned.
Things were starting to develop in an unexpected direction.
"Talk to the Three-Tails?" She lowered her voice, "Then let's give it a try."
"I'll take you to it after we eat."
"However, it's a Tailed Beast. I'm really skeptical that you can communicate with it."
During the al, Terumi i couldn't help but observe Naruto.
She finally realized the "sense of incongruity" she had always felt from this blond-haired youth.
He didn't seem like a ninja at all.
After the al.
Terumi i notified the village, took two Anbu mbers with her, and led Naruto to a dense forest outside the Mist Village.
Here lay a vast lake.
The wind blew, causing slight ripples on the surface.
Fish swam joyfully in the lake, in schools, but on the shore, there were few waterfowl or other wild animals to be seen.
"The Three-Tails is here," Terumi i said.
Naruto used a body flicker technique to reach the lake's edge.
He stared at a specific spot in the lake, where deep underwater, there was an imnse amount of Tailed Beast chakra.
"Nine-Tails, can you call out the Three-Tails?" he asked the fox within his heart.
Nine-Tails didn't act imdiately but instead asked, "If the Three-Tails doesn't want to, you really won't help the Mist Village?"
"Of course," Naruto replied, "I'm not a ninja."
"If the Mist Village tries to use to attack the Three-Tails, I'll stop them too."
Nine-Tails yawned, "In that case..."
"I'll help you this ti."
The Tailed Beasts have their own way of communicating.
They originate from the sa source and share a common space of consciousness.
"Isobu, it's been a long ti," Nine-Tails greeted the creature subrged in water within this space.
"Ah, Kurama, it really has been a long ti," Isobu responded. "Is there sothing you need?"
Nine-Tails spoke softly, "This kid who is currently my jinchūriki wants to talk to you."
"It seems you've found soone decent?" Isobu laughed. "What does he want to discuss?"
Nine-Tails shook his head. "I don't know what that kid is thinking."
"But," Nine-Tails flicked his tail, "for now, he can be considered a fairly decent person."
"He promised that he wouldn't lay a hand on you."
"Then I'll do you a favor," Isobu agreed, and its voice fell silent in this space of consciousness.
In reality.
The lake surged like boiling water, with waves crashing.
Two mbers of the Mist Village's Anbu moved forward to protect Terumi i on either side, while Karin took a step back. She wasn't afraid, knowing that with Naruto in front of her, nothing would happen. She was just a little worried that the splashing water might wet her skirt.
A massive figure rose from the lake, slowly swimming toward the shore.
It was a creature resembling a turtle, covered in silver-gray armor filled with spikes, with three flat, similarly armored, spiked tails swaying behind it.
Isobu had truly appeared.
Terumi i looked up at it and took a deep breath.
Could it really be possible to communicate?
Isobu extended its head onto the shore, with only one golden eye open, its gaze sweeping over everyone before finally resting on Naruto. "Are you the kid Nine-Tails ntioned?"
"What do you want with ?"
Naruto glanced back at Terumi i. "The people of the Mist Village wish to borrow your power."
"A jinchūriki?" Isobu's tone was displeased.
It didn't have a good impression of being a jinchūriki.
But unlike Nine-Tails's negative impression, its dislike stemd from bad experiences.
The first ti it beca a jinchūriki, it was inside a little girl. But before they could even beco familiar with each other, the jinchūriki was killed, and Isobu "died" along with her.
Tailed Beasts are immortal.
Death is only a temporary loss of consciousness. After so ti, their chakra gathers again, and they are reborn.
But... the experience is not pleasant.
The second ti it beca a jinchūriki was better, but later in that person's life, he was inexplicably controlled by an evil eye, leaving Isobu powerless as well.
That feeling was truly awful.
"Terumi i, don't you have anything to say?" Naruto turned back, gesturing to the red-brown-haired woman.
Terumi i stepped past the Anbu and ca forward. "The Mist Village desperately needs your power right now."
"I have so impression of you," Isobu said. "It was you and that man with the Byakugan who broke the genjutsu on Yagura."
Karin was shocked, her eyes widening.
Had she just heard sothing incredible?
Yagura was the Fourth Mizukage, right? Had he been controlled by soone before?
"Yagura-sama ntioned that he enjoyed his ti with you," Terumi i took a deep breath, glancing at Karin and Naruto.
Now they knew.
Well, it's been so long; even if people find out, it won't have much impact. The Mist Village had already survived that disaster.
Right now, persuading Isobu was the most important thing.
It was a bit strange, though...
The scene she had imagined of "sealing Isobu" required her to use her mouth, but not in this way.
Isobu responded quietly, "The days with Yagura were indeed not bad."
"But will the next jinchūriki be Yagura?"
Terumi i spread her arms. "I can beco the jinchūriki, and I will be soone like Yagura-sama."
Being a jinchūriki is both an ability and a responsibility, though it's not exactly a pleasant one.
But it is the duty of a Kage.
The Fourth Mizukage once chose to do this.
Though she wasn't yet a true Mizukage, she had no hesitation.
"Life here is rather nice," Isobu shook its head, indicating refusal. "Being sealed inside a jinchūriki is a very painful thing, so let's forget it."
Terumi i opened her mouth, but Isobu began retreating into the lake, fixing its gaze on Naruto. "That kid Nine-Tails, you promised us you wouldn't make a move against ."
Naruto smiled and nodded.
Terumi i glanced at Naruto and sighed, her eyes sweeping over the Anbu behind her.
Now is not the ti to act...
She called out, "Can I co to see you when I have free ti?"
Isobu paused. "Human woman, you are quite strange."
"I won't deny that my purpose is to borrow your power and beco a jinchūriki," Terumi i said bluntly. "I promise you, like Naruto, I won't force you."
"I only hope we can understand each other."
"The Mist Village needs the power of a Tailed Beast."
Isobu glanced at Naruto, but the blond kid didn't respond.
"If you don't bring too many people, I suppose it might be possible to et with you," Isobu thought for a mont before giving an answer.
Terumi i breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
Water splashed as Isobu's body fully subrged into the lake, leaving only its head visible. It looked at Naruto. "You're the first good person I've t since Yagura."
"Nine-Tails was right."
"You are a good person."
With a glistening wave, it sank back into the lake.
In the inner world, Nine-Tails bristled. "It's talking nonsense! I never said that!"
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