Haseo's actions vividly illustrated the meaning of "pushing his luck aggressively" and "riding on someone else's coattails"… Well, that last phrase sounds a bit harsh. Let's just ignore it.
The Katsuyu outside Shikkotsu Forest and those inside could practically be considered two completely different species.
If a battle were to occur within Shikkotsu Forest, then Katsuyu herself would be the ultimate unbeatable opponent. Although her massive body makes an ideal target, defeating her would absolutely require area-wide attacks.
And not just any area attack—only bombardment-level techniques such as the Tailed Beast Ball would suffice. Actually, even that wouldn't be enough; the attack would also need vertical penetration since the main part of Katsuyu lies deeply buried underground, remaining unaffected otherwise.
Scratches and surface damage mean nothing to a colossal, ancient creature like this. After all, there's no such thing as a fatal injury for her… at worst, she just sheds the damaged section like dead skin.
The Nine-Tails' so-called "infinite chakra" is merely figurative. She's only the Nine-Tails, not the Ten-Tails. So attempting to plow through Shikkotsu Forest would really be too exhausting.
A hissing sound, like water sizzling against white-hot iron, continuously echoed outward as the Nine-Tails' highly corrosive chakra began eroding the part of Katsuyu holding her captive. Meanwhile, she started struggling violently, trying to break free.
In response, Katsuyu's affected section quickly secreted mucus and acidic fluid to counteract the Nine-Tails' assault.
So far, the Nine-Tails' chakra corrosion seemed to be winning. Within moments, the area where Katsuyu had come into contact with the beast was already stained a dull orange-red.
"Kid, what exactly is going on with your chakra?!"
While still thrashing about, the Nine-Tails suddenly spoke but didn't respond to Haseo's earlier teasing nickname of "little fox." Instead, she asked directly.
That single eye remained locked onto Haseo, its intensely invasive gaze seemingly ready to pierce straight into his very essence.
But that was merely an illusion. Even judging purely by how thick-skinned he was, there was no way Haseo could be easily seen through.
The mouth under Haseo's foot twitched open and shut, catching him slightly off guard. "Chakra? Is that actually what you came over here to ask? Why didn't you say so sooner? I thought you really hated me."
Haseo's eyes flickered backward ever so slightly, though blocked by the Nine-Tails' massive body, all he could see was the Third Hokage rapidly approaching their location.
"It's basically a textbook case of chakra corrosion. Initially, I suspected this was something the Second did. As you know, Tobirama Senju, but later I realized it wasn't like that at all. It seems I've been infected somehow by ninja tools passed down from ancient times." Haseo truly wasn't an ordinary person. He could chat casually with the Nine-Tails immediately after her release, as though nothing unusual were happening.
However, the Nine-Tails' question now explained why it hadn't immediately sought revenge on Mito Uzumaki after breaking free from its seal, instead rushing straight toward Haseo. It had nothing to do with Haseo being the one who proposed the "Splitting Plan." The real reason? The Nine-Tails recognized something strangely familiar in his chakra.
Haseo's chakra gave the Nine-Tails the illusion that it had sensed the Six Paths' chakra—but naturally, this perception was mistaken; how could the Six Paths' chakra be so pathetically weak?
Haseo wasn't even slightly surprised by the Nine-Tails' reaction. He'd suspected as much all along. After all, various tailed beasts had always been unusually fond of him in the past, constantly chasing after him wherever he went. And there was no way that was because Haseo was accidentally giving off some kind of "cute aura" or whatever.
It was solely due to Haseo's unique chakra.
"So that's all it is? Then killing you won't be a problem at all," the Nine-Tails seemed to have understood Haseo's explanation.
Yet its response left Haseo somewhat puzzled. He mused: back when the Nine-Tails charged at him, it clearly hadn't figured this out yet—so why had it still attacked without hesitation anyway?
The Nine-Tails began gathering chakra inside its mouth, but Haseo had already swiftly extended Samehada downward first.
Go ahead, try spitting again. If you even make a sputter, I'll eat my hat.
At this moment, the Third Hokage finally showed up—right on time, standing beside Haseo like he was rubbing salt in the Nine-Tails' wounds.
"Haseo… what exactly are you doing?"
"Hokage-sama, bringing Samehada along turned out to be the right call. I'm just making sure this guy doesn't swallow his own crap… uh, I mean, swallow a Tailed Beast Ball and commit suicide."
The Nine-Tails probably didn't understand why the chakra it had gathered for releasing a Tailed Beast Ball suddenly seemed to get absorbed. The living constructs the Three-Tails had cultivated proved highly effective against the Nine-Tails. One must admit, the tailed beasts really were good brothers.
By now, the only thing that could stop the execution of the Nine-Tails Splitting Plan was if the beast committed suicide, which would allow it to randomly resurrect later. Which meant all the prep work everyone did would've been a total waste. So saying Haseo was currently preventing the Nine-Tails from committing suicide wasn't entirely wrong.
Then, countless silver-colored chakra chains shot forth from afar toward the Nine-Tails. Piercing through its body, they quickly bound it tightly.
The Nine-Tails let out an angry roar that nearly gave the two people casually chatting while standing on its face a concussion.
As Mito Uzumaki activated the Adamantine Sealing Chains, the massive surging chakra around the Nine-Tails began to subside and weaken; its corruption on Katsuyu also ceased. Now, not even suicide was an option anymore.
The most powerful tailed beast had finally quieted down.
So here comes the question: during all of this, what exactly did the Third Hokage accomplish?
Hmm, the answer was pretty obvious—he accomplished sweet f*** all.
Mito Uzumaki's attitude toward tailed beasts was typical of how shinobi should treat them. What about bonds and connections? Did they actually serve any purpose?
Dealing with a chakra monster like this called for ruthless measures. And her [Adamantine Sealing Chains] were genuinely powerful—it not only bound the Nine-Tails tightly, but even pierced several holes through it.
With Katsuyu's physical binding, Mito Uzumaki's [Adamantine Sealing Chains] seal effect, and Third Hokage's external support, the Nine-Tails was now as good as carved up meat on a cutting board.
As long as Mito Uzumaki still existed, controlling such an immensely powerful tailed beast didn't seem particularly difficult. Yet she had already grown old—what about after Mito Uzumaki was gone?
Even restrained by powerful chains, the Nine-Tails' chakra alone was enough to make one's heart race with fear.
Therefore, splitting this immense power into parts to make it easier to control was a meaningful and absolutely necessary plan.
The chopping block was already set up; it was time to raise the cleaver.
Seven Uzumaki shinobi approached the Nine-Tails.
"Everyone, are you ready?" One of them asked the others.
"That's what we came here for," another responded, while the rest nodded in agreement.
Shinobi capable of using either the [Dead Demon Consuming Seal] or the [Four Symbols Seal] were definitely no ordinary figures even within the Uzumaki clan—but now they would devote themselves unhesitatingly to this plan.
No, rather, they devoted themselves unreservedly not for this plan itself, but for the sake of the Uzumaki clan.
"Hokage-sama, from now on the Uzumaki clan is entrusted to you."
The leader spoke thus to the Third Hokage. Yet more people cast expectant glances toward Haseo, who solemnly nodded in response.
They said only a few words before finishing quickly among the elders, after which they immediately began forming hand seals without hesitation.
Haseo and the Third Hokage immediately darted away from the Nine-Tails.
At this moment, the Nine-Tails finally realized something wasn't right—the reason these ninja released its seal wasn't simply to let it out for a breather.
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