Seeing Uchiha Yato like this filled the Nine-Tails with an inexplicable sense of dread.
Uchiha Yato had deliberately acted this way to awaken the Nine-Tails' fear.
Only by doing so would it be easier for him to persuade the beast later.
After all, striking first and then offering a reward was a tried-and-true tactic.
As for Uzumaki Kushina, watching this scene, she wasn't sure if she had made the right choice.
But seeing Uchiha Yato act so arrogantly was completely within her expectations.
The main issue was that Uchiha Yato had no choice—Uzumaki Kushina was just too reckless.
He had asked her to open the cage, but she had gone and removed all the restraints.
No matter. Everything was still within Uchiha Yato's plans—nothing had gone off-script yet.
Surprisingly, it was the Nine-Tails who spoke first.
"You brat, what's your relationship with that man? You have the same eyes as him."
Uchiha Yato knew that if the Nine-Tails was saying this now, it meant his plan had succeeded.
So he chuckled and replied, "I didn't want it to come to this, but you lost your temper right from the start, making it impossible to talk. So I had no choice but to rough you up a little first."
Damn, these words left the Nine-Tails utterly speechless. Wasn't it already properly conversing with Uchiha Yato now?
To put it bluntly, Uchiha Yato just wanted an excuse to fight a Tailed Beast.
What the Nine-Tails didn't know was that Uchiha Yato had suffered a loss against the One-Tail before, so he was determined to make up for it with the Nine-Tails.And then shift the blame onto the One-Tail Shukaku. If they had the chance to meet later, it would make for an interesting Tailed Beast battle royale.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Uchiha Yato spoke up again.
"Then here comes my attack—be careful."
"If you can defeat me fair and square, wouldn't that be a good way to vent your frustration?"
Hearing Uchiha Yato's words, the Nine-Tails also began to take things seriously.
Though the Nine-Tails' abilities carried a sinister edge, that didn't mean it was foolish.
But Uchiha Yato wasn't wrong—for the Nine-Tails, venting some anger wouldn't be a bad thing.
The Nine-Tails bared its razor-sharp claws and fangs, charging with ferocious intensity straight toward the gleaming blade in the hands of Uchiha Yato's Susanoo!
In an instant, a violent collision of energy erupted between them, shaking the very fabric of space.
Uchiha Yato's Susanoo radiated an aura of dread, each step causing the ground to tremble.
Opposing it was the fiery red fox with nine tails. Its tails swayed like dancing flames, emitting scorching light.
The Nine-Tails nimbly weaved through the skeletal giant's attacks—sometimes slashing with its sharp claws, other times lashing out with its tails in swift, brutal strikes.
Meanwhile, the skeletal giant relied on its immense strength and sturdy bones, swinging its massive arms in attempts to seize the Nine-Tails.
For a time, the two clashed relentlessly, neither yielding, locked in a breathtaking life-and-death struggle.
Uchiha Yato hadn't even used other Ninjutsu yet—this was merely a simple test of taijutsu, the most basic form of combat.
Faced with such attacks, the Nine-Tails remained unfazed, using its tails to block or obscure Uchiha Yato's vision.
Occasionally, it would lash out with its tails to strike at Uchiha Yato's Susanoo.
The scene wasn't exactly chaotic, but it wasn't far from a street brawl either.
Standing outside the battlefield, Uzumaki Kushina watched the spectacle unfold.
She showed little emotional reaction.
For Uzumaki Kushina, though she couldn't fully control the seal right now, that didn't mean she couldn't reseal the Nine-Tails again.
What she really wanted to know was how Uchiha Yato would handle the Nine-Tails—and how the Nine-Tails would respond.
After a round of fierce combat, Uchiha Yato began to rein in his focus.
This exchange of taijutsu had reminded him of the raw power he hadn't felt in a long time.
There was no denying it—the Sage of Six Paths had played favorites. The Nine-Tails' abilities and overall prowess far surpassed Shukaku's.
If not for Shukaku's ability to wield some of the techniques used by shinobi,
its single tail alone would mark it as the weakest of the Tailed Beasts.
Having finished this brief test, Uchiha Yato had no intention of dragging things out with the Nine-Tails.
Of course, his choice of taijutsu wasn't just to gauge the Nine-Tails—it was also to let the beast stretch its legs.
Locked in a cage for so long, then stuffed into another "container"...
Even for a Tailed Beast, let alone a normal person, it would be enough to drive anyone mad.
Through this battle, Uchiha Yato had also gotten a clearer grasp of the current situation.
Now, it was time to turn up the intensity.Uchiha Yato took a few steps back and said to the Nine-Tails,
"Dear Nine-Tails, I see your taijutsu is truly formidable."
"So, I'm going to start using ninjutsu now. You might want to pay a little attention."
Hearing Yato's words, the Nine-Tails was actually quite pleased.
This proud and tsundere fox gradually calmed down, ready to indulge in another round of fun.
Seeing the Nine-Tails like this, Yato smiled and swiftly formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Meteor!"
Though this was Uzumaki Kushina's mental world, as long as things didn't go too far, she could tolerate it.
Moreover, Yato had deliberately minimized the technique's power, directing all of it toward the Nine-Tails.
Seeing the meteor descending from the sky, the Nine-Tails' fighting spirit flared intensely.
It knew that in this space, it couldn't die or suffer any real harm—at worst, it would just need to rest in this mental realm for a while.
So, the Nine-Tails fearlessly charged straight toward the falling meteor.
Witnessing this scene, Uzumaki Kushina couldn't help but marvel at the sheer power of both the Nine-Tails and Uchiha Yato.
Without strength like Yato's, it would be impossible to face the Nine-Tails head-on.
Yato's intentions were simple—not only was he training himself, but he was also playing along with the Nine-Tails.
Seizing the moment, Yato sent a mental message to Kushina.
Hearing his words, Kushina's eyebrows twitched slightly, but the faint smile on her lips showed she supported his decision.
Just as the Nine-Tails was about to catch the meteor before it could land—
BOOM!
The massive meteor crashed into it… and transformed into an enormous shower of popcorn.
Instead of a devastating impact, the Nine-Tails was met with the sweet, fragrant aroma wafting into its nose.
Its gigantic body was completely buried under a mountain of popcorn.
When it finally managed to poke its head out, some of the popcorn was already in its mouth.
At first, the Nine-Tails was annoyed—who dared interrupt its battle and fun?
But the delightful scent and the sweetness on its tongue left it momentarily dazed.
So, giving in to instinct, it obediently began munching on the surrounding treats.
Seeing this, Yato burst into laughter.
"Well? Isn't the Nine-Tails quite amusing?"
Unlike the mocking, sinister laughter the fox remembered from the past, Yato's boisterous Uchiha-style cackle didn't provoke any hatred.
In fact, the Nine-Tails found it far less irritating than expected.
Yato then added, "Don't get mad. I know you don't need to eat, but after being cooped up for so long, a little snack won't hurt."
"Once you're full, we can keep going!"
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