Accompanied by a rumbling sound, the massive rock serpent's remnants shattered into countless pieces and fell to the ground.
For a moment, the courtyard was filled with swirling dust and flying debris.
Natsuhiko casually created a barrier to block the flying stones, but disbelief was still evident on his face.
He hadn't expected that the giant rock serpent he had crafted with a substantial amount of chakra would be so easily defeated by Mito's final move, the Adamantine Sealing Chains!
"Is the Adamantine Sealing Chains of the Uzumaki Clan a monster?"
However, Natsuhiko quickly suppressed his surprise as the battle was far from over.
He cautiously scanned the surroundings, ready to defend against the chains that could strike him from the dust at any moment.
But after a brief wait, Mito's attack never came.
"Could it be that she's had enough and decided to stop fighting?" Natsuhiko couldn't help but speculate.
However, as the dust settled and his vision cleared, he saw Mito supporting herself on one hand, her face showing a pained expression.
What was more alarming was that an ominous red chakra was continuously emanating from her body...
"Teacher!" Natsuhiko quickly stepped forward but was soon halted by Mito's raised hand.
He could only stand at a distance, observing the situation, worried that Mito might have overexerted herself.
After all, her current state clearly indicated that the Nine-Tails' chakra within her was leaking.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before Mito managed to suppress the leaking Nine-Tails' chakra back inside, and her expression relaxed considerably.
Natsuhiko wanted to approach again, but Mito stopped him once more with an upraised hand.
"Wait a moment; I need to have a few words with the old companion."
With that, Mito closed her eyes, and another intense wave of Nine-Tails' chakra erupted from her body, though this time, Mito quickly suppressed it again.
This cycle repeated several times, with the chakra waves from the Nine-Tails growing weaker and weaker until a final intense burst occurred, after which everything calmed down completely.
Only then did Mito slowly open her eyes and exhale deeply.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko couldn't help but imagine the scene of the Nine-Tails being hung up and beaten by Mito in the sealing space...
At the same time, he hurriedly walked forward to help Mito rest on a nearby stone bench.
"Sigh, I'm really getting old."
Mito took a sip of the tea Natsuhiko conjured up, then sighed.
"I didn't expect that just by using a bit more chakra, the Nine-Tails would seize the opportunity to resist..."
Hearing Mito's words, Natsuhiko couldn't help but let out a sigh as well.
If a Jinchuriki doesn't reconcile with their Tailed Beast, they must engage in a never-ending tug-of-war with the beast from the day it is sealed within them.
If the Jinchuriki gains the upper hand, with their strong chakra and the help of sealing techniques, they can exploit the Tailed Beast's chakra for their use, gaining immense power.
But if the Jinchuriki is at a disadvantage in this tug-of-war, they risk being devoured by the Tailed Beast at any moment.
Mito, with her vast chakra and expertise in sealing techniques, had always maintained dominance over even the most muscular Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails, giving it no opportunity to retaliate.
However, judging from what just happened, her ability to suppress the Nine-Tails had clearly weakened.
To prevent a backlash from the Nine-Tails, Mito might no longer be able to fight at full strength...
For a Jinchuriki, whose very existence is a deterrent, this is a hazardous sign!
"It seems you understand what this means, Natsuhiko." Mito looked at Natsuhiko's worried expression and smiled regretfully.
"I had hoped to buy more time for that girl Kushina, but from what just happened, it seems I won't be able to hold on much longer..."
"A year, no, probably just a few months. To ensure enough strength for the sealing ritual to go smoothly, I'll have to pass the burden of the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki onto Kushina by then..."
Hearing this, Natsuhiko felt even more burdened.
Given the Uzumaki clan's vitality, it wouldn't be surprising for Mito to live for over a hundred years.
But as a Jinchuriki, she would have to end her life early before she could no longer suppress the Nine-Tails...
Natsuhiko anticipated this and even considered how to use Kushina's Nine-Tails in the future.
But now that the day was approaching, he felt no joy at all.
Even though he hadn't spent much time with Mito, Natsuhiko genuinely respected his knowledgeable, humorous teacher, who had dedicated her life to Konoha.
The thought of not seeing her in a few months filled Natsuhiko with deep sadness.
Moreover, the malicious Nine-Tails' chakra wave earlier made Natsuhiko realise a harsh reality.
The current Nine-Tails wasn't the harmless big orange cat it would become in the future but was still the Nine-Tailed Fox that harboured deep resentment towards humanity.
Is letting this creature be sealed within Kushina really the best choice for her? Natsuhiko couldn't help but hesitate.
He couldn't resist asking Mito, "Teacher, can the Nine-Tails hear our conversation right now?"
Mito replied, "I've just locked it in a little black room for reflection, so it can't hear anything at the moment."
Natsuhiko mentally offered a second of silence for Kurama while feeling that his next question might be pointless.
He asked, "Mito-sensei, have you ever considered the possibility of peacefully coexisting with the Nine-Tails?"
Mito raised an eyebrow slightly, then smiled and said, "If you were beaten up for no reason and then locked away for decades, would you be willing to get along with the one who imprisoned you?"
"…"
Natsuhiko was at a loss for words.
Mito continued, "Some Jinchuriki have had similar thoughts, but none have been able to achieve this so far."
"After all, the Tailed Beasts, once free, are forcibly confined in a small cage. Naturally, they harbour deep resentment towards their containers."
"It may take generations of effort before a Jinchuriki can finally reconcile with a Tailed Beast..."
Hearing this, Natsuhiko couldn't help but think, "No, they surprisingly let go of their grudges quite easily. For instance, the Cloud Village's Killer Bee will probably become a perfect Jinchuriki before long."
But he understood Mito's point. At least for the first generation of Jinchuriki, who directly deprived the Tailed Beasts of their freedom, it was impossible to get along with them.
It was especially considering that the Nine-Tails within Mito could sense malice and had always been inclined to suspect the worst of Konoha's people.
Perhaps only someone like Naruto, who grew up under the Nine-Tails' watchful eye, could so efficiently resolve the Nine-Tails' inner conflicts.
(End of Chapter)
P.S.: This Note will be posted for the following 8 chapters guys so please do not mind it.
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