Becoming a perfect jinchūriki is no easy feat, and certainly not something that can happen in a single attempt. The Nine-Tails harbored complex feelings toward Naruto.
Strictly speaking, the Nine-Tails had never harmed Naruto personally. However, Naruto's father was the one who sealed it, making him the main culprit in its eyes.
It resented the shinobi of the Leaf Village, yet Naruto's early life was arguably worse than its own. Sometimes, the Nine-Tails couldn't help but wonder who was the real "beast", itself or Naruto. Though it possessed human-like intelligence, it couldn't grasp certain emotions, such as why humans would blame Naruto for something it had done and hate him for it.
Caught between its hatred and these puzzling thoughts, the Nine-Tails was far from willing to cooperate with Naruto, especially with an Uchiha standing right next to him.
The Nine-Tails' emotions were straightforward.
Due to its history of being controlled, it hated Minato, it hated the Leaf, but most of all, it hated the Uchiha clan. Between Madara Uchiha and Obito Uchiha, the Nine-Tails' animosity toward the Uchiha was ingrained.
So, while it was sealed within Naruto, its grudge against Sasuke far outweighed any resentment toward Naruto.
That said, reconciliation with Naruto was out of the question. Having been treated as a tool or pet by humans like Madara, it had developed an enormous distrust of humanity.
"You humans always talk about cooperation, but what you really want is my power. If it's power you desire, then it's simple... Tear down this seal, and I'll give you the greatest power there is," the Nine-Tails sneered.
As the Nine-Tails spoke, a figure lurking in the shadows of Naruto's mental space involuntarily took a step forward, ready to reveal itself. But Naruto's next words struck a nerve with the Nine-Tails.
"If your power is truly the greatest, then why were you sealed in the first place?"
"..."
The Nine-Tails was rendered speechless. As a tailed beast, it was indeed one of the strongest entities. Most humans were mere insects in its eyes.
But reality was cruel. Humanity had produced a few individuals who defied reason, Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju, and later, that mysterious Uchiha who controlled it. Against such figures, it was utterly powerless.
These were undeniable truths, but Naruto's blunt remark struck a deep wound. How dare he?
The next moment, Naruto and Sasuke found themselves back in the real world, standing before Karin and Aoba.
"That took longer than I expected," Aoba remarked. "Alright, training is over for today. You have thirty minutes to pack your gear, we've got an urgent mission."
....
Meanwhile, in the Sand Village, Gaara stood grimly facing an enemy force.
He knew of the Akatsuki. As the new Kazekage, he was aware of this mercenary group operating out of the Land of Rain.
Later, shared intelligence from the Leaf Village had revealed the Akatsuki's hidden strength and their suspected involvement in grander schemes.
But never in his wildest dreams had Gaara expected the Akatsuki's first target to be the Sand. No—this didn't feel like a targeted strike. It felt more like a test.
The Akatsuki had mobilized nearly all its members for this assault. Yet, most of them hadn't acted. So far, only Hiruko had engaged.
With the Akatsuki's backing, Hiruko had nearly completed his Chimera Technique.
He now wielded Swift Release, Steel Release, Storm Release, and Dark Release.
Swift Release granted unparalleled speed.Steel Release provided impenetrable defense.Storm Release offered devastating attacks. Dark Release allowed him to absorb chakra.
On paper, Hiruko's abilities were maxed out. In theory, he believed that if he could acquire a pair of Sharingan, he would perfect the Chimera Technique, achieving a transformation akin to rebirth.
However, integrating just these four kekkei genkai had already consumed vast resources from the Akatsuki.
As was customary, a researcher needed to deliver results to secure continued funding.
Hiruko's current purpose was just that, to demonstrate his progress. This operation against the Sand was, at its core, a field test for his work.
The original testing ground had been the Leaf Village. Truthfully, if the Akatsuki had mobilized its entire force against the Leaf, even its current state of readiness might not have been enough to fend them off.
But both Nagato and Konan understood the Akatsuki's precarious situation. While the organization appeared strong on the surface, internal divisions ran deep.
For one, Shin, with his ability to use Wood Release, was blatantly aligned with Aoba Kamikawa. Then there was Itachi, whose loyalty was questionable. Lastly, the so-called "Madara" and the enigmatic Black Zetsu clearly had their own agenda.
While the Akatsuki seemed formidable, its internal fractures made it vulnerable. A direct assault on the Leaf could expose these issues, potentially causing the organization to collapse.
Nagato didn't particularly care about the Akatsuki's internal drama, but his own frail body necessitated careful strategy. He still needed powerful allies to aid in capturing the tailed beasts. Until that objective was achieved, the Akatsuki couldn't fall apart.
Supporting Hiruko's experiments was part of this strategy. If Hiruko's Chimera Technique succeeded, it would significantly bolster the Akatsuki's power.
At present, Hiruko wasn't at full strength, he had sustained injuries in prior battles. Yet his demeanor grew increasingly confident as the fight dragged on. The high-intensity combat allowed him to better adapt to the four kekkei genkai coursing through his body.
With the support of Dark Release, Hiruko possessed what seemed to be an almost limitless supply of chakra, making him an unsolvable problem for conventional ninjas.
Even though Gaara had achieved a certain level of harmony with Shukaku, he still couldn't gain the upper hand against Hiruko in a short period.
What was more troubling was the group of Akatsuki members standing behind Hiruko, who had yet to join the battle. If all of them possessed power on par with Hiruko, Gaara feared that the entire Sand Village wouldn't stand a chance against their assault.
This was why Gaara immediately sent a distress signal to the Leaf Village upon encountering the enemy. From the first moment, he knew the Sand Village couldn't withstand this threat alone.
Gaara had already ordered all chūnin and genin to retreat. At this level of combat, having them participate would be nothing more than throwing lives away.
Their role was limited to providing ranged support with jutsu or deploying puppets for assistance, anything more was futile. Unfortunately, against Hiruko's Steel Release, most attacks couldn't even break through his defenses.
Puppet techniques held a significant advantage in mid- and lower-level battles, but in high-level clashes between elite shinobi, they often fell short.
Unless one could reach the level of Sasori, crafting human puppets and controlling hundreds of them simultaneously, puppetry simply wasn't viable in shadow-level battles.
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Currently on Chapter 206 - The Gears of the World Continue to Move