Chapter 62: Ch 62. Tailed Beasts&Natural Energy x Kurama&Mito
Mito gazed at Tsunade, who had finally come to terms with her truths and was ready for what was about to unfold. With a soft but commanding voice, Mito spoke, "Tsunade, you've been learning the sealing techniques from me since you were a child. You've even mastered the Yin-Seal, an S-rank technique that incorporates sealing, medical jutsu and extreme chakra control, so your proficiency in medical jutsu and chakra control surpasses basically everyone. So, for what comes next, I need your full cooperation."
Mito stood, and Tsunade followed her lead. They walked silently to a separate, empty room with layers of seals, such that no one could pry what was going on, where Mito turned to face her. Without a word, they positioned themselves in front of one another, and Mito closed her eyes, allowing herself to enter the sealed space constructed within her body.
Inside the vast, sealed space, the Nine-Tails, Kurama, sat quietly, watching Mito intently. His deep, rumbling voice echoed in the space as he spoke, "Uzumaki Mito, are you certain you can trust me? What will happen if I decide to leave? Remember, according to our deal, I can leave whenever I choose. What consequences will your granddaughter and Uzumaki Kushina face? And won't she be hunted by the village?"
Mito looked at the beast, her gaze unwavering. She took a moment to think before a soft smile crept onto her face. "Though you've often claimed that it's hard for you to trust humans, you can sense their emotions and thoughts. And though you are not human, you have lived since the era of the Sage of Six Paths. How could you not have gained wisdom through such an existence? I believe you will make the right choice in the end. Perhaps everything you've shown us is merely a facade. The hatred you project might be nothing but a test. Yes, you were wronged by Hashirama and Madara, but I believe you understand their power even more deeply than I do. Maybe you don't even see their actions the same way we would do."
Mito paused for a moment, reflecting on the vast power of the Nine-Tails, then sealed her hands together. With a decisive motion, she slammed them into the air of the barren sealing space, and the intricate seals that had once bound Kurama's chakra began to dissolve, one by one, except for the ones maintaining the stability of the sealing space itself.
Kurama, now free, gave a wide grin and let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "You are a courageous woman, no Uzumaki Mito!! You are really different," he exclaimed.
Mito, her expression calm yet resolute, replied, "I am old now, and you've been with me longer than anyone. Perhaps you know more about me and the world around me than anyone else, even more than my own family and me. But I've come to realize this late in life, but I think I can place my trust and life in you!"
Kurama looked at her with a mixture of amusement and respect. "Tailed beasts like me are unique. We were born from the chaotic natural energy of the world, turned into chakra. With the aid of the Sage of Six Paths. Each of us represents something fundamental in nature, part of Natural Energy, and I am the purest form of chakra, the embodiment of both its yin and yang aspects, the emotions of all living things. I hold the largest chakra of all the tailed beasts. Just like all tailed beasts, I can draw from the natural energy of the world, being one with it and sustaining myself, in a sense immortal and undying!"
He continued, his tone shifting as he spoke about the power of those who could control the tailed beasts. "As for your husband and his elder brother, Madara, or the reincarnations of Asura and Indra, both of them were products of the Sage's legacy, inheriting his powers. Their powers are uniquely suited to opposing us, because despite being mostly foreign and impure, unlike us, they have mutated and inherited powers present in the Natural Energy of the world, and that's why their techniques can bind us. Also, sealing techniques inherent of the world of course works on us, but I never understood why Shukaku enjoys being sealed. He's the embodiment of sand, erosion, and seals, and yet he seems to take pleasure in the process. He's a playful fool."
Kurama chuckled, a sound that reverberated through the space. "But don't worry about the humans. Most chakra users have lost their connection to true nature and degraded, except for a few. But while they have grown weaker in terms of chakra and closeness to nature, they've compensated for it with techniques and knowledge. Countries and ninja villages may rise and fall, but the true power lies in knowledge passed down through the ages, though countless clans have long since faded away. Countries and ninjas come and go, except for a few clans, 1000s of more have probably gone down with time."
Kurama paused and gave Mito a deep look, his voice softening. "But enough of that. My name is Kurama, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki Mito. Don't worry about the future. It won't be so bad seeing the world through your granddaughter. After all, I can't perceive the entire country in detail from here. There's no harm in going with Tsunade. But do worry about her luck, she's a gambler, and she's got a knack for bad habits."
Hearing Kurama speak about Tsunade as if she were his own granddaughter brought a smile to Mito's lips. She bowed her head in respect and said softly, "Then, Kurama, please take care of her in the future."
And as Mito's words lingered in the air, Ron had he been present would have likely remarked, "Since the tailed beasts view the Sage of Six Paths as their father, and the Sage's son's reincarnation, Hashirama, was a brother of different mother in some sense, I suppose that makes Tsunade a kind of granddaughter to Kurama. How oddly fitting."