In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Naruto, curled up on his bed, seemingly sleeping soundly, was actually in a completely different world.
Naruto stood bewildered in icy water, a bone-chilling cold creeping up from his feet, spreading throughout his body. Before him was an entirely alien world. A faint light barely illuminated the cramped space, and the air was thick with dampness.
In front of Naruto stood the only creation in this space. A row of thick, pillar-like bars extended upwards, disappearing into the impenetrable darkness overhead, their tops nowhere in sight, as if endless. Behind the bars lay an even deeper darkness.
"What... what is this place?"
Naruto's face showed panic, carrying a child's fear of the unknown. He instinctively recoiled a step, the water beneath his feet rippling. Finally, he mustered a faint courage, his voice trembling as he called out to the unnerving darkness: "Hey, is... is anyone there?"
What answered him was not a human voice.
"Hoo..."
As if startled by his voice, a long, deep breath suddenly came from that darkness, making the hairs on his body stand on end! In the darkness, two crimson points of light abruptly flared. Gigantic, ferocious, murderous vertical pupils, like two blood-red lanterns from hell, locked onto the tiny Naruto Uzumaki!
"Roar!"
A deafening roar exploded, the sound wave like a physical hammer, carrying a foul wind, smashing heavily into Naruto's chest, making his ears ring. But following that roar came an impossibly large claw. That sharp claw, several times larger than Naruto's entire body, emanated a cold gleam, pointing directly at him!
"Monster..." Naruto's pupils dilated with extreme terror. Fear completely robbed him of his ability to move, wrapping around his heart and feet like vines, paralyzing him. His mind went blank as he stared at the approaching colossal claw.
Time seemed to freeze at the moment the claw tore through the air. However, just as the tip of the claw was about to touch Naruto's minuscule body—
Pffft! Pffft! Pffft!
Several blood-red thorns appeared without warning, shooting out from the dead silence behind Naruto! These thorns, as if alive, moved so fast they left only afterimages. They precisely wrapped around the colossal claw that had extended from the cage, piercing Nine-Tails' defenses as easily as a red-hot iron, instantly embedding themselves within.
A "hissing" sound, like flesh being pierced, rang out!
"Roar! My chakra..."
The roar abruptly shifted from ferocious to a mix of shock and fury. In those crimson vertical pupils, an expression of disbelief appeared, as it shrieked: "What is this thing?!"
Naruto now finally saw what was behind the bars. A massive fox head, a hideous face, bared fangs interlocking like daggers, radiating murderous, violent intent that sought to tear apart everything before it! However, this terrifying monster, seemingly poised to devour, now thrashed violently due to intense pain and sudden restraint, its entire orange fur bristling.
And the thorns, like maggots adhering to bone, continued to spread wildly upwards along its claw and arm. Ignoring the giant monster's struggles and bites, they absorbed its chakra, growing thicker as if nourished. More thorns burst forth from its "flesh." In the blink of an eye, the enormous monster was bound hand and foot by these eerie blood-red thorns, like a crucified martyr!
"Wood Release? Adamantine Chains? No, what the hell is this thing?!"
Nine-Tails' thunderous roar was filled with humiliation and fury, but subtly, a hint of alarm and fear seeped through. Why did these thorns simultaneously possess the chakra-absorbing properties of Hashirama Senju's "Wood Release" and the chakra-sealing properties of Mito Uzumaki's "Adamantine Chains"? No matter how wildly it twisted its enormous body, each struggle causing the cage to shake violently, it simply couldn't break free from the seemingly delicate thorns! The spikes embedded deeply into its chakra body beneath its fur and flesh, each struggle bringing double the pain and chakra loss!
Thus, its gaze bypassed the human brat completely stunned on the ground, fixing itself on the deep darkness behind the source from which the thorns shot forth!
"Damn it! Who are you?!"
This deafening question, like a peal of thunder, jolted the dazed Naruto awake with a start.
Who? Who is it?
Fear and curiosity drove Naruto to stiffly turn his head, following Nine-Tails' furious gaze, and following the direction from which the blood-red thorns extended, looking behind him.
He saw a figure slowly emerge from that profound darkness. His steps were unhurried, as if treading on invisible stairs, each step carrying an indescribable rhythm, the puddles beneath his feet parting on their own.
First to catch the eye were his eyes. Blue eyes, but not the blue of the sky. Instead, they were like pure glaciers, cold and translucent, carrying an almost inhuman divinity, emitting a dazzling light in the darkness.
His skin was fair, almost transparent, like fine porcelain, without a trace of blood, the quintessential Ōtsutsuki appearance, forming a stark contrast with the damp, gloomy surroundings. A head of silver-grey long hair was meticulously tied back, forming a neat high ponytail, with a few strands falling across his forehead, adding a touch of sternness.
He wore elegant, ancient white clothing, topped with a greyish-white haori. Its wide sleeves and robes moved without wind, and blood-red thorns grew out from beneath his robes. He walked out of the darkness as if stepping from a painting.
Cold, noble, mysterious, profound...
These words perfectly reflected upon him.
"Roar..."
Nine-Tails' furious roar abruptly ceased. Its crimson vertical pupils stared intently at this suddenly appeared being radiating a terrifying aura. A guarded, beast-like growl rumbled in its throat.
And Naruto Uzumaki was completely stunned, gazing up with wide, innocent blue eyes. Finally, he instinctively blurted out in astonishment: "B-big brother, you're so handsome..."
But as soon as he said it, he immediately regretted it. His small body stiffened in place, his heart pounding uncontrollably, his mind a chaotic mess. He didn't know where this place was, what the terrifying monster in the cage was, or who this person was who had saved him, appearing as if from a painting...
What if, what if he offended this seemingly powerful big brother...
The cold air solidified into a deadly silence and apprehension.
Those translucent blue eyes calmly swept over the Nine-Tails, bound by thorns, finally resting on Naruto Uzumaki, who stood frozen in the water.
"As a descendant of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, yet your bloodline is so diluted, bullied by humans to such an extent—is this what Hagoromo wished to see?"
His very first sentence made Nine-Tails' vertical pupils suddenly contract, and a human-like look of incredulity appeared on its fox face.
How could it be?
How could this suddenly appearing, mysterious individual know the Old Man's true name?!
Bang!
In its excitement, Nine-Tails' head slammed against the cage bars mere inches away. It glared down, teeth bared, questioning: "Hey! You bastard..."
But the man didn't even look at Nine-Tails; he simply slowly raised a hand. Nine-Tails felt its massive body, bound by the crimson thorns, as if held and lifted by a hand, and then...
Boom!!
The entire space seemed to violently shake with its impact. Huge waves surged across the water, making Naruto feel his teeth chattering!
"Roar!"
Nine-Tails lay sprawled on the ground, dazed and disoriented from the fall, letting out an involuntary howl. The figure slowly walked to the cage, meeting its gaze.
"Fox, it seems Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki didn't even teach you basic manners." His tone was cold: "Even Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki wouldn't dare interrupt me like you."
"You!"
Looking at those eyes that were level with his own, yet subtly held a condescending gaze, Nine-Tails' fur couldn't help but bristle. It said in a deep voice: "Who exactly are you?"
"You need not know my name," he said coldly. "You only need to know my clan name, which is the same as the one who created you."
Hearing this, Nine-Tails' vertical pupils narrowed into a line.
The same clan name as the Old Man.
The Ōtsutsuki clan?