66: Chapter 66 Nine-Tailed FuelFrom the day he signed the Apocalypse Contract, Afei felt as if he had boarded a pirate ship, the kind of pirate ship with a smiling captain, excellent treatment, yet making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Previously, in the Akatsuki organization, although the goals were grand and vague, at least there was freedom of action and a mysterious identity.
Now, I've become a "cog in the machine" of the Tianqi Chamber of Commerce's logistics department, overwhelmed by all sorts of trivial matters every day.
Equipment maintenance, inventory of supplies, report compilation, new employee training.Iron Boat's deputy, upholding Naruto's "high regard," has placed more and more responsibilities on his shoulders.
Obito sometimes even suspected that the merchant guild was planning to train him to be the logistics manager so that Tesshu could concentrate on practicing his swordsmanship.
This feeling of being "reused" was like being cut with a dull knife.
There was also that faint, tangible bond deep within his soul, like a thin thread tying him together, reminding him that he was not entirely free.
And the one who started all of this is Naruto Uzumaki, who seems harmless but is actually ruthless and vicious!
Thus, during every moment of his diligent "work," Obito's heart was like boiling water, churning with all sorts of thoughts:
[Naruto Uzumaki.This kid must not be allowed to live!Once I've ascertained the true strength of the merchant guild, I will eliminate him with swift and decisive action!The Eye of the Moon Plan cannot be hindered!]
[A mere report?You think you can stump me?Once my plan succeeds, I'll make you redo it a thousand times!]
This contract is bizarre; it can even touch the soul… No matter, a way to break it will be found in the future.
[It seems like the cafeteria gave us half a scoop less meat today!Naruto must be skimping on the staff's food again!That's an even bigger offense!]
All sorts of thoughts filled with scheming and curses were clearly reflected in Naruto's perception through the authority of "loyalty feedback".
Inside the secret room, Naruto was reviewing some hidden information about the ninja world, while the channel in his mind belonging to "Tobi" was bustling with activity.
[The contract target, 'Afei,' continues to generate intense negative thoughts: paranoia, resentment, and murderous intent!The energy is too chaotic and sharp to be transformed or absorbed.]
[Warning: This target's loyalty remains locked at the minimum threshold of 1.]
[Hint: The target is experiencing strong emotional fluctuations due to past memories triggered by the luncheon meatballs.]
The system notifications rang out, but they didn't bring in a single bit of villain points.
Naruto put down his pen and "browsed" these real-time inner monologues with great interest, as if watching a one-man show with himself as the imaginary enemy.
"His ambitions are quite grand; he even wants to get rid of me."
"Even meatballs can indirectly insult me; their ability to take their anger out on others has reached its peak."
He regarded this endless stream of resentment as a kind of alternative entertainment, and occasionally he could find some amusement in Obito's peculiar thought processes.
Enjoy the fun, but don't forget the important things.
Maintaining remote control of the "Binding Heart Curse" on the members of the "Root" faction, as well as charging the mark of the key skill "Spirit Hatred," both require the continuous consumption of a special energy source—the "Source of Hatred" condensed from the Nine-Tailed Fox.
The previous reserves have been mostly depleted, and it's time to "replenish the energy".
With his consciousness withdrawn, he stepped into that familiar sealed space once again.
It was cold and damp, and the huge iron cage stood like a mountain.
This time, the Nine-Tailed Fox did not roar and rage as usual.Instead, it curled up deep inside the cage, its giant crimson eyes flashing with a wary and suppressed light in the dim light.It remembered the lesson it had learned last time.
"Yo, Kurama, looks like you've learned your lesson." Naruto's voice echoed in the empty space.
"You brat!You're trying to steal my power again?"
The Nine-Tailed Fox growled, its voice filled with intense rage, "Get out!I won't let you get away with this!"
"Don't be so stingy.We are one.Your strength is my strength."
Naruto walked to the cage in a calm tone, "Cooperate, it's better for everyone."
"wishful thinking!"
Nine-Tailed Fox raised its head and let out a deafening roar, trying to intimidate him with its power."My hatred is the power to destroy everything.How could you possibly control it!"
"Whether you can handle it or not, you'll find out once you try."
Naruto said no more, and with a thought, he said, "System, execute energy extraction, prioritizing the extraction of 'Source of Hatred' for maintaining the Heart-Binding Curse network and charging the Weapon Spirit Hatred Mark!"
[Command confirmed!Begin extracting the Nine-Tails' source of hatred.]
Buzz—
The precise suction force arrived instantly, ignoring any barriers that could be understood in the conventional sense, and directly acted on the Nine-Tails' massive core of hatred.
The pure darkness, with its myriad threads, contained the energy of millennia of accumulated resentment, which was forcibly stripped away and extracted.
"roar--!"
The nine-tailed fox let out a furious howl, its massive body twisting wildly, slamming against the incredibly sturdy cage with a clanging sound, causing the entire sealed space to tremble.
"Stop!You wretched brat!Fourth Hokage!You and your son are equally despicable!"
"My power.this is my hatred!What right do you have to steal it!"
It felt its "existence" was being diminished.
The deep-seated hatred for humanity that had sustained it for countless years receded like the tide, leaving behind a terrifying emptiness and weakness.
This time, the extraction lasted longer and the target was more clearly defined.
When the extraction was finished, the Nine-Tails' body, which had originally resembled burning magma, became noticeably dimmer and shrank.
The muscles that were once full of violent power seemed to have become a bit loose, and the glossy hair had become somewhat dry and dull.
It lay on the ground, panting heavily, its scarlet eyes dim, revealing an unprecedented weariness.
It tried to stand up, but its limbs went weak, its huge head swayed, and finally it could only hang down helplessly.
It raised its paw, looked at its arm which seemed a little thinner, and then touched its cheek which felt a bit sunken.
"Bastard.bastard."
Its roar was weak and feeble, "You.to Ben."What did the old man do?What kind of evil magic is this?
"Save your energy, Kurama."
Naruto felt the dark energy within his body become abundant and surging again.The pure power of hatred made the network of the "Heart-Binding Curse" more stable, and the mark of the "Spirit of Hatred" became hot and bright again.
"Anger changes nothing; it only makes you weaker."
After saying that, his consciousness left this space.
Inside the sealed cage, only the shrunken, listless Nine-Tails remained, weakly banging against the bars.
Naruto opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.
The sense of fulfillment on a spiritual level gave him greater control over the current situation.
He walked to the window and looked down at the training field.
The orange-clad figure was diligently arranging the heavy training dummies neatly, his movements meticulous, truly a model employee.
However, in Naruto's perception, the channel named "Tobi" was still continuously displaying various messages such as "Assassination Plan Version 103" and "A Thousand Ways to Bankrupt the Chamber of Commerce".
He turned back to his desk and picked up the latest intelligence report that Hibari had delivered: "Orochimaru's body has reached its limit."
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