Chapter 99: Didn't See Anything
Unbeknownst to them, the boat had already reached the shore.
A new voice interrupted Killer Bee's persistent invitation.
"You've traveled a long way. I am Motoi, the person in charge here. I'll take you to the camp. Please follow me."
The ninja named Motoi, wearing a Hidden Cloud headband, finished speaking and took off, moving decisively toward the center of the island.
Renji and Naruto followed closely. Killer Bee walked at the very front.
This island could be called Konoha's Forest of Death. Scattered white bones could be seen occasionally on the ground.
Naruto rubbed his neck and stuck close to Renji.
"Roar!"
A loud sound. A strong tremor came from the ground.
Renji looked up. A giant gorilla stood atop a towering ancient tree, its eyes gleaming.
Motoi immediately moved to block Renji and Naruto. 'They are Konoha's guests. If something happens on our turf, it would bring shame to the Hidden Cloud.'
Killer Bee stepped forward and extended his hand towards the gorilla. "Yo, King, calm down. They're not bad guys."
The great ape, whose eyes had been glowing ferociously, gradually calmed down. It glanced at Renji and Naruto, roared one more time, and then disappeared into the forest.
Motoi broke into a proud smile. "Killer Bee is the King of Beasts on this island. He has tamed all the fierce beasts, so as long as he's here, there's no danger."
"Furthermore," Motoi assured them, "we have barriers set up around the island. If any unknown object approaches, we can detect it immediately."
"Who exactly is this sunglasses uncle?" Naruto whispered to Renji.
Before Renji could answer, Motoi, who had overheard, proudly introduced Bee.
"He is the great hero of the Hidden Cloud Village!" Motoi looked at Bee's back, his eyes filled with deep trust.
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. 'A Jinchuriki... recognized as a hero?'
"Besides taming beasts, he is also a Jinchuriki who can perfectly control his Tailed Beast," Motoi stared at Naruto. "Bee is like you, but he is the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki."
"This island is where Lord Killer Bee trains to control the Eight-Tails."
Motoi's gaze swept around, carrying a hint of nostalgia.
This island was a giant primeval forest. Although it didn't seem large from a distance, once inside, one felt small.
There was only one habitable house on the island. Renji and Naruto were led to the second floor.
"You'll stay on this floor," Motoi said, regarding Renji as Naruto's supervisor.
Renji nodded.
"We can share a room!" Naruto suggested.
Motoi glanced at Renji. 'Clearly, that's not his intention. Besides, there are plenty of empty rooms.'
Naruto scrambled for an excuse. "...Because... because we need to train at night..."
Motoi: '...'
'What kind of training needs to be done at night?' He didn't understand, nor did he care.
'This Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is a bit like a child who hasn't been weaned.'
"Meals are in the dining hall on the first floor," Motoi said, decisively changing the subject. Seeing Naruto eager to speak again, Motoi quickly cut him off. "You should rest. You must be tired."
With that, Motoi disappeared.
Renji was uncomfortable from the boat ride. He picked the room closest to the balcony, walked in, and immediately lay on the bed.
'So comfortable.'
As soon as he lay down, a head popped out from the side of the bed.
"Renji..."
Renji closed his eyes. Naruto's faint voice came from beside his ear.
"Renji, will you come with me to find Uncle Killer Bee, please..."
Renji was supposed to tell Naruto the "secret mission" content, but it was clear that upon seeing a perfect Jinchuriki, Naruto had forgotten all about it.
'This is good. Saves me the trouble of lying.'
Renji opened his eyes and looked at him helplessly. Naruto blinked expectantly.
One minute later, the two stood in front of Killer Bee's door. Naruto knocked.
"What? You want my autograph?" Bee opened the door.
Before Renji could speak, Naruto said straightforwardly, "Please guide me in my training!"
Renji: '...'
'So direct. Naruto still doesn't understand subtlety.'
"Training?" Bee stared at him.
"I am the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, and I don't know how to control the Nine-Tails! Please teach me!" Naruto said sincerely.
"No! I'm here on vacation, by my brother's orders! Why would I waste my precious vacation doing something so troublesome?" Bee refused bluntly.
Renji understood completely. 'If someone came asking me about work on vacation, I'd get irritated too.'
"But we're both Jinchuriki! It's not too much to ask for your help!" Naruto's volume increased, anxious after being rejected.
"Quite a temper, aren't we? And you're getting angry," Bee snorted.
Realizing what he'd said, Naruto broke out in a cold sweat. He urgently needed to lighten the mood. An idea popped into his head.
He skillfully made hand signs: "Harem Jutsu!"
White smoke filled the air. Countless beautiful women surrounded Killer Bee, cooing, "Uncle, please teach me..."
Renji: '...'
'Does Naruto think Killer Bee is Jiraiya?'
Bang!
The door was mercilessly slammed shut. A pretty female Naruto clone was crushed by it.
Renji: '...'
Naruto was dumbfounded. He let out a heavy huff and angrily went to find Motoi. 'A grumpy uncle isn't the octopus who will guide me! The prophecy must have been wrong!'
"Naruto, can you sing enka?" Renji pulled him back.
Naruto looked confused. "What is enka?"
"Do you know what it means to cater to someone's tastes?" Renji guided him. "He likes enka. The kind with a rhythm. Even though his singing is terrible..."
Bang!
The door was smashed to pieces. Killer Bee's face, dark as the bottom of a pot, was almost touching Renji's.
"Who are you calling terrible?"
"Who are you calling terrible?!"
"What do you know! Do you even know what enka is?!"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000]
[Chakra (286,976,002 / 400,000,000)]
'People only get this defensive over the truth.'
Killer Bee stared at Renji, clearly wanting him to retract what he said.
Renji averted his gaze and shrugged coolly. "It's just terrible."
"The lyrics lack coherence, the rhythm is weak, and while it's emotionally rich, everything else is a mess..."
Renji finished, and when his gaze returned to Bee, he realized... Bee had turned red with anger.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +100,000]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +100,000]
[Chakra (287,076,002 / 400,000,000)]
"If you think you're so good, you do it!" Bee roared, grabbing Renji's collar.
Renji understood Bee was furious out of embarrassment. He shook his head. 'Rap is too challenging for my persona.'
So he said, "I'm better at writing lyrics."
He pulled out a pre-prepared pen and paper. Bee stared skeptically.
Renji quickly wrote down a set of lyrics.
"What good could be written so quickly..." Bee snatched the lyrics.
Renji wasn't a creative genius, but he was a fan from another life. He knew many famous Japanese rap songs. He just needed to copy a few lines.
'No one went to Bee's concerts. His level is self-evident.'
Before long, the entire corridor was filled with Killer Bee's wailing.
"A genius! You are an unparalleled genius! Being a ninja is a waste of your talent! Come open a concert with me!"
Bee held the paper as if it were a treasure. 'Is this the despair of an ordinary person in the face of talent?'
"What should we call our group?" Bee naturally placed his hand on Renji's shoulder. "Ninja Explosion! How's that name?"
Renji: "...No." He extended his hand. "Give me the lyrics. I wrote them. You can't secretly sing them yourself."
The paper disappeared. Bee looked left and right, whistling, suddenly very busy.
"I can write even more lyrics," Renji said, "as long as..."
"I'm going to guide this kid, right?" Bee had already anticipated his purpose. "Alright."
He had accepted this mission anyway. Since he could exchange it for extra rewards, why not?
Naruto: '...'
'What happened? That was so fast. I didn't understand anything.'
Anyway, Naruto was inexplicably taken by Bee to a waterfall in the forest. In the center of the pool, a stone protruded.
"Can I practice controlling the Tailed Beast here?" Naruto asked.
"No, this is just the prelude," Bee said. "Sit here, close your eyes, and find your inner self! The true you will appear!"
Naruto nodded, half-understanding. He jumped onto the stone, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
A very familiar voice suddenly came. "Why didn't you sign when someone asked for your autograph at Ichiraku?"
Naruto's expression froze. "What?"
"Those people suddenly changed their attitude, becoming so affectionate. How annoying!"
A figure walked out from within the waterfall. He had the same body as Naruto, but his sclera had turned black, his pupils were an unsettling red, and his entire body was shrouded in malice.
"Those people in the village clearly rejected us before," the malicious Naruto said with a smile.
Naruto stared. "Who are you?"
"Isn't it obvious? I am you."
"But I didn't use a Shadow Clone!" Naruto said, unwilling to face it.
"I am you. The deepest part of your inner self," the malicious Naruto pointed to his heart.
"What are you talking about!" Naruto jumped up. 'How could I be like this? If I were like this, Renji definitely wouldn't like me!'
"I don't know you!"
"This is the True Waterfall. I didn't expect it to allow me to appear. What a great place!" The malicious Naruto spread his hands. "Normally, I'm suppressed by you in the bottomless depths of your heart."
"I am the true you. I am the real you. I am the very important part of your hatred, your darkness!"
The malicious Naruto said, word by word, "The only difference is that the Nine-Tails prefers me!"
Naruto suddenly remembered what the Toad Sage had said. The Nine-Tails' consciousness is a collection of hatred. 'So, is this person the reason I lose my sanity every time I go into Tailed Beast Mode?'
"That's right! I am you, and I can't be driven away!"
"Impostor!" The malicious Naruto lunged at him.
"You're the impostor!" Naruto also wanted to defeat this malicious version of himself, eager to make him disappear. Preferably without anyone finding out. Especially Renji.
Fighting himself could only result in a mutual defeat.
"You can't defeat me," the malicious Naruto sat on the water, looking at Naruto with sarcasm.
Naruto was gasping for breath, glaring.
...
Meanwhile, in the outside world, Naruto remained seated, motionless.
"Sitting here allows you to enter your own mental world," Bee explained to Renji. "The waterfall becomes a mirror reflecting your true self. After he finishes, do you want to try?"
"Me?" Renji pointed to himself, then smiled and shook his head. 'I don't need to. I see my own heart very clearly.'
"The outcome is undecided, everything is mysterious! Trying it costs nothing!" Bee rapped.
...
In Naruto's inner world, the confrontation continued.
"Actually, you really want to lock Renji up, don't you?"
"Because he doesn't always listen — always making things harder for you," the malicious Naruto said, and every word made Naruto's breathing heavier.
"You worry too much. You worry that your place in his heart will be replaced. You worry that one day he'll abandon you."
"So, only by locking him up, with the key in your own hand, will you be satisfied."
"You don't dare to say it, so you let me say it."
"..."
'No! I didn't! I just... I just felt that with Renji by my side, I could protect him! Although he is very disobedient sometimes!'
Naruto suddenly woke up. The malicious Naruto disappeared.
He gasped for air, gripping the stone, constantly adjusting his facial expression, not daring to look up at Renji.
'Afraid that Renji would discover something.'
But his reaction did not escape Renji's sight.
"What's wrong?" Renji walked forward, squatting down.
He noticed Naruto's stiff face. Naruto explained, "A guy exactly like me appeared… it's my dark side… He's evenly matched with me. All my jutsu, tactics... all identical."
"Unable to determine a winner," Killer Bee's voice came from behind. "If you can't defeat your dark self, you can't control the Tailed Beast! The True Waterfall is just the prelude!"
Bee looked at Renji. "See? Good lines."
Renji ignored him, staring at the waterfall. A sudden impulse rose within him.
Naruto stood up, and Renji took his place, sitting on the stone with his eyes closed.
Naruto slowly retreated.
When Renji opened his eyes again, a figure walked out from behind the waterfall.
This person looked... disheveled. He was muttering incessantly.
"Such an expensive wig... where did this water come from, don't ruin it! And the cosplay outfit I bought... they're all very expensive! Why isn't anyone collecting autographs with me? Is it just because I'm cosplaying Renji?"
The figure stood in front of Renji, tilting his head.
"Wow! Are you me? Can I actually cosplay this well without a costume? I'm so awesome!"
The talkativeness of this 'other Renji' startled the Renji sitting on the stone.
'Was I really that talkative before? Did I used to speak in such a simple, foolish tone?'
He remembered clearly that he wasn't like this. But the True Waterfall reflected this appearance.
Renji looked at the other person's face. The hair clearly showed traces of a wig, colored contacts, makeup, and stitches...
Renji lowered his head and looked at his own reflection in the pool.
The stitches seemed to grow from his bones. His heterochromatic pupils glowed. His long blue hair cascaded like silk.
'If the person opposite is Renji, then who am I?'
"Who can even tell the difference between me and Renji now!" the other exclaimed.
Renji was swept by a strange feeling. Unconsciously, he had become the true Renji. And the person opposite was... his original self.
'So, this is the answer the True Waterfall presented.'
Renji realized long ago that the Malice Value was like a chain he had willingly placed on himself. It tightened more and more without him realizing it.
So much so that, in this process, Renji lost the part of himself that was human, becoming a person who only cared about Malice Value.
Renji stood up from the stone. The true, lost Renji walked towards him.
Renji reached out and easily killed that person. The "true" Renji was powerless, disappearing before his eyes.
'What's real and what's fake? I am real. No one, no object, can change my will.'
Renji walked towards the shore.
"What did Renji see?" Naruto curiously asked.
Renji looked at Naruto, a slight smile on his lips. "Didn't see anything."
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