Chapter 99: Prototype of a Perfect Jinchuriki
BOOM——!!!
In the forest outside Konoha village, another deafening roar erupted! A Nine-Tails claw made entirely of violent crimson chakra slammed down viciously toward Uchiha Itachi's position!
Even before the giant claw fully descended, the energy radiating from it had already dealt devastating damage to the forest below. Trees, rocks... everything began violently twisting and melting before even making contact.
However, just as that destructive giant claw was about to strike—
Uchiha Itachi's figure suddenly blurred like a phantom, then transformed into countless black crows that scattered in all directions with a cacophony of cawing.
Dozens of meters away on the other side, Uchiha Itachi's form quietly materialized, her hands already completing the necessary seals.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"
Chakra compressed and transformed in her throat before erupting outward. A massive fireball, far larger than usual and blazingly hot, suddenly appeared and blasted toward the center of the clearing created by the Nine-Tails chakra's pressure—Four-Tails Naruto.
Naruto reacted instantly, another menacing giant claw made of pure energy separating from his chakra cloak.
BOOM!
The claw caught the entire massive fireball precisely in its palm. The scorching flames clashed violently with the raging chakra, and the next moment, the claw suddenly clenched its five fingers.
Bang!
The fireball was easily crushed and extinguished, transforming into scattered sparks and thick smoke that quickly dissipated in the air.
And in that instant when the billowing smoke obscured vision—
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two figures burst out rapidly from both sides of the smoke! Two identical Uchiha Itachis wielding kunai charged directly at Naruto's vital points from both sides, attempting to use shadow clone feints to close in for hand-to-hand combat.
Naruto suddenly raised his arms, now completely transformed into crimson claws, and gripped the necks of both "Uchiha Itachis" with perfect precision.
The next second, the two "Itachis" he caught dissipated like mirages with a soft "poof"—both were decoy shadow clones.
The next moment, another Uchiha Itachi suddenly emerged from the smoke directly in front of Naruto. The kunai in her hand thrust straight toward Naruto's chakra cloak.
Clang—crack!
However, the expected sensation of metal piercing flesh never came. The moment the kunai's tip contacted that layer of boiling crimson chakra cloak, it made a teeth-grinding screech as if it had encountered a super-heated branding iron.
The kunai's blade visibly turned red-hot and began to soften at an alarming rate, finally being directly dissolved and vaporized by that violent energy.
"What?!" Uchiha Itachi's expression changed drastically.
The next moment, the miniature Nine-Tails before her opened its mouth again, crimson energy spheres condensing at terrifying speed.
The aura of destruction locked onto her once more!
BOOM——!!!
A second tailed beast chakra cannon erupted at point-blank range. The crimson torrent of destruction instantly swallowed the area where Uchiha Itachi had been standing, triggering an even more violent explosion than before!
Rumble——!
Smoke, dust, and debris mixed with vaporized soil shot dozens of meters into the sky, the blinding red light dyeing half the sky an ominous color.
However, when the smoke slightly cleared, the explosion's epicenter contained nothing but an even deeper, more terrifying crater.
'As expected... this was also a pre-positioned shadow clone or substitution technique?'
Four-Tails Naruto scanned the empty, scorched crater, understanding flashing through his mind.
Uchiha Itachi's true form silently appeared behind a charred tree stump dozens of meters away, one hand against the rough trunk as she gasped heavily, her heart filled with unprecedented shock and confusion.
What exactly was this situation? The Nine-Tails had undoubtedly gone berserk—that pure, violent tailed beast chakra couldn't be faked.
But... why? Why hadn't the rampaging tailed beast harmed Satsuki, who was so close by and completely defenseless? It even seemed... to be protecting her?
This completely violated her understanding of tailed beasts. Confusion entangled her thoughts.
But regardless, the fact that Satsuki was temporarily safe allowed her tense nerves to relax slightly for an instant. However, this momentary relief was immediately replaced by greater anxiety—she didn't dare gamble.
She couldn't bet that this jinchuriki was merely acting on some final instinctive remnant toward Satsuki that prevented him from harming her. If this Nine-Tails jinchuriki in this state charged toward Konoha village next... it would be a disaster far more terrible than the Uchiha massacre!
She had to stop him. Right here!
"Shisui..."
She unconsciously whispered that name—the person who had entrusted all his will and hope to her.
She had to fulfill Shisui's "dying wish" and protect the village, protect the Uchiha name.
Taking a deep breath, the three-tomoe Sharingan in Uchiha Itachi's eyes began spinning rapidly, finally transforming into a kaleidoscope pattern.
She needed a quick victory. To control him in one decisive move.
Her figure once again became a swift shadow, charging without hesitation toward that miniature Nine-Tails radiating overwhelming menace. The kaleidoscope pattern in her eyes suddenly focused.
Just as Naruto sensed her movement and raised his crimson giant claw, about to swing it down—
'Tsukuyomi!' The ocular jutsu activated.
Humm—!
Naruto felt the scenery before him suddenly spin wildly. The acrid smell of the scorched forest, the sensation of violent tailed beast chakra energy, even his physical sensations all instantly faded away.
When his "vision" cleared again, he found himself standing in a void, dark space composed only of black, white, and red colors.
Looking down, the reassuring crimson chakra cloak had completely disappeared, his limbs returned to their original state, reverting to ordinary Uzumaki Naruto.
Before him, Uchiha Itachi held her cold short sword, expressionlessly walking toward him step by step.
"A genjutsu?" Naruto immediately understood his situation.
"Nine-Tails," Uchiha Itachi's voice echoed in this space. "In this Tsukuyomi world where I control all time, space, and matter... how long can you last?"
She raised the short sword in her hand.
"For the next 72 hours, I will continuously stab this blade through your body without pause."
"Don't try to resist—all of this... is the destined 'reality.'"
Uchiha Itachi raised her short sword, the blade pointing at Naruto's chest. This was the fastest method she could think of to resolve the current crisis.
As long as she completely shattered the jinchuriki's mental will and drove him to collapse, the tailed beast transformation in the outside world would naturally be dispelled.
'This bitch... is definitely a psychopath...'
Facing Itachi's calm yet bone-chilling declaration, even knowing this was just a genjutsu, Naruto couldn't help but feel his scalp tingling.
He had no doubt that someone capable of doing such things to their own family would mercilessly carry out this 72-hour torture to its conclusion.
Just as the short sword was about to stab down, touching Naruto's "skin"—
"Hey, Uchiha brat."
A deep, resonant, massive voice thundered throughout this Tsukuyomi space.
Itachi's movement suddenly froze as she looked up in shock.
Behind Naruto, an impossibly massive shadow that blocked out the sky was slowly materializing. Its enormous body was like an orange-red mountain.
"What... do you intend to do to my person?"
The Nine-Tails' voice carried undisguised anger and absolute protectiveness, its giant beast eyes like two blood moons, locked deadly onto Uchiha Itachi below.
The next moment—
BOOM!!!
Incredibly violent Nine-Tails chakra surged like a bursting dam, with Naruto as the center, wildly flooding toward the entire black-white-red Tsukuyomi space, corroding it.
"Ugh!"
In the real world, Uchiha Itachi suddenly let out a muffled grunt, her body involuntarily stepping back half a pace. Sharp, needle-like pain shot through her eyes, and her vision even blurred momentarily.
When she forced herself to steady her mind and look ahead again, her heart sank—that miniature Nine-Tails wrapped in crimson chakra had the confusion instantly vanish from its eyes, once again recovering that cold, lucid light.
-In Naruto's inner world-
"Thanks, Kurama! That was a huge help!" Naruto let out a long breath, sincerely grateful. For that moment, he had genuinely panicked a bit.
"Hmph! Don't get carried away!" Nine-Tails stubbornly turned his head away, but his tail unconsciously swayed gently. "I was just acting on impulse! Who told you to be so useless, getting controlled by that level of genjutsu!"
"I see... But Kurama, you just said... 'my person'? Does that mean..."
"T-that was a slip of the tongue! Definitely a slip of the tongue!" Nine-Tails bristled like having his tail stepped on, instantly fluffing up and trying to cover his embarrassment with roaring. "Who told you to be so weak! In my moment of urgency, I misspoke! Don't you dare overthink it!"
His original plan had indeed been to lend Naruto chakra so he could quickly escape from this dangerous Uchiha. But just now, when he directly clashed with those Mangekyou Sharingan—
He had clearly sensed that while these eyes shared the same origin as the Uchiha Madara who had once controlled him, making them detestable, the "quality" and "quantity" of their ocular power was vastly different from that bastard's.
His fear dissipated considerably, replaced by anger at being provoked.
"Stop worrying about irrelevant things!" Nine-Tails forcibly changed the subject. "Go! Give that arrogant Uchiha brat outside a taste of what we're capable of!"
"I clearly sensed the undisguised malice she showed you just now! Give her a lesson she'll never forget!"