Bab 99: Naruto is Different!
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With a sly grin, Orochimaru's gaze shifted from Jiraiya to a specific section of the surrounding foliage, where the members of Team 7 were concealed. "The same goes for you too, Naruto-kun," he said, his voice carrying clearly through the silence of the late afternoon. The smirk on his face broadened as he addressed the young shinobi directly. "If you want that monster removed, you are welcome to join us."
In his hiding place, Naruto stiffened, his cerulean eyes wide with shock. Orochimaru knew he was there. The realization sent a jolt of anxiety coursing through him. But more than that, it was the audacity of Orochimaru's proposition that hit him like a blow. Remove Kurama? Naruto's hand subconsciously moved to his stomach, over the seal that contained the Kyuubi.
Within him, he could sense Kurama's growing unrest at the suggestion. The fox's chakra bristled, its anger palpable to Naruto. He and the Kyuubi had had a complicated relationship. Initially, Naruto saw the beast as a curse, a destructive force responsible for the hardships he'd endured. But over time, especially with Koushin's guidance, Naruto had learned to see past the beast's wrath, to recognize the pain that echoed his own.
In his mind, Naruto reached out to Kurama. "You heard that?" he asked, his mental voice heavy with worry.
An irritated huff echoed in his mind as Kurama responded, "How could I not, brat? That slippery snake... thinking he can just 'remove' me as if I'm some malignant tumor..."
There was indignation in Kurama's voice, and a hint of pain that Naruto had come to associate with the beast's long history of being used as a weapon, of being seen as nothing more than a monster. A pang of empathy gripped Naruto, his heart aching for his companion.
Orochimaru's offer, though presented as a chance for freedom, felt more like a death sentence to Naruto. The thought of removing Kurama, not just the seal but the fox himself... it was unthinkable. He and Kurama were connected, their fates intertwined in ways that Naruto was just beginning to understand.
"Hey, Kurama," Naruto said, his mental voice filled with resolve. "You're not a monster to me. Not anymore. You're a friend."
A pause followed, the silence stretching. Then, in a softer tone, one Naruto had rarely heard, Kurama replied, "That... means a lot, Naruto."
In the physical world, Naruto clenched his fist, determination burning in his eyes. "Orochimaru!" he called out, stepping out from his hiding spot, his presence causing a ripple of surprise among the other hidden shinobi. "I'm not interested in your offer!"
Orochimaru's smirk didn't falter. "Oh, is that so?" he asked, his voice filled with mockery. "You're okay with remaining a prisoner for the rest of your life, then?"
"I'm not a prisoner," Naruto retorted, his voice firm. "And neither is Kyubi! We're partners! Friends!"
The proclamation echoed across the bridge, causing a range of reactions among those who heard it. Orochimaru's smirk widened, his gaze filled with perverse amusement. "A jinchuriki and his beast, friends? How quaint," he mocked. "But ask yourself, Naruto-kun, how does your friend feel about being caged inside you?"
Seeing the ripple of impact Naruto's words had on Roshi and Utakata, Orochimaru swiftly moved to disrupt the growing sentimentality. He couldn't afford to let Naruto's idealistic notions sway the two jinchuriki.
"Naruto-kun," he began, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your naivety truly knows no bounds."
Naruto's gaze hardened at the insult, but Orochimaru continued, completely undeterred.
"Do you remember, Naruto?" He asked, his voice dropping to a more somber tone. "Do you remember the loneliness? The rejection? The fear in the eyes of those who should have been your neighbors, your friends?"
Naruto's hands clenched into fists at his sides, memories of a painful childhood flooding his mind. His eyes stung, not from the force of Orochimaru's words, but from the bitter truth they held.
Orochimaru glanced at Roshi and Utakata, ensuring that they were following his line of thought. He saw the look of dawning understanding in their eyes, the hint of sympathy, and it spurred him on.
"You were shunned, Naruto," he continued, his voice growing louder, more impassioned. "Marked as a pariah, not for any crime you committed, not for any wrong you did, but for the beast they chose to seal inside you."
The words hit Naruto like a physical blow, forcing him to acknowledge the bitter truth in them. He had been marked by the village, shunned and isolated because of the Nine-Tails sealed inside him.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he continued. "And why? Why did they do it, Naruto? Why were you, a mere child, chosen for such a burdensome fate?"
Naruto had no answer, his cerulean eyes filled with a swirl of emotions. He was waiting, knowing that Orochimaru would answer his own question.
"Because they needed a weapon, Naruto," Orochimaru said, his voice ringing with conviction. "A tool they could wield against their enemies. They didn't care about you, about your happiness, your dreams. To them, you were nothing more than a container for the Nine-Tails."
Naruto's heart pounded in his chest, his throat tightened with unshed tears. He hated it, but he couldn't deny the truth in Orochimaru's words.
"That's your village, Naruto," Orochimaru finished, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "That's Konoha. A village that values power above its people. That sees jinchuriki as tools rather than humans."
The silence that followed Orochimaru's words was heavy, oppressive. Naruto's mind was spinning, his heart aching with the harsh truth of his words. He wanted to refute him, to defend Konoha, but he knew that Orochimaru's words held a kernel of truth.
Meanwhile, Roshi and Utakata exchanged a glance, their faces reflecting their internal turmoil. They understood Naruto's pain, the loneliness and resentment that came with being a jinchuriki. They, too, had experienced similar treatment, living as outcasts in their own villages.
In that moment, Orochimaru's offer seemed less of an entrapment and more of a tempting proposition. The chance to break free from the shackles of their tailed beasts, to take control of their own destinies – it was a prospect that was hard to ignore.
The silence that hung over the bridge was shattered by the sudden rustle of leaves. From the mouth of the small bird Jiraiya had been holding, a tiny shrub fell, quickly transforming mid-air into Koushin. Landing gracefully next to Naruto, Koushin placed a comforting hand on his younger brother's shoulder, his eyes meeting Orochimaru's with a determined grin.
"Those tactics might work on others, Orochimaru-san," Koushin declared, his voice resonating with an unwavering resolve. "But Naruto was never alone. He had an amazing brother like me by his side, who always believed in him, who knew his worth beyond the beast inside him."
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