章 3: Chapter 402: Putting the Nine-Tails in Its Place
Those eyes!
Those eyes!!!
Kurama's heart skipped a beat, reminding it of the first time it had faced Uchiha Madara. It was exactly those eyes that had controlled it effortlessly, binding it with a summoning contract.
The proud Nine-Tails, the strongest of all Tailed Beasts, had been forced into a summoning contract—a complete humiliation. And it had no power to resist.
What made it worse was Madara using it in his battle against Hashirama Senju.
Two gods fighting while it, the mighty Nine-Tails, was caught in the middle—it was pure misery.
Although Takuya's Sharingan was different in design from Madara's, the trauma Kurama had suffered was deeply ingrained. Just seeing the Mangekyō Sharingan made it panic.
"Kid, what do you want? Kushina was worried about you, do you really think she was deceived by just a few words from me?" Kurama said, trying to sound confident.
Kurama, afraid? Kushina found it unbelievable. The Nine-Tails always seemed fearless, but here it was, clearly intimidated.
Takuya remained silent, simply staring coldly at the Nine-Tails.
Damn it. What is this brat up to?
Was he planning to teach it a lesson? Or was he just trying to issue a warning?
Being stared down by the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was truly nerve-wracking for Kurama. After all, it had been at the mercy of these eyes before, and the memory still filled it with unease.
"Takuya, this is all my fault. Please don't blame the big fox, okay?" Kushina quickly stepped in, wrapping her arms around Takuya's and shaking them slightly, trying to calm the tension as she saw Kurama getting more and more uncomfortable.
"Next time, don't act on your own like this, understood? At least inform Tsunade first," Takuya finally spoke, deactivating his Sharingan and, with a sigh, led Kushina out of the sealed space.
"Phew—" Kurama exhaled heavily as soon as Takuya left. It noticed that the sealing space had been closed off again, preventing it from seeing the outside world. Not that Kurama cared—as long as Takuya was gone.
Those eyes staring directly at it had made Kurama's fur stand on end, leaving it terrified that Takuya might try to use a genjutsu on it as well. If that happened, Kurama would truly be humiliated.
For all beings, whether human or Tailed Beast, the prouder one was, the more they feared disgrace. Kurama was no exception.
Looks like I shouldn't mess with Kushina again so carelessly.
"You're so bad—scaring the Nine-Tails like that," Kushina pouted, giving Takuya's arm a light smack.
Takuya laughed, "I was just giving it a little warning, letting it know not to try anything. Were you really worried that I might harm that big fox?"
"But from now on, no more sneaking off without permission, alright?"
Kushina's presence on the front lines clearly wouldn't have happened without Kurama's help. This was why Takuya felt the need to give Kurama a slight scare, just to keep it in check.
"Okay, okay, I promise I won't do it again," Kushina lowered her head in mock defeat, pouting slightly after being scolded by Takuya.
"Alright, just make sure to let Tsunade know next time you want to leave the village. Since you've already come this far, it'll be easier to get permission in the future," Takuya added.
It might have been reckless, but it was a pleasant surprise.
Kushina had indeed chosen a good time to make her move.
Konoha was currently dealing with conflicts on two fronts, Tsunade was holding down the fort at the village, Danzo had been stripped of his rank, and the Third Hokage was still at the Daimyo's residence. Given all this, her leaving the village wouldn't cause too much uproar.
Once you leave once, it only gets easier the next time.
"Mm-hmm," Kushina nodded, a smile returning to her face, knowing that Takuya was looking out for her rather than just scolding her.
"By the way, about Pakura..."
"Takuya!"
"Ouch!"
Rubbing her forehead, Kushina gave Takuya a pitiful look, as if asking, "Why did you hit me?"
Takuya sighed and shook his head, chuckling, "Drop whatever little plan you've got cooking in your head. Pakura is with me for reasons other than romance. If that were the case, I'd be with you or Mikoto, not some woman I barely know."
He then raised his voice, "Pakura, you've been listening long enough, haven't you?"
From the resting room in the back, Pakura finally stepped out after being called out, nodding slightly toward Kushina, who eyed her with obvious hostility. Turning to Takuya, Pakura asked, "Are you trying to force me into making a decision now?"
"What do you think?" Takuya replied.
The plan had changed, and with the counteroffensive about to start, it wasn't possible to give her unlimited time to decide.
Pakura furrowed her brows, finding herself facing a difficult decision. She knew she couldn't return to Sunagakure. Takuya had been trying to recruit her all along, and she was fully aware of that.
But Sunagakure was her home—the place she was born, grew up, and pledged her loyalty to. The thought of defecting was painful.
Yet reality forced her hand; Takuya wasn't going to let her stay neutral forever.
She had two choices—either swear loyalty to Konoha or continue to resist, holding onto her loyalty to Sunagakure. The latter, however, would inevitably lead to something terrible, the outcome of which no one could predict.
"I'm sorry, but I can't decide right now," Pakura said, shaking her head. Her face was pale, and she let out a heavy sigh.
"Sunagakure is my home. My entire life is there, along with my loyalty. Even if I can't return, I can't easily change my allegiance," Pakura said, her gaze towards Takuya filled with complex emotions—part frustration, part resignation.
"I understand your intentions, I know what you're trying to do. But until the war ends, I can't give you an answer."
Takuya wasn't surprised. It would have been strange if Pakura had agreed so easily.
"How about this—once Sunagakure has been pushed back to the Land of Wind, you'll decide?"
While he could empathize with her, Takuya also understood the importance of acting decisively. Some matters required a clean cut.
"Alright," Pakura nodded after a brief silence, accepting the condition.
She knew there was no going back. If Sunagakure was pushed out of the Land of Fire, it would mean they had lost this war, making her choice inevitable.
"Alright, go take a walk around. As long as you don't leave the camp or do anything suspicious, I won't restrict your freedom," Takuya said.
"And if you think you can escape, you're welcome to try," he added.
With that, Takuya dismissed Pakura. He needed some quiet time with Kushina. Having an oversized "third wheel" around didn't bother him, but he knew Kushina wouldn't be able to relax.
Kushina had been openly hostile toward Pakura—even if she hadn't said anything, Takuya could sense it.
Without another word, Pakura left the command center. For her, being dismissed was somewhat of a relief.
As a single woman in her twenties, the last thing she wanted to do was watch a young couple in love.
Watching her leave, Kushina suddenly said, "I kind of feel sorry for her. She reminds me of myself when I first came to Konoha."
"It makes sense. You both ended up having to live in a village that wasn't originally yours. You had no choice, and neither does she," Takuya replied, pulling Kushina closer, inhaling the soft scent of her hair.
"I thought you were going to tear into her," Takuya teased.
Kushina had arrived with clear hostility, yet she hadn't said a word against Pakura—instead, she now seemed to sympathize with her.
Takuya couldn't quite figure out what went on in Kushina's mind sometimes.
"I wouldn't do something so embarrassing," Kushina replied, her face turning bright red as she wrapped her arms around Takuya's neck and shook her head.
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don't forget scribble hub or Patreon as I am going to unlock everything up to 402 and 2 daily chapters.
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I'll start updating from Chapter 400 onward here. I don't have the time or energy to re-upload the chapters before 400, especially with the risk of getting banned again.
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