Naruto: The Nine-Tails' Legacy

"This..."

Izumi gently rested a hand against the massive block of ice before her, as though silently confiding something to it.

"...is the most secluded place I know."

"No one will ever learn about anything we discuss here."

Other than the enormous ice block standing before them...

The only thing in this space was the crescent moon hanging overhead.

Sasuke instinctively looked up at it.

His three-tomoe Sharingan slowly spun.

As he stared at the moon through his Sharingan...

He sensed something strange.

It was almost as if...

Someone else was staring back at him from the other side.

Seeing Sasuke looking upward, Naruto also glanced at the moon.

After staring for a while...

He simply rubbed his eyes.

"...My eyes are getting sore."

After a long silence...

Izumi finally turned around.

Looking at Sasuke, she spoke calmly.

"...I probably don't have much longer to live."

The statement hit like a thunderbolt.

Both boys had expected her to explain the giant block of ice...

Or reveal the secret hidden within this place.

Instead...

She casually dropped a far more shocking revelation.

Then again...

That certainly qualified as a secret.

"Sister Izumi!"

Naruto's face changed immediately.

"Is something wrong with your body?"

"Did you suffer some kind of injury?"

"Or is it an illness?"

"It should still be treatable, right?"

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke had expected her answer.

Instead...

She suddenly changed the subject.

"Sasuke."

"Earlier, you already made your position perfectly clear."

"But I still have to ask you once more."

"...Are you willing to become the next head of the Uchiha Clan?"

Sasuke frowned.

"Is that really what's important right now?"

"The priority should be your—"

"It is important."

Izumi interrupted him once again.

"At least..."

"It is to me."

"And don't ask about me just yet."

"I'll explain everything shortly."

"Besides..."

"Although I can feel that I'm reaching my limit..."

"I'm not going to collapse this instant."

She looked directly into his eyes.

"So..."

"Sasuke."

"Answer me first."

"Are you willing..."

"...to become the new head of the Uchiha Clan?"

Seeing how insistent she was...

Sasuke's own stubbornness surfaced.

He frowned deeply.

"Is the position of Clan Head really that important?"

"Even if I refuse to become Clan Head..."

"Do you actually think I'd abandon the clan?"

"That I'd simply watch everyone die?"

"If that were the case..."

"I wouldn't even have come here."

He suddenly pointed toward Naruto.

"I was already planning to have him take everyone away from this place."

"You know he can do it."

"If some people don't want to stay here..."

"And don't want to return to Konoha either..."

"I can arrange for them to move to a place called the Land of Waves."

"They can live there."

"Even if they don't want to work."

"If they'd rather stay far away from all this conflict..."

"There's also the Land of Snow."

"It's remote as hell."

"The environment isn't great..."

"But compared to here, it isn't much worse."

"Both countries now maintain ties with Konoha..."

"But they both owe me favors."

"I can make all the arrangements."

"No one will disturb them."

"And..."

He paused briefly.

"The money from selling the clan's assets..."

"I still have it."

"I'll return every last bit of it to all of you."

For the first time in his life...

Naruto heard Sasuke say so many words in one breath.

He had already guessed that Sasuke wanted his help relocating the Uchiha to somewhere more suitable.

But...

"Hold on."

Naruto blinked.

"Why do both the Land of Snow and the Land of Waves owe you favors?"

"When did that happen?"

"Weren't we together the whole time whenever we went there?"

He was genuinely shocked.

Sasuke conned me wasn't enough...

He even managed to rope in two entire countries?

Sasuke shot him an exasperated look.

"You idiot."

"Can you tell what's important right now?"

"Is this really the time to ask that?"

Naruto immediately shot back.

"Oh, now you're calling me an idiot?"

"You bastard!"

"You're this rich..."

"So why have you still been collecting rent from me every single month?!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"...And?"

"Problem?"

"Fine."

"Once you've safely settled all of my clansmen..."

"Your rent is waived forever."

"The house is yours."

Naruto instantly straightened his back.

"I guarantee I'll accomplish the mission!"

"I'll personally escort every member of your clan safely to their destination!"

His expression changed so quickly that it was almost impressive.

"Heh..."

Izumi couldn't help laughing.

"It seems..."

"The two of you are even closer than I imagined."

"And your experiences..."

"Are far richer than I ever expected."

Her smile, however, soon faded.

Returning to a serious expression, she looked at Sasuke once more.

"So..."

"You still refuse to become the Uchiha Clan Head?"

"No one is more suitable than you."

"You possess the strength to bear the Uchiha Clan's hopes for revenge."

"And among all of us..."

"You're the most rational..."

"And—"

"I already told you."

Sasuke interrupted her once again.

"My path..."

"And the path the clan seeks..."

"...are different."

His repeated refusal finally made Izumi give up trying to persuade him.

She let out a long sigh.

"...I see."

"I suppose it can't be helped."

"I had hoped..."

"If you were willing to lead the clan..."

"Then perhaps..."

"I could use the little time I have left to accomplish something else."

"Sister Izumi..."

Naruto could no longer ignore it.

"What exactly happened to you?"

"Please don't scare me."

Earlier, he had only joked around to ease the tense atmosphere between Sasuke and Izumi.

Now...

After receiving Sasuke's final answer...

Izumi no longer kept it hidden.

"You remember..."

"I mentioned that I possess the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"This has everything to do with it."

"The Mangekyō Sharingan..."

"...is different from the ordinary Sharingan."

"It has a fatal flaw."

"The more its power is used..."

"The more one's eyesight deteriorates."

She smiled gently.

"The worst outcome..."

"...is complete blindness."

Looking at the two boys, she continued,

"Even though we're standing this close..."

"I can no longer see your faces clearly."

"...Blindness?"

Kurama's voice echoed inside Naruto.

"That much is true."

"Losing one's sight is one of the Mangekyō Sharingan's drawbacks."

"But it isn't life-threatening."

"And..."

"There is a way to solve it."

This time, however...

Kurama wasn't merely explaining things to Naruto.

His attention was focused on Izumi herself.

Sure enough...

The moment Kurama spoke...

Izumi once again turned toward Naruto.

She frowned slightly.

"Naruto..."

"Are you absolutely certain..."

"...your body doesn't feel strange?"

"Huh?"

"My body?"

"No..."

Kurama spoke with certainty.

"I knew it."

"Uchiha Izumi can somehow perceive when I'm communicating with you."

"...Is that another Mangekyō ability?"

Even so...

He remained curious.

"Judging from her reaction..."

"She can't actually hear what we're saying."

"Let's test something."

"Naruto."

"Tell her directly about me."

"Let's see how she reacts."

Sasuke also noticed the genuine concern in Izumi's expression.

He looked suspiciously toward Naruto, who had suddenly fallen silent.

...Could something really be wrong with him?

A moment later...

Naruto finished speaking with Kurama internally.

Looking at Izumi, he asked,

"Sister Izumi..."

"Did you sense Kurama inside me..."

"I mean..."

"...the Nine-Tails?"

"...The Nine-Tails inside you?"

Izumi's reaction completely caught both Naruto and Kurama off guard.

She froze for a moment.

Then realization dawned on her face.

"That's right..."

"I almost forgot."

"Naruto..."

"You're the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."

"Then it all makes sense."

"I sensed the power of a seal inside you earlier..."

"So..."

"That was the seal containing the Nine-Tails."

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