I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 411 Many rituals and procedures are merely tools to justify one's behavior.

"Smack~ Crash~"

Upon hearing this news, the Nine-Tailed Fox's claws, which had been covering its face, suddenly landed on the water's surface, and its watery eyes looked at Tatsuma with disbelief.

In Kurama's perception, Madara Uchiha was already dead. After enslaving him and fighting Hashirama Senju, he was sealed with Wood Release and taken back to Konoha, while Madara Uchiha died in battle.

Judging from that guy's subsequent despondency, how could Uchiha Madara still be alive? If Uchiha Madara were still alive, that guy should be grateful.

Therefore, Kurama did not believe what Tatsuma said at this time, that Madara Uchiha, who had "enslaved" him, could not possibly still be alive!

"Nonsense!"

Kurama said in a muffled voice. Tatsuma knew Kurama wouldn't believe him. Not to mention that the news was too shocking, given his current relationship with Kurama, Kurama would probably be suspicious if he said he hadn't had breakfast yet.

For example, he suspected that Tatsuma was deliberately making up an excuse in order to "eat" him again.

"I know you don't believe me, and I know that no matter what evidence I present, you won't believe me, so I have no evidence."

Kurama, who was about to refute Tatsuma's words and evidence, was stunned. This kid... knows him so well? Truly detestable to tailed beasts! And how could this guy say such things with such confidence when he's so unreasonable?!

Tatsuma ignored the Kurama's constantly shifting emotions and simply said, "But Madara Uchiha is indeed still alive. He attacked me, but failed."

"Oh!"

Kurama suddenly interrupted, saying, "Stop fooling yourself! Madara Uchiha attacked you, and you think you'd survive?!"

Tatsuma's expression turned strange as he asked, "Are you acknowledging Madara Uchiha's strength?"

"you"

One sentence left Kurama speechless. How could he possibly acknowledge Madara Uchiha's strength?! He had only used that meager bloodline power to launch a shameless sneak attack on him!

"Moreover," Tatsuma paused for a moment, and said, "a few months ago, Kushina was attacked, and the seal was almost broken. It was also the work of Uchiha Madara."

"Hmph! If it really is him, then he's far too weak; he can't even break a mere seal!"

Kurama scoffed, but he knew that Kushina's seal was virtually impossible to break from the outside unless someone obtained Mito Uzumaki's manuscript and used the corresponding tail-unsealing technique.

Of course, like last time, if it loosens to a certain point and Kushina herself loses consciousness, Kurama can still manage to escape if it struggles a little harder. Kurama actually tried that last time as well.

But this guy in front of me used the Adamantine Sealing Barrier and Wood Release to stop his plan, and now he's created such a huge sealing barrier.

Even if Kushina used the Tail-Unsealing Seal to completely open the seal within the sealed barrier, the Nine-Tails could not escape because the massive Bagua seal underground would continuously drain its power, weakening its struggle.

In addition, Kushina's will interfered, keeping his struggle within a controllable range. Moreover, Kurama suddenly didn't want to kill Kushina as much anymore, because she, like him, hated this bastard in front of her.

Tatsuma ignored Kurama's words and continued, "Let Kushina control your power and protect you. Trust me, this is the best option."

"Are you kidding me?! I wish Kushina were dead! That would set me free!"

"And then what? Go out and be enslaved again?"

"Shut up!"

The Nine-Tails, panting heavily, said, "Once I get out of here, I'll kill you, then kill Madara Uchiha! And then I'll devour everyone in Konoha!"

Kurama's stubbornness was beyond Tatsuma's imagination. His expression turned displeased again, but knowing that Kurama was just being stubborn, he refrained from repairing the tools again.

Taking a deep breath, Tatsuma said, "You alone, or Kushina alone, are simply powerless to deal with Madara Uchiha's methods. I believe you will agree with that."

However, if Kushina can perfectly control your power, and you actively help Kushina, then you will have enough ability to protect yourselves in the face of Madara Uchiha's methods.

I know you're dissatisfied with me, and I know you're dissatisfied with humanity, but... for the sake of our common enemy, why don't we cooperate this once?

"Impossible! I want to kill you more than Madara Uchiha! You monster!"

Upon hearing this, Chenma frowned, not because of Kurama's attitude, but because Kurama had used such inexplicable words to describe him more than once, and it wasn't just Kurama who had said it.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if you behave yourself, I won't even be hostile towards you, because I don't covet your power."

"Hmph! A monster like you is destined to plunder everything, so stop spouting these high-sounding words."

Kurama's attitude was still very bad, and this time, Tatsuma could tell that Kurama wasn't just lying out of stubbornness, but that he genuinely believed it.

Tatsuma frowned. He didn't really have much of an idea about the Tailed Beasts. He didn't want to become a Jinchūriki of a Tailed Beast and obtain its power, nor did he want to gather all the Tailed Beasts and create a Ten-Tails to promote the so-called Eye of the Moon Plan.

His view of the Tailed Beasts was simply that they were dangerous creatures. To some extent, Tatsuma disliked the Tailed Beasts, but he wasn't so extreme as to want to eliminate them.

Tatsuma's words just now were his true thoughts. As long as Kurama or the other tailed beasts could "obediently listen," he wouldn't even feel any hostility towards them.

However, the more the monster that plunders everything sounds, the more it resembles the Ten-Tails.

Tatsuma suddenly remembered the prophecy given by the Great Toad Sage when Jiraiya took him to Mount Myōboku.

He quickly dismissed the idea; it made no sense, and it was too absurd.

Looking at Kurama again, Tatsuma said coldly, "Since you are unwilling to cooperate, then we can only solve this in another way."

Every time Kushina trains, I beat you half to death so she can familiarize herself with your chakra. The only way I can control you and your chakra is...

Upon hearing this, the Nine-Tails shrank back slightly, but still stubbornly retorted, "Hmph! You think I'm afraid? Your attacks are nothing more than a tickle to me!"

"That would be for the best, since beating you up would be a very simple thing for me."

Tatsuma shrugged and changed the subject, saying, "Do you know where Madara Uchiha might be?"

"A filthy bug like him is probably hiding in some crevice or crevice."

It must be said that Kurama's guess was accurate; Madara Uchiha lived in the so-called "gap between life and death," but Tatsuma didn't know exactly where this gap was.

"As someone who was enslaved by Madara Uchiha, don't you know about his strongholds and such?"

Seeing Tatsuma rubbing salt into his wounds again, Kurama was so angry that he wanted to swallow Tatsuma whole, but unfortunately, he couldn't.

Unless he is given the opportunity to be completely unsealed outside the Forest of Death, Tatsuma, who possesses Sage Mode, Wood Release, and Adamantine Sealing Technique, is merely an "incarnation" of the Nine-Tails and cannot do anything to him.

"I have absolutely no interest in knowing about the affairs of such a despicable person!"

After angrily finishing her statement, Kurama lowered her head and curled up, clearly unwilling to speak with Tatsuma any further.

Tatsuma shook his head, feeling rather helpless. He could only threaten Kurama to a limited extent, since he couldn't really use Kurama's life to threaten it. In fact, Kurama wouldn't mind dying for a while.

The beatings from the Nine-Tails only managed to elicit some responses from him; he could never truly get to the heart of the matter through interrogation.

If Kurama could be made to reveal all his secrets simply by beating him, then Tobirama Senju would have already convinced his brother to become his henchman and extract the secrets from Kurama long before Kurama was sealed inside Mito Uzumaki.

"Then I won't bother you today."

Tatsuma's sudden politeness made Kurama a little uncomfortable. Kurama turned his head slightly, glanced at Tatsuma, and seeing that Tatsuma was forming hand seals, quickly looked away.

Having completed the hand seals, Tatsuma watched as the restraints on Kushina's physical form gradually disappeared within his spiritual world. He then spoke to Kurama:

"I know you care about your reputation, so I won't bother you again for a while. Think carefully about what I'm saying, remember it, think it carefully, lest you lose even your last bit of dignity."

"Also, if you have any prejudice against me, or anything about Madara Uchiha, you can talk to me anytime you want. If you can't bring yourself to say it in front of me, you can have Kushina relay it."

"snort!"

Nine-Tails snorted heavily. Tatsuma glanced at Kushina, who had been released from her restraints, and left Kushina's mental world before she could ask any questions.

Outside, Tatsuma, controlling his Wood Release, released the restraints on Kushina, glanced at Minato crouching on the ground, pale-faced, and said, "Is he practicing Toad Style?"

Minato's current posture resembled that of a sitting toad, and since he was a disciple of Mount Myōboku, Kushina burst out laughing the moment Tatsuma said that.

But then she suddenly realized that Tatsuma was slandering Minato!

"You bastard! What are you and Nine-Tails talking about? He's completely withdrawn now."

Because Minato really did seem to be practicing Toad Style, Kushina couldn't directly refute him, so she changed the subject. Tatsuma then understood what Minato was doing.

With a stomp of his leg, his foot transformed into countless roots that reached down and connected to the sealing barrier. He said, "I'll take over."

"good!"

Minato, already nearing his limit, showed no mercy to Tatsuma, instantly cutting off the chakra supply. Seeing that Kushina still possessed a considerable amount of Nine-Tails chakra that wouldn't be digested quickly enough, he turned to Tatsuma and asked:

"Would you like to talk to Nine-Tails about this?"

He asked the same question that Kushina asked, but his tone was much better. Tatsuma nodded and said, "Kyuu happens to know some things I want to know, but he won't tell me."

Of course, I knew from the beginning that he wouldn't say, but not getting an answer had been weighing on my mind.

"So you want to talk to him to share the pressure?"

After asking the question, Minato was about to add that he could also share the pressure, but Tatsuma shook his head and said, "No, it's mainly to beat up Kurama and relieve some pressure."

Minato: "."

The Nine-Tails within Kushina: "You scoundrel Sakamoto Tatsuma! I will kill you!"

Kushina suddenly felt an endless anger and grievance emanating from the Nine-Tails within her. This sense of empathy was unprecedentedly clear.

(End of this chapter)