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As Aizen sensed the anomaly within the space, his eyes flashed with a sudden, uncontrollable excitement.

"This hidden power... it's so well-concealed!"

If not for Aizen's sharp spiritual perception from the world of the Shinigami, he might never have found it.

"Sealing Technique! Open!"

Aizen immediately activated the secret technique he had prepared. Forming his fingers into the shape of a sword, he directed his energy toward the mysterious spot within the space.

In the wide eyes of the Nine-Tails, a terrifying mass of chakra, shining with a golden light and brimming with immense vitality, appeared before both man and beast.

"Hahaha!"

Aizen couldn't contain his wild laughter as he finally laid eyes on the treasure he had been seeking.

"How... How does Uzumaki Naruto possess such chakra? And this chakra's strength... it surpasses even what I had at my peak! How is this possible?"

The Nine-Tails stared in disbelief. Ever since Naruto's birth, the Nine-Tails had been sealed within him, witnessing every moment of the boy's life.

And now, out of nowhere, this incredible power had manifested within Naruto.

The Nine-Tails' entire worldview began to crumble.

"Of course, you wouldn't know," Aizen said, sensing the beast's confusion. "This chakra was born alongside Uzumaki Naruto's soul."

Aizen was in high spirits, and for once, he offered an explanation to the perplexed Nine-Tails.

The realization hit the Nine-Tails like a ton of bricks. It fixed its gaze on Aizen, its massive red eyes narrowing.

"So, your ultimate goal is this power? But how did you uncover this secret? Moreover, Uzumaki Naruto is still in the midst of a time-travel. In your timeline, he hasn't even been born yet! How do you seem to know so much about him?"

The Nine-Tails bombarded Aizen with questions, its mind swirling with suspicion.

Everything about this situation felt utterly bizarre to the beast.

"That's none of your concern, Kurama!" Aizen replied, his tone dismissive. He was no longer in the mood to entertain questions.

With a quick motion, Aizen moved closer to the radiant chakra.

For the first time in a thousand years, someone had called the Nine-Tails by its true name.

The beast was stunned, unable to process the shock.

"Heh, the reincarnation chakra of Ashura, the second son of the Sage of Six Paths. I'll be taking it."

Aizen muttered to himself greedily as he summoned a black bead from his soul, which emitted a faint blue light.

This was the Hokage version of the Hōgyoku, developed by Aizen himself.

"Huh? The appearance and aura of that bead. It feels so familiar!"

The Nine-Tails, now fully alert, watched Aizen's every move with growing anxiety.

For this person, who knew its true name, the Nine-Tails was filled with a mix of shock and curiosity.

Hum!

Under Aizen's control, the Hōgyoku hummed softly before turning into a black light, diving directly into the golden chakra...

The Hōgyoku, like a living creature, began to absorb the original genes and energy of the golden chakra.

"This... This ability to absorb energy... Isn't that the Hōgyoku created by that monster Aizen?! Why... Why does this guy have a Hōgyoku?"

As the Nine-Tails recognized the Hōgyoku's ability, its pupils shrank in terror, and it roared in disbelief!

Simultaneously, its body, still restrained by the Phoenix Seal, trembled violently as if gripped by overwhelming fear!

The entire fox was in a state of panic, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on!

The current timeline seemed to be many years in the past.

The blonde kid Uzumaki Naruto had just seen was likely the future Fourth Hokage, Minato.

The Nine-Tails recalled hearing that Namikaze Minato and Aizen had once been close friends, working together for a long time in Konoha's Anbu.

So, this young shinobi in an Anbu uniform, wielding the Hōgyoku, could very well be.

The Nine-Tails was suddenly overcome with panic!

It looked at Aizen again, its gaze filled with both hatred and fear.

Back then, no one knew just how terrifying that man truly was!

Although that man had caused it unimaginable pain.

Even today, just hearing his name sent waves of uncontrollable fear through the Nine-Tails' heart!

Not even Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama had cast such a long, dark shadow over it!

As Aizen continued to extract Ashura's power, he noticed the strange expression on the Nine-Tails' face.

Aizen wasn't surprised that those in the future knew his true nature.

What puzzled Aizen was the intense fear he saw in the Nine-Tails' eyes. What could his future self have done to provoke such a reaction from the mighty beast?

However, Aizen quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Gathering the essence and energy from the chakra before him was his priority now.

He had no intention of absorbing all of this chakra—he only needed a small portion of its original genes and energy.

With that decision made, Aizen swiftly retracted the Hōgyoku.

But as he did, Aizen couldn't help but cast a lingering glance at the golden chakra, his eyes filled with a mix of longing and regret.

He would have loved to keep all of this chakra for himself, but the implications of Ashura's reincarnation chakra were far too significant.

He knew that Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, who watched over the ninja world from the shadows, was likely always monitoring the situation. Aizen had no desire to attract the attention of that formidable figure.

Aizen was cautious—he understood that if he were to directly absorb or take too much of this chakra, there was a high chance that Hagoromo would intervene, following the trail of the dragon vein through time and space to eliminate him.

Even though Hagoromo might not be at his full strength, Aizen knew that the Sage could still crush him with ease.

Thus, Aizen wisely chose to temper his ambition.

Having taken what he needed, Aizen turned his attention back to the Nine-Tails.

When the massive fox noticed Aizen's gaze, its colossal form trembled involuntarily, exuding an air of vulnerability.

It was a rare sight—a being as mighty as the Nine-Tails looking so poor, weak, and helpless...

"..." Aizen.

Is it really necessary for it to be this scared? Aizen thought, bemused. Sure, I'll be strong in the future, but does just hearing my name really terrify the Nine-Tails this much?

"Aizen... don't come any closer! I'm telling you, I'm not afraid of you! You... you're still very young now, and your strength is nowhere near what it will be in the future!"

The Nine-Tails tried to sound brave, but its trembling tone betrayed its fear as it attempted to bolster its own courage.

"...." Aizen.

So, you're aware of this, huh? Then why are you so scared, you silly fox?

In all honesty, Aizen was indeed tempted by the Nine-Tails' immense chakra.

If he were absolutely certain of success, he would have attempted to take it long ago.

But with his current strength, simply suppressing the Nine-Tails using the Phoenix Seal was already pushing his limits.

There was no way he could siphon off the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Shaking his head, Aizen decided not to waste any more time on the frightened fox. Instead, he set up a temporary mental barrier around it.

This barrier was designed to prevent the Nine-Tails from revealing his identity to Uzumaki Naruto.

With that done, Aizen's spiritual form swiftly returned to his physical body.