Chapter 55: The King of Flames Claims He Detected My Will of Fire (1/2)

"Iwa ninjas are truly evil."

"They sealed the Five-Tails inside a human, trying to seize its power."

"But they never considered asking the Five-Tails for its opinion…"

"The Five-Tails told me that if I could keep the man from using its power, it could find a chance to break free from the seal and regain its freedom."

"So, I poured all my Will of Fire into it, using all the fire techniques I knew, and finally created an opportunity for the Five-Tails."

Wakaho shrugged. "Then the Five-Tails regained its freedom and became my partner."

"I immediately shared this good news with Sensei, and when I saw Sensei getting beaten, I used the Tailed Beast Ball to rescue him."

"And then…"

Wakaho turned to Orochimaru. "Sensei knows everything that happened afterward."

Wakaho had initially considered embellishing this part of the story.

However, considering that similar plot points might lead to aesthetic fatigue for the audience, and given that Konoha already had a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, making too many parallels might be inappropriate...

So, he decided to keep it concise.

Orochimaru shrugged and looked at the Third Hokage.

"After Wakaho-kun introduced me to his new companion, I used…"

"Ahem!" The Third Hokage coughed awkwardly. "My throat has been a bit uncomfortable lately…"

It was quite awkward; despite Orochimaru clearly delivering the message, he ended up causing a mix-up after researching for a long time.

"So, the sealed Tailed Beast still has the ability to send messages outside…"

Minato pondered. He had a lifelong fiancée with a similar situation, but he had not heard of this problem before.

Should he ask about it...?

Minato glanced at Wakaho, who was glaring at him as soon as he opened his mouth. Minato awkwardly smiled and looked away, directing his attention to White Fang instead.

Alright, White Fang seemed to have his own concerns and didn't appear to have the "qualification" to inquire for help.

So Minato turned his attention back to Orochimaru.

Understanding what Minato was thinking, Orochimaru addressed him before he even signaled:

"Wakaho-kun, how did you hear the Five-Tails' voice? Do you remember?"

This was also a concern for the Third Hokage. If Wakaho could hear the Five-Tails' voice, then... what about the Nine-Tails?

"It just suddenly called me," Wakaho said matter-of-factly.

"Sensei means… Did you sense the Five-Tails' chakra? Or did you have any other contact with the Five-Tails Jinchūriki?"

"Five-Tails Jinchūriki?" Wakaho frowned.

"The one who has the Five-Tails sealed inside him," Orochimaru pointed patiently at Han.

"That… I don't remember." Wakaho looked as if he couldn't recall. He then raised an eyebrow. "But I can ask."

Before Orochimaru could respond, Wakaho stood up, looking toward the Five-Tails' direction, and took a deep breath.

"MU—KING—!!!!!!"

Mu King?

Everyone was puzzled, but it was not hard to guess that this was the name of the Five-Tails.

What was surprising was that Wakaho, who was not a Jinchūriki, had such a good relationship with the Five-Tails.

Boom—

Boom—

The Five-Tails immediately charged toward them, its massive size causing the earth to tremble with each step.

Everyone's expressions gradually turned strange. Knowing Wakaho's relationship with the Five-Tails, seeing this scene gave the impression of... a pet running towards its owner.

Even if the pet's size might be a bit out of the ordinary...

"It seems that Tailed Beasts can also coexist peacefully with humans, Hokage-sama."

White Fang finally smiled, showing an appreciative grin.

"Indeed... I've lived so long and still didn't know that Tailed Beasts had names. This child is truly remarkable," the Third Hokage sighed.

"Perhaps it's this child's kindness and integrity that moved the Five-Tails," White Fang's gaze shifted slightly, and he chuckled, saying, "People often lose these qualities as they grow up, losing more and more until they become the very thing they despise."

The Third Hokage paused, frowned, and then sighed. "Shikaku…"

"It seems I'll have to ask Kakashi to help clear up the misunderstanding when I get back. Kakashi is the same age as this child and should be able to speak well of him…"

The Third Hokage nodded in agreement. "Indeed, misunderstandings must be resolved."

"Yes, as long as the truth comes to light, all misunderstandings will naturally be resolved."

"…" The Third Hokage remained silent.

White Fang smiled and said nothing more.