Chapter 74: Tragedy

The pit bull had clearly suffered endless torment at the hands of humans.

In the dogfighting ring, to keep the dogs as savage as possible, the organizers used unspeakable cruelty, constantly pushing them to the brink of madness.

Even as Xia curled up, trembling, it refused to back down.

"Hero isn't my owner, but he'll come! He'll come and defeat you all!"

Not a human?

The pit bull's interest was piqued. A hero among strays? How amusing.

"Little thing, if I kill you right now… what do you think your so-called hero will do?"

Its eyes glowed red, jaws widening—metal teeth glinting with the promise of death.

Xia couldn't stop trembling.

At that moment, Nine-Tails burst into the room—

And took in the scene before it.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

With a furious snarl, Nine-Tails charged straight at the pit bull.

Seeing its opponent rush in like a mad dog, the pit bull's blood boiled.

This was familiar—this rush of battle, this wild, unhinged rage—

Just like back in the ring.

In the fighting pit, there were no winners or losers.

Only the dead.

Every dog inside was a beast. A monster.

"Hero!"

Xia's voice was filled with joy as it saw Nine-Tails arrive.

The dozen or so stray dogs around them rose to their feet.

"Anyone who interferes—DIES."

The pit bull's cold voice froze the air.

For dogs, instinct was etched into their bones.

Even after escaping the ring, the pit bull remained a fighter to its core.

In the world of fighting dogs, battle had only two outcomes—

Survival. Or death.

And no matter what, a dogfight was never to be interrupted.

This was a duel.

A battle of pride.

For a fighter like the pit bull, interference would be an insult—

An insult that could never be forgiven.

Even dogs had their own beliefs.

Nine-Tails didn't understand why the surrounding strays suddenly backed off, but it didn't care.

This was its chance.

Jaws wide, it lunged for the pit bull's throat.

The pit bull did the same.

In an instant—they clashed.

Tearing.

Biting.

Clawing at each other's flesh without hesitation.

Blood sprayed across the room.

Two beasts. Two maniacs.

Watching the sheer ferocity of the fight, the stray dogs around them flinched.

It had only been a few exchanges—

Yet when they separated, neither had a single unscarred inch of skin.

"Again!"

The pit bull snarled and charged once more.

Experience.

That was where the pit bull had the upper hand.

At first, Nine-Tails held its ground through sheer brutality, matching its opponent bite for bite—

But as the battle dragged on, it began to falter.

It was losing.

Then—

Xia leapt into the fight.

Jumping onto the pit bull's back, it clawed and scratched wildly.

"DON'T BULLY HERO!"

Furious at this interference, the pit bull snapped.

"GET LOST!"

It opened its massive jaws—

And sank its metal teeth into Xia's body.

Then—it flung the kitten out the window.

—

Outside was a road.

Cars raced past, speeding recklessly.

For strays, the streets were just as deadly as cruel humans.

Nine-Tails knew this all too well.

At that moment, its rage exploded.

"RRRRAGHHH!"

With a thunderous roar, Nine-Tails slammed into the pit bull, sending it flying.

The abandoned building was falling apart, walls crumbling with age.

A place so broken—no human would ever live here.

Only strays—cats and dogs with nowhere else to go—would choose to live in a place like this.

Nine-Tails and the pit bull fell through a gaping hole in the cracked wall.

Beneath them was a deep pit, filled with broken concrete, twisted steel rods—debris from the abandoned building.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Nine-Tails' entire body screamed with pain.

A protruding steel bar had pierced into its abdomen—thankfully, it wasn't very long, just a few centimeters deep.

The pit bull, however…

Wasn't as lucky.

A single, sharp steel rod had impaled its skull straight through.

Dead.

Nine-Tails struggled to stand, dragging itself out of the pit.

The surrounding stray dogs, seeing their leader dead and witnessing Nine-Tails' rabid fury, began to back away.

Strays were survivors above all else—they didn't seek revenge, they only wanted to live.

One by one, they scattered.

—

Dragging its wounded body, Nine-Tails made its way to the edge of the road.

Cars roared past, their engines screaming.

And there—in the middle of the street, Xia shivered violently, unable to move.

Seeing that Xia was still alive, Nine-Tails breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're okay. I'm here. Watch the cars carefully—come over slowly."

"Hero!"

Xia, bloodied and weak, forced itself to move, step by step, crossing the road.

Finally, it reached the sidewalk.

"Safe!"

For the first time, Nine-Tails felt something new—relief.

But then—

A black car suddenly swerved off the road and onto the sidewalk.

Xia had no time to react before it was sent flying.

SCREEEEECH!

Brakes screeched against the pavement.

A fat, middle-aged man stepped out of the car, rubbing his drowsy eyes.

"Damn, I think I dozed off—did I hit something?"

Then, spotting the white cat's motionless body, he sighed in relief.

"Ugh. Just some filthy stray."

Without a second thought, he kicked Xia's body aside, sending it tumbling into the grass.

Nine-Tails watched it all.

Its heart—ripped apart.

"NO!"

It lunged at the man, jaws snapping with murderous rage.

"Holy—where the hell did this crazy dog come from?!"

The man scrambled back into his car, slamming the door shut.

Engine revving—

And just like that—

The black car sped away, vanishing into the distance.

"No. No. No…!"

For the first time ever, Nine-Tails felt something far worse than pain.

It had lost a friend.

And worse—it had broken its promise.

In the grass, Xia's life was fading fast.

"This… this isn't how it's supposed to be…"

Dragging itself closer, Nine-Tails collapsed beside Xia, its body aching, its heart shattering.

Then—

A flood of memories hit it like an explosion.

It all came back.

Who it really was.

Nine-Tails. Kurama.

A Tailed Beast of immense power—a creature feared by all.

Its chakra—a force of destruction.

Its existence—a symbol of terror.

No one had ever understood it.

It had always been alone.

But right now—

The only thing that could save Xia was…

"…A human."

Nine-Tails threw back its head and howled in fury.

"HUMAN! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Even if this world was a lie—

Its feelings were real.

From the shadows, Ren slowly approached.

"What's with all the screaming?" he sighed lazily.

Nine-Tails gritted its teeth.

"Save her."

Ren's smirk widened.

"No."

Nine-Tails knew what this man wanted.

Looking down at its dying friend, Nine-Tails clenched its teeth—

And made its choice.

"…Fine. I lose.

I won't resist anymore.

I'll become your Jinchūriki.

Is that enough?"

Ren crouched down, grinning.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

He reached out, tracing a finger along Xia's bloodstained fur.

"The pain of losing your only friend… hurts way more than any wound, doesn't it?"

His voice grew softer, almost amused.

"I think I finally understand Nagato a little.

After all—only those who've felt true pain… can truly understand each other."

°°°

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