After persuading Kakashi Hatake to leave, Orion once again sank his consciousness into Naruto Uzumaki's sealing space.
Inside the dark chamber, Orion watched as the Nine-Tails continuously fired Tailed Beast Bombs at the iron gate.
The gate had already begun to tremble.
Orion slowly stood up, dragging his battered body—his bones nearly broken from the impact—and walked toward the Nine-Tails step by step.
"Nine-Tails… you don't actually think you can get out, do you?"
"Everything you're doing is pointless."
The Nine-Tails stared at him, its expression turning serious.
"Brat… you really are something. You didn't die."
Orion straightened his body and smiled faintly.
"Yeah… I didn't expect it either."
"Even in this space, I can actually get injured. This is the first time I've been hurt this badly since coming to this world."
He paused briefly, then added calmly:
"But I'm still going to reinforce the seal."
"You can forget about ever getting out."
With that, Orion formed hand seals again.
Mysterious symbols appeared beneath his feet once more.
The Nine-Tails glared at him—furious, yet cautious.
Orion hadn't noticed, but it had.
At the moment the Tailed Beast Bomb hit—
A golden barrier had instinctively formed around Orion, protecting him.
Otherwise, Orion wouldn't have just coughed blood.
Even if he survived, he would've been left crippled—or worse.
That power…
The Nine-Tails had never seen anything like it.
It resembled Sage Chakra—but far stronger.
Even Sage Chakra shouldn't have been able to withstand that attack.
This boy…
Was dangerous.
What is that power inside him…? Why does it feel even more threatening than that old man of the Six Paths…?
Watching Orion continue reinforcing the seal, the Nine-Tails stopped attacking.
Instead, it began provoking him.
"Brat, what you're doing is useless."
"As long as that kid keeps using my chakra, the seal will keep weakening."
"You can't stay by his side forever, can you?"
Orion didn't respond.
"Hey! Are you deaf?!"
Only then did Orion glance up and reply calmly:
"I don't need to stay with him all the time."
"And this seal won't last forever either."
"But when it finally breaks…"
"It will be because Naruto has completely subdued you."
"He'll fully control your power."
"HAHAHAHA!!"
The Nine-Tails burst into laughter.
"You've lost your mind!"
"That brat controlling me? Ridiculous!"
"If you were my jinchūriki, I might believe it."
"You're stronger than my previous hosts."
"I can even acknowledge your potential."
"But Naruto?"
"He doesn't even have pure Uzumaki blood."
"He doesn't know sealing techniques."
"What makes you think he can control me?"
"By borrowing my chakra every time he loses control?"
Orion sneered.
"That just proves you've been locked up too long."
"You can't even see Naruto's potential."
"You're the real joke."
The Nine-Tails slammed its claw against the gate.
But now—
The gate didn't budge at all.
As Orion continuously reinforced it, the seal had become stable again.
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes.
"You… you're using Uzumaki sealing techniques."
"Who taught you that?"
Orion ignored the question.
The Nine-Tails didn't mind.
It had already given up on trying to destroy Orion's consciousness.
That hidden power…
It couldn't deal with it.
Inside this space, Orion was untouchable.
Instead, it focused on understanding him.
"You're wasting your effort."
"I can tell—Naruto will keep using my power more and more."
"Your reinforced seal won't last long."
"He can't resist the temptation of my strength."
Orion frowned slightly.
That part was true.
But he also knew—
In a few years, Naruto would fully control the Nine-Tails.
He only needed to hold things together until then.
Seeing Orion hesitate, the Nine-Tails smirked.
"See? Give up."
"What you're doing is meaningless."
Orion suddenly looked up and smiled.
"If what I'm doing is meaningless…"
"Then why were you panicking earlier?"
"Is it because I ruined your plan?"
"You've been feeding Naruto chakra on purpose."
"Tempting him to rely on you."
"Making sure he can't escape your influence."
He paused, then continued calmly:
"You're right—Naruto will use your power."
"But I'll keep reinforcing the seal."
"Until the day he fully controls you."
"I'm betting that he can do it within a few years."
"And I'm betting…"
"You'll never break free from him."
The Nine-Tails laughed again, full of mockery.
"You're hilarious."
"Even Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki—with pure Uzumaki blood and mastery of sealing—never claimed they could fully control me."
"And you're saying Naruto can?"
"A half-blood who doesn't even know sealing techniques?"
"If he could do that…"
"Would you even need to be here reinforcing the seal?"
Orion looked straight at the Nine-Tails.
His voice was calm—almost emotionless.
"Because I'm betting on my future."
"I'll help him control your power."
Silence.
The entire space fell quiet.
The Nine-Tails stared at Orion.
That sentence…
It sounded arrogant.
But—
It couldn't refute it.
It didn't believe Naruto could control it.
But Orion?
It believed Orion could suppress it in the future.
Just like Hashirama Senju once did.
For the first time—
The Nine-Tails had no rebuttal.
It simply stared at Orion.
As if looking at that man from the past once again.
To it—
Orion wasn't boasting.
He was stating a fact.
A fact it hated to admit.
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