Naruto showed no fear of the Nine-Tails' rage and majesty; instead, he laughed heartily, his voice brimming with vitality.
"I am the symbol of destruction, and Konoha was destroyed by me!"
Seeing Naruto so relaxed, the Nine-Tails' fury only grew, and it glared at Naruto viciously, its crimson eyes seeming to spit fire.
"Yeah, if you really were wrong, then I'll make you admit it later."
Naruto nodded slightly, a resolute conviction shining in his eyes.
"With just you, brat? Do you think you're that guy over there or Uchiha Madara?"
The Nine-Tails let out a mocking laugh, its voice dripping with scorn.
"But still, big fox, I think you're a good fox. You wouldn't do something like that on your own."
Naruto suddenly spoke with a firm gaze, looking straight into the Nine-Tails' eyes, seeing past its fierce exterior to its true nature within.
Hashirama Senju slowly manipulated the wooden golem, the motion that had been pressing down gradually coming to a halt.
"Hmph, those guys in Konoha, they all deserve to die!"
Just then, the Nine-Tails spoke viciously, its voice filled with resentment and anger.
"If I hadn't been controlled by the Mangekyō Sharingan back then, there's no way I would have been sealed inside you!"
"The Mangekyō Sharingan?" Hashirama Senju frowned at the term, a hint of confusion and concern in his eyes.
"The Sharingan, that's someone from the Uchiha clan, right? Isn't that just like Sasuke?"
Naruto's attention, however, was focused on the connection between the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Uchiha clan.
Soon, like a child filled with curiosity, Naruto began asking the Nine-Tails questions.
"Hey, big fox, do you need to eat? Should I bring you something next time?"
Naruto tilted his head, seemingly having already forgotten the Nine-Tails' earlier ferocity and power, treating it simply as a companion he could talk to.
"Why can you talk?"
Naruto then fired off another question, a barrage of inquiries tumbling from his mouth.
The Nine-Tails, growing impatient, gave Naruto a few perfunctory replies, its voice full of evasion.
Witnessing this scene, Hashirama Senju felt a stir of shock within him.
"Could it be that we were wrong all along?"
Hashirama Senju muttered to himself, a hint of undisguised confusion in his voice.
"Perhaps this is the way humans and tailed beasts should coexist."
In that moment, Hashirama Senju felt a sudden disorientation, as if some of the beliefs he had long held were crumbling in an instant, while new ideas and hopes began to quietly take root in his heart.
He closed his eyes gently, took a deep breath, and let his thoughts settle.
Then, he slowly released the wooden golem, allowing Naruto to continue chattering away in front of the Nine-Tails.
Hashirama Senju took a few steps back, and as he was about to exit this space, he suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation of power.
"Hm?" He instinctively let out a soft hum, turning his gaze toward the source of the power fluctuation.
There, a figure with blonde hair was gradually appearing.
"Lord First Hokage, greetings."
The figure was Minato Namikaze, who gave a slight bow, a smile on his face.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, politely inclined his head, a gentle smile on his face and a hint of respect in his eyes, as he slowly spoke to state his identity: "I am the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, Minato Namikaze."
Hashirama Senju paused briefly, a look of sudden realization dawning on his face: "So it's you."
Then, Hashirama Senju's expression grew serious, a glint of guilt in his eyes.
He gave a slight sigh, looked at Minato Namikaze, and spoke sincerely, "I am truly sorry."
Hashirama Senju bowed directly.
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