The Third Hokage saw this, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, preparing to meet Naruto's next wave of attacks.
The Third Hokage leaped upward, and the berserk Naruto immediately lunged straight at him with a claw. That fierce claw cut through the air with a whistling sound, closing in on the Third Hokage in an instant. Unflustered in the face of danger, the Third Hokage sidestepped and narrowly dodged the ferocious strike.
However, Naruto's attack did not stop; a horizontal sweep with a kick followed closely behind.
Advanced in age though he was, the Third Hokage still reacted swiftly, using Enma—who had transformed into the Adamantine Staff—to block directly, successfully parrying the berserk Naruto's strike.
The Adamantine Staff collided with Naruto's foot with a muffled, booming sound, and the powerful shockwave caused ripples to spread through the surrounding air.
Clutching the Adamantine Staff tightly, the Third Hokage's arms trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat seeped onto his forehead, but his gaze remained resolute, showing no intent to back down.
Shortly after, both parties separated and descended back to the ground.
The Third Hokage landed firmly on his feet, the Adamantine Staff in his hand pointing diagonally at the ground, panting heavily. The berserk Naruto crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He quickly got back up and charged at the Third Hokage once more, letting out continuous, angry roars.
The Third Hokage engaged the berserk Naruto in close combat once again, after which both were repelled and pushed back apart.
Having successfully landed once more, the Third Hokage sighed with emotion and said to the berserk Naruto:
"Impressive indeed!"
A trace of fatigue tinged the Third Hokage's voice, while his eyes were filled with perseverance. His slightly narrowed eyes revealed his inner caution and his contemplation of the situation.
Upon landing again, the berserk Naruto did not halt his offensive this time, instead flashing and moving rapidly right after touching down.
Like a phantom, the berserk Naruto's figure left a trail of blurred afterimages in the air, closing the distance to the Third Hokage in an instant. The speed was so dizzying that it felt as though time itself had paused at that moment.
Seeing this, the Third Hokage hurriedly retreated to dodge, then unleashed a flurry of strikes upon the berserk Naruto. His fists fell like a storm, each blow imbued with formidable power.
Next, the Third Hokage took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and shouted loudly:
"Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Immediately after, a gush of scorching flames spewed from the Third Hokage's mouth, and a gigantic fire dragon roared forth, striking the berserk Naruto head-on. The powerful impact knocked the berserk Naruto to the ground.
Then, the Third Hokage quickly formed hand seals and shouted:
"Enma, transform!"
Enma instantly split into multiple Adamantine Staffs that intertwined to form a sturdy cage, trapping the berserk Naruto within.
Runes flickered across the Adamantine Staffs, exuding a powerful sealing force that temporarily prevented Naruto from breaking free inside the cage.
The injured Naruto temporarily lost consciousness, collapsing inside the cage made of the Adamantine Staffs by Enma. Naruto's body trembled slightly, his brows furrowed beneath tightly closed eyes, and his face still bore the fierce, angry expression from the battle.
At this moment, Naruto was as quiet as an injured child. The space within the cage appeared exceptionally cramped, yet it also kept Naruto from making any further reckless moves.
Looking at the unconscious Naruto in the cage, the Third Hokage felt a tumult of mixed emotions—both worry over Naruto's rampage and a shred of relief that the situation was finally under control.
The Third Hokage walked slowly toward the cage, his gaze revealing care and pity, and he let out a gentle sigh.
Inside Naruto's Mind Realm.
Everything here was chaotic, where darkness and light intertwined, and illusion and reality blurred. A mysterious aura permeated the surroundings, as if hiding endless secrets and unknown powers.
Waking up within his own Mind Realm, Naruto exclaimed in shock:
"Where is this?"
Naruto's voice echoed through this chaotic space, laden with bewilderment and fear.
Naruto vigilantly looked around, his body tense as he prepared to deal with any potential danger.
Walking and wondering, Naruto reached the end of a path, where he saw a massive iron gate with a seal right in the middle, marked with the kanji for "Seal".
The iron gate was tall and heavy, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura, and the sealing runes on the gate glowed with an eerie light, as though preventing some terrifying entity from escaping.
Gazing at the iron gate, Naruto's doubts grew heavier. He instinctively reached out, wanting to touch the mysterious seal.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox spoke:
"To think you've already grown to this extent in just twelve years, actually able to reach this Mind Realm and see me? Truly remarkable!"
The voice of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox was deep and resonant, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.
The figure of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox loomed faintly in the darkness, its nine gigantic tails swaying casually, stirring the surrounding air into disorder.
Hearing this voice, Naruto gasped in surprise and shouted loudly:
"Who is it? Who's talking?"
Naruto's voice trembled, filled with tension and unease.
Naruto widened his eyes and looked around in all directions, trying to find the source of the voice. His heartbeat accelerated rapidly, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox then addressed Naruto, who had not yet raised his head:
"Down here. Look up, brat."
A hint of banter laced the tone of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox as its voice echoed through the empty Mind Realm. Hearing this, Naruto jerked his head up, his gaze instantly drawn to the massive, terrifying figure above.
Then, raising his little head, Naruto saw a gigantic creature appear before him.
The creature's body was as huge as a mountain, and its nine fiery-red tails whipped about wantonly, each one looking powerful enough to tear through space itself. Its eyes resembled burning flames, revealing endless tyranny and majesty that chilled the bone.
Shocked by this colossal figure, Naruto stood frozen in place for a moment, forgetting to breathe.
Naruto asked doubtfully:
"Who are you?"
A tremor laced Naruto's voice, his small body appearing so tiny and fragile before this giant creature.
Naruto stared tightly at the existence of this huge, mysterious creature, his eyes full of doubt and vigilance.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox burst into laughter, the sound deafening enough to seemingly shake the entire Mind Realm.
Full of disdain and arrogance, the laughter of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox rang out:
"Brat, you don't even know me? I am the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts in this world—the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!"