As the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of the Hidden Stone Village, Roshi, like other Jinchuriki from different villages, carried a heavy burden of hatred and blame from childhood.
However, Roshi's life experiences were somewhat different from thetailed beast Jinchuriki of other villages.
Driven by a fervent desire to fight for his village, Roshi bore all external pressure while enduring the power and mental erosion from the Four-Tails within him. After mastering a portion of the tailed beast's power, he became a top-tier ninja of the Hidden Stone.
His immense strength, coupled with the fact that the Four-Tails had never shown signs of rampage since he became its Jinchuriki, gradually led the people of the Hidden Stone to subconsciously overlook his identity as a tailed beast Jinchuriki. Combined with Roshi's straightforward personality, his standing in the Hidden Stone Village was second only to the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
Yet, being too straightforward could sometimes be a problem. Especially since Roshi's superior, Onoki, who inherited a stubborn personality like a hard rock, was also a man of his word.
When they were young, it was manageable.
But as people age, especially powerful and naturally strong-willed ninjas like Roshi and Onoki, they tend to become exceptionally stubborn.
Whenever the two of them got together, they couldn't stand the sight of each other.
After several disagreements with Onoki regarding ideas for the village's future development, Roshi had a big argument with him and simply left home.
But if he, a tailed beast Jinchuriki, were to arbitrarily venture into the territories of the other four great nations, it would inevitably cause some trouble if he were discovered.
It was fine if he encountered ordinary ninjas, but what if he encountered one or two from the Hidden Leaf, and by chance, they knew sealing jutsu? Given the tense relationship between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Stone, things would get complicated.
To cause less trouble, Roshi simply lingered around the borders of the Land of Earth. Apart from not returning to the Hidden Stone Village, he would go wherever he pleased.
Small countries like the Land of Demons and the Land of Birds, which lacked any particularly powerful forces, were Roshi's favorite destinations.
However, seeing the same scenery repeatedly would inevitably lead to some annoyance. Roshi was also a man of action who acted on his impulses. After spending some time in the Land of Demons, he decisively came to the vicinity of the Star Village, which was almost isolated from the rest of the world.
"Roshi, are you really going to wander outside forever and not return to the Hidden Stone Village?"
The muffled voice of the Four-Tails echoed in the sealing space.
Towards this human he had spent decades with, the Four-Tails, a seemingly wild yet gentle gorilla, had a considerable degree of approval.
The only thing that made the Four-Tails unhappy was that even though it had told Roshi its name, it had never heard him call it by name sincerely.
Just like now.
"Son!"
Roshi sat by a bonfire lit with Lava Release, gently turning a skewer of snake meat.
"You know me!"
"As long as Onoki is the Tsuchikage, I will never go back and face his grumpy face every day!"
Roshi let out a disdainful snort.
"Hmph!"
"He thinks he's amazing just because he made a name for himself in the ninja world with Lord Second's Dust Release."
"All these years, besides age and strength, I think the fastest thing he's grown is his arrogant temper."
Faced with Roshi's hypocrisy, the honest Four-Tails chose silence.
"Mmm..."
Roshi took a bite of the slightly dry roasted snake meat and frowned slightly.
"These snakes living in the poison mist taste no different from snakes elsewhere!"
"They're all dry and tough, with no flavor!"
The Four-Tails, sensing the lava burning in front of Roshi through the sealing space, was about to remind him about his grilling technique or the use of fire when it suddenly detected a familiar chakra fluctuation.
"Hmm?"
"This is..."
"Kurama's chakra..."
"Why is it here?"
The Four-Tails, thinking it had whispered softly, caused a rumbling sound in Roshi's mind. Roshi froze, put down the tasteless roasted snake meat in his hand, and asked, confusedly, "Kurama? Who?"
The Four-Tails hesitated for a while before replying sullenly.
"Someone who likes to bully other tailed beasts by relying on his many tails."
"Roshi, listen to my advice. If you don't want trouble, you'd better leave here quickly."
"If it discovers me inside you, you won't be in a good situation."
Roshi scoffed at the Four-Tails' warning and snorted disdainfully.
"Many tails?"
"Hmph!"
"It's just another tailed beast, after all. With my Lava Release and your Lava Release, what trouble can't we handle in a small place like the Land of Bears?"
The Four-Tails secretly regretted it. Knowing Roshi was such a contrary person, why had it suggested he leave?
"Then..."
"Don't regret it later!"
The Four-Tails replied gloomily and lowered its head, lying on the ground of the sealing space.
"It's already coming."
"For my sake, it might not kill you directly, but you're sure to suffer some hardship."
"After all, although that guy's personality isn't great, he values our relationship very much."
Roshi casually threw the snake meat into the lava, watching it turn into charcoal and then vaporize completely.
"Let it come!"
"In a direct confrontation, I've never been afraid of anyone!"
"Even the strongest Nine-Tails, I'm confident I can make it kneel."
Roshi's unreserved voice carried far into the night sky, instantly igniting the Nine-Tails' temper as it rushed towards them.
"I'd like to see how you intend to make me kneel!"
The Nine-Tails leaped out of the darkness, its body growing slightly larger, and glared at Roshi, who was dressed like a wandering monk.
"Son, did you give this arrogant human his courage?"
"It seems you, like that stinky fox, have gotten out of hand with time!"
The Four-Tails in the sealing space snorted two sparks of fire from its nostrils, and a muffled voice came from Roshi's belly.
"Kurama, you know I never go against you."
"I advised him, but he wouldn't listen. There's nothing I can do!"
The Nine-Tails hummed in satisfaction and cast its dangerous gaze onto Roshi's face.
"Human!"
"Let me see the means by which you will make me kneel!"
"Is it by relying on the pathetic Lava Release beside you?"
"As that guy would say... truly ignorant is fearless!"
The Nine-Tails glanced disdainfully at the lava at Roshi's feet, pulling out a rare educated phrase.
"Kurama, I didn't expect you to have become much more learned during this time!"
"It seems I need to tell you more meaningful things. Perhaps one day when you meet Sage of Six Paths, you can even show off in front of him."
Orochimaru's taunting voice suddenly rang out beside Roshi.
Roshi was startled and instantly retreated a long distance.
"Who?"
Orochimaru did not immediately answer Roshi's question, gently placing a hand on the Nine-Tails' shoulder.
"Kurama, it's not yet time for you to reveal yourself."
"Besides, if you have to deal with such a minor character, our future days will be very lively."
The Nine-Tails grinned, nodded in agreement, gave Roshi a disdainful look, and slowly shrunk its body, slinking to the side to watch the show.
Hearing Orochimaru refer to him as a minor character, Roshi's originally vigilant expression was instantly replaced by a hint of anger.
"Arrogant brat!"
"Which village are you from? How dare you speak such big words in front of me!"
Orochimaru looked at Roshi, who was provoked by a casual remark, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"Does the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of the Hidden Stone Village only have this much composure?"
"You're far worse than Shukaku's companion!"
"Kurama, why don't you tell Son that I can help him find a better partner?"
"Which one do you think would be more suitable?"
The Nine-Tails thoughtfully considered for a while and grinned happily, saying, "I think either would be fine!"
"Those few girls in the village are more pleasing to the eye than this old man who's all purple, and Son would probably like a companion with red hair too."
"Heh heh!"
The taunts of the man and the fox, acting in unison, instantly eroded Roshi's dwindling patience and reason. He clasped his hands in front of him, and a large amount of crimson chakra surged from his body, covering Roshi.
"Lava Release Chakra Mode!"
Roshi roared in anger and charged at Orochimaru, clad in crimson chakra.
"Heh!"
Orochimaru let out a cold laugh. A mere Jinchuriki of the Hidden Stone Village; if not for the tailed beast within him, he wouldn't have wasted so many words on him.
"This level of attack..."
"It seems you're truly not suitable to be Son's partner!"
A surge of Yin-Yang Release stirred within him, slowly enveloping Orochimaru's hands. He gently clenched his fist towards Roshi's attacking fist, which carried the scorching aura of lava.
"Sizzle! Sizzle!"
With a sound like boiling water poured onto snow, the Lava Release chakra rising from Roshi's fist dissipated visibly.
Roshi's heart jolted. Although he didn't understand why his always-effective, offensive and defensive Lava Release Chakra Mode was so easily broken by this person, his habitually hot temper made him instinctively avoid thinking and he immediately kicked at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru slightly sidestepped the insidious attack, casually parried the now harmless fist, and punched down at Roshi's incoming leg.
"Bang!"
Fist met leg. Roshi's right leg, reinforced by Lava Release Chakra, was actually kicked back by this punch. Not only was a large hole broken in the crimson chakra covering his leg, but the muscles on his leg were also painfully smashed.
"Who exactly are you?"
Roshi slightly tipped his toes and retreated two steps, looking at Orochimaru with a serious expression and asking.
Orochimaru glanced at his fist, unharmed under the enhancement of Yin-Yang Release, Body Activation Secret Jutsu, and Dragon Vein power, nodded with satisfaction, and casually replied,
"A rogue ninja, Kong Chen!"
"I'm borrowing your Lava Release Chakra for research. You won't refuse, will you?"