Nine-Tails

"Tohru, do you want to meet the Nine-Tails?"

Yamanaka Tohru was startled by Kushina's suggestion and instinctively replied, "Sister Kushina, isn't that a bit much?"

"What's the big deal! Just tell me if you want to meet him!" Kushina had a look of certainty on her face.

"Hehe, then I'd like to meet him!" Yamanaka Tohru was very interested in the Nine-Tails, the proud and tsundere great fox from the original story, a powerful being who could defeat five Tailed Beasts with half his power.

"I knew you wouldn't refuse." Yamanaka Tohru scratched his head sheepishly.

"Alright, next, my consciousness will enter the Nine-Tails' seal. You'll use your Yamanaka Clan's secret technique to follow my consciousness into the seal." Yamanaka Tohru nodded and his consciousness entered Kushina's body.

Under Kushina's guidance, Yamanaka Tohru's consciousness successfully entered the Nine-Tails' seal.

Kushina's seal looked similar to Naruto's seal on the inside. Kushina led Yamanaka Tohru to the giant cage that sealed the Nine-Tails.

It was the same large gate as in the original story, but the sealing strips on the cage were gone.

Kushina slipped through the gap in the sealing cage and climbed onto one of the Nine-Tails' tails. The Nine-Tails, however, acted as if Kushina's actions were none of its concern.

"Hey, Nine-Tails, I've come to see you again." Seeing that the Nine-Tails ignored her, Kushina tugged on another of its tails.

"Um, Sister Kushina, you should come out!" After seeing the Nine-Tails, Yamanaka Tohru understood why people feared it so much.

The Nine-Tails' personality might be tsundere like in the original story, but the original manga didn't convey its power at all. Even from behind the cage, Yamanaka Tohru could feel the Nine-Tails' terrifying aura.

The Nine-Tails hadn't opened its eyes to look at either Yamanaka Tohru or Kushina since they entered, but just the unconscious leakage of its aura made Yamanaka Tohru tremble all over.

"Tohru, what's wrong! Didn't you say that humans and Tailed Beasts can coexist peacefully?"

Yamanaka Tohru stared at Kushina, who was jumping around on the Nine-Tails' tail, with a vein throbbing on his forehead. How thick-skinned could she be? No wonder Naruto turned out the way he did. Yamanaka Tohru once again marveled at the power of genetics.

"Kushina, stop it. It's one thing for you to come, but bringing a brat to annoy me." The Nine-Tails was also fed up with Kushina's antics.

The Nine-Tails was also helpless to have such a Jinchuriki. It couldn't kill her; if Kushina died, it would die too. Scolding her was useless. The Nine-Tails had never met someone so shameless.

Not long ago, she had even ripped off the sealing strips, saying that humans and Tailed Beasts could coexist peacefully.

"Hey, kid over there. Did you tell Kushina that humans and Tailed Beasts can coexist peacefully?"

The Nine-Tails had also heard Kushina's words earlier. Curious about the person who could say such a thing, the Nine-Tails was very interested in the one who said it.

"Yes! It was me!" The Nine-Tails' massive Chakra made Yamanaka Tohru struggle to breathe.

"Then, after seeing me, do you think humans and Tailed Beasts can still coexist peacefully?"

Yamanaka Tohru fell silent. Even though he had read the original story and knew the final outcome, facing such a powerful Nine-Tails, he had no confidence to say those words.

"I believe there will be such a day. Even if I can't become friends with you, Nine-Tails, the next Jinchuriki, or the one after that, certainly will." Kushina said with a determined expression.

The Nine-Tails glanced back at Kushina on its tail and said nothing further.

After emerging from the Nine-Tails' seal, Yamanaka Tohru was somewhat dejected.

Yamanaka Tohru had thought he had grown a lot in two years, but he hadn't even had the courage to resist in front of the Nine-Tails.

And in the world of Hokage, the Nine-Tails was nothing compared to those "gods."

Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Sage of Six Paths Obito, Sage of Six Paths Madara, Kaguya—each possessed the power to crush the Nine-Tails.

Meeting the Nine-Tails served as a wake-up call for Yamanaka Tohru. He didn't have time to be complacent now. Compared to the Nine-Tails, he was still far behind, let alone facing even more powerful beings.

"Sister Kushina, let's spar."

"Okay!" Kushina had never seen Yamanaka Tohru's expression so serious before.

At the Third Training Ground, another sparring match between Yamanaka Tohru and Kushina began.

As before, Kushina used the One-Tail Tailed Beast Cloak, while Yamanaka Tohru directly entered Ice Lightning Mode.

"[Water Release: Water Severing Bullet]!" Yamanaka Tohru frequently used Water Release against Kushina.

Kushina, clad in the Tailed Beast Cloak, easily dodged Yamanaka Tohru's Water Release.

Kushina was very familiar with Yamanaka Tohru's fighting style: Lightning Body Flicker combined with the piercing thrust of [Raikiri], or using Ice Release teleportation to finish the fight with [Raikiri].

Kushina heightened her vigilance, constantly watching for Yamanaka Tohru's Lightning Body Flicker, and tried to stay away from areas with large amounts of water to prevent surprise attacks using Ice Release teleportation and water.

Over the past two years, Yamanaka Tohru had solved the problem of his Ice Release ninjutsu consuming a large amount of Chakra. This spar, he planned to give Kushina a surprise.

Previously, Yamanaka Tohru's Ice Release ninjutsu required Ice Release water ninjutsu to be completed. It wasn't until he went to Mount Myōboku that Yamanaka Tohru learned the Yuki Clan's secret Ice Release technique, [Thousand Killing Water Soar].

Most of the Yuki Clan's Ice Release techniques involved directly freezing moisture in the air through their bloodline limit. After learning [Thousand Killing Water Soar], Yamanaka Tohru gained inspiration from the Yuki Clan's Ice Release.

"Sister Kushina, here I come!" With that, Yamanaka Tohru used Lightning Body Flicker to appear directly in front of Kushina.

Yamanaka Tohru didn't use [Raikiri] or techniques like [Chidori Blade]. Kushina, wearing the Tailed Beast Cloak, was not flustered by Yamanaka Tohru's charge.

"Ice Blade!" Yamanaka Tohru, who was originally unarmed, suddenly conjured an ice blade in his hand. Kushina was caught off guard by this move, and her Tailed Beast Cloak was cut by the ice blade.

Yamanaka Tohru seized the opportunity and intended to press his attack, but he underestimated the Nine-Tails' Chakra. A tail behind Kushina whipped towards Yamanaka Tohru.

"Ice Armor!" Moisture in the air and on the ground rapidly condensed on Yamanaka Tohru's upper body, forming armor. Protected by the armor, Kushina's attack didn't cause much damage to Yamanaka Tohru.

"Ice Needles," Yamanaka Tohru condensed moisture in the air into numerous ice needles.

Kushina, in her One-Tail state, was incessantly harassed by Yamanaka Tohru's endless ninjutsu. These techniques were not powerful, but they had strong penetration. The ice, upon hitting the Tailed Beast Cloak, would restrict movement.

After Yamanaka Tohru used Ice Needles, Kushina's Tailed Beast Cloak was already riddled with holes. Yamanaka Tohru took the opportunity to swing his ice blade, and Kushina's One-Tail Tailed Beast Cloak was finally broken.

With his new ninjutsu, Yamanaka Tohru finally defeated Kushina's One-Tail Tailed Beast Cloak state for the first time.

ps: Yesterday, a reader recommended a manga that gave the author great inspiration. In the future, the protagonist's Ice Release will be even more interesting, not just applied in combat.