Nine Tails

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Nine Tails (九尾)
Alias(es)	Kurama 153
Species/Race	Tailed Beast
Gender	Male 298
Affiliation	Naruto Uzumaki (sealed host); Nagato (summoning contract and later partner) 6 153 259
Occupation/Role	Tailed Beast; Nagato's contracted summon 153
Status	Active 365
First Appearance	Chapter 7, within Naruto Uzumaki's mental space 7

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Animal Path–linked summon	153	Kurama accepts an ordinary Summoning Jutsu contract with Nagato. The Animal Path's contract trait gives contracted summons access to Rinnegan abilities.
Rinnegan ability use	196 201	Under Nagato's control, Kurama uses Shinra Tensei against Hashirama and grants the Preta Path to four summoned beasts so they can absorb Chakra.
Nine Tails Chakra Manji Release Mode	259	Kurama merges its Chakra with Nagato's, enabling their joint effort to restrain and control the reviving Ten-Tails.
Sage Mode	334 335	Nagato injects Sage Art Chakra into Kurama, allowing it to absorb Natural Energy, enter Sage Mode, and use Senjutsu. Kurama must still practice to sustain the state independently.

History

Kurama was originally sealed within Naruto Uzumaki through the Uzumaki clan's Four Symbols Seal. When Nagato provoked Naruto into releasing the fox's Chakra, he repeatedly drained it with the Preta Path, finding its output effectively inexhaustible. Nagato later entered Naruto's mind and threatened to extract Naruto's soul, forcing Kurama to temporarily halt its Chakra output. Although hostile, Kurama's compliance revealed that it did not want Naruto to die. 6 7

A physical Nine Tails later appeared outside Konoha while Naruto was confirmed to remain safe and sealed, causing panic over the apparent existence of two Nine Tails. Nagato fought this Kurama directly, overwhelming it with speed, Planetary Devastation, and repeated provocation. Kurama's extraordinary durability let it survive the attacks, but its fear of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—an entity capable of killing it—forced it to bargain and ultimately accept Nagato's summoning contract. 144 146 148 150 152 153

As Nagato's summon, Kurama became both a mount and a weapon. Nagato controlled it with the Rinnegan during his clash with Hashirama Senju, making the fox use Shinra Tensei after Hashirama attempted to put it to sleep with Wood Release. Sage Katsuyu later demanded that Kurama behave and find a place to stay, with an agreement that she would intervene if it caused trouble. 154 196 197 217

Nagato later extracted nearly one-tenth of Kurama's original Chakra from Naruto to revive the Ten-Tails. After Kurama recovered its stolen Chakra, it agreed to assist with the resurrection on conditions that accounted for the other Tailed Beasts' welfare. It subsequently acted as Nagato's spokesman during negotiations with the other beasts and helped oversee the separation of their Chakra from their main bodies. 249 250 251 257

Kurama and Nagato combined their Chakra to control the Ten-Tails' revival in the Land of Rain. It continued accompanying Nagato through Kumogakure and Ryūchi Cave, fought alongside him against the White Snake Sage, and later received the ability to use Sage Mode. When Nagato vanished during his battle with Black Zetsu, Kurama was left silent and frustrated alongside the other Tailed Beasts. 259 271 300 303 334 365

Appearance

Kurama is a colossal fox-like Tailed Beast with nine tails, a massive fur-covered body, sharp claws and fangs, and crimson vertical pupils. Its eyes can take on the Rinnegan pattern when wielding Nagato's shared powers. 152 217 334

• Possesses nine tails and a giant fox head capable of dwarfing human opponents. 152 301
• Has crimson, slit-like pupils. 250
• Develops purple markings around the eyes while in Sage Mode. 334
• Can transform into a turtle-fox-like form, fire energy beams, tunnel underground, and feign unconsciousness to prepare attacks. 152

Personality

Kurama is intensely proud, abrasive, and competitive. It treats Nagato's summoned beasts as its “underlings,” takes visible satisfaction in their obedience, and tries to prove that its intellect exceeds that of humans. Its rivalry with Shukaku is especially petty and persistent. 201 251 257 333

Despite its arrogance, Kurama recognizes threats it cannot overcome. It is terrified of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, wary of the Three Great Sages, and initially fears confronting Sage Katsuyu and the Ten-Tails. 152 217 298 300

Kurama's behavior toward Naruto and the other Tailed Beasts shows a more protective side. It stops supplying Chakra when Naruto's life is threatened, later guides Naruto's movements to avoid Nagato, and argues that the other beasts' feelings should be considered during Nagato's Ten-Tails plan. 7 168 250

Its relationship with Nagato gradually softens from coerced submission into practical cooperation. Kurama trusts Nagato enough to promote him to the other Tailed Beasts as a potential guide, fights beside him without its earlier resistance, and worries when Nagato senses an approaching crisis. 256 303 335

Abilities & Skills

Immortality and Durability

Kurama is extraordinarily difficult to injure or restrain through force alone.

• Survived repeated Sage Art: Planetary Devastation attacks, including being trapped within massive rocky spheres. 148 150
• Nagato concludes that ordinary people cannot kill Kurama and that even he cannot permanently destroy it. 152
• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is identified as a specific threat capable of killing Kurama completely. 152
• Its defensive ability is described as far beyond the other Tailed Beasts; even a normal Tailed Beast Chakra cloak cannot be pierced by the Kusanagi Sword. 150

Vast Chakra Reserves

Kurama's Chakra output appears limitless when Naruto's seal is opened.

• Nagato repeatedly drains Naruto's manifested Kurama Chakra, only for it to return immediately whenever the Preta Path stops. 7
• Its Chakra replenishes Nagato's weakened body, restoring muscle, vitality, and physical condition. 6
• The Chakra cloak is highly corrosive and can burn or pierce the Paths of Pain. 10
• Kurama can manifest Chakra as giant claws, fox heads, and destructive attacks separate from its physical body. 184 388

Tailed Beast Bomb

Kurama can condense its Chakra into black energy spheres and concentrated energy beams.

• In Naruto's Six-Tails state, its Tailed Beast Bomb casually destroys a ten-meter boulder. 10
• It can prepare a massive bomb larger than its own body, though doing so visibly drains and withers its body. 301
• Its transformed turtle-fox form can fire energy beams and conceal a Tailed Beast Bomb while pretending to be unconscious. 152
• Nagato learns to reproduce the technique after connecting his Chakra with Kurama; his copied version is considered comparable to the second-stage bombs of the Nine-Tails and Ten-Tails. 257

Contracted Rinnegan Powers

Nagato's Animal Path contract enables Kurama to access Rinnegan-derived abilities.

• Uses Shinra Tensei while under Nagato's Rinnegan control, destroying Hashirama's wooden construct and devastating Konoha. 196 197
• Summons Nagato's known contract beasts en masse, excluding the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. 201
• Grants the Preta Path to four summoned beasts, allowing them to absorb Hashirama's Chakra and escape Wood Release restraints. 201
• Can communicate mentally with Nagato through their Chakra connection. 201 250

Sage Mode

Kurama becomes capable of absorbing Natural Energy after Nagato teaches it Sage Art.

• Nagato injects Sage Art Chakra directly into Kurama's body to initiate the change. 334
• Kurama gathers Natural Energy into serpent-like streams around its body and manifests purple markings around its eyes. 334
• Uses Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation to raise a mountain larger than itself from a canyon. 334
• Requires continued practice to use Sage Mode through its own power rather than relying on Nagato's initial Chakra injection. 334 335

Relationships

• Naruto Uzumaki — Kurama's sealed host. Kurama resents the seal but protects Naruto when Nagato threatens to pull out his soul, and later guides Naruto's Chakra-cloaked movements to evade danger. 6 7 168
• Nagato — Initially Kurama's captor and tormentor; later its summoning-contract partner. Their connected Chakra enables shared techniques, joint Ten-Tails control, and increasingly cooperative combat. 153 259 303
• Katsuyu — Kurama's arrogance provokes Sage Katsuyu, who terrifies it into accepting an agreement to behave around Shikkotsu Forest. 217
• Shukaku — Longstanding rival. The two regularly trade insults, though both ultimately cooperate with Nagato's plans for the Tailed Beasts. 251 257 333 334
• Other Tailed Beasts — Kurama attempts to persuade them to trust Nagato and later supports their separation from the Ten-Tails and their Sage Mode training. 250 251 257 334
• Ten-Tails — Kurama originated as one of the beings separated from the Ten-Tails and later helps Nagato control its resurrection. The Ten-Tails' presence still inspires instinctive fear in Kurama. 258 259 300
• White Snake Sage — An enemy Kurama battles alongside Nagato; the Sage's strength and absorption of the Ten-Tails force Kurama into unusually obedient cooperation. 300 303

Notable Quotes

“I think you could try a little harder. Maybe next time, I'll submit to you?” 153

“Give it a rest, you villain!!” 298