The Nine-Tails let out a roar, its claws instantly slashing toward Naruto.
The corners of Naruto's lips lifted slightly. He neither dodged nor made any other move. Terrifying Yang Style chakra erupted from within him and met the Nine-Tails' claws head-on.
Is this brat looking to die? The thought flashed through the Nine-Tails' mind. Never before had a human dared to confront him head-on.
Bang!
Their fists collided violently, and a visible ripple spread through the mindscape as chakra aftershocks swept outward.
Yang Style power flowed continuously from Naruto's arm into the Nine-Tails' body, carrying with it those searing memories.
Scene after scene appeared in the Nine-Tails' mind: their mutual hostility within the seal, Naruto's lonely and miserable childhood as the so-called demon fox, mission after mission and battle after battle, their conversations, the way they had opened their hearts to one another, and the final great war of the Ninja World that they had experienced together.
For a moment, the Nine-Tails' memories overlapped with those of himself from another world, leaving him unable to distinguish the boundaries of time and space.
Only after a long while did the Nine-Tails look at Naruto with a complicated expression and ask quietly, "What were those things just now?"
Naruto smiled. "Of course they were our shared memories. Didn't I tell you? We're the best team and the best partners."
"..." The Nine-Tails fell silent this time. After a moment, he bared his teeth. "Don't lump me together with that fox from another world. I am me, and he is him. I will never compromise with humans, especially a brat like you. I've seen plenty of your human faces."
Naruto looked at him calmly and shook his head with a soft laugh. "No, you are Kurama. I could never mistake your presence. Even