The ritual at the Valley of the End had come to an end. The night mist gradually dispersed, and the eastern sky began to pale.
On the way back to the Hokage Office, Uchiha Ling supported the still somewhat weakened Kushina with one hand while holding the scroll sealing Kurama in the other.
Although Kushina's chakra reserves had greatly diminished and her body was exhausted, she was in an extremely excited state. A dreamlike smile remained on her face as she repeatedly sensed the power that now belonged purely to her, then grinned foolishly at Ling.
Back at the office, Uchiha Ling settled Kushina onto a soft sofa and handed her a cup of warm water.
"How do you feel? Any discomfort?" Though he had ensured through Kyoka Suigetsu that the extraction process was harmless, he still needed to monitor her subsequent adjustment.
"Just a little tired. My chakra feels completely empty, like I've run five hundred laps around Kage Rock." Kushina held the cup and stuck out her tongue, though her eyes remained bright. "But it feels so good, really. It's like the whole world has become quiet and light~"
Ling nodded, his gaze falling on the sealing scroll. Next came the matter of how to settle this new "partner."
Letting Kurama, in his complete form, roam freely through Konoha? That would be no different from detonating a Tailed Beast Ball in the middle of a crowd. Even if he did not actively hurt anyone, his enormous size and the pressure he unconsciously radiated would be enough to cause panic—perhaps even scare the children senseless.
"Kurama," Uchiha Ling said evenly to the scroll, "we need to discuss what form you'll take from now on."
The scroll trembled faintly, and Kurama's deep, displeased mental voice emerged from within. "Form? Uchiha