Changing the Nine-Tails' Environment

Under Absolute Control, Naruto had expected taming the Four-Tails to take some effort, but he had almost effortlessly suppressed the Nine-Tails' corrosive will.

There was no doubt that Four-Tails Mode was powerful.

Naruto could feel that his strength, speed, and reactions had all been elevated to a level far beyond that of an elite jonin.

But for him, this mode was not good enough.

Four-Tails Mode required a massive amount of Nine-Tails chakra to maintain the physical existence of its tails, yet the tails themselves did not add much actual combat power. Put bluntly, it was a berserk form with poor chakra efficiency.

What Naruto truly wanted was Golden Body Mode or Kurama Mode.

In that form, the chakra cloak would shift from deep crimson to dazzling gold. There would be no tangible tails trailing behind him and draining energy; in their place would be efficient energy output and the ultimate ability to move at light speed.

That was the true, complete form of a Nine-Tails jinchuriki, an advanced application Minato Namikaze had only mastered after spending years inside the Shinigami's belly.

Naruto in the anime had been the same.

If he could go a step further and stack Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode on top of it to enter Sage Fox Mode, that would be even more perfect.

But Naruto also knew he could not rush these things.

The Four-Tails form could serve as an intermediate transition for now. He had plenty of time to study and develop it gradually.

If he rushed into the sealing space now and told the Nine-Tails, "Come on, Kurama. Let's see if you can activate Golden Body Mode for me!"

Naruto figured that, given the Nine-Tails' current state of shock, suspicion, and guilty unease toward him, it would most likely refuse to cooperate outright.

With that thought, Naruto withdrew the Nine-Tails' chakra.

The deep crimson chakra cloak began to fade. The four tails transformed into red motes of light one after another and scattered into the air, while that violent chakra aura gradually receded into his body.

Within a few breaths, Naruto had returned to his original appearance. He stood quietly where he was, without even a tear in his clothes.

Inside the sealing space, the Nine-Tails lay in its cage, watching Naruto enter Four-Tails Mode as if it were nothing, then dismiss it just as casually. The expression on its enormous fox face was exceedingly complicated.

It could tell that this brat no longer needed to exert any effort at all to control its chakra.

A berserk form at the Four-Tails level was more obedient in his hands than the Shadow Clone Technique.

Would Naruto still need its cooperation in the future?

Would Naruto bypass it altogether and drain away all of its chakra?

If that happened, would it ever have another chance to break free of the seal in this lifetime?

Just as the Nine-Tails' thoughts were running wild, Naruto's consciousness reappeared in the sewer.

He stood before the iron cage, raised a hand, and smiled at the Nine-Tails.

"Thanks, Kurama."

The Nine-Tails froze. Its enormous ears twitched unconsciously.

It thought it had misheard. This brat had just said "thank you" to it?

"Thank me?"

The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, its voice filled with wariness and suspicion. "For what?"

"Thanks for cooperating with me."

Naruto slipped both hands into his pockets. His tone was sincere and casual, as though he were thanking a neighbor for helping carry something.

He truly was thanking the Nine-Tails. Whatever its reason for agreeing to cooperate with the experiment, this test had given him immensely valuable information.

The Nine-Tails fell silent for a moment, then focused once more on the question it had yet to receive an answer to.

Its enormous fox head lowered toward the bars, its scarlet vertical pupils fixed unblinkingly on Naruto.

"You still haven't answered me. Why do you know my name?"

"And what did you do to me just now?"

"Why can you control my chakra so easily?"

Naruto tilted his head and revealed a somewhat mysterious smile.

"Kurama, you have a lot of questions. Maybe next time!"

"Hmph..."

At Naruto's words, the Nine-Tails' ears shot upright, and a heavy blast of hot breath flared from its nostrils.

Seeing its expression, Naruto added another sentence.

"I'll tell you when there's another chance."

The Nine-Tails snorted heavily, turning its enormous fox head aside and refusing to look at Naruto again.

"Cryptic little brat."

The Nine-Tails muttered in a low voice, then rested its chin on its forepaws and closed its eyes, putting on an air of not wanting to deal with Naruto anymore.

Naruto did not mind.

He stayed where he was and began examining the sealing space from every angle.

His gaze passed over the damp ceiling, the mottled walls on either side, and the shallow, murky water beneath his feet before finally settling on the enormous iron cage plastered with sealing talismans.

Oppressive.

That was Naruto's only assessment of this place.

No wonder it was one of the reasons the Nine-Tails remained so constantly agitated.

Though the Nine-Tails had turned away and ignored Naruto, its ears remained perked up, catching every tiny sound he made.

It heard that Naruto had not left. Instead, he was walking around, unable to stay still. At last, it could not help turning its head back slightly and shooting Naruto a sidelong glance.

"Brat, what are you doing?"

"This space you're living in feels a little oppressive."

Naruto stopped and turned to face the Nine-Tails, rolling his wrist. "I'm changing your environment."

Before the Nine-Tails could ask what he meant by "changing the environment," Naruto snapped his fingers sharply.

Snap.

In an instant, the sewer ceiling, walls, standing water, and rust all vanished.

They were replaced by an endless expanse of golden light.

The walls and floor radiated a warm, luminous golden glow. Its color and texture were like sunlight passed through countless layers of gauze after being brought to a boil—neither glaring nor scorching.

The air was filled with a quiet, steady presence. There was no dampness, no rot, only a faint, ancient rhythm.

It was constructed exactly like the golden space where Kushina was, only more spacious and quieter.

The Nine-Tails was stunned.

Its vertical pupils narrowed slightly under the golden light, and its enormous ears turned back and forth. It unconsciously took a deep breath of air that carried no musty odor—

Then it realized something was off. It was a tailed beast; the change in space would not make its sense of smell feel more comfortable.

The Nine-Tails shook its head, recovering its usual arrogant expression, and rested its chin on its forepaws again.

"Tch..."

The Nine-Tails gave a dismissive monosyllable but said nothing more.

Watching its expression, Naruto already understood most of it.

It clearly liked it to death, yet refused to admit it.

Another tsundere. He understood.

Naruto did not expose the Nine-Tails. He merely tilted his head and deliberately asked in a tone that sought its opinion.

"Isn't it good? Then again, maybe all gold is too monotonous."

Before the Nine-Tails could react, Naruto snapped his fingers again.

Snap.

The golden space peeled away from all directions like a shattering illusion, rapidly replaced by an entirely new scene.

Add Bookmark

Return to Contents

Report Chapter Error

Share with Friends: