Becoming Partners with the Nine-Tails

These insights would all be gathered in the original body's mind when the Shadow Clone Techniques were dispelled, equivalent to one person tackling the same problem from over thirty different angles at once.

Naruto watched as the Shadow Clones entered their training states one after another. He nodded and prepared to sit down and join them.

"Brat, that's not a bad idea."

Just then, a deep, somewhat lazy voice rang out in Naruto's mind.

"Training with clones is like having more than thirty people working on the same technique at once. Your training progress has increased by more than thirtyfold."

"Only a freak Jinchuriki like you would dare use such a mind-burning training method."

Naruto paused, recognizing the Nine-Tails' voice, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

He walked over to a large rock and sat with his back against it, lowering his voice. Although he knew that speaking to the Nine-Tails only required communicating through his consciousness, he still habitually spoke aloud.

"Kurama, I thought you weren't going to talk to me."

"Hmph."

At Naruto's words, the Nine-Tails snorted heavily.

It turned over on the grassland, arranging its nine tails into a more comfortable position across the grass. Its chin rested on its folded front paws, and its fluffy ears twitched twice.

It certainly wasn't going to admit that it had been in a good mood after changing to a new environment, and had unknowingly slept until now.

It had spent the long years passing time like this!

But how could it possibly say such a thing aloud?

It was the Nine-Tails, the strongest Tailed Beast—not some pet fox content to snore after eating its fill and basking in the sun.

Naruto caught the hidden meaning in the Nine-Tails' voice. He smiled but did not expose it.

He said nothing more, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes, preparing to join the training.

"Uzumaki Naruto..."

At that moment, the Nine-Tails spoke again. This time, its tone no longer carried surprise. It became low and serious, even carrying a hint of warning.

"Your method can indeed improve training efficiency quickly, but have you considered what will happen when all those clones are dispelled? More than thirty sets of memories from practicing the same technique will rush back into your mind all at once."

"These won't be over thirty completely different memories. They'll be over thirty highly similar yet not entirely identical memories, each carrying its own insights, failed attempts, and thought processes. They'll pile up in the same memory area of your brain. You could suffer cognitive confusion, or even become an idiot."

"I don't want my Jinchuriki turning into a drooling fool."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at the moonlit water shimmering in the pool before him. He let out a soft laugh.

He had calculated the number of thirty clones using Absolute Control.

With his current brain capacity and information-processing ability, he could just barely withstand the memories of thirty clones returning at once without overloading.

Any more, and there would be a risk of brain damage.

But if the Nine-Tails volunteered to help, that limit could be raised considerably.

Kurama's chakra itself possessed powerful restorative abilities and could cushion the impact on the brain caused by information overload.

However, Naruto did not explain. He merely leaned back, shifted into a more comfortable position, and smiled.

"Isn't that what you're here for?"

"Hmph!"

The Nine-Tails fell silent for a moment, then gave a cold snort.

With its chin resting on the backs of its paws, it pressed its ears back and closed its eyes, looking as though it could not be bothered with him.

It did not refute him.

Not refuting him was itself a form of silent consent.

The silence lasted for a moment. Just as Naruto closed his eyes again, the Nine-Tails suddenly spoke.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The Nine-Tails spoke softly and quietly, but its ending tone rose, carrying the voice of an experienced hunter luring prey closer to a trap.

"All this training of yours is ultimately just for the sake of becoming stronger, isn't it?"

"Why go through so much trouble? Why not just use my chakra directly?"

Naruto did not answer.

He opened his eyes and watched the mist kicked up by the waterfall slowly drift apart beneath the moonlight. He remained silent for several seconds.

Then he spoke, his tone more serious than it had ever been before.

"Kurama, I hope we can become partners. Friends."

"I hope you'll accept me from the bottom of your heart, then willingly give me your chakra!"

"Not because I can suppress you with some ability, and not because I want to use your power to accomplish something."

"You are an independent life, Kurama."

"You've lived far longer than I have, and you've seen far more of humanity's dark side than I have. I completely understand why you can't trust humans."

"But I still want to say this: I want to become your true partner, not because of your power, but because you are you."

The Nine-Tails' closed eyes abruptly flew open.

Its scarlet vertical pupils stood out sharply beneath the blue sky and white clouds of the Sealing Space, its pupils thin as slits.

Its tail unconsciously swept across the grass, scattering a small spray of grass clippings.

"Partners?"

Mocking sarcasm filled the Nine-Tails' voice, but beneath that sarcasm was a wavering it had not even noticed itself.

"You're willing to become friends with a Tailed Beast?"

In a daze, an image from a very, very distant past surfaced uncontrollably in the Nine-Tails' mind.

The Sage of Six Paths, wearing a loose white haori, sat among the nine Tailed Beasts with a kind yet dignified expression, saying something to them.

He had said that one day, someone would appear. That person would understand them, accept them, and treat them as partners rather than tools.

The Sage of Six Paths recited their names one by one: Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku... Kurama.

The Sage of Six Paths smiled and patted its head. "Kurama, you have the most stubborn temper. If you meet that person someday, don't scare them away."

The Nine-Tails shook its head hard, shaking the image from its mind.

It focused its gaze once more on the blond brat before it, its eyes sharper than before.

It had seen far too much human greed and hypocrisy.

Without exception, those who wanted to exploit its power had used sweet words as bait before eventually revealing chains and Sealing Techniques.

This brat spoke of partners and friends, but who knew whether it was just another pretty trap?

Naruto looked into the Nine-Tails' eyes, which wavered between doubt and hesitation, but he said nothing more.

He closed his own eyes, letting his consciousness sink into the Sealing Space.

Blue skies, white clouds, and an endless emerald grassland.

The Nine-Tails' enormous body lay in the center of the grassland. Its nine tails slowly swayed behind it, brushing through the surrounding blades of grass with a soft rustling sound.

Its chin rested on its front paws, scarlet vertical pupils staring through the bright sunlight at the tiny golden figure before it. Its expression held wariness, as well as a trace of anticipation that even the Nine-Tails itself had not noticed.

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