"Zero-Tails?"
Naruto was startled. Ever since sensing several kinds of chakra inside this Fake Daimyo, he had suspected the man was a jinchūriki, so he had held back somewhat when attacking.
That was because the Nine-Tails was still fast asleep in the Inner Space and had yet to wake up.
This was not the first time this had happened. It had been the same when he encountered the Six-Tails Jinchuriki. The Nine-Tails had not woken up immediately, and that fellow named Utakata had been very hostile toward him.
But Utakata had not been particularly strong. After Naruto beat him up a little and watched a rather melodramatic romance between master and student unfold, the Nine-Tails woke up and spoke with the Six-Tails. Everything had gone smoothly after that.
But Zero-Tails?
"I asked about the Ten-Tails before, but I don't think Kurama ever mentioned whether there was a Zero-Tails..."
Naruto watched the pitch-black monster emerge from the man's body and rubbed his stomach.
Even in Fox Sage Mode, he felt intense pain. He could even sense lingering power from the earlier attack, that strange force eating away at his chakra.
His senjutsu chakra resisted fiercely, but it seemed somewhat powerless against the force his opponent wielded.
An attack of this caliber already surpassed those of most enemies Naruto had encountered so far.
According to Kurama, senjutsu chakra was already a very advanced application of energy. A power that could suppress senjutsu chakra in terms of quality...
Was it connected to the power of the Ōtsutsuki?
Kurama, stop sleeping! We've got a big job!
"You even withstood a blow from Zero-Tails? I never imagined you could hone your taijutsu to this level. Honestly, I'm shocked."
The Fake Daimyo looked astonished too. This time, he was not pretending. After becoming symbiotic with Zero-Tails,