Chapter 4

Naruto sat cross-legged in his dimly lit room, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. The events of the past few days had weighed on him, leaving him with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. This world was different—dangerous in ways he wasn't used to. And while he prided himself on his strength, he knew deep down that it wasn't enough.

That was when he heard it.

A deep, rumbling voice echoed within his mind.

"Naruto, come inside."

He knew exactly what that meant. With a sigh, Naruto closed his eyes and focused. A familiar pull dragged him into his subconscious, and when he opened his eyes again, he was standing before the massive iron gate—the cage that held the mighty Nine-Tailed Fox.

Kurama sat behind the bars, his massive crimson eyes glowing in the dim surroundings. His powerful tails swayed lazily, his sheer presence radiating overwhelming power.

"I'm here," Naruto said, crossing his arms.

Kurama rolled his eyes. "I can see that." His voice was tinged with irritation, but there was something different about his demeanor. He wasn't snarling or spitting insults like he usually did.

Naruto frowned. "So what do you want?"

Kurama exhaled deeply before speaking. "I've been thinking… we should work together. And for that, I need you to open the seal."

Naruto blinked. "Hah? Just like that? No threats? No trickery?"

Kurama scoffed. "Please. If I wanted to manipulate you, I wouldn't be so direct." He then leaned forward, his massive claws gripping the ground. "Listen, Naruto, you need me more than I need you. You may be strong, but let's be real—you lack strategy, and your skills are still rough. You're reckless, impulsive, and barely think ahead."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Oh? And you're some kind of super genius now?"

"Compared to you? Yes," Kurama said bluntly. "I may be a beast, but I have centuries of experience, knowledge of chakra manipulation far beyond yours, and more raw power than you can comprehend. If we combine forces, you might actually stand a chance in this world."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Explain. Then I'll consider it."

Kurama smirked. "Fair enough. Use your Sage Mode and look at me. Tell me if I still give off that 'dangerous' scent you're used to."

Naruto hesitated for a moment before closing his eyes. He formed the hand sign, drawing in nature energy. When he reopened his eyes, they had changed—frog-like pupils, orange pigmentation around them, and a stronger presence of natural energy within his body.

He focused on Kurama.

His expression shifted.

The usual, overwhelming malice—the ever-present threat of hostility—was gone. Kurama no longer radiated a sense of chaos. He felt… different.

"Okay, I can see that. So what's your name? Because 'Kyūbi' can't be your real name, or else I'd just be called 'Human.'"

Kurama let out a low chuckle. "Kurama. Kurama Ōtsutsuki."

Naruto blinked. "Ōtsutsuki? Seriously?"

Kurama gave him a knowing look. "Did you think I was just some random mass of chakra? I have origins too, brat."

Naruto grinned. "Alright, cool name. But let's get back to your plan."

Kurama's gaze sharpened. "You've really started thinking things through, huh?"

Naruto's smirk faded. "Loss does that to people."

Kurama remained silent for a moment before continuing. "Alright, listen carefully. You know that I am pure chakra, correct?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, obviously."

"Do you know how much?"

Naruto shrugged. "A lot?"

Kurama sighed. "I am part of the Jūbi. The Jūbi was formed from the planet itself, meaning it held an entire world's worth of chakra. Since I am half of the Jūbi, I alone contain chakra equivalent to half a planet."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly masked his surprise. "Okay… and what's the point?"

Kurama huffed in exasperation. "This is why you need my help. Despite having that much power, my strongest attack can barely destroy a city. I can't destroy a moon, let alone an entire planet. Even worse? I was defeated by a human whose chakra barely matched one of my tails."

Naruto furrowed his brows. "So, what's the problem?"

"The problem," Kurama growled, "is that I never focused on skill. I never trained myself to use my chakra efficiently. I relied purely on raw strength, thinking it was enough. But power without control is wasted potential. And guess what? You're doing the same thing."

Naruto blinked in surprise.

Kurama continued. "Look at that pink-haired girl on your team—she does more with her chakra than you ever have. She's a mere ant compared to your reserves, yet she could kill you with a single punch if you weren't using Sage Mode."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah… Sakura's pretty amazing."

"That's not the point, idiot!" Kurama snapped. "It's about control. Bigger attacks don't make them stronger. Precision, compression, and efficiency do. That's why you and I need to refine your chakra control. Right now, the best way for you to improve is to use Sage Mode to its full potential."

Naruto's eyes lit up with understanding. "You mean absorbing nature energy equal to my own chakra?"

Kurama nodded. "Exactly. You've never had the chance to fully absorb your limit before. But right now, we're not in a battle. You can take your time."

Naruto smirked. "So you want me to power up first before unlocking you, huh? Just to be safe?"

Kurama snorted. "Did you drop your balls on the way here?"

Naruto burst out laughing. "Hah! Okay, okay, I'm in."

Without hesitation, Naruto leaped onto the massive gate and placed his hands on the seal. Taking a deep breath, he ripped it off in one swift motion. The sound of the seal unraveling echoed throughout the chamber as the massive iron bars vanished into nothingness.

For the first time in centuries, Kurama was free.

He stepped forward, towering over Naruto, his massive form casting a shadow over the young shinobi. He inhaled deeply, feeling the absence of his prison for the first time in what felt like eternity.

"Finally… after hundreds of years, I am free."

Naruto watched as Kurama lowered his paw, extending a single claw toward him. A moment later, Kurama's finger gently touched Naruto's forehead.

A surge of immense energy flooded Naruto's body.

His chakra reserves exploded in size. The sheer density of power within him increased so drastically that his previous self felt like a mere ant in comparison. He staggered slightly, eyes wide in shock.

"This… this is insane!" Naruto gasped.

Kurama smirked. "And this is only the beginning. Don't get lost in lala land just yet."

Naruto gulped. "Wait… there's more?!"

"Did you forget about Sage Mode?" Kurama asked, his deep, rumbling voice filled with amusement.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization before he groaned and slapped his forehead. "Ah! No way, no way!" he exclaimed.

"Yes way," Kurama grinned, his massive fangs gleaming. "With Sage Mode, you can now balance natural energy with the combined force of both our chakras, giving you an ultimate power-up equivalent to a planet's worth of energy."

Naruto's excitement was tempered by practicality. "That sounds great and all, but I can't absorb that much energy in a short time. Most battles don't exactly give me the luxury of standing around and gathering chakra."

"That's why I'm here," Kurama smirked, his tails lazily swaying behind him. "I'll help you with chakra control and natural energy absorption."

Naruto stared at him, almost not believing what he was hearing. "Are you serious?"

"Of course," Kurama said, puffing out his chest. "We just became monsters." He laughed, the sound deep and wicked, filled with the thrill of new power.

Naruto shook his head, though he couldn't hide his own grin. It was surreal. So much power had just fallen into his lap, and he had to admit—it felt incredible. But more than that, he realized just how powerful Sage Mode could truly be if mastered correctly.

A thought struck him, and he looked up at Kurama. "How different was your father's Sage Mode compared to mine?"

Kurama's expression grew more serious. "Very different. Nature energy entered him with just a thought. He could absorb a planet's worth of energy in an instant, and even without it, he had more chakra than the planet itself. But that's not the only thing. You don't fully understand what 'nature' really means, do you?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh… it's the energy around us?"

Kurama sighed. "Nature is everything, Naruto. Gravity, sunlight, time—they're all part of nature. If it exists naturally in the universe, it's part of the grand system of nature. The only things that don't count are artificial creations."

Naruto processed that information, his brows furrowing. "So your dad… what else could he do?"

Kurama closed his eyes, recalling memories from his distant past. "He was very young when I last saw him, and he rarely had to fight, but I saw him use Mokuton—wood release—gravity manipulation, and elemental control. He also had those black orbs—Truth-Seeking Balls. They were the combination of all elements, able to erase anything on contact, even souls. If we work at it, you could probably create something similar once you master Sage Mode at a higher level."

Naruto's eyes sparkled with interest. "That sounds incredible!"

Kurama nodded. "But first, you need to get used to keeping Sage Mode on all the time. Your body is already adapting to its effects. It's like chakra enhancement—the longer you use it, the more your body adjusts, making the transformation permanent."

Naruto clenched his fists, his determination burning. "You're a genius, Kurama! Let's do it!"

He immediately sat down and began meditating, drawing in the natural energy around him. Kurama watched with a smirk but then noticed something odd—a faint, silvery glow mixed into Naruto's chakra.

'That chakra…' Kurama's eyes softened. 'Ashura's chakra… It's been waiting for this moment.'

Kurama took a deep breath, turning his attention back to Naruto. He had proven himself. He had freed Kurama without hesitation, proving he wasn't like those who had sought to use the tailed beasts as tools.

'This kid really should've bothered his teachers for more jutsu…' Kurama thought wryly. 'Now we're stuck with these few techniques, or we'll have to rely purely on chakra control and manipulation.'

He huffed, shaking his head. 'His wind control is decent, but, as always, he ignored it after learning just one technique. What a waste. If he focused on wind manipulation, he could create hurricanes, barriers, wind blades, and wind bullets. He could even remove air resistance to increase his speed, detect enemies through air currents, or collapse a lung by manipulating the wind inside an enemy's body. Hell, he could use wind to amplify sound attacks or increase pressure on his enemies.'

The possibilities were endless, and Kurama could see it all so clearly.

'Clones will make this so much easier. He should be able to master these techniques in a month if he actually focuses…'

With a grin, Kurama made a mental note to have Naruto get his hands on some science books. If they were going to push his powers to the next level, understanding natural phenomena would be the key.

For the first time in centuries, Kurama felt genuine excitement.

The monster of Konoha had been freed.

And now… they would become something even greater.