Chapter 150: Nine tails...chakra?

The early morning sun cast a gentle, golden hue over one of Konohagakure's training fields as Homura perched on a sturdy tree branch, still recovering from the injuries inflicted by the mysterious female shinobi he had faced nearly a month ago. He stared at his bandaged left hand, his thoughts drifting towards the nature of healing and chakra.

"…That guy has a mean left hook," he mumbled to himself. "I think that I am healing wrong too… Rapid healing really isn't one of my abilities,"

Naruto was right.

During the sparing match against Naruto 2 days ago, Homura was pretending to be composed, but honestly, moving as much as he did had negative consequences.

Some of his injuries opened up once again.

He didn't want to be treated by others in order to avoid people questioning him, but even though he thought that he had healed enough his body was still somewhat sore.

He thought he could handle Naruto easily enough, but Naruto had made progress and had a lot of stamina to burn through.

Although his taijutsu and speed were predictable enough for Homura to easily read Naruto's movements, he was also distracted by something else.

During the match, it became obvious to Homura that one of his classmates was staring daggers at him almost during the entire fight.

"I wonder if he figured it out," Homura pondered to himself.

He certainly remembered the stare that Sasuke gave him during the match.

A stare of confusion, but at times Homura chills go down his spine as well from Sasuke's direction.

He had never felt that way before.

To Homura, it could only mean that Sasuke was able to figure out of Homura's past deeds or that he reminded Sasuke of someone else.

And the latter case seems to be more likely.

As he aged, Homura, started to resemble more a certain rogue shinobi.

Something that he himself was reminded every day.

Weather consciously or unconsciously, he had started to let his hair grow further in order to hide his face.

Fortunately, it seemed that Sasuke was to prideful to confront Homura or to even bother to speak with him: so he avoided a very unpleasant situation so far.

But that was still far from what was currently on Homura's mind.

He wanted to grow stronger and it was all he could ever think about.

He was especially reminded of that every time he fought Naruto.

The last punch he blocked from Naruto sent shivers all around his body.

It was incredible how strong Naruto was.

And how far he had become since last year.

Shinobi usually enhance parts of their bodies as they fight, so blocking isn't as effective as it can be if one isn't enhancing their strength as well.

But using chakra to enhance one's strength isn't easy, and most can only do to a certain degree, since there is no actual way one can train their insides.

This includes muscles as well, but it is possible to enhance a part of one's body or the entire body to achieve supernatural feats of strength and speed.

If it wasn't for him being used to Naruto's movements and remembering his usual habits, Homura, thought he could lose.

Naruto was rather strong.

He rarely held back which made him quite dangerous and decisive.

However, overall, he posed little threat to most students, and his taijutsu skills were far from being ranked among the most polished.

He had strength but his movements were too hasty and that lead to his mistake being exploited by most students.

But for Homura who mainly prefers to counterattack his opponents, he was

Unlike the characters in the stories and shows, real life didn't grant him a swift recovery, even from minor injuries. He knew that if his wounds had been more severe, he might not have been able to conceal the truth of what had transpired.

Homura couldn't help but wonder whether having more chakra might accelerate his healing process. He quickly dismissed the idea as overly simplistic. He understood enough about chakra to know that healing wasn't solely dependent on its quantity. Special individuals or unique chakra properties were necessary for rapid regeneration.

As he continued to contemplate this, he found himself gazing at his wounded hand, lost in memories of that day. What troubled him wasn't just the fact that he'd almost taken a life, but that he might have enjoyed it. A disturbing bloodlust had surged within him during that battle, a sensation he didn't think himself capable of feeling. The realization of this darker side was what truly horrified him.

"That day... I..." he trailed off, unable to complete the thought.

Inwardly conflicted, Homura grappled with his feelings. It wasn't merely the act of nearly taking a life that disturbed him; it was the possibility that he had relished it. It felt as if, for the first time, he had discovered an unknown aspect of his own nature, one that desired the thrill of battle, even at the cost of life. He had wanted to savor that fight to its fullest, whether it meant his own death or someone else's.

But then, as he was about to deliver the final strike, a peculiar vision had interrupted him. A fleeting image of a dying figure whose face remained just out of reach haunted him. He recalled staring at the blood pouring from the figure's mouth, clutching the hand of the dying person.

"I thought it was him at the time, but it couldn't have been," Homura muttered, glancing in the direction of the Uchiha district.

"There's no doubt about this, it couldn't have been 'my' memory," he thought to himself. His past life, or the person he once was, now felt like a distant stranger. The inherited memories seemed more like borrowed knowledge than his own experiences. Despite these puzzling memories, Homura remained in the dark about his previous life, his family, and the circumstances leading to his current existence.

"Perhaps I wasn't the loser I thought I was... Maybe this life is a punishment for what I did in the past," he mumbled to himself with a sigh, contemplating the enigmatic nature of his past.

Despite his injuries, Homura clung to his routine, finding solace in the familiarity of the training grounds. He couldn't give up, as he had always been stubborn. But even as he silently ruminated on these thoughts, an unexpected, boisterous voice shattered his introspection.

"I found you, Homura!" shouted a bright yellow-haired boy from beneath the tree branch where Homura was perched.

Homura, recognizing the voice, chose to remain still, feigning sleep in the hopes that Naruto would move on. However, Naruto, known for his devious tricks, didn't fall for it.

"Hey, Homura! You bastard! I know that you're awake. I saw your leg twitch slightly!" Naruto insisted, calling out his friend's ruse.

Homura maintained his silence, hoping Naruto would eventually give up and leave. However, Naruto had other plans. Suddenly, Homura felt the unusual pressure of the wind change. Instinctively, he opened his eye and narrowly caught a rock hurtling towards him, throwing it back in Naruto's direction without even looking.

Naruto, surprised and barely avoiding the rock, cried out, "Hey, that's dangerous, you know!"

Homura sighed, giving in to Naruto's persistence. "What do you want this time?" he asked with an exasperated expression as he finally stood up and descended from the tree.

Naruto, known for his unwavering determination, replied, "I want you to show me how to do that wind jutsu one more time."

Homura, recalling the jutsu Naruto was referring to, reluctantly agreed. "Fine, if that will make you leave me alone after that," he conceded.

Naruto, ever the tenacious learner, didn't wait for Homura to finish his sentence and immediately headed a few feet away. Homura couldn't help but notice Naruto's uncharacteristic seriousness as he watched his friend.

"Teach him that jutsu may have been a bad idea," Homura thought. Initially, he had hoped to change the future slightly, but he no longer cared. Recent events had shaken him, and he was hesitant to meddle further.

Homura performed the hand seals, releasing a burst of wind that swiftly dissipated into nothingness. Naruto, intrigued yet still struggling with the jutsu, continued to practice with fervor.

After several attempts, Naruto's chakra control showed little improvement. Homura's frustration grew, perplexed by Naruto's inability to grasp a basic technique.

"Did you just fake it to make me look bad?" Naruto finally confronted Homura with a hint of frustration.

Homura raised an eyebrow at Naruto's accusation. "Are you kidding me?" he retorted. "You can't possibly be that dumb, right?"

Naruto, unyielding, shot back, "Shut up! It's not like you can do everything too! Don't get cocky just because you are now getting praised by Iruka sensei!" said Naruto.

Homura wanted to retort by saying, "Why would I care that about that?" Umino Iruka was just one of his senseis among many others. Homura did not have any kind of deeper relationship with Iruka.

Besides, He had been praised and yelled at all the time, as far as he could remember, and Iruka was someone who was beyond using force to discipline his most misbehaved students.

Which always made Homura pay more or less attention to what he would say out loud, not that he was one to share his true feelings.

Homura, wanted to be a shinobi, a powerful one above all else. So he took most lessons to heart even if he didn't want to admit it. He kept most at bay and kept any secrets he had could, locked deep within himself.

That's just one of the few lessons he had learn after so many years.

And Homura never shared any of his deep or personal feelings with Naruto.

So Naruto's comment was obviously more complex than what had been said, in fact, what mattered the most was what had not been said.

Which made Homura realize that Naruto wants to get praise by their teacher, little did Naruto know that Homura had been cohered and forced to pay attention in class by Iruka, and not because he wanted to.

Homura still found classes to be as boring as ever, and if he could, he'd stop attending them altogether. However, being an academy students had perks; especially in the weapon department.

Unlike normal citizens, shinobi and cadets were allowed to carry and buy weapons, and once he gets to be a full-fledged ninja; leaving the village would be much easier.

So he really running out of patience with Naruto's stupid accusations.

"Tch! You don't know anything, besides, since when can you learn things easily? You still can't even make a clone; so there's no way you can learn this jutsu." Said Homura, who knew that Naruto had no real idea on how to properly to mold his chakra to perform nature transformation ninjutsu.

Since Naruto didn't know it, the likelihood for him to perform a nature transformation would depend on his own talent, affinity and chakra reserves.

" Grrr! Why you! I-I can make clones just fine! Watch this!" declared Naruto as he started molding his own chakra and then proceeded to perform the required hand seals.

Watching Naruto perform the clone technique, the confused Homura wondered how he got to this exact point, and if perhaps he should look for a new training spot while watching Naruto.

"I've never seen someone putting that much effort to perform the clone technique...those are some serious veins on his forehead" thought Homura as he silently watched Naruto perform the awaited jutsu.

*Boom*

Then a huge burst of white smoke appeared near Naruto as he finished performing the jutsu.

As the cloud of smoke settles, Homura, sees a really deflated figure next to Naruto.

"Eh?!" Unconsciously blurted Homura as he glanced upon Naruto's clone?

It didn't really look…human.

What Homura saw was some kind of wobbly white blob, wearing Naruto's clothes and seemingly a blond wig on top of goggles on its forehead.

It was truly disturbing.

It looked enough like Naruto, if you were able to accept that Naruto was as brittle as a twig and blob…not only that but it was also semi transparent.

As Homura approached it, he was truly confused by the weird creature. Naruto was very good at transformation jutsu…for his clone to come out this way was truly fascinating.

"A ghost? ( As I thought it is intangible. Hmm, I didn't even know clones could be made to act like that...fascinating. Maybe I've been too rigid in my way of thinking. Is this what happens if you use too much chakra on a jutsu that requires too little chakra?…Can I make clones that do not resemble me as well?…but what would be the purpose of that? I can already do the transformation jutsu. More than that, I can even make a cat and most medium sized animals, appear like me if I need a fake clone…I wonder…,)" murmured and thought Homura.

"S-shut up! I-I-It's a normal clone! I just got too focused in trying to make him look more awesome. " Said Naruto as he was clearly and obviously slightly out of breath.

"Rig-Ah!? (So he was trying to make it bigger, huh?…Is that how it works?)" said Homura as he couldn't finish it since Naruto's clone burst into nothingness. As both boys were speechless by the misshaped clone, abruptly destroyed itself.

"W-whatever. I came here to show you that I can perform the wind broke through!" declared Naruto.

"Breakthrough." retorted Homura.

After some more banter, Homura agreed to show Naruto the technique one more time.

As he then proceeded to perform a series of hand seals as his chakra began to twirl inside his body.

"Dog → Horse → Bird: Futton toppa. (Wind Release: Breakthrough)" Homura said as he finished by clapping his hands and keeping them stuck together.

Soon a series of strong winds start to form, encircling Homura but as they reach his head the small tornado being formed dissipated into nothingness abruptly.

Sending small a shockwave.

"*sigh* I still can't do it after all...( I thought now that I awakened the second tomoe of my sharingan, that my chakra would be stronger… that I could easily do it... but it's clearly not how that works entirely... what am I missing?...), thought Homura as he then proceeded to stop weaving anymore chakra; though he was not as exhausted since last time he performed this jutsu.

He couldn't help but to think to himself, that he may spend a life time trying to understand all the secrets of chakra; but he truly felt that he could never truly understand it, but at this point in time it didn't really mattered to him.

"It's still not eno-bwah?!", but before Homura could finish his rambling Naruto had caught to him and put his left arm around Homura's shoulder and proceeded to bombard Homura with questions.

"How did you that!? Was that really the same jutsu!? It didn't come out of your mouth but around your feet, right? Did it hurt?! Was it lik-!" But before Naruto could continue pressing him further Homura cut the questioning short.

By punching Naruto in the face.

It could be seen as a gentle push, by those who knew how hard cadets could actually punch someone, but Naruto was still, effortlessly sent crashing to the ground. The impact may have been minimal, but it was enough to bring him down.

"What-the!? What the hell was that for?!" Replied Naruto angrily, after recovering from the sudden attack.

" Sh*t up!…*sigh* Listen. I showed this version of the same jutsu to you, so that perhaps you could try another way if you're having issues. " Said Homura.

That wasn't true Homura just wanted to see if Naruto would achieve this version better of the jutsu and if that didn't work, at least it would keep Naruto busy for a couple of weeks.

The Blond haired boy was beyond competitive in Homura's opinion and more than anything he hated to lose.

Especially, if someone he could consider as a rival could do it as well.

Homura had witnessed Naruto's determination so many times.

It has been almost half a decade since Naruto met Sasuke and he still challenges the boy at any opportunity, with more vigor than the first day at the academy.

It wasn't just Sasuke.

Naruto liked to compete against anyone he could or dared to look down upon him.

Even to this day Naruto keeps trying to become a faster runner, due to Kiba beating him in a race.

He even keeps pestering Homura to fight him too to the latter's chagrin.

To day as well it was probably just a ploy to have a fight or have Homura help him with some kind of training, this is why Homura has to change training grounds every so other month.

Because if Naruto knew where Homura would go to train, he would definitely show up at some point in time.

Fortunately, Konohagakure had many training grounds, and enough land for him to train almost anywhere he wanted.

Plus, Naruto was among the few people in Konohagakure that possesses wind release and a lot of chakra, So it was always beneficial for Homura to teach Naruto anything related to wind release.

Homura was sure of that.

After all, Homura wrote many theories on observing Naruto alone and he was unknowingly a test subject for Homura.

"Another way, right?...Alright, let me try it too! (If I can make such a big jutsu work I am sure Sakura chan will be impressed, Iruka sensei will praise me… and all the guys will be jealous… then it is one step away of me becoming Hokage…hehehehe!)" Said Naruto with a smug look on his face, as he proceeded to let go of Homura and head a few feet ahead. Homura watching Naruto so serious couldn't help but think that Naruto could sometimes get oddly serious.

" I showed him this version…but maybe it is too soon. Not even I can master it…and I have to admit that I am somewhat dense in my ways of thinking at times, and keeping the wind circulating around one's body is too taxing and demands a certain amount of chakra control, concentration and a high amount of visualization…There's no doubt that it is going to be hard to pull…" Homura pondered as he explained to Naruto the exact steps he went through.

After he took some distance from Naruto in order to get some distance for his safety, even if he doubted that Naruto would be able to use such a difficult ninjutsu, that even most genins would have issues with.

But Naruto was not a normal child.

It is hard to remember at times, but he was still the Fourth Hokage's son and did manage to master the rasengan somewhat within a week.

And managed to infuse his chakra to a rasengan which was thought to be impossible.

A jutsu that would not be possible to perform even if he was not the host of the nine tails jinchuriki.

Although Homura somewhat underestimated Naruto, he did not underestimate Naruto's overall potential.

He was someone that could make miracles happen.

But Homura could not push Naruto as far as he wished he could be able to, in order to see that happen within their time at the academy.

So he would settle to test Naruto as far as he could and learn from Naruto as well, and then one day perhaps be able to rival him in power.

" if he's able to master this version of that ninjutsu in less than a month he'd be a genius, even in half a year that would be surprising… but even if he can't do it, maybe I could confirm a few theories of mine" thought Homura.

He wanted to see if people are truly predisposed to using chakra natures in different ways, sometimes.

That seemed to be the case from Homura's memories; especially when it came to kekkei genkais.

Roshi, the jinchuriki of the 4 tails and Terumi May, the fifth Mizukage, both use lava release differently from Kurotsuchi the future 4th Tsuchikage.

Which basically allowed her to use lava release as quicklime.

That didn't seem to be because she was simply using a different ninjutsu but the way she used it.

Similar in concept to how Yamato, and the 1st Hokage used wood style somewhat differently even though they both used wood style.

Yamato's wood style had the shape of timber, while hashirama was closer to regular trees and even with tree bark, branches and vegetations.

It was more than esthetic preferences, the mind and body can have certain effects to how some ninjutsus are performed.

But that mattered little as he watched Naruto fail to perform the jutsu he so desperately wanted to learn.

Homura was confused as to why Naruto even cared to learn wind release, it is not as if he knew his chakra affinity was towards wind release.

Nonetheless, it was just another mystery to add to the pile that was Uzumaki Naruto; as Homura took note. His determination seemed to be as endless as it could be as he tried over and over again to perform the jutsu.

"He's still trying?… What a determination. No wonder his descendants don't seem to be able to give up as well, and seem to be as stubborn as him deep down…Is it genetic?"

Homura was surprised by how many times Naruto could try and fail at the same time, it was both a testatement to his chakra and determination.

Soon as he watched Naruto perform the ninjutsu once again, Homura felt the wind slightly change and a gust of wind forming slightly next to Naruto's feet.

But it quickly vanished.

Nonetheless, Homura was surprised.

"D-did I imagine that?" He asked to himself. It was a shame that he did not try to look into Naruto's chakra flow as he thought there would be no progress to be made by Naruto today.

And every other attempt after the last seemed to be fruitless as well.

After waiting for over 2 hours and no progress, seeing Naruto take a few breaths and trying his best to explain to Naruto some mental exercises for him to visualize him separating his chakra flow; Homura almost forgot to leave.

He had other things to do but watching Naruto, as kept trying and failing, but regardless of failure the boy that would one day unite didn't give up and went back to train.

Homura was persistent but he was quick to getting frustrated and depress; though the same happened to Naruto; he nonetheless never lost hope.

Homura could see that much in Naruto's eyes.

So as Homura just watched the boy in silence, he was wondering if what Naruto was doing was truly a waste of effort.

"This guy… why is he so persistent in learning that jutsu?…It's a pretty useless jutsu. At least 8 times out of 10 it would prove to be useless in a fight… It is better used to escape or fight in conjunction with other people." Muttered Homura as he watched Naruto mold his chakra as he told him to do and visualize his chakra in a specific way before attempting to perform the technique.

Homura thought Naruto was weird for trying to perform such a jutsu. It is not a lethal jutsu and hardly any shinobi would be defeated by such a jutsu and it was not a great defensive jutsu either.

Wind element was better used for cutting things, though it could be used for defense; earth style and water style were undoubtedly far better alternatives and required much less chakra most times.

A wind technique would have to be on A rank level at least to stop a boulder from hitting its target; that's why cutting it was the better option.

Homura just learned it, because he found a scroll containing it and wanted a training exercise that would help him change his chakra nature, but he doubted that Naruto had the same goal.

It was certainly not to use it in a practical fight, that would leave him open 9 times out of 10.

There was a higher version of this justu called the great breakthrough or Dai toppa, but that required a lot of chakra and chakra control but regardless it was the same jutsu; but even its higher version wasn't exactly lethal and was a jutsu that worked better in conjunction with another jutsu or support others.

So Homura couldn't help but feel slightly pressed as he watched Naruto's persistent struggle. If Naruto had spent nearly a month with no progress on such a low level jutsu, without not even able to make a gust of wind; then something was amiss.

He knew Naruto definitely had enough chakra to probably make a gust of wind even if it was by accident at least once, and if Naruto wasn't bragging about it then he truly was not able to make it happen yet.

"There has to be something wrong…Perhaps." thought Homura.

He had recently evolved his 1 tomoe sharingan into a 2 tomoe sharingan but he has had no opportunity to make use of it, nor did he want to. The sharingan his a powerful doujutsu but it was nonetheless was straining on one's brain and chakra reserves. Especially for someone as young as Homura.

And now that it has become stronger; it was a bit worse.

But on someone like Naruto, he felt that he may be able to learn something more, something that he wasn't perhaps able to see before.

Thus, Homura activated his sharingan, revealing its two tomoe pattern in each eye, and discreetly observed Naruto's chakra flow. As he watched, he began to discern a crucial detail.

As he saw molding Naruto, Homura couldn't believe how much more he could see.

Seems the difference between a 1 tomoe, and 2 was quite different indeed.

He felt that he understood better the flow of chakra inside Naruto's body.

" I...see it now." Homura thought as he saw Naruto's chakra more clearly as it began to mix slightly with another type of chakra.

" I think I was wrong... I thought the nine tails was the one messing with Naruto's chakra, but that may not be the truth... perhaps the nine tails isn't even involved at all..." Homura thought as he saw Naruto fail to perform the jutsu but began to perform the needed hand seal in order to try it once again.

This is because as Naruto's and the chakra of the combined slightly as Naruto molded his chakra, he couldn't help but to be astonished at such a basic realization.

It was not a problem that could easily be fixed since both chakra did combine after a certain point; the seal that Namikaze Minato allowed for that to happen gradually.

If Homura had not been aware of this leakage, he would not have begun to understand what was happening. However, his prior knowledge coupled with what he had seen several times helped make sense of the mess he was witnessing.

He had no doubt that Naruto would become strong if he was able to control such a dense chakra; it was as if he was being drained very slowly.

In the anime, Naruto making large rasengan seemed like an easy feat, but chakra is not even supposed to be visible, so for Naruto to be able to control and move around with massive amounts of spheres with dense chakra was absurd.

In other words, it was as if Naruto had compile a platoon of grown men into a sphere and thrown it, expecting it to not dissolve under its own weight in the air, a crude analogy perhaps, but one that could fit since it was similarly as absurd. Living in this world, made Homura realise that people do not usually have that much chakra at one specific time because they lack the stamina to perform very demanding tasks.

The more demanding a task is, the less energy one has, so by that logic a ninja could perform several easier and simpler ninjutsus at one time, but as soon as they were forced to perform a demanding jutsu they would be chakra depleted or running out of stamina.

Thus, even if an average shinobi were to be able to perform the ransengan, they would be just wasting chakra. Their rasengan would likely be much weaker and smaller than one of Naruto's rasengan. Not only the damage would be minuscule but they would have wasted much more chakra and their own stamina performing it, when they could probably do much more damage with a jutsu that is much simpler.

But for Naruto, to think a regular rasengan would become something as easy as breathing for him in the future and even his shadow clones could do.

Just showed how much he was a cut above the rest.

It was something that Homura could not believe now that he lived in the world of the manga he knew so much about, but he realizes that if he doesn't train as hard as he can.

The boy that can't even make a clone will eventually leave him in the dust.

Unbeknownst to him, Homura, started clenching his injured left hand with such a strong grip that it opened a small wound which allowed for droplets of blood to taint on the ground.

But he couldn't care less as he tried to get a better understanding of Naruto's chakra flow.

"The Nine-Tails chakra is leaking inside Naruto, without him even realizing it," Homura realized. The dense, chaotic chakra mixed with Naruto's own, making it difficult for him to gauge the correct amount needed for the jutsu.

With careful consideration, he pondered the idea of advising Naruto to attempt refining his chakra control by molding a smaller amount of it and finding the right balance. This approach could potentially yield positive results, he mused. Normally adding much more chakra to a technique isn't a problem.

The more chakra poured on a technique and normally it becomes more powerful but some technique require more precision and finesse than raw power.

That was why wind release, was not so easily mastered.

Wind is quite the volatile element. It was not as rigid earth release and not as malleable as water release.

Those who are not born gifted with an affinity towards wind release rarely bother to study it making it rare to some degree.

Thus, Homura pondered whether he should advise Naruto to mold less chakra.

Such thoughts were what Homura had in mind as he saw Naruto try to weave more chakra as he once again failed to make a small hurricane around himself.

"For an idiot he sure learns and adapts quickly from his shortcomings, if he can somehow just-!" Homura's eyes suddenly change from incredibly focused on Naruto, to being utterly surprised.

Before he could offer guidance, something unexpected occurred.

The reddish colored chakra within Naruto started to become more active.

Naruto's chakra, infused with the power of the Nine-Tails, took on a mesmerizing unpredictability. It appeared to possess a consciousness of its own as it transformed into a formidable and intimidating entity, imbued with growling intensity.

Homura's own chakra perception widened, allowing him to witness the inner struggle between Naruto and the Nine-Tails. He saw the chakra forming into an image of a gigantic, demonic like figure.

As Naruto gains more and more chakra from the nine tails through his seal, without realizing it; the chakra inside Naruto that could only belong to the nine tails, starts to act erratically in the face of a dumbfound Homura.

Witnessing the movement of an object with a seemingly independent will and an almost lifelike presence can be truly shocking. It's as if this inanimate entity has come to life, captivating anyone fortunate enough to experience it firsthand.

"W-what is this?...T-this didn't happen last time" Homura thought, bewildered by the intensity of the chakra. It was beyond anything he had ever sensed, suffusing the surroundings with malevolence. For the first time, Homura felt true fear—a fear that dwarfed any other he had experienced.

The chakra inside Naruto to change and a representation of a growling head belonging to wild beast began to form.

In a swift moment, darkness engulfed the sky, casting an eerie shadow on everything around. The atmosphere turned ominous as a colossal and malevolent fox emerged, unleashing deafening roars that echoed through the air.

Homura could not understand what was occurring as he was confronted with such an out worldly force.

It felt as he was about to get slaughtered, in an instant.

The youki (evil intent) exuded was just as cruel as it was relentless.

A single moment felt like a lifetime as Homura was paralyzed by a primal fear.

The agonizing chakra and overwhelming force that Homura experienced were enough to completely subdue his will. The malevolent nature of the chakra left him feeling utter despair.

Such a powerful aura could even exist.

As Homura started to calm down and regain composure after the initial fright, his first reaction was disbelief at the sheer impossibility of it all. It seemed inconceivable that such a thing could actually exist.

Nothing born from nature, should be that sordid and full of malice as the entity known as the nine tails fox.

Homura's instincts, deeply ingrained within him after millions of years of evolution on this planet, compelled him to trust his primal sense.

"How did I fail to notice such a spiteful chakra before?" he questioned, unable to tear his gaze away from the manifestation of hatred in front of him.

Homura's will began to crumble under the manifestation of hatred that was the nine tails fox, he never truly understood why people were afraid of Naruto before.

He knew that the nine tails was a dangerous entity but it was still safely locked inside Naruto, with very little hope of getting out.

However, today he understood it clearly.

Nothing could contain that monster forever.

Anyone who was unfortunate enough to have felt this massive and malign chakra in front of them could never forget such an experience, as the force behind such a malevolent chakra was enough for Homura to feel powerless.

Such a powerful aura could even exist.

" Impossible. Impossible, Impossible. Impossible... How am I supposed to fight alongside that!? I-It's simply… impossible," thought Homura as he remembered that the depiction of malice he just witnessed was simply a fraction of the full power that the complete nine tails fox had at its disposition; and the ten tails had several times even more power available to it.

If what he just witnessed was seen as the definition of hatred in this world, the ten tails was a monstrosity outside of this realm.

Just peering into the nine tails chakra was not only the most terrifying experience he had ever felt but it was also a force beyond anything he had ever felt; it was vicious and almost soul crushing.

Homura couldn't barely hold himself together.

It was the first time he had ever seen and experience such a feeling that his mind tried to rationalize what he was witnessing.

If he tried to describe it into words he would be unable to explain what he truly felt; it was beyond his comprehension.

He was but an insect when compared to that monster.

Every cell and common sense that he was capable of was turned upside down, as Homura failed to reflect and process the sheer insanity he just witnessed.

It was as if for a brief instant he was brought inside the nine tails realm as he felt being watched by the mass of chakra deeply hidden beneath Naruto Uzumaki.

Not only it was a terrifying experience it was also the first time he felt something like that, it was as if he felt his entire consciousness being slowly dragged somewhere else by the powerful beast.

" Tch! Darn it! I thought for sure it was going to work this time." yelled Naruto out loud as he failed once again to perform the ninjutsu that he had been just shown by Homura, which snapped the latter back to reality as he instinctively deactivates his pair of sharingans.

"Hey, Homura. How did you exactly man-!" as Naruto was about to finish his sentence and turn his head around towards Homura, almost by instinct, or an act of self preservation.

Homura jumped back and crossed both of arms in front of himself as he tried to protect himself, which surprised Naruto but then his face soon changed into confusion.

"W-what are you doing?" said Naruto.

"?!" Homura who was breathing heavily almost snapped back to reality hearing Naruto's words.

Just hearing those words almost made Homura feel that all that just transpired a few moments ago was nothing but an illusion.

"Sorry I just felt a little light headed, haha (…what am I doing?)" said Homura as he tried to force himself to pretend everything was fine.

"Is that so?" said Naruto a bit confused.

After that the two boys decided to take a break and soon Naruto went back to practice as if nothing had happened but Homura couldn't stop his left arm from shaking.

Just remembering what had occurred was enough to make his back began to emit cold sweat.

He could not believe what he experienced was just scraps of the nine tails' power.

Such power was inconceivable for Homura.

If that was only half of the nine tails fox's true power, he who wanted to protect the world as well could not even began to compare himself to.

The power of Kaguya Otsutsuki, and all the other members of the Otsutsuki clan had to be beyond terrifying.

Which intensified the sentiments of doubt lingering inside Homura's heart.

"If Naruto truly masters that power, he and I will be leagues apart…If only I had that power too" thought Homura.

But this time instead of cursing his own fate, he felt more disheartened than angry.

It was the first time he felt himself confronted with true defeat.

As if an insurmountable wall had appeared in front of him all of a sudden.

But instead of lingering on that feeling, he felt slightly comforted that Naruto could one day use that power to save the world; even though he felt that the power of the nine tails was a blight on this world.

It was a strange contradiction.

His mind and feelings were at odds with one another, leaving Homura completely unable to know how to process the reality in front of him.

Nonetheless, he felt relief, as if a weight inside his heart had been truly lifted.

He had felt for a long time that it was his responsibility since he knew events in the future to avoid creating as many tragedies as possible, but now it didn't feel like it was even up to him anymore.

Naruto was definitely going become strong.

If he could share his strength with him and grow stronger as well, then perhaps they, together with everyone else could truly manage to make the impossible possible and save the world.

As he thought that, Homura's fears and anxieties began to settle down.

"He truly has the power to change the world…" thought Homura as he watched Naruto train.

He could somewhat understand why Naruto's opponents felt that they could leave their hopes onto him.

Naruto's strength and strong will were truly exceptional.

To think that he would not fall into despair even after all he had gone through inside the manga was truly something else, for the first time in Homura's life he felt was to truly have hope.

He had experienced tragedies and sadness that had changed him to be colder but this is the first time in a long while that he felt the warmth of hope.

"One more time!" Yelled Naruto.

Naruto, unaware of Homura's internal turmoil, had his own frustrations to deal with. He mumbled to himself, "Tch! Darn it! I thought for sure it was going to work this time."

As he saw Naruto to continue to persevere it gave Homura strength to train even more to be come stronger.

"…I see. I don't want to lose to him as well." muttered Homura.

He finally understood why Naruto tried so hard to catch up to Sasuke.

And he did want to lose either or be left behind.

It was as if the final piece of a puzzle had finally been assembled.

And Homura had could finally begin to truly proceed to rebuild his broken heart back from that fateful night.

Whatever version of himself, would come out of that process was unknown; but at least he could finally truly take a step forward.

Thus, he finally got up and decided to train as well, injuries be damned. But this time, he wasn't just going to train because of revenge but to stand as Naruto's equal.

Unknown to Homura, but this change in character was the final drive he needed to finally truly want to become a shinobi and proceed to try achieving his goals.

Whether this was a good or bad development for the world at large, only time would tell.

chapter end.