Chapter 226 Summoning Gamabunta

"Brat, why are you here again?"

"Hey, Kyubi, lend me some more Chakra!"

"..."

"Are you looking for death?"

In the dim, damp corridor, a turn at the end opened into another vast space. It was empty except for a massive vertical iron gate, covered in long talisman strips filled with dense, intricate script.

At this time, two discordant voices echoed through the space.

This is not the first time Naruto has come here. He stood in front of the iron fence with familiarity and calmly said to the deep darkness inside, "I have no choice. I need Chakra again."

Naruto stood outside the gate, and within was the sealed Kyubi.

Suddenly, a massive red claw shot out, its sharp tips pressing into the ground and causing steam to rise. The claw dug into the iron bars, stopping mere inches from Naruto, close enough that one more push might have gutted him.

However, despite facing the terrifying scene, Naruto didn't panic. He knew the other party was restrained and could only go this far.

"Didn't you just come here this afternoon? Now you ask for Chakra again? What do you think I am?"

Sure enough, the giant claw was firmly restricted by the seal, unable to push further. In the deep darkness, the proud and menacing face of the fox emerged.

"I am the Kyubi, the strongest Biju. Wherever I go, disaster follows. Do you understand?"

Enraged, Kyubi pressed his face against the bars, baring his fangs and radiating a murderous aura. Since his creation, he had been rebellious and untamable.

"Did you think we were close just because you'd been here a few times?"

"Yes, yes, I know." Naruto was under tremendous pressure, but did not show any fear on his face. He dismissed the fox's ranting and cut straight to the point, "Anyway, I need Chakra right now. You're aware of the big trouble with that tanuki earlier. So… let's just say I'm here to collect rent in advance."

Naruto felt a bit embarrassed himself. He had already borrowed the fox's power in his battle against Shukaku, a fight that was nothing short of grueling between two massive entities. He believed that Kyubi's Chakra must have been heavily drained, but now, just half a day later, he was back asking for more…

Kyubi glared at Naruto coldly, and anyone could see the displeasure and resentment in his eyes.

"You're really useless, brat. As a Ninja, hasn't your teacher taught you to properly train your Chakra? Do all you can do is beg others for help?"

Naruto, unphased, retorted with a defiant tone, "Hey, ugly fox! Who says I haven't been training my Chakra? It's just that this situation is special!"

"Hurry up! I'm in a rush!"

Kyubi, with a moody expression, stared at Naruto. No matter how badly it wanted to resist, he couldn't change the fact that he was sealed within Naruto's body. So, if anything happened to Naruto, he would also suffer.

Though extremely reluctant in his heart, Kyubi still said impatiently, "What's the trouble this time? You've already dealt with Shukaku, what could Konoha not handle?"

Naruto hesitated, thinking about the situation outside, but then he clenched his teeth and said, "It's not a problem..."

Kyubi Tails raised an eyebrow, 'Is this brat messing with me?'

"There is a very important battle, even more so than the one with that tanuki."

Naruto clenched his fist, speaking slowly and clearly as he stared directly into the eyes of the most malevolent creature in existence, "I have reasons that force me to fight. I must win! I need to bring my companion back! So, Kyubi, I'm begging you!"

"..."

Kyuubi was at a loss for words, 'This brat is always going on about his companions. He was truly foolish to the extreme.'

Filled with exasperation, the fox snorted coldly, slowly retreating back into his eternal, sunless prison.

"Got it."

…

Valley of the End.

Time crept silently through the pitch-black night, waiting for the arrival of the next day. At the Valley of the End, after the violent flashes of lightning and thunder, the place had finally quieted down.

The two colossal statues bore the scars of battle, with the landscape around them in ruins. Where once stood two figures shrouded in blue and black light, now only one remained standing.

The sound of rushing water never ceased, the endless river plunging down the waterfall, shattering into foam before returning to calm as it flowed toward the distant Konoha.

Logan looked down at the unconscious Sasuke at his feet, then glanced up at the dark sky.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

What he set out to do was done, and now he had to move forward. There was still more to come, another chapter waiting.

'It was a good fight.' Logan's gaze lingered on the Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck for a moment before he turned away.

"Hattori-sensei, stop right there!"

A different voice called out. Logan reacted slowly, turning to see Naruto struggling to stand on a protruding rock by the river.

'Naruto shouldn't be able to move anymore.'

Logan, who served as the teaching assistant for Team 7, was familiar with his students and knew their limits. Facing the determined look on Naruto's face, he shook his head inwardly.

"Naruto, stop pushing yourself."

One stubborn student was down, and now another, even more stubborn one was stepping up. He felt that fighting in such a weakened state was pointless.

"Hattori-sensei, don't think it's over just because you beat Sasuke." Naruto, after making sure Sasuke was merely unconscious, pointed at himself with a confident thumb, though he didn't look much better off than Sasuke lying on the ground, "Team 7 still has me!"

Naruto's bedraggled, soaked appearance didn't make him very convincing. Logan hadn't taken him seriously at first, but then he noticed Naruto's confident and determined expression wasn't just for show.

'This wasn't a weakling bluffing.' Logan's eyes shifted, a thought crossing his mind as his expression turned serious.

'Could it be?'

"You've got some strange Chakra on you." Logan remarked, adjusting his stance slightly.

Naruto laughed, feeling proud that Logan had attached great importance to him. He nodded and said, "You're quite perceptive, Hattori-sensei."

"But your injuries haven't healed yet. No matter how much Chakra you have, you won't be able to fully utilize your strength." Logan spoke plainly. Though they were about to fight, there was no need to hide the truth between them.

"You're right about that. But I've still got one last trick up my sleeve." Naruto raised his hands and slowly formed hand seals.

'Those seals...'

"As far as I know, Hattori-sensei, you don't have a Summoned Beast yet." Naruto bit his finger, drawing a thin line of blood as a medium, "Then, let me show you the results of my month of intense training!"

"Summoning Technique!"

Boom!

Runes appeared on the rock, and an enormous cloud of smoke materialized out of thin air, obscuring the sky and earth.