Chapter 15: Trading Blows

Inside the sealed space, Kurama slowly opened his eyes.

He actually did it… this kid...

But… obtaining the key not only meant Naruto now had the ability to release him it also signified that the most powerful Tailed Beast's strength had fully come under his control.

Wood Release. Adamantine Sealing Chains. Flying Thunder God. And chakra reserves rivaling even a Tailed Beast…

As Kurama stared at Naruto's back, a faint ripple stirred in his otherwise calm gaze.

Naruto…

You now possess a power even Hashirama Senju never had. If you so choose, I wouldn't be able to resist you in the slightest.

So then… what will you do next?

"Kurama, pull your chakra in."

Naruto turned around, his expression serious. "Not even a trace should leak out."

"Oh?"

Kurama looked intrigued. Still, he quickly withdrew every wisp of his chakra.

"And then?"

Naruto lifted his shirt. Complex markings flashed across his arm as he reached toward his abdomen and twisted slightly in the air. A series of clicks echoed from the massive seal gate.

The spiral lock above the gate began to unwind, ring by ring. And then with a soft clang the seal that had bound Kurama for so long simply… opened.

"And now… you're free."

Naruto grinned.

In the now-silent space which was no longer just a seal, but their shared mental world boy and beast stared at one another. One human, one fox. One small, one enormous. Yet neither moved.

Kurama lay still atop the water, his nine tails gently swaying behind him, a red aura of chakra radiating beneath his massive body.

Yet that chakra only spread a short distance before fading into nothingness, like it was being consumed by an invisible force.

"Negative buff detected: Chakra Disturbance. Status removed. Nine-Tails Chakra obtained."

A line of text suddenly refreshed on Naruto's system panel, and he blinked in surprise.

"Heh… you felt it, didn't you?"

Kurama snorted. "And you dared tell me to suppress my chakra…"

As he spoke, he slowly sat up. His towering figure loomed like a mountain before Naruto, and one massive, orange-red paw lifted high into the air.

"You're not worried that your strange little ability might wipe me out, are you? Don't get cocky, brat!!"

Boom!

His paw slammed down in front of Naruto but the boy didn't flinch.

Seeing this, Kurama's lips twitched, revealing rows of sharp, gleaming teeth.

"You really are as stubborn as ever…"

Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Don't feel like getting some fresh air?"

"Well... I suppose I do owe you. We had a deal ten years. It's only been two. I'm not the kind of fox that breaks a promise."

With a flick of his claw, Kurama sent Naruto stumbling back like a pebble. Then his tone shifted.

"But there are things you need to understand… Hold out your fist."

Naruto lifted his hand.

A small human fist met a massive paw, and in that instant, a surge of unfamiliar memories flooded Naruto's mind.

They were from Kurama's perspective memories of that night of chaos when the Nine-Tails attacked the village.

At the same time, Kurama sensed Naruto's inner world: his loneliness, his calm, his serenity… and beneath it all, a vast, dark chasm like a bottomless abyss.

But when it came to Naruto's memories, Kurama saw nothing. Everything had been wiped clean by the system.

"Negative buff detected: Memory Probe. Status removed. Nine-Tails Chakra obtained."

"…I swear, are you really that greedy for chakra?"

"Sorry, I don't have control over it."

Naruto shrugged with an innocent expression.

Truth was, even if he did have control, he wouldn't have allowed Kurama to see inside.

If the fox ever discovered he was nothing more than a fictional creation, it could spark an identity crisis or worse, cause him to unravel entirely.

He'd heard of a certain guy in a red bodysuit who found out the truth… and ended up slaughtering an entire multiverse.

Naruto believed Kurama's pride would shield him from that sort of breakdown but still, some truths weren't worth knowing.

And besides… he was human.

He deleted his browser history, for heaven's sake. There was no way he'd let someone go snooping through his memories.

Don't underestimate the bond between me and my XP!

"Anyway, let's not dwell on that…"

Kurama shook his head. "About that masked man you saw him, right?"

Naruto nodded. "You're worried about him?"

"Tch… I hate to admit it, but I can't do anything against that guy."

Kurama scoffed. "But with you on my side, we can kill him. You've inherited the Fourth's Flying Thunder God, and your potential far surpasses even the First Hokage's."

"But potential takes time to mature. Right now, you're still too green."

"You want me to stay in Konoha for a while?"

"Up to you."

Kurama crossed his arms. He knew Naruto resented the village, so he softened his words.

"In terms of power, you're already strong. What you lack is physical growth and battle experience. So what you really need is time. Doesn't have to be Konoha any place that suits your needs will do."

"Hmm… You've got a point. But that's just not who I am. I'm not someone who holds grudges but that doesn't mean I don't get angry."

Naruto flexed his wrists. "Let me ask you something: Do Tailed Beasts need sleep?"

Kurama blinked. "Well… yeah, technically. But we're chakra-based lifeforms. As long as our minds aren't exhausted, we can stay awake indefinitely."

"Good. Then let's go find that bastard."

"You're insane!"

Kurama looked dumbfounded. This kid's crazier than me!

"No, I'm perfectly sane…"

Naruto's smile turned cold. "Kurama, remember this truth only exists within the range of artillery fire."

In the outside world, Naruto's chakra surged. He gagged once and spat out Fukasaku.

The toad hit the ground, then immediately scrambled behind Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, the seal's undone!"

"He actually broke it…"

Jiraiya tensed, eyeing Naruto cautiously. When he saw the boy hadn't lost control, he quietly sighed in relief.

"...Naruto, would you give me a chance? To make things right?"

Naruto's expression remained cool. "There won't be one. I'm leaving."

With that, his figure flickered and vanished.

Not far away, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally arrived with a group of shinobi only to find Jiraiya standing alone, looking lost.

"Jiraiya! Where's Naruto?"

Seeing his old friend looking dazed, Hiruzen hurried over.

Jiraiya didn't even glance at him. "He's gone."

Hiruzen's face turned grave. "And the seal?"

"It's broken. I doubt he'll attack the village… but if he does, maybe it's just what we deserve."

"I'll try to bring him back but in the meantime, you'd better reflect on yourself… old man."

With those words, Jiraiya turned and walked away, not caring what Hiruzen's reaction might be.

Behind him, the Third Hokage stood awkwardly, surrounded by a silent, uneasy crowd of shinobi.