Kushina looked at the Nine-Tails inside the cage—this time, she wasn't joking around. She spoke seriously:
"Is staying inside my body really that unbearable for you?
I guess it makes sense—no one would be happy being locked up in one place."
Seeing Kushina like this made the Nine-Tails extremely uncomfortable. It could only fall back on its usual tsundere attitude:
"Enough of that nonsense. Don't think you can fool me by putting on that kind of act."
Hearing this, Kushina wrinkled her nose:
"Fool you? When have I ever fooled you? After listening to Hoshiyomi-sensei's words, I've been seriously considering letting you out, you know?"
The Nine-Tails waved a paw dismissively, pretending not to care.
"Oh, please. If you really wanted to let me out, you'd just tear off that seal tag right there."
As it spoke, the Nine-Tails swept a claw, and a staircase made entirely of chakra appeared outside the cage. It then rested its chin on its paws, watching Kushina with a "I'll just sit back and watch you try" expression.
And then, it saw Kushina walk up the steps, one by one, reach out, and—RIP—tear the sealing talisman right off.
"...!!!"
The Nine-Tails' eyes went wide. What the—?!
She actually tore it off? Just like that? That has to be a trick…
Tentatively, he prodded the gate of the cage with one claw.
The enormous iron doors creaked open with a loud screech.
Kushina didn't react at all—but the Nine-Tails flinched at the sound, which made the whole scene oddly comical.
Kushina burst out laughing.
"Oh my god, that face! Hahaha! You looked so scared, hahaha!"
She even started mimicking his startled expression, shoulders shaking with laughter.
Seeing her laugh only made the Nine-Tails more embarrassed—and angry.
He shoved the cage door wide open, slammed his paws onto the ground, and loomed over her.
A wave of raw killing intent rolled out from him, the full, terrifying pressure of the Nine-Tails unleashed.
"You've really done me a big favor," he growled.
"Now let's see… how should I repay you?
How about I tear you apart, piece by piece?"
His massive claws extended, sharp and gleaming.
For a moment, it looked like he really would shred her to ribbons.
But Kushina didn't flinch.
Instead, she looked up at him calmly, reached out her hand, and said softly:
"Let's start over, okay?
Hi, I'm Kushina."
The Nine-Tails froze.
For a moment, he actually looked… lost.
Kushina smiled gently and said,
"Don't know what to do? When someone introduces themselves and holds out their hand,
you're supposed to shake it—and tell them your name."
The fox stared blankly at the smiling girl before him.
And in that instant, all the hatred and cruelty he'd once felt toward humans quietly melted away.
He realized—maybe he'd been wrong.
Maybe… not all humans were like Uchiha Madara.
After a moment's hesitation, the Nine-Tails carefully lowered one massive claw into her tiny hand.
He stammered a little, then turned his head aside as if embarrassed.
"I-I'm Kurama."
"Ah~ so tailed beasts do have names," Kushina said with a grin.
"Kurama, huh? That really suits you."
At first, the fox had frowned when he heard the words tailed beast,
but her genuine compliment—especially of the name the Sage of Six Paths himself had given him—made something in his chest stir.
Kushina clasped his enormous claw and gave it a light shake, smiling brightly.
"Then it's settled—we're friends from now on!"
...
No one knew exactly what happened between Kushina and the Nine-Tails inside her spiritual space after that.
Even Hoshiyomi couldn't possibly sneak into Kushina's spiritual world unnoticed to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Hoshiyomi and Minato stared at each other for a long while, wide-eyed and tense, until they finally heard a faint groan—Kushina was waking up.
When she opened her eyes, her expression wasn't good. She looked downcast and a little gloomy. Hoshiyomi quickly asked,
"What's with that face? Don't tell me you didn't succeed after all?"
Minato, standing beside him, spoke up right away too—but his concern was clearly focused elsewhere: "It's okay, even if you didn't succeed, it's fine. The important thing is that you're safe. Dear, are you hurt?"
Hearing Minato's tone, Hoshiyomi couldn't help but get goosebumps. No wonder they call Minato the 'Yellow Flash,' he thought, this level of warmth... if I were a girl, I'd probably be smitten too.
Kushina's eyes were slightly red as she looked at Minato. Just as he was about to reach out and hug her, she suddenly broke into a big grin and said:
"Who said I failed? I'm amazing, you know!"
Both Hoshiyomi and Minato froze, staring at her in disbelief.
"You… succeeded?" they asked at the same time.
Kushina, delighted that her little prank had worked, collapsed back onto the sofa laughing. Gasping for breath between laughs, she managed to say:
"Of course! I handled Kurama without breaking a sweat!"
"Kurama?"
Minato blinked, confused.
At that exact moment, a grumpy voice echoed inside Kushina's mind:
"Handled, my foot! If you dare spout nonsense like that again, I'll take my power back right now."
At this moment, the Nine-Tails was lying gloomily in Kushina's spiritual space, feeling like it had still been tricked by this little girl in the end.
Kushina stuck her tongue out slightly and continued talking to Hoshiyomi and Minato:
"You know what? The Nine-Tails actually has its own name! His name is Kurama. From now on, don't just call him 'Nine-Tails.' Kurama says he really doesn't like being called that."
Hearing that Kushina had even learned the Nine-Tails' true name, Hoshiyomi finally let out a long sigh of relief. Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked:
"Since you've become a perfect Jinchūriki, that means you can use his power freely now, right?"
Kushina nodded proudly.
"That's right! Because Kurama and I are friends now, I can use part of his power."
As she spoke, she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
In the next instant, her chakra surged—rising several levels higher in density and force, to the point that even Minato was visibly impressed.
What was even more astonishing was the color of her chakra.
Instead of the usual red, a dazzling golden aura radiated from her body.
Compared to before, Kushina now looked like a true little sun.
As the golden chakra thickened, it gradually took on the distinct shape of a tailed-beast cloak—
until finally, Kushina's entire body gleamed like living gold.
At that moment, her chakra stabilized.
Kushina Uzumaki — Nine-Tails Mode: Complete!
...
PS: I've started a new One Piece fanfic—check it out if you're interested!
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