Seeing Kushina now in her Nine-Tails Mode, even Minato—let alone Hoshiyomi—couldn't help but click his tongue in astonishment.
He had never imagined that a casual idea he'd come up with on a whim would actually succeed—that Kushina would truly become a so-called perfect Jinchūriki.
This golden, radiant form clearly showed that she had already mastered the tailed beast's chakra.
She was probably only one step away from the complete version of Kurama Mode.
Just as Hoshiyomi was thinking that, Kushina suddenly spoke up:
"This isn't even my strongest form yet!
Kurama says my body can only handle this much chakra for now.
He also said he still needs to observe me a little longer.
If I perform well enough, he'll consider letting me access even more of his power."
Then she paused for a moment and said,
"Oh, right! Hoshiyomi-sensei, Kurama said he wants you to take me somewhere quiet and isolated next."
Of course, Hoshiyomi immediately understood what that meant.
That was part of the plan—for Kushina to become the perfect Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and then, by using this special method, allow Kurama to split off a clone, giving him a form of freedom.
He was already well prepared for this.
If they needed a secluded place for Kurama to divide his chakra and live freely, there was no better choice than the territory of his own summoned beasts—White Wolf Ridge.
That area was practically part of the summoning realm, where they didn't need to worry about outsiders interrupting them.
More importantly, not even White Zetsu could reach that place.
It was the perfect safe haven where Kurama's clone could exist freely without being noticed by Madara or Black Zetsu.
With that thought, Hoshiyomi didn't hesitate.
He immediately activated Reverse Summoning, bringing Kushina and Minato with him.
In a flash of light, the three of them appeared at White Wolf Ridge.
It had been a while since Hoshiyomi's last visit, and the place had changed quite a bit.
By now, White Wolf Ridge was starting to look worthy of being called the Fourth Great Holy Land.
The ridge itself was rich in soil and water, overflowing with natural energy.
Under the diligent work of Lobo and his descendants, the scenery had become nothing short of breathtaking—almost like a hidden tourist paradise.
But what had changed most was the Ninja Wolves themselves.
During this time, more of Lobo's offspring had learned to use basic senjutsu.
Though their techniques were simple, the impact on the pack was tremendous.
Their newer generations showed clear improvement in both appearance and innate talent compared to the older wolves.
Hoshiyomi and the others appeared near the center of the ridge, and they were quickly spotted by several wolf pups.
A group of fluffy, wide-eyed little wolves surrounded them, yipping softly in babyish voices.
The sight almost melted Kushina's heart.
She crouched down, wanting to gently pat the head of a small gray-furred wolf—but the poor thing jumped in fright.
Kushina had only recently gained control of the Nine-Tails' chakra and still couldn't manage it perfectly.
The sudden pressure of her chakra frightened the little wolf so badly it nearly wet itself, collapsing and whining on the ground.
Wolves are creatures of strong unity—
hearing one pup cry out, countless ninja wolves emerged from the forest, glaring warily at the three intruders.
Seeing this, Hoshiyomi sighed helplessly and let out a sharp whistle.
At the sound, the forest rustling abruptly stopped.
Moments later, a large blue-and-white wolf padded forward—it was Garuru.
Garuru spotted Hoshiyomi and gave a loud bark.
With that single howl, the other wolves dispersed and returned to their dens.
The pups, though led away by their parents, kept stretching their necks to peek back curiously—
a sight so adorable it was almost heart-melting.
Garuru trotted up quickly, stopped before Hoshiyomi, and performed a respectful bow-like gesture before speaking:
"Lord Hoshiyomi, what brings you here?"
Hoshiyomi looked at the blue-and-white Garuru.
Recently, perhaps due to improvements in his Sage Art, Garuru had undergone significant changes. Just in terms of appearance, he looked more and more like the real Garuru.
The more Hoshiyomi looked, the more he couldn't help but think — Wouldn't it be amazing if Orochimaru could help design a mechanical armor for him?
A full Metal Garuru—just imagining it gave him chills of excitement.
But that wasn't the focus today.
After exchanging a brief greeting, Hoshiyomi went straight to the point, explaining why they'd come.
Garuru, of course, had already sensed the immense presence of the Nine-Tails' chakra within Kushina.
That terrifying aura had startled even him, and now that he heard the Nine-Tails wished to leave behind a clone here, he dared not take the matter lightly.
He hurried off to inform Lobo.
Lobo treated the news with great seriousness.
As the leader of White Wolf Ridge, he rarely left seclusion due to his deep immersion in sage training—but upon hearing this, he personally came down from the mountain.
Lobo wasn't foolish.
He clearly understood what it would mean for White Wolf Ridge if the Nine-Tails left behind a clone here—
that was an enormous opportunity, and one to hold on to tightly.
With that thought, Lobo immediately issued orders to all the wolves, clearing nearly half of White Wolf Ridge to give the Nine-Tails space to separate its clone.
The Nine-Tails was very pleased with Lobo's actions.
He was also impatient to finally regain his freedom.
After communicating with Hoshiyomi and Kushina, it spoke to Kushina in her spiritual world:
"Little girl, are you ready?
Hold out your fist and bump it with mine.
What happens next may cause some damage to your body—but don't worry.
Once I finish forming my clone, I'll use chakra to help heal your injuries."
Kushina had already resolved to help Kurama achieve freedom, so she voiced no complaints.
She simply extended her fist and bumped it against the Nine-Tails' enormous one.
The instant their fists met, Kurama's chakra poured into her without reservation.
Feeling that vast, terrifying energy flood her body, Kushina couldn't help but let out a muffled groan of pain.
Meanwhile, from Hoshiyomi and Minato's perspective in the outside world, Kushina's appearance changed dramatically.
In the blink of an eye, she had entered Nine-Tails Mode—
but that wasn't all.
The flow of chakra kept surging higher, so immense that even the ground of White Wolf Ridge began to tremble.
The chakra cloak around her body grew denser and more elaborate—
from a tight, form-fitting layer to a golden divine robe.
But the transformation didn't stop there.
At the hem of the robe, nine stream-like extensions unfurled, waving like tails.
The nine "tails" of the divine robe lengthened and expanded with the gusting energy until they took the full shape of nine majestic tails.
Kushina's chakra aura kept rising, and her form continued to evolve.
By this point, she had already surpassed the Kurama Mode—
she was now transforming toward full tailed-beast manifestation.
At that moment, Hoshiyomi finally experienced the true, unrestrained might of the Nine-Tails.
During their previous battle, the Nine-Tails had clearly been holding back.
If Hoshiyomi had fought against this complete form, he doubted he could have gained any advantage at all.
Finally, through Kushina's body, the Nine-Tails achieved true, perfect Tailed Beast Transformation.
With a thunderous roar toward the sky, the golden Nine-Tails' chakra solidified, its luster shifting into a fiery orange-red coat of fur—
The true form of the Nine-Tails was released at last.