"So that's how it is… You're a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother, aren't you?"
After a brief silence, the Nine-Tails tilted its head slightly and looked at Ōtsutsuki Toneri as it spoke.
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo had once mentioned the existence of Ōtsutsuki Hamura to the tailed beasts, so Kurama understood what Toneri meant when he referred to Hagoromo as his great-uncle.
"Then why have you come to see me?" the Nine-Tails continued, lowering its massive body as it stared curiously at Toneri.
"And… you're blind, aren't you?"
The Nine-Tails harbored deep hatred toward humans—hatred born from their near-limitless greed and the way they treated tailed beasts as nothing more than weapons of war.
Especially that black-haired man.
Using the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he had forcibly bound Kurama with a contract, treating it like a mere pet!
However, toward the direct descendants of the Ōtsutsuki brothers, Kurama did not feel the same revulsion.
Thus, its attitude toward Ōtsutsuki Toneri was relatively mild.
"Nine-Tails, I need your help," Toneri said with a light smile, stating his purpose without hesitation.
"I need a portion of your chakra."
There was nothing to hide.
Even if the Nine-Tails refused, Toneri had ways to make it comply.
"My chakra?" Kurama swayed its tails, staring at him in confusion.
"Kid, what are you planning? You possess pure Ōtsutsuki blood—there's no reason for you to covet my power."
Kurama's chakra was extremely violent in nature. Ordinary humans couldn't withstand it at all—even Toneri, an Ōtsutsuki, would suffer greatly if he forcibly absorbed it.
From Kurama's perspective, it simply wasn't worth the risk.
After all, the Ōtsutsuki clan was naturally close to nature—cultivating Sage Mode should have been far more suitable for them.
"I'm not using your chakra for combat," Toneri replied calmly.
"Nine-Tails… you recognize this eye, don't you?"
He turned his palm outward, revealing the Rinnegan to Kurama, smiling faintly as he did.
His impression of the Nine-Tails was quite positive—enough that he didn't mind explaining.
"The Rinnegan?!"
Kurama jolted upright the moment it saw the eye. A terrifying pressure burst outward uncontrollably as it demanded in a thunderous voice:
"Kid—where did you get that Rinnegan?!"
At last, it understood why Toneri's presence had made it uneasy.
This boy… possessed the Rinnegan.
Tailed beasts were immensely powerful—but they were innately suppressed by Sage Eyes and Wood Release.
Genjutsu from Sage Eyes was especially terrifying; as long as the user was strong enough, controlling a tailed beast was effortless.
And Wood Release?
It could dominate them just as easily.
There were countless examples in the original history.
After Sasuke awakened the Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, a mere glance was enough to immobilize all nine tailed beasts with genjutsu.
Among them, the most tragic was none other than the Nine-Tails—the strongest of all tailed beasts.
First, it had been subdued by Uchiha Madara using the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, reduced to nothing more than a pet.
Later, it was controlled again by Uchiha Obito with the Mangekyō Sharingan and forced to attack Konoha.
Tragic didn't even begin to describe it.
But was the Nine-Tails weak?
Not at all.
Its power far surpassed that of the other eight tailed beasts combined.
And yet, it was still nothing more than a plaything beneath the Sage Eyes—let alone when facing Senju Hashirama's Wood Release.
Still, Kurama couldn't understand one thing.
Why did Ōtsutsuki Toneri possess the Rinnegan—
and why was it embedded in his palm?
Kurama clearly remembered Hagoromo saying that his younger brother had possessed eyes comparable to the Rinnegan—
But those were the Tenseigan, not the Rinnegan.
"Just a bloodline awakening," Toneri said, shaking his head lightly as he smiled at Kurama.
"Nine-Tails, give me a portion of your chakra. My Rinnegan needs it."
Yes.
He needed Kurama's chakra precisely to stimulate the evolution of his Rinnegan.
Although Ōtsutsuki Kaguya had left behind her ocular power and chakra to nourish Toneri's Rinnegan
It was far too slow.
Who knew how long that process would take?
So Toneri chose another path.
He would use tailed-beast chakra to accelerate the Rinnegan's evolution.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan had been born from consuming the fruit of the God Tree.
And the God Tree was the Ten-Tails.
The Ten-Tails was the fusion of the nine tailed beasts.
They were all of the same origin.
Using the chakra of the nine tailed beasts to nurture his Rinnegan should naturally allow it to evolve much faster.
"I see…"
Kurama fell silent for a moment, its fox eyes filled with complexity as it studied the boy before it.
"You're quite something, kid. Very well—I'll lend you my strength."
Its life had been given to it by Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo himself.
And since this was a direct descendant of Hagoromo's younger brother asking for help, Kurama had no reason to refuse.
Besides…
Judging by this kid's expression, refusal probably wouldn't have mattered anyway.
The Rinnegan could control it with ease.
Whether emotionally or logically, Kurama had no grounds to say no.
"Then, my thanks, Nine-Tails," Toneri said politely, choosing not to expose the tsundere pride of this stubborn male fox.
"No need. This is only proper."
Kurama shook its massive head, then slowly opened its jaws.
A blazing-red sphere of chakra condensed within, floating forward until it stopped in front of Toneri.
Toneri couldn't suppress the smile that curved his lips.
The crimson Rinnegan moved closer, slowly absorbing the chakra.
It worked.
Once the chakra was fully absorbed, a warm, unfamiliar sensation spread within the Rinnegan.
Toneri's heart leapt with joy.
The speed of evolution had clearly increased.
Perhaps
The first evolution wouldn't be far off at all.
Watching Toneri's pleased expression, Kurama immediately understood.
This boy was very satisfied.
And that meant—
His future would likely be immeasurable.
Kurama thought silently to itself.
To think of using this method to stimulate Rinnegan evolution…
This kid was truly something extraordinary.