The next day, the training resumed.
Naruto had learned to summon up to three tails consistently. Each time, the chakra flared, but Kurama's voice guided him,
{Adjust your breathing. You're pushing too hard again.}
{Anchor yourself. Think about something stable. Your team. That stupid ramen shop. I don't care, just focus.}
"Heh… didn't know you were good at pep talks." Naruto chuckled as he balanced on one foot, three tails behind him.
{Shut up.}
Kakashi watched from the shade, arms crossed. His eyes lingered on Naruto's expression, not anger, not fear, but calm a concentration.
"Alright, we'll try four tails again," Kakashi called.
Naruto nodded. He crouched slightly, focusing inward.
Kurama didn't speak this time. He simply opened the floodgate, slowly.
The fourth tail flicked into place.
Naruto gritted his teeth. His chakra was boiling again, his skin stinging like acid. His vision blurred, the berserker haze hovering close.
{Stay with me,} Kurama's voice came again. {Don't let the rage take root. Hold on to who you are.}
Naruto focused. He thought of Kakashi's hand on his shoulder. Of Sakura's scolding. Of Sasuke's scowl. Of ramen. Of Iruka's smile. Of Kurenai making food for him. Anko is fighting him for the food. Tsunade's punches.
Of being loved by everyone.
The red haze shimmered but didn't consume him.
"I… I'm still here." He took a shaky breath, blinking.
Kakashi looked impressed.
"You're holding it," he said quietly. "Not for long, but enough. We'll keep training that limit until it becomes normal."
Naruto stood still, red chakra smoking from his skin, tails swaying.
"I did it…" he whispered, then broke into a grin. "I DID IT!"
{Barely. Don't get cocky.} Kurama gave a low snort.
Naruto laughed, even as he wobbled and fell flat on his butt, panting. "Shut up, you big hairball. I'm awesome."
"Yeah… you are." Kakashi smiled under the fading sun.
Later that night, Naruto lay on his futon, bandaged and sore from the training, but the smile didn't leave his face at all.
For the first time in a while, he didn't feel like he was chasing shadows. He didn't feel like he was just "the other guy" behind Sasuke. Today, Kakashi had trained him, really trained him. Although Kakashi had taught him a lot of things before, Naruto still wanted to spend more time training with him.
He felt seen.
And deep within, Kurama watched him quietly.
{Madara…} the fox muttered. {The way that brat stares forward without flinching. It's the same… and yet different.}
{What an odd Uchiha.}
Kurama snorted softly and curled deeper into the darkness.
{He might actually pull it off..} He said, thinking of Naruto's promise.
….
The training field was quieter than usual, the only sound being the rustling of the leaves overhead and the distant chirping of birds. Naruto was seated in the center, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
The past few days had been full of intense training. He had successfully created the Tailed Beast Rasengan, a fusion of his wind chakra and Kurama's immense chakra, but that success came with its own set of challenges.
Kakashi had been watching him closely, giving him instructions on how to refine the technique, but it was clear that Naruto still had a long way to go.
The Rasengan was powerful, but it was unstable at times, and the wind chakra often overpowered Kurama's chakra, threatening to send the jutsu into a spiraling frenzy.
Naruto was very proud of what he had accomplished, but he knew that this wasn't enough. He needed to perfect it.
"How are you feeling, Naruto?" Kakashi walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Naruto looked up at his sensei, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I'm feeling good! But… I know I still need to get the control down. That Tailed Beast Rasengan is powerful, but it gets out of control every time."
"That's right. The power is there, but your control is the key. If you can't control it, you'll burn yourself out before you even get a chance to use it effectively." Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"You've learned how to combine the wind chakra with Kurama's, but now you need to train your flow. The chakra flow needs to be smooth, gradual, and even. Every time you push it too fast, it becomes unstable."
"I know, Kakashi-sensei. I'll do whatever it takes to perfect it. I'm not going to stop until it's under my control." Naruto stood up, a determined expression on his face.
Kakashi smiled, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. He had to supervise this reckless brat to keep him safe in case the technique got out of hand.
"Alright, I'll be here to guide you, but the key will be to train with a steady mind. This technique requires more focus than any jutsu you've done before. Let's take it slow today. Focus on the balance of the wind chakra and Kurama's chakra. Don't rush it."
Naruto nodded and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could feel the familiar presence of Kurama's chakra swirling inside him, like a deep, pulsing sea of energy.
The wind chakra was a different feeling, more volatile, ready to erupt at any moment. But together, they could form something incredible.
"I'm ready, Kurama," Naruto thought, reaching out to the Nine-Tails within him.
Kurama's voice echoed in his mind, a low, rumbling sound that Naruto had come to appreciate. {You've done well so far, brat. But if you want this jutsu to become something more than just a display of power, you need to control the flow, just like Kakashi told you. Don't let the energy overwhelm you. Focus on the rhythm, not the force.}
Naruto took a deep breath, centering himself. He visualized the Rasengan forming in his palm again, the wind chakra swirling around it, the orange-red aura of Kurama's chakra pulsing beneath the surface. The idea was simple, he needed to guide the flow of both channeled energies without letting one overpower the other.
The Tailed Beast Rasengan began to form in his hand, the swirling chakra glowing faintly. It was stable at first, but he could feel it starting to shift. The wind chakra was tugging at it, causing it to flicker.
Naruto focused harder, trying to keep the Rasengan's shape intact. He felt Kurama's chakra, warm and powerful, pressing against the wind chakra, pushing back. The two energies began to clash.