Inside the seal space,
A dark red shroud of chakra enveloped Kushina as she sat cross-legged, eyes closed, on the cold stone floor. The space around her shimmered with a faint haze, the air heavy with raw power. The chakra didn't just seep out of her; it pulsed, alive and volatile, the air vibrating with its presence. Malice and strength rolled off her in waves, crashing like tides against the walls of the seal.
Slowly, the chakra condensed, swirling and hardening until it morphed into a humanoid shape around her. It clung to her body like armor, forming an exoskeleton of tangible energy.
The figure towered slightly taller than her real form, its silhouette edged in jagged flames of dark crimson. Two large fox-like ears twitched atop its head, catching every sound in the stillness. Golden eyes smoldered within the mask of chakra, not her eyes, but Kurama's, bright and searing with predatory focus. Three long tails fanned out behind her, swaying in slow, deliberate arcs, each one radiating pressure that made the seal space itself groan.
It looked less like a human and more like a demon fox pretending to be one.
This was Kushina's Tailed Beast Transformation, the culmination of years of unrelenting effort.
She had pushed her taijutsu to the limits, drilled her chakra control until her reserves felt like an extension of her muscles, and taken every brutal piece of advice Kurama had thrown her way. Now, she had finally reached a point where she could wield his power, not just borrow scraps of it.
Her Uzumaki blood gave her a body already blessed with monstrous stamina and resilience. And she had Kurama's cooperation, an advantage almost no other Jinchūriki could dream of. Even so, controlling this power was not like holding a sword or wearing armor. His chakra was monumental in volume, corrosive in nature, and feral at its core.
It still fought her. Even when docile, it resisted her will instinctively. To use even a small portion of it safely requires immense control and endurance.
A fraction of his chakra could vaporize unprepared shinobi. To wield even one tail's worth without breaking herself apart took superhuman discipline. Mito Uzumaki herself, with her legendary chakra control and sealing expertise, had never managed to manifest even a single tail's worth of Kurama's power in her lifetime.
Yet Kushina was wearing three.
With Kurama's help, the chakra is more docile, but ultimately, it's still not hers. It won't follow her will as naturally as it follows his. Regardless, this form boosts her power to a whole new level. Faster reflexes, faster regeneration, more power, more speed, more defense, and chakra tails, to name a few of the added abilities.
Her breathing slowed, steady and deep. The heat radiating from the transformation began to taper off as she eased the chakra's flow to a more stable rhythm.
Then she cracked one eye open, grinning. "I did it! I told you I'd do it, dattebane!"
The cheerful words paired with the monstrous form were so absurdly at odds that Kurama let out a deep, rumbling chuckle from within the seal.
"It's alright, brat. Only three tails, though?" His voice dripped with casual arrogance.
"Hey! I'll get nine tails in no time, dattebane!" she shot back, puffing her chest out. "I'll even form an extra tail somehow and get ten. Just to show you up!"
Kurama blinked, clearly unsure whether to laugh or groan. A bead of sweat metaphorically rolled down his temple. 'This brat doesn't know what she's saying.'
"I'll believe it when I see it," he said at last. "Still… now that you're this far, there aren't many who could go against you. Just the Five Kages and the other Jinchūriki. A few more tails, and even they'll fall like fodder before us."
Kushina's grin stretched into something sharper. "Those stupid old men aren't my match! I'll kill every one of them, dattebane!"
Kurama's red eyes narrowed, his voice dropping low. "Don't underestimate them. Their power will be nothing compared to ours eventually, but right now their techniques are… inconvenient to face head-on."
"I know, I know." She waved a hand dismissively. "I just can't wait to stick it to those old bastards."
The silence that followed wasn't strained, just… full. Kurama's gaze drifted away, focused on something far beyond the solid stone of the seal space.
"Kushina," he said finally, "we need to talk."
He shifted from his fox form into his humanoid shape, a tall, broad figure with the same predatory energy, but concentrated into a frame that was more approachable. He gestured for her to come closer.
"Some time ago, after you graduated, I received… visions of the future," he began.
Her brows shot up. "The future!?"
"Yes." His tone was grave. "A great enemy will rise in the shinobi world, one that could destroy not just the hidden villages, but all of humanity. Even the Tailed Beasts would be affected. Their chakra will dwarf mine. Their presence will feel almost… divine." He paused. "Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
Kushina's breath hitched. It was hard to imagine anyone with more chakra than Kurama, let alone someone who made him sound wary.
"How can we beat someone like that?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual.
Kurama watched her carefully. Even he didn't relish the idea of facing Kaguya, but his next words came with an edge of confidence. "That's not all I saw. I saw her defeat."
Kushina's relief was instant. "So… all five villages teamed up to take her down?"
He sneered. "Don't be so naive. Not every problem can be solved through friendship and camaraderie. Even if they all forgot their grudges and worked together, they'd only die faster. Like fish gathering in a barrel. Madara and Hashirama wouldn't stand a chance. The Sage of Six Paths himself couldn't kill her."
Her stomach sank. "Then… who?"
Kurama's gaze sharpened, and he stared directly at her. "She wasn't defeated by them. I saw her defeat at your hands."
Kushina stared. "Me?!"
"To be precise, us," he corrected. "We'll face her together, and we'll win."
It felt impossible. Her training had given her strength, but this was beyond mortal scale. Beyond even legendary shinobi and myths like the Sage.
"How?" she asked finally.
"The second time we spoke, I told you the Sage created the Tailed Beasts," Kurama began.
She nodded. Kushina vividly remembers that entire meeting.
"What I didn't tell you," he continued, "was how he created us. Originally, we were one entity, the Ten-Tails. A monster Kaguya brought to this world. This being was planted by Kaguya thousands of years ago and absorbed the natural energy of the planet, forming a chakra fruit. Kaguya ate it and became a goddess in power."
Kushina frowned. "So the Sage split it into nine parts…"
"To keep it from ever being used again," Kurama confirmed. "But if the Ten-Tails were reformed, and its power harnessed, its wielder could match Kaguya."
She furrowed her brows, "But what does this have to do with us?"
Kurama merely stared at her, his gaze saying that this was obvious.
Her eyes widened in realization. "You mean me!? But wouldn't that mean you…" Her voice caught. "You'd die?"
"I absolutely refuse to do anything if it means I have to live without you, dattebane!" she blurted, glaring at him.
Kurama's grin turned sly. "Doesn't that mean you want to be with me forever?"
Her face flamed red, she looked away sharply, and gritted her teeth. "That's not important right now!"
"Relax," he said, amused. "I'm not talking about the normal way. If we capture the other Jinchūriki, it's possible I can absorb their power. Then, once I'm strong enough, I'll take in the husk of the Ten-Tails. I'll keep my mind and my bond with you, but gain the power needed to kill her."
Her shoulders eased, though her cheeks stayed pink. "Why didn't you say that earlier?" she muttered.
He couldn't help but find her reactions cute, but he quickly shook his head and moved on, "I'm only mentioning this now because I didn't want to disturb your training. But now that we're almost ready to leave this village, you need to understand that your enemies aren't just the five Kages. There are people far stronger than them in the world."
Kushina met his gaze, those deep, blood-red eyes that no longer frightened her, and smiled faintly. "As long as I have you," she said, "I can beat them all. Dattebane!"
Kurama didn't answer right away. But one of his tails curled forward, resting lightly against her back in silent agreement.