After a while, the elder of Taki and several of his guards finally stirred, groaning as they regained consciousness. They had all been struck down by the Nine-Tails' chakra, wielded through Naruto's body.
The elder sat up with a start, his eyes sharp. "Quickly—check if the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki is still here!"
"Yes, sir!" The guards scattered, rushing through the compound to confirm whether Fu remained within the village walls.
The elder paced back and forth in agitation, clutching the document left behind. His face twisted with fury as he spat, "Shimura Danzō… do you think hiding behind Konoha's name means Taki will simply endure this insult?!"
Minutes later, the guards returned, breathless.
"Sir," one reported, bowing low, "we searched thoroughly. The Seven-Tails' jinchūriki is gone. We believe she has been taken."
The elder's face went red with rage. His palm slammed into the wooden table, splintering it into fragments. "This is outrageous!"
He turned to his men. "Gather the council immediately! And send word to Konohagakure—Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, will answer for this. She will hand over Danzō and the Seven-Tails' jinchūriki… or Taki will not forgive this insult!"
His voice shook with anger. For years, Taki had maintained a fragile neutrality with Konoha. But now, their village had been violated. To have an intruder steal away their jinchūriki within their own walls… it was humiliation. A humiliation that demanded retribution.
Far from the village, in a hidden cave, Fu lay bound by an invisible force. Her body refused to move, no matter how hard she struggled. Fear gnawed at her chest.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice trembling. "Why did you bring me here? Do you want the beast inside me, too?!"
As Taki's Seven-Tails jinchūriki, Fu had always known what it meant to carry Chōmei. She bore the stares, the mistrust, all because of the creature sealed within her.
A low chuckle echoed through the cave. "If you truly understand Chōmei, you'll know who I am."
Naruto stepped forward, cloaked in the burning chakra of Kurama.
Fu's eyes widened. "Chōmei…? You mean the Seven-Tails? Its real name is Chōmei?"
Desperate, she closed her eyes and tried to reach inward, to the beast sealed inside her. In her mind, the world shifted. She stood within her inner space, before the enormous insect-like creature with six translucent wings and a lashing tail.
Chōmei loomed, his many eyes glowing as his wings fluttered.
Fu shivered in terror. For years, this creature had been the reason she lived apart from her village.
But then, another presence appeared. Naruto pressed his palm against Fu's stomach from the outside, and within her seal, his figure manifested beside her.
Fu gasped, stumbling back. "You—how did you get in here?!"
"Is it really that hard?" Naruto smirked faintly.
His gaze shifted to Chōmei. Their eyes locked.
The Seven-Tails' voice thundered. "You… Kurama. But no—something is wrong. You don't feel like the Nine-Tails. Who are you?"
Naruto chuckled. "Chōmei, have you been trapped so long you can't even recognize me? I'm Kurama. Don't doubt it."
Scarlet chakra erupted around him, flooding the sealed space and forcing Fu to shield herself from the burning pressure.
Chōmei recoiled, but his suspicion didn't fade. The chakra was unmistakably the Nine-Tails'… yet something about this presence was different. Not wholly beast, not wholly human.
Naruto spoke calmly. "Listen, Chōmei. Let me explain, and then you'll understand. Years ago, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, used a forbidden seal to split me in two. My yin chakra was bound within a host, while my yang chakra was sealed away elsewhere. I broke free after years of struggle, but I am no longer whole."
Chōmei's wings twitched. The tale was difficult to believe, but the truth of the chakra before him couldn't be denied—this was indeed Kurama, though altered.
Fu's eyes widened. "Wait… you mean a tailed beast can be split in half?"
Her voice carried awe and fear. "The Fourth Hokage of Konoha… he was that powerful?"
"Could that mean…" Fu hesitated, "tThatChōmei could be divided too?"
At her words, Chōmei's chakra flared dangerously, silencing her instantly. She bit her lip and said no more.
The Seven-Tails rumbled, still glaring at Naruto. "Kurama, why come to me? You wouldn't seek me out without reason. And if you're hoping I'll help you recover your other half… I refuse."
Naruto shook his head. "This isn't about me. There's a greater danger coming, one that threatens all of us—tailed beasts and humans alike. If we don't prepare, we'll all be wiped out."
Chōmei narrowed his eyes, his wings folding slowly. Even with his doubt, he could sense the seriousness in Kurama's tone.
"Something that makes you nervous, Kurama?" Chōmei asked. "Then it must be no small threat…"
The cave fell silent, the weight of unspoken danger heavy in the air.
---
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