Chapter 52 – The Beast and the Boy
The training ground was quiet in the late afternoon, the sun dipping low behind Konoha's walls. Kushina sat cross-legged on the grass, her vibrant red hair spilling down her shoulders, as she carefully drew complex symbols in the dirt. Beside her, Akira mirrored her posture, watching with keen eyes.
"You've already mastered control over chakra flow and your handwriting is flawless," Kushina said with a hint of pride. "So it's time I teach you the next step—sealing without ink or brush."
Akira raised a brow. "Without tools?"
Kushina smiled. "Exactly. A true sealing master doesn't need paper and ink. You weave the formula directly with chakra, shaping it into existence. But it takes delicate control."
She pressed her palms together, forming a short sequence of hand signs. A faint shimmer appeared between her hands, lines of kanji unfolding like light itself, weaving into a glowing square barrier that pulsed in the air.
Akira's golden eyes shone with focus. He copied her movements slowly. Chakra surged at his fingertips, bending, twisting—until faint golden seals formed around his hands. With a soft push forward, a barrier bloomed into existence, larger and sharper than Kushina's own.
Her eyes widened. "…On the first try?!"
Akira tilted his head. "It feels natural. Almost like writing in the air."
Kushina puffed her cheeks. "You make it sound so easy! I struggled for months to do that without my barrier collapsing."
Akira chuckled softly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry?"
Before Kushina could retort, a familiar voice cut across the field.
"Looks like I've missed quite a lesson."
Both turned. Minato was walking toward them, mission gear still on, golden hair shining in the fading light. His blue eyes softened as he took in the scene—Kushina's barrier, Akira's perfected version right beside it.
"Minato!" Kushina beamed, leaping up. "You're back already?"
"Mission went smoothly," he said, smiling. His gaze shifted to Akira. "And it seems you've been busy. You've improved again."
Akira bowed slightly. "Kushina-sensei is a good teacher."
Kushina flushed at the compliment. Minato chuckled at the sight—but then his smile faltered.
Kushina's chakra spiked suddenly. Her seal throbbed faintly, glowing red against her abdomen. She staggered, clutching her stomach, face pale.
"Kushina!" Minato rushed forward, but crimson chakra erupted before he reached her. The ground trembled as the Nine-Tails' malevolent energy flared, spilling from her body like wildfire.
"Stay back!" Minato shouted.
But Akira was already moving. His eyes flashed—golden Byakugan blooming with divine light. He stepped into the tide of crimson chakra as though it were nothing more than mist.
The world shattered.
---
Darkness. Iron bars. A storm of killing intent.
Akira stood within Kushina's mindscape, face-to-face with the monstrous fox. The Nine-Tails towered above him, its chakra flooding the air like poison.
Another intruder, Kurama growled, eyes burning. First the man with yellow hair, now this boy. Do you humans never learn?
Akira's expression didn't waver. "So this is your cage… Kurama."
The beast froze, its tails lashing violently. …What did you say?
"Your name," Akira repeated evenly. "Kurama."
The fox roared, the walls shaking. How does a brat like you know that name?! That was—
Akira's gaze sharpened, his voice carrying an ancient echo. "You were given that name by Hagoromo. Not as a weapon. Not as a curse. But as a being of will. He said it once, didn't he?—"
Akira's voice deepened, carrying words far older than himself:
'Though you are scattered, you are still one. Someday, you will be whole again. Until then, live with pride, for you are not demons. You are my children.'
The beast flinched. Memories struck like lightning—the warmth of Hagoromo's hands, the day he and his siblings received their names. Hope he had long since buried.
"You've been caged and used for centuries," Akira said quietly. "But that doesn't erase who you are. You're Kurama. Nothing less."
Kurama's growl wavered, caught between fury and something deeper. You… speak his words. How? Who are you, boy?!
Akira stepped closer to the bars, golden eyes unwavering. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I see you. Not a monster. Not a weapon. You."
For the first time in centuries, the Nine-Tails was speechless.
---
The world cracked.
Akira blinked and found himself back on the training ground. Kushina lay weakly in Minato's arms, her chakra stabilized, the fox's power sealed once more.
Minato's eyes locked onto Akira. "…What did you just do?"
Akira dusted off his sleeves, as if nothing had happened. "Just had a conversation."
Kushina stirred, whispering faintly. "…You… went inside the seal?"
"Yes." Akira's tone was calm, almost casual. "He wasn't very friendly. But I called him by his name. That's enough for now."
Minato's heart pounded. He entered Kushina's seal with no key, no technique—just his eyes. And he knows the Nine-Tails' true name…
Akira turned away, hands in his pockets. "I'll continue the sealing practice tomorrow. You two should rest."
As he walked, Kurama's growl echoed faintly in the depths of the seal—low, conflicted.
Akira… those words… they were the Sage's. Just what are you?
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