"This is… the Nine-Tails' chakra? Finally, you couldn't hold back anymore, huh."
Naruto instantly realized the origin of this blazing red chakra.
In the original timeline, the reason why his former self was considered a "dead last," unable to even perform a simple Clone Technique properly, was in large part due to the Nine-Tails' interference.
That was a problem that had to be solved.
Just as Naruto was considering possible solutions, the next second—
That strand of crimson chakra from the Nine-Tails suddenly severed its link to the beast and was absorbed directly into his body.
Naruto could feel it. That strand of the Nine-Tails' chakra could now be controlled at will.
This unexpected turn left even Naruto a little surprised.
'Could it be that Absolute Chakra Control can even seize the Nine-Tails' leaked chakra?'
But the one most shocked of all was the Nine-Tails inside the sealed space.
In the seal, the Nine-Tails' smug expression froze.
"Hm? My chakra?"
Sensing something wrong, the beast defiantly forced out another, larger strand of chakra through the seal.
But once again, Naruto instantly absorbed it.
This time, the great fox inside the cage completely lost composure, its massive crimson eyes filled with disbelief.
Something wasn't right—something was very, very wrong!
The chakra it had just forced out was only a fragment compared to its true body, but its entire being was made of chakra.
The sensation of chakra severing from itself made the Nine-Tails uneasy.
For the moment, it didn't dare act rashly.
Naruto used that strand of chakra to slip his consciousness into the sealed space.
When he opened his eyes, the light dimmed.
The scenery was like a massive sewer.
Standing ankle-deep in water, he faced a giant cage.
Inside, towering like a mountain of fire, was the Nine-Tails.
Its colossal slit-pupiled eyes glowed red in the darkness of the seal.
Naruto and the beast locked gazes.
His eyes were calm; the fox's were filled with icy hatred. A stark contrast between man and beast.
At this point in time, the Nine-Tails still despised humanity.
And who could blame it?
From Uchiha Madara's Mangekyō forcing it into battle,to Hashirama Senju holding it in one hand like a toy, saying, "Nine-Tails, you're too powerful. You must be sealed."Decades imprisoned in Konoha.Then the Masked Man unleashing it in the Nine-Tails' Attack.And Minato Namikaze splitting it in two and sealing it away.
Time and again, humans had humiliated it like a plaything.
The Nine-Tails' resentment was heavier than that of a thousand-year-old demon fox.
Now, on top of having its chakra stolen, Naruto was appearing before it face-to-face.
Normally, a brat would have pissed themselves from fear just standing here.
But Naruto's tranquil eyes unsettled the fox.
Worse, there wasn't a hint of malice in him.
All of this made the Nine-Tails' not-so-bright head feel uneasy.
"Brat! What are you staring at? Keep it up and I'll eat you!"
Realizing it had been intimidated by a mere child, the fox grew furious, masking its insecurity with a roar.
But Naruto just stared back, calmly raising a hand and crooking a finger toward it.
That mocking gesture infuriated the fox, making it grit its fangs.
"So you're the infamous Nine-Tailed Demon Fox? That's it?"
Naruto's words made the beast see red.
It lost all reason, forcing out chakra from the seal with everything it had.
Scarlet flames of chakra surged toward Naruto, flooding into his body.
Seeing this, Naruto's lips curled into a small smirk.
The Nine-Tails panted, its face showing exhaustion.
That was nearly the maximum amount it could push out through the seal.
Its gaze carried a dangerous hope.
'One-twentieth of my chakra in one burst. This brat can't possibly endure it. When he breaks…'
All of it poured into Naruto.
The next second—
Naruto slowly opened his eyes, rubbed his stomach, and even let out a small burp.
And that was it.
"Hm, I underestimated you just now. Your chakra does taste pretty good." Naruto said with a casual smile.
My chakra? …Tastes good?
What nonsense was this human kid spouting?!
The Nine-Tails' eyes went wide, its jaw slack, nearly petrified.
It looked more like a giant, brightly-colored version of Tom the cat.
And the shock wasn't over yet.
Scarlet chakra began spilling from Naruto's body, covering him.
It wrapped him in a crimson cloak, a tail of chakra extending behind him.
"Only one tail, huh." Naruto muttered, a little disappointed.
But to the Nine-Tails, it was a nightmare.
"My chakra! Brat! What did you do!"
Naruto ignored the beast's impotent rage, calmly testing this new power.
His body was clearly stronger.
The chakra was high-quality but violently wild.
For an ordinary jinchūriki, controlling this much feral power would be nearly impossible. Their minds would crumble.
But with Absolute Chakra Control, Naruto handled it effortlessly.
The chakra tail shifted forms at his command—
A little fox, a puppy, a kitten, the Nine-Tails' claw…
The Nine-Tails could only stare helplessly as the brat played with its chakra better than it ever had, a strange sense of futility rising within.
Perfected Uzumaki physique, Breath of Wind training, and now a One-Tail chakra cloak…
Without realizing it, Naruto had become a monster of raw numbers.
The next step was to master ninjutsu and fully grasp all nine forms of Breath of Wind.
After amusing himself for a while, Naruto looked back at the fox, whose deadpan expression was more and more Tom-like.
"Nine-Tails, let's make a deal."
Without Shisui's Kotoamatsukami like in the original, Naruto chose to be direct.
Profit and persuasion had always worked best—even on foxes.
"A deal? You think you can—"
The Nine-Tails began to snarl, but remembering what it had just witnessed, it swallowed its words.
"From now on, whenever I call on your chakra, you'll cooperate. In return, I'll find a way to give you freedom. Until then, I'll make sure your life here is less miserable."
"I'll only offer this once. You have three days. Think it over."
Now that Naruto had broken free from its interference, he clearly held the upper hand. His tone was absolute.
Even without the Nine-Tails, he had his own path to power. With it, he gained an ally against malice, genjutsu, and sage chakra.
But if the fox refused, Naruto wouldn't hesitate to alter the seal and drain it dry—using the beast as nothing more than a living battery.