Chapter 263: Where Does a Tailed Beast's Knowledge Come From?
Only something with chakra on the scale of a tailed beast, vast reserves combined with regenerative capability, was qualified to serve as fusion fuel for Baryon Mode.
As everyone knew, Hashirama had once remarked that Naruto, in Nine-Tails Mode, possessed chakra nearly comparable to his own.
Half of Kurama plus Naruto's chakra could essentially be treated as equivalent to Hashirama's chakra level.
Naruto's portion could practically be ignored. Even as a member of the Uzumaki clan with unusually large chakra reserves, it still paled in comparison to a tailed beast's monstrous baseline.
Which meant…
Hashirama's chakra could be regarded as roughly equivalent to half of Kurama's.
That was genuinely tailed beast-class chakra.
True tailed beast-class chakra.
Cases like Kisame combined with Samehada being labeled a "tailless tailed beast" did not count. Those relied on absorption rather than intrinsic reserves.
When everyone looked at Hashirama, what they were thinking was clear.
He didn't need a tailed beast at all.
He could simply burn his own chakra as fuel.
But what was Hashirama thinking?
That others wanted to treat him like a tailed beast and seal him inside someone.
What kind of mental leap was that?
Just as Tobirama had said…
There was no point.
He would never learn it.
One couldn't exactly claim that all reincarnations of Asura were fools.
It was more tactful to say…
They were geniuses in highly specific, unconventional domains.
Hashirama's Wood Release techniques were, for the most part, raw chakra constructs molded into shapes.
Only his sealing technique, designed specifically to avoid accidentally elbowing Kurama to death, required genuine finesse.
At the Valley of the End, when Madara wrapped Susanoo armor around Kurama, Hashirama had even admired it. "Madara… that guy really has imagination."
"Expecting the First Hokage to learn Baryon Mode is no different from asking him to first master every forbidden jutsu Tobirama ever created."
"Let's not indulge in unrealistic fantasies."
Shiromo spoke, decisively shattering everyone's hopes.
If they wanted Baryon Mode, they would have to rely on jinchūriki.
"…Wait."
Kushina raised her hand like a student in class.
"If the First Hokage can't learn it, how did Kurama manage to?"
"I never thought Kurama was particularly intelligent…"
The moment those words left her mouth, Kurama exploded first.
"I have lived for over a thousand years! The depth of my wisdom is beyond the comprehension of a mere human shinobi!"
"That is precisely why I despise you humans, always treating tailed beasts as mindless animals!"
Kurama's furious voice echoed in Kushina's mind.
"Kurama says it has lived for over a thousand years and possesses wisdom beyond my understanding."
Kushina relayed the statement verbatim.
This was one of Kushina's clever traits.
She lacked sufficient knowledge of Kurama to argue directly.
So she outsourced the rebuttal.
"Then ask it this."
Tobirama responded instantly.
"If it has lived for a thousand years, what exactly has it learned?"
"Oh."
Kushina nodded.
"Kyuubi, then let me ask you…."
"You do not need to repeat it! I can hear everything being said outside!!!"
Kurama snapped angrily.
"Why are you getting so worked up?"
"Go on, then. Give us an example of that thousand-year wisdom."
Kushina pressed.
"I have no obligation to prove anything."
"Baryon Mode, the subject of your discussion, was created by my future self."
"That alone is sufficient proof of my intellect."
Kurama huffed coldly.
In truth…
It felt deeply guilty.
Because it genuinely knew nothing.
After centuries of sealing, even writing had become unfamiliar.
And the irony was not lost on it.
It complained about humans treating tailed beasts like animals…
Yet how often had it itself abandoned reason in favor of instinct?
Still…
Kurama's argument was difficult to counter.
After all, Shiromo had described an undeniable future fact.
Which raised a deeper issue.
No one truly understood where a tailed beast's knowledge originated.
If even that most fundamental question remained unanswered…
How could they recklessly attempt something as dangerous as Baryon Mode?
Lives were at stake.
Scientific rigor was essential.
Kushina fell silent.
Seeing no assistance forthcoming, she turned toward Rin.
"Rin, didn't your counterpart from the Limited Tsukuyomi world teach you anything else?"
"For example, what exactly was that staff of hers?"
"How could she directly extract tailed beast power for personal use?"
"No."
Rin shook her head.
"She said time was limited."
"She could only pass on the most critical, universally applicable knowledge."
After answering Kushina, Rin turned toward Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-sama, allow me to serve as the first test subject."
"I am an Impure World Reincarnation body. Death is not a concern."
"As for Isobu…"
"He said dying once because of me was unpleasant."
"But for the sake of battle, he is willing to die again."
"After all, according to Shiromo's story, didn't Kurama revive inside Naruto's daughter?"
Rin's reasoning was sound.
Yet Orochimaru refused.
"No."
"Without concrete research, we cannot determine whether revival after Baryon Mode follows the same mechanism as conventional tailed beast resurrection."
"For all we know…"
"…Kurama's rebirth inside Naruto's daughter might have occurred because Kurama was… involved during certain moments."
Orochimaru stated calmly.
If anything went wrong, if the fusion reaction proved uncontrollable, they would lose a tailed beast entirely.
"…Wait."
Fū timidly raised her hand.
"Doesn't this sound strangely similar to what we just witnessed in the Limited Tsukuyomi world?"
Based on Shiromo's story, Baryon Mode consumed Kurama's chakra and lifespan rather than the jinchūriki's.
The host survived.
Kurama vanished.
Then reappeared within Naruto's daughter.
Ignoring the details in between…
The beginning and end did seem oddly comparable.
"Actually…"
Shiromo suddenly spoke.
"A tailed beast's intelligence largely depends on two factors."
"Its succession of jinchūriki."
"And its memory capacity."
"…Memory?"
The group looked puzzled.
What did memory have to do with anything?
"If a tailed beast can clearly recall trivial events from a thousand years ago, that implies it can retain recent experiences just as effectively."
"And tailed beasts…"
"…can receive external information."
"Just like Kurama communicating with Kushina earlier."
"More importantly, when a jinchūriki undergoes emotional fluctuations, fragments of memory may also be transmitted."
"In other words…"
Shiromo paused deliberately.
"…In other words, Kurama, having experienced both Minato and me as jinchūriki, possesses the combined memories and knowledge of both of us?!"
Kushina's eyes widened.
"…Wait."
Hanabi, who had been listening quietly, suddenly froze.
"…Does that mean Kurama's memories include… that kind of thing happening to itself?!"
Her eyes widened in horror.
"Ahhh!!!"
(End of this chapter)