Chapter 349: The Furious Kushina
While the Nine-Tails was still shocked that Kushina wasn't shocked, it suddenly realized something.
It finally understood why she wasn't surprised.
Now that it thought about it, the prophecy the Yang Nine-Tails had told it sounded strangely familiar.
Wasn't this the exact thing that happened in the Limited Tsukuyomi?
Back then, it had watched the whole thing together with Kushina.
That line from "Naruto" in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, [You are no longer a wanton demon fox, but my wife, Kurama], still lingered like a curse in its pure and innocent beastly heart.
At first, this didn't seem like a big deal.
But later, based on everyone's analysis, everything that appeared in the Limited Tsukuyomi had a counterpart in reality.
Either similar, or completely opposite.
For example, in the real ninja world, both tailed beasts and jinchūriki were instinctively feared and hated. But in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, it was the exact opposite, everyone in the ninja world was obsessed with the beauty of tailed beasts and wanted to possess their bodies.
In other words, at the beginning, the relationship between the Nine-Tails and Uzumaki Menma in the Limited Tsukuyomi world could be understood as the opposite reflection of reality.
But now…
Was it really the opposite?
The Yang Nine-Tails had already reconciled with Naruto. Where was the "opposite" in that?
Or was it that, in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, the Nine-Tails was the legal wife and Sasuke was the concubine, while in reality, the Nine-Tails was the concubine and Sasuke the legal wife?
"Nine-Tails, although I've never asked before… judging from your voice, you're male… uh, I mean, a male, right?"
Kushina asked carefully.
[Tailed beasts don't have gender, but we do have gender temperament and self-identity. Only the Two-Tails and Seven-Tails are female. Why do you ask?]
"Gender temperament and self-identity?"
Kushina thought carefully about the meaning of those words. "So even if you identify as male, because of the unique nature of tailed beasts, you could technically form female organs inside your body if needed?"
As mentioned before, tailed beasts exist as a duality of chakra and physical flesh. They don't need to eat or reproduce, so they don't require such organs.
But at the same time, they can manifest whatever body parts they need at any moment, it's just that most of the time, there's no reason to.
Kushina understood this, which was why she asked.
[…]
[You crazy woman! Even if I die, I will never form that kind of relationship with Uzumaki Naruto! Stop daydreaming!!!]
[And… heh, think carefully about the relationship between tailed beasts and humans in the Limited Tsukuyomi. I'm inside your body!]
[If that brat Uzumaki Naruto really reaches that point, what do you think the outcome will be?]
[Other than in the mindscape, or by using a shadow clone, he only has one option left, that's you.]
[He'd have you transform into a tailed beast, and then…]
[Heh, what a devoted son that would make him, Kushina. Could you really accept that?]
"No. Absolutely not!!"
Kushina's face instantly turned pale as she shook her head frantically.
Then she seemed to think of something and hurriedly explained, "That won't be necessary. I can just transfer you to Naruto's wife, like Sasuke or someone like that. Wouldn't that solve the problem?"
"Anyway, I'm in an Impure World Reincarnation body. Transferring a tailed beast won't kill me."
[What do you take me for? Merchandise?]
The Nine-Tails was furious.
The Yin Nine-Tails was furious. It copied the entire "conversation record" of its negotiation with Kushina and sent it to the Yang Nine-Tails.
The Yang Nine-Tails took one look, and it was furious too.
So this was Kushina, huh? It had thought that telling her about this would make her an ally, someone who would help them avoid any kind of relationship with her son, Uzumaki Naruto.
But instead, she was so indulgent toward her son that she was willing to help him commit such wrongdoing!
Fine. Old grudges and new grudges together, let's settle this directly!
[Naruto, remember that corpse-bone kid from before? Since he could use that method to take my chakra, you can use the same method to take it back.]
The Nine-Tails spoke in a guiding tone.
It didn't directly state the plan, but it did everything it could to lead Naruto toward thinking of that method himself.
Was it too obvious?
If it wasn't obvious, Naruto might not even figure it out by next year.
"I get it!"
Naruto suddenly had a moment of realization.
Before, he had been wondering, how did that blond guy he defeated with Wind Release: Rasengan Thousand Years of Death, and that red-haired evil woman who tied up Kurama, manage to enter the seal space between him and Kurama?
Now he understood.
Naruto touched his stomach, where the sealing pattern was.
Which meant, the seal was in his belly.
Back then, Kimimaro used Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets Thousand Years of Death and a drill to enter his stomach.
So…
"That blond man and that red-haired woman were advance troops sent by that guy back then, using the Thousand Years of Death to enter my stomach and steal your power, Kurama?"
[Congratulations, Naruto. That's completely correct. Now go ahead.]
"Alright! Let's go, Kurama!"
Naruto made his decision. He would use his second-strongest jutsu, Thousand Years of Death, to reclaim Kurama's chakra from this "villain"!
Meanwhile, Kushina was still arguing with the Yin Nine-Tails when she suddenly sensed a wave of malice.
That's right, Naruto, with Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, had gained the ability to sense malice. Naturally, Kushina had it too.
Naruto's earlier attacks could still be considered harmless sparring. But now, there was actual malice?
Kushina snapped back to attention, located the source, and immediately lunged forward, rolling across the ground.
At the exact spot where she had been standing, Naruto's real body suddenly burst out from beneath the sand, shooting upward while maintaining the Thousand Years of Death hand pose.
If she had been even a moment slower, or lacked the ability to sense malice, she would have been hit.
Even though her Impure World Reincarnation body couldn't truly be harmed, and didn't even have a functioning digestive tract, the damage from Thousand Years of Death wasn't just physical.
Not to mention, she knew Shiromo was still watching from above.
If she got hit, she would lose all face.
"Naruto, you've gone too far!!!"
Kushina stood up from the ground, glaring at Naruto in fury.
On Naruto's side, his malice sensing began blaring alarms.
Previously, Kushina's malice had only slightly appeared when he transformed into Shiromo.
But now, it was overwhelming.
"Kurama, you were right. She really does have this much malice toward me."
Naruto formed hand seals, creating a massive number of shadow clones, all rushing toward Kushina.
Golden chains burst out from Kushina's body, piercing through the clones one after another without losing any speed, continuing straight toward Naruto's real body.
"Multiple Shadow Clones, huh?"
Kushina was truly furious now.
Her own son tried to use Thousand Years of Death on her, in front of Shiromo, no less. Who could tolerate that?
Kushina formed the cross hand seal as well, and an equally massive number of shadow clones appeared behind her.
Fine then. You use shadow clones, I'll use shadow clones too.
Who here isn't from the Uzumaki clan, a Nine-Tails jinchūriki, and overflowing with chakra?
(End of this chapter)