"Hahaha."
The sound of Naruto's delighted laughter echoed through the spiritual connection, carrying genuine warmth and amusement that seemed to resonate with the trapped Tailed Beasts. Despite the desperate circumstances surrounding them, he couldn't help but feel joy at this unexpected discovery.
"These relationships between the Tailed Beasts are no different from what I have with my other friends," he realized with growing wonder. Each of the legendary creatures possessing distinct personalities, individual quirks, and their own ways of expressing concern and affection—just like any group of friends might.
The villages had always treated them as weapons, as living embodiments of natural disasters to be feared and controlled. But listening to their interactions, Naruto understood that they were simply individuals who had been forced into circumstances beyond their choosing.
"And the Nine-Tails in my body seems to be the least honest one among all of them so far," he observed with characteristic insight, recognizing Kurama's tendency to hide genuine emotion behind layers of sarcasm and gruff dismissal.
"Of course I don't want to be consumed by this cursed statue," the Four-Tails replied, his deep voice carrying both determination and lingering suspicion. "But I still don't understand—why would a human risk his life to help us for no apparent reason?"
There was genuine confusion in Son Goku's tone, as if the concept of selfless assistance from a human being challenged fundamental assumptions he had held for centuries.
"Tell me, kid," he continued with growing intensity, "what is your true purpose in this? What do you hope to gain?"
"Well, that's..." Naruto began, then found himself struggling to articulate the complex motivations driving his actions.
The reasons were multilayered and deeply personal—part empathy, part tactical necessity, part moral conviction, and part instinctive rebellion against systems that treated living beings as objects. How could he explain such complexity when time was rapidly running out?
Kushina's restraints were showing signs of strain, and his shadow clones were fighting a losing battle against forces that far exceeded their design limitations. Every second spent in explanation was a second closer to complete failure.
Just as Naruto began to worry that his inability to provide a satisfactory answer might doom the rescue attempt, other voices joined the conversation:
"Although his motivations remain unclear," came a measured, philosophical tone that seemed to carry the weight of vast experience, "the fact that he was able to project his chakra to reach us demonstrates genuine sincerity."
This was the Five-Tails, Kokuō, his voice carrying the analytical precision of someone accustomed to examining complex problems from multiple angles.
"Furthermore," he continued with growing conviction, "attempting to extract our chakra from the Gedo Statue's body requires risking his own life at every moment. Such actions cannot be easily faked or performed for selfish gain."
"Besides," added a softer voice that carried distinctly feminine undertones—the Six-Tails—"since the Nine-Tails has already vouched for him, that provides significant evidence of his trustworthiness."
Her tone carried the gentle wisdom of someone who had learned to read deeper truths beneath surface appearances.
"In any case," interrupted another voice, this one sharp with urgency, "this kid's chakra reserves won't last indefinitely. We're wasting precious time with unnecessary philosophical debates."
"Let's coordinate our efforts and get you out first, Four-Tails!" The declaration came from multiple voices simultaneously, creating a harmony of determination that spoke to their shared desperation and collective hope.
Son Goku hesitated for several long moments, his consciousness weighing the risks of trust against the certainty of continued imprisonment. Finally, with the gravity of someone making a life-altering decision, he spoke:
"Alright. I'm trusting you, human child."
The moment those words left his lips, Naruto felt tremendous weight suddenly attach itself to his chakra claws. The sensation was like being connected to a falling mountain—the raw density of Tailed Beast chakra far exceeded anything his previous experiences had prepared him for.
"Hold on tight!" Naruto called out, his eyes blazing with determination as he gathered every available ounce of his strength.
"PULL!"
His muscles strained against forces that challenged the very limits of human capability, but the weight of the chakra claw was simply overwhelming. Despite his enhanced Sage Mode and the cooperation he was receiving, dragging the Four-Tails' essence upward felt like attempting to lift the ocean itself.
"At this rate, regardless of whether my chakra holds out, Kushina and my clones won't be able to maintain their positions much longer," he realized with growing desperation.
At that critical moment, he felt additional force surge upward from beneath the Four-Tails' heavy chakra signature—other Tailed Beasts lending their strength to the rescue effort. The burden Naruto had to bear suddenly became manageable, though still tremendous.
"Everyone, work together!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking with excitement and renewed hope.
The realization that all the imprisoned Tailed Beasts were coordinating to assist in their collective escape filled him with energy that seemed to transcend his physical limitations.
Meanwhile, across the greater battlefield...
"That child..." Madara's enhanced perception had detected the disturbances occurring within the Gedo Statue's interior, and a single glance revealed Naruto's position at the creature's base.
"He actually intends to extract the Tailed Beasts' chakra directly from the statue's body?" Even the legendary Uchiha couldn't entirely conceal his surprise at such audacity.
What Naruto was attempting should have been categorically impossible. The power differential alone made success statistically insignificant, while the technical challenges involved seemed insurmountable.
Minato had also sensed the dramatic changes in the Tailed Beast chakra signatures within the statue, his enhanced perception painting a clear picture of what his son was attempting.
"Naruto..." he breathed, his voice carrying a mixture of pride, worry, and amazement.
"Only Naruto could conceive of such an approach," came Kurama's voice within Minato's consciousness, the ancient fox's tone rich with grudging admiration and genuine surprise.
"Hehe," Minato chuckled softly, despite the gravity of their circumstances. "But this is indeed the only method that might succeed given his current power level."
His gaze shifted to focus intently on Madara, noting that despite the obvious threat posed by Naruto's actions, the legendary Uchiha's expression remained remarkably calm.
"Indeed, with Naruto's current strength, even using the most optimal approach available, his success rate should be extremely low," Minato analyzed. "Yet Madara seems almost... unconcerned."
In Madara's grand design, the power of the Tailed Beasts represented the most crucial component. Any threat to that power base should have triggered immediate defensive action.
His apparent lack of urgency was deeply troubling.
"This guy..." Minato's frown deepened as tactical possibilities raced through his mind. "Regardless of what he's planning, I cannot allow him to interfere with Naruto's rescue attempt."
Even if the effort ultimately failed, as a father, Minato would provide absolute support for his son's determination to help suffering beings. The attempt itself demonstrated the heroic qualities that the Great Toad Sage's prophecy had foretold.
"Naruto's current actions confirm the possibility that the prophecy predicted," Minato reflected with growing understanding. "At this point, I'm completely unable to see through what the prophecy means or provide any guidance."
"Everything Naruto does now reflects his own authentic character!"
"ROAR!"
The simultaneous stirring of all the Tailed Beast chakras within its body triggered a response from the Gedo Statue that transcended mere animal fury. Recognizing the genuine threat posed by the rescue attempt, the creature's struggles intensified exponentially, its massive form writhing with desperate violence.
"Stay still!" Kushina commanded through gritted teeth, her golden chains blazing with increased intensity as she fought to maintain control.
"It seems like the statue's follow-up power has been significantly weakened by Naruto's actions," she observed with cautious optimism, noting that despite the increased struggling, the creature's overall energy output appeared diminished.
As Naruto's chakra claws continued their upward drag, even with assistance from the other Tailed Beasts, he could feel the Four-Tails' chakra becoming progressively heavier with each passing moment. The extraction process was drawing them closer to the surface, but it was also approaching the limits of what the Gedo Statue would passively allow.
His teeth clenched with determination while his two shadow clones maintained their desperate grip on the creature's teeth, their forms beginning to show signs of chakra depletion and structural instability.
"It's so heavy!" Naruto gasped, sweat pouring down his face as he held tightly to the chakra extending before him with both hands.
"Almost there..." he thought desperately, feeling that success was tantalizingly close. The Four-Tails' chakra signature was nearly at the extraction point—he couldn't afford to release his grip now.
Swish!
Making a split-second decision that bordered on reckless, Naruto leaped upward and began running along the surface of the Gedo Statue's body, using his enhanced agility to gain additional leverage for the final extraction phase.
"Naruto!" Kushina's eyes widened with alarm, but even as she called out, her son had already landed on the creature's middle tooth, leaning backward and pulling with every ounce of strength his body could produce.
She could only tighten her grip on the statue's neck, grateful that its struggles seemed less intense at this critical moment.
"BANG!"
Without warning, the Gedo Statue's massive form shuddered with tremendous force.
"BANG!"
Almost instantly, the chains Kushina had used to bind the creature's legs snapped like brittle wire, their golden light dispersing as the bindings failed catastrophically.
"What incredible power!" Kushina exclaimed in shock, realizing that the energy suddenly erupting from the statue far exceeded her ability to suppress or contain.
"All of my restraints will be broken within seconds," she understood with growing horror.
"Naruto, get away from there!" she shouted desperately, dark golden chakra immediately coalescing behind her as she formed a rescue claw aimed at her son's position.
"It was deceiving us!" The realization hit her like a physical blow, her eyes darkening with understanding of how thoroughly they had been manipulated.
"The Gedo Statue's power never weakened at all. It was deliberately showing weakness to lure Naruto into a position where it could easily capture him."
"We all underestimated this creature's intelligence."
The moment the statue unleashed its true power, Naruto's two shadow clones exploded with sharp "BANG!" sounds, their forms unable to withstand the tremendous forces being exerted against them.
Simultaneously, the Four-Tails' chakra that had been on the verge of successful extraction was violently suppressed back into the statue's depths by overwhelming force.
"Oh no!" Naruto immediately recognized that the entire situation had changed dramatically, his enhanced perception revealing the trap that had been laid for him.
He stretched out his arms in a desperate attempt to brace himself against the statue's closing mouth, but his strength had been nearly depleted by the prolonged extraction effort.
As the chain binding the creature's neck snapped, the Gedo Statue's massive head shook with tremendous violence, causing Naruto to lose his balance entirely.
He fell directly toward the creature's gaping maw.
"SWISH!"
Even as Naruto plummeted into the statue's mouth, Kushina's dark golden chakra claw raced to intercept his fall, extending into the creature's oral cavity just moments before its jaws could snap shut completely.
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