The Nine-Tails' scarlet vertical pupils fixed on Naruto with an intensity that transcended their usual antagonistic exchanges. For the first time in their shared existence, Kurama's gaze carried something beyond anger or condescension—it held genuine shock at the audacity of what the young human was proposing.
The ancient fox had witnessed countless schemes and desperate gambits throughout his millennia of existence, but this plan possessed a reckless nobility that caught him completely off guard.
Seeing the sudden transformation in Kurama's expression, Naruto's frown deepened with impatience. The sounds of titanic battle raged beyond the sealed space of his consciousness—Sasuke's perfect Susanoo clashing with the First Hokage's Wood Human, creating impacts that shook the very foundations of the earth.
"Answer me quickly," Naruto demanded, his voice carrying the urgent tension of someone operating under extreme time pressure. "I'm on the battlefield right now. I don't have time for extended philosophical discussions."
Faced with Naruto's somewhat curt tone, Kurama experienced something unprecedented. For the first time in their relationship, the great fox felt no surge of rage at being addressed so directly. Instead, he found himself genuinely considering the implications of what was being asked.
After a long pause that seemed to stretch for eternity within the accelerated time of consciousness, Kurama finally spoke: "Yes... it is theoretically possible."
"I thought so."
Before the Nine-Tails could elaborate on the enormous risks and complications involved, Naruto had already withdrawn his consciousness from the sealed space, his mind snapping back to physical reality with jarring suddenness.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing beside Kushina, who was maintaining her golden chain restraints on the Gedo Statue with visible strain. The massive construct continued to struggle against its bonds, each movement creating tremors that rippled through the battlefield.
"Mom, please hold this thing still for a while longer," Naruto said, his voice carrying a determination that made Kushina's maternal instincts prick with alarm. "I'm going to extract all the Tailed Beast chakra from its body."
"WHAT?!"
Kushina's shock was so complete that she nearly lost concentration on her binding technique. Her mind immediately began racing through the tactical and personal implications of such an attempt, her analytical nature warring with her protective maternal instincts.
"That kind of operation shouldn't be feasible, should it?" she said, though even as she spoke, she was beginning to understand the logic behind her son's thinking.
No one knew Naruto better than his parents, and Kushina could see the wheels turning behind his determined blue eyes. This wasn't a reckless impulse—it was a calculated risk based on his unique understanding of Tailed Beast psychology and chakra mechanics.
Naruto's expression brightened with confident enthusiasm. "It's okay! I've already confirmed the possibility with the Nine-Tails. We can free all the Tailed Beasts using the same method I used that time to access nine tails power."
"Nine tails actually told you this was possible?" Kushina's voice carried genuine amazement. The chakra that both she and Naruto were currently wielding had been forcibly extracted from the Nine-Tails, making them anything but allies in the traditional sense.
Yet if the ancient fox was willing to provide tactical advice for such a dangerous undertaking, perhaps their relationship had evolved beyond simple antagonism.
After a moment of internal calculation, Kushina nodded with the decisive authority of someone who had made countless life-or-death decisions during her years as an active kunoichi.
"If that's the case, then let's proceed! But be extremely careful—one mistake and we'll both be dead."
"Right!"
Naruto's acknowledgment was accompanied by immediate action. He pressed his palms together, channeling his chakra with focused precision as brilliant golden energy began manifesting behind him. The power coalesced into two massive claws, each one radiating with the concentrated force of the Nine-Tails' chakra as they reached toward the struggling Gedo Statue.
"ROAR!"
The statue's response was immediate and violent. Sensing the approach of complete Nine-Tails chakra—the final component it needed to achieve its ultimate form—the construct burst into frenzied activity. Its struggles against Kushina's chains intensified dramatically, the raw power of its desperation creating visible distortions in the air around it.
"This thing is suddenly much more agitated," Kushina observed, her hands flying through additional seal formations to reinforce her binding technique. "It's like it can sense what you're planning."
The reason for the statue's excitement was obvious to anyone who understood its nature. After decades of being fed incomplete portions of Tailed Beast chakra, the complete Nine-Tails power was now within its grasp—the final ingredient needed to resurrect the Ten-Tails in all its terrible glory.
Almost simultaneously with the statue's increased struggles, Naruto's chakra claws made contact with its massive ankle, attempting to establish the spiritual connection necessary for extracting the imprisoned Tailed Beast chakra.
But the moment his ethereal claws touched the statue's surface, something completely unexpected occurred.
Instead of penetrating the construct's defenses, the Nine-Tails chakra composing his claws was instantly absorbed, drawn into the statue's body like water soaking into parched earth.
"What the hell?!"
Naruto's expression transformed into one of complete bewilderment. This absorption effect hadn't occurred during his previous confrontation with the Nine-Tails, when he had successfully extracted chakra through direct spiritual contact.
"You idiot! How can you use my chakra to touch the statue directly?!"
Kurama's mental roar exploded through Naruto's consciousness with such force that it made his head ring. The ancient fox's exasperation was palpable, carrying the weight of someone watching a supposedly intelligent person make a fundamentally stupid mistake.
"Huh?" Naruto's confusion was genuine and complete.
Within the sealed space of his consciousness, the Nine-Tails wore an expression that somehow managed to combine fury, disbelief, and reluctant affection in equal measure. The great fox looked as though he couldn't decide whether to laugh at the absurdity of the situation or cry at his container's apparent lack of basic reasoning.
Grinding his massive fangs together, Kurama forced himself to speak with the patience typically reserved for very small children: "All Tailed Beast chakra originally came from the Gedo Statue's body, you fool! What you just attempted is equivalent to pouring water back into the ocean it came from!"
"What kind of weird metaphor is that?" Naruto's response carried his characteristic blend of incredulity and mild offense.
The casual dismissal of his explanation proved to be the final straw for Kurama's already strained patience.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!"
"Haha, sorry, sorry," Naruto replied with the sheepish grin that had gotten him out of trouble countless times throughout his life. Despite the levity of his tone, his mind was processing the implications of Kurama's explanation with growing understanding.
"So if I can't use Tailed Beast chakra, I'll have to rely on my own personal energy reserves?" he asked, his tactical mind already beginning to work through alternative approaches.
"Ordinary chakra will simply be absorbed by the statue as well," Kurama replied immediately, his tone carrying the weight of absolute certainty. "The construct is designed to consume and integrate all forms of spiritual energy."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Naruto scratched his head in frustration, his habitual gesture accompanying a surge of irritation. "If that's the case, why did you tell me this method was feasible in the first place?"
"Little fool, I hadn't finished explaining when you cut me off!"
Kurama's mental voice carried the exasperation of someone dealing with an impatient student who refused to listen to complete instructions before attempting dangerous procedures.
"Okay, okay," Naruto muttered with obvious annoyance. "Then please continue explaining."
But instead of immediately providing the missing information, Kurama's demeanor shifted to something more serious and contemplative.
"Before I explain the technique," the great fox said, his voice carrying unusual gravity, "tell me why you're attempting this."
"Why are you asking such obvious questions? We're in the middle of a battle!" Naruto's impatience was reaching its breaking point.
But Kurama persisted, his tone becoming almost gentle: "Answer me. Why are you willing to risk your life for this?"
"There's really no helping you, is there?" Naruto sighed, recognizing that the Nine-Tails wouldn't continue until this question was addressed properly.
"There's no particularly complex reason," he said, his voice taking on a quieter, more reflective quality. "I can understand the pain that the Tailed Beasts are experiencing right now."
"Understand?" Kurama's voice suddenly carried a sharp edge of skepticism. "You're just a human teenager. What could you possibly understand about our suffering?"
"You should already know the answer to that," Naruto replied with calm certainty.
"We've been together since the day I was born. Even though I didn't know about your existence at first, you've been watching everything that's happened to me throughout my entire life."
As Naruto continued speaking, Kurama's expression began to change, the ancient hostility in his eyes gradually giving way to something approaching recognition.
"In everyone else's eyes, I've always been nothing more than an accessory," Naruto continued, his voice carrying the weight of years of accumulated pain and determination. "No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I accomplished, it was always attributed to something else—never to me as an individual."
He paused, his gaze lifting to focus on the struggling Gedo Statue above them.
"Back then, my feelings were probably very similar to what the Tailed Beasts are experiencing right now."
His voice grew stronger as he articulated thoughts that had been crystallizing throughout the war: "Even though your chakra originally came from that massive construct, you've all become independent individuals with your own thoughts, feelings, and desires. Each of you developed a unique personality and perspective over the centuries."
"It's really unpleasant to be considered just a component of someone else, isn't it?"
The question hung in the air between them, carrying emotional weight that transcended their complicated relationship.
"Actually, I shouldn't complain too much anymore," Naruto continued with a self-deprecating smile. "I have the best parents and sister in the world. When I think about it objectively, my problems mostly stem from my own inadequacies rather than external circumstances."
His expression brightened with renewed determination: "That's exactly why I have to keep working to become stronger. Someday, I'll make everyone recognize my existence as something valuable in its own right."
The final declaration rang with absolute conviction: "I am Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha—nothing more, nothing less, but definitely something complete!"
Within the sealed space, Kurama fell into contemplative silence, his ancient mind processing emotions he hadn't experienced in centuries.
"So please," Naruto urged, his voice carrying both respect and urgency, "tell me what you were trying to explain earlier. Mom won't be able to maintain those restraints indefinitely."
After what felt like an eternity, Kurama finally spoke: "If you want to extract the other Tailed Beasts' chakra from the statue's body, the only energy that won't be absorbed is natural energy."
"Sage Mode?"
Standing before the massive Gedo Statue, Naruto's mind immediately grasped the implications. The Nine-Tails chakra flowing through his system began withdrawing back into his sealed core, replaced by the familiar sensation of gathering natural energy from his environment.
He took several steps backward, then settled into a cross-legged meditation position, his hands forming the traditional mudra for Sage chakra condensation.
"Wait, you impulsive fool—I haven't finished explaining yet!"
Kurama's mental voice carried genuine alarm as he watched Naruto begin the dangerous process.
"While it's true that Sage chakra won't be absorbed by the statue, your personal energy reserves alone are vastly insufficient compared to the combined chakra of five Tailed Beasts."
The fox's tone grew grimmer as he continued: "Your chances of success are less than one in a thousand. If you fail due to chakra over-consumption, you'll die. And if you die, I die with you."
Kurama's final statement carried a weight of vulnerability that he rarely allowed himself to express. Despite their complicated relationship, the prospect of mutual destruction held no appeal for the ancient entity.
"One in a thousand, huh?" Naruto murmured to himself, then chuckled with characteristic self-awareness. "My brain isn't nearly as sharp as my father's, so even if you give me statistical probabilities, I probably won't fully understand what they mean."
His expression grew serious as he continued gathering natural energy: "But I do understand this much—I have some chance of succeeding if I try. If I don't try at all, I'm guaranteed to fail."