A surging aura swept through the forest.
Those around Naruto Uzumaki were thrown back by the force as a turbulent, sinister chakra slowly enveloped his body.
A thick arm made of Tailed Beast chakra shot out. Its massive claw grabbed an enemy who couldn't dodge in time, and with a slight squeeze, ended his life.
A Root ninja subconsciously took a step back, staring at the transformed Naruto. "What is that monster..." he muttered.
The other Root ninjas quickly retreated, not wanting to get caught in the carnage.
As the chakra around Naruto grew, his body finally transformed into a ferocious fox-like form, with four tails whipping behind him.
Kakashi Hatake's expression hardened. He quickly pulled Sakura Haruno and Sasuke back, warning, "You two, don't go near Naruto!"
Sasuke Uchiha frowned, staring at the rampaging form. "Kakashi-sensei, what is that...?"
"The Nine-Tails..." Kakashi watched the creature roar and spew out a ball of energy, muttering, "The Nine-Tails... is out."
In reality, this was all the chakra the Nine-Tails could leak out with all its might. It had originally thought it would be pleased to corrode its jinchuriki's body, but at this moment, it was deeply unhappy inside the cage of the sealing space. Bubbles of chakra emerged from its body, continuously replenishing Naruto's Tailed Beast cloak and enhancing his power.
Meanwhile, Naruto's soul was inside the sealing space, monitoring the Nine-Tails' every move. His hand was outstretched, ready to interrupt the transformation at any moment.
He could feel the changes in his body and couldn't help but frown. "Nine-Tails, your power seems a bit different from what I imagined..."
"My power is not as fragile as you think!" the demon fox roared, glaring at him in dissatisfaction. "Just open this gate, and you will obtain a power the entire ninja world will look up to! No one will be able to stop you!"
"No, it's quite a bit weaker than I imagined," Naruto shook his head, pressing his temples. "In my memory, when I borrow your power, I'm supposed to be a golden giant, not blood-red like this. It looks too evil."
The Nine-Tails was stunned for a moment. It looked at Naruto with a complicated expression. "Brat, a word of warning: don't ask for too much."
Only the fox knew the truth. As the Tailed Beast closest to the Ten-Tails, its perfect Tailed Beast Chakra Mode was different from all the others. The only time it had ever appeared was long ago, when the Nine-Tails lent its chakra to Asura during his battle with Indra.
How on earth did this brat named Naruto Uzumaki know?
Thinking this, the Nine-Tails fixed its gaze on Naruto, as if trying to see something hidden deep within him.
"Alright, if we can't kill all the enemies, let's get Kakashi-sensei and the others out of here first," Naruto clenched his fist and said to himself. "After this is over, I'll just absorb the chakra you've released to replenish my stamina."
The Nine-Tails was speechless.
This brat is really annoying! He borrows my power and immediately threatens me. Then he plans to absorb the chakra I worked so hard to release. Is he even human?
Outside, the situation had completely changed.
No matter how many ninjas Yamanaka Fu brought, they were powerless against the four-tailed form. One Root ninja didn't have time to retreat before his chest was torn open by the creature's claws, a wound he clearly wouldn't survive. A scorching energy ball shot out, landing beside three other Root ninjas and blowing them to pieces.
The area had turned into a slaughterhouse.
Yamanaka Fu gritted his teeth, looking at his heavily damaged squad and the few survivors. He had no choice but to give the order. "Everyone... full retreat!"
Only eight of the Root ninjas remained. They hadn't completed a single mission, and now their identities had been exposed to Kakashi. That brat who had just graduated, Naruto Uzumaki, not only possessed powerful ninjutsu but could also wield the power of the Nine-Tails.
If they stayed here, facing a monster of unknown power, no number of ninjas would be enough. At least, not these ninjas loyal to Danzo Shimura.
On the way out, one of them called out, "Captain, if we just retreat like this, how will we explain it to Lord Danzo?"
"I will send one person to explain the situation," Yamanaka Fu said, stopping on a tree branch. "The rest of us will wait for an opportunity to continue the mission while we await new orders from Lord Danzo!"
The remaining Root ninjas were stunned. They looked at each other, but no one objected. Continuing the mission meant almost certain death. However, they had another problem: now that their identities were exposed, Lord Danzo would surely send someone to eliminate them. Many of them had carried out similar missions themselves. Any Root ninja who accidentally revealed their identity was to be executed by their own comrades.
On the other side, after the enemy retreated, the Tailed Beast chakra around Naruto gradually receded, and he regained control of his body. It came at a price; he could feel his body burning hot, a side effect of using the Nine-Tails' chakra. Still, he had mastered a new skill and gained a new power.
First, he would coerce the Nine-Tails into providing chakra to enter Tailed Beast Mode. Then, after the battle, he would use the Sealing Art: Devour to absorb the chakra for himself.
Kakashi cautiously approached him, looking at his subordinate with concern. "Naruto... are you okay?"
"Yeah, I should be fine for now." Naruto clenched his fist, feeling control return to his limbs. He gave Kakashi a nod.
The merchant guild leader, who had been hiding, watched Naruto nervously, trembling all over. "What kind of monster are you?"
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Sasuke snapped. He pinned the merchant's head against a tree with a kunai. "He just saved our lives!"
Even though Sasuke had also been afraid of Naruto's demon fox state, he knew that without it, they wouldn't have survived. At the same time, a hot anger born from his own powerlessness welled up inside him. He refused to be a ninja who was second to anyone. Being defeated so easily by that female ninja earlier had been humiliating, especially since she was just someone Itachi had beaten.
"Sasuke, let him go!" Kakashi stepped in, his voice firm. "We are Konoha ninjas. We don't raise our blades against a client."
"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been surrounded in the first place!" Sasuke retorted stubbornly. "Kakashi-sensei, this mission was a trap from the start!"
"Regardless, let's search the area," Kakashi sighed, glancing at his three subordinates. His gaze finally rested on Sakura Haruno. The fear on her face hadn't faded in the slightest. She was still in shock.
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Bonus:
Naruto Uzumaki: Nine-Tails, your chakra mode smells fishy!
Nine-Tails: Don't expect too much! Look at everyone else's, they all look like this!
Naruto Uzumaki: Really?
Nine-Tails: You think I'd lie to you? Next time, go check out someone else's tailed beast mode…
Naruto Uzumaki: Alright, fine. I'll trust you this once.
Nine-Tails: Mm-hmm…
Naruto Uzumaki: Wait… your eyes look weird…
Nine-Tails: I'm damn… perfectly fine with my eyes!