"Uzumaki... Raiden!"
Boom!!!
A deafening roar echoed within the cage as a violent hurricane lifted the accumulated water from the ground, surging toward Uzumaki Raiden and Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto instinctively raised his hand to shield himself from the incoming gale, but before he could react, Raiden stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Naruto and swiftly raising his hand.
The previously fence-like gate now crackled with a thin layer of lightning covering all the gaps between the bars. Naruto watched as the hurricane's force quickly diminished, prompting him to lower his hands and peer ahead.
The thin curtain of lightning did not obstruct his view of the cage's interior. Naruto could faintly see lightning ropes shooting out from the surrounding barriers, firmly restraining the struggling Nanabi.
A furious roar filled the entire sewer-like space. Naruto, stunned by the scene before him, stood frozen in shock.
"This... this..."
"Uncle."
It was Naruto's first time inside the space where his tailed beast was sealed. Confronted with the terrifying sight of nanabi, an unease settled over him.
Until now, Naruto had only drawn upon a fraction of the Seven-Tails' chakra that had seeped from the seal. Even that minuscule amount had been difficult to control, placing a tremendous strain on him. Now, standing before the full power of Nanabi, even his usual bravado waned.
"Don't worry, it won't harm you."
Raiden smiled at Naruto's reaction, offering reassurance before stepping toward the cage.
"Uncle, it's dangerous!" Naruto exclaimed, reaching out in an attempt to stop Raiden. However, despite appearing to move slowly, Raiden reached the cage's entrance in the blink of an eye, slipping beyond Naruto's grasp.
"What are you waiting for? Follow me!"
Raiden turned and called out before stepping through the lightning barrier into the cage. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then clenched his teeth, rushing after him.
Inside, the scene was drastically different from the sewer-like exterior. Rather than murky water and stone walls, the space was an expanse of swirling, colorful nothingness. Though Naruto could feel solid ground beneath his feet, looking down revealed only an endless flow of radiant energy.
From this void, countless lightning ropes emerged, binding Nanabi in place. No matter how the beast struggled, it remained trapped within the unyielding restraints.
"Bastard!!!"
Nanabi let out another enraged roar, spitting crystalline phosphorous powder into the air.
"In my seal, you will behave!"
"I'm not here to fight you, Chomei!"
Raiden raised his hand, and golden chains shot out from his back, piercing Nanabi's body. The Seven-Tails, which had been thrashing violently, suddenly collapsed, unable to resist. The phosphorous powder drifting in the air disintegrated as the Kongō Fūsa restrained Chomei.
"What did you do to me?!"
Chomei's enormous insect eyes locked onto Raiden with fury, completely ignoring Naruto. To the tailed beast, Raiden was the true culprit behind its captivity, while Naruto was merely an insignificant container.
"Nanabi, I came to see you!" Naruto stepped forward, shouting confidently.
Raiden initially intended to continue speaking, but when he saw Naruto stepping forward on his own, he simply smiled and took a step back, allowing Naruto to take the lead.
"You? Looking for me?"
Chomei sneered.
"Brat, who do you think you are?!"
A powerful surge of chakra radiated from the beast, sending ripples of color across the ground.
Raiden observed Chomei's reaction with interest. He hadn't expected the Seven-Tails to be able to condense chakra so quickly despite being pierced by the Kongō Fūsa.
"The sealing power of the Adamantine Chains isn't enough to completely suppress Chomei?" Raiden thought, a trace of solemnity flickering across his face.
Yet, Naruto did not cower before the tailed beast's overwhelming aura. Instead of stepping back, he took a determined step forward, staring straight into Chomei's gaze.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"
"And it's not for you to decide who I am!"
"I came here because I want to earn your trust—I want you to fight alongside me!"
Naruto spread his arms wide, refusing to be intimidated. The hurricane-force winds whipped at his clothes, yet he stood firm. Chomei, momentarily stunned, remained motionless, processing Naruto's words.
Then—
"Hahahahahaha!"
The Seven-Tails suddenly burst into laughter, its massive form trembling.
"Humans! Why would I fight beside you? I despise humans the most!"
"That man stole my freedom, and you expect me to help you? Don't be ridiculous!"
Chomei shot a disdainful glance at Raiden before shifting its attention back to Naruto.
Naruto could feel the beast accumulating chakra once again. His instincts told him that Chomei was preparing to attack. He turned toward Raiden, who still showed no intention of intervening.
Realizing he was on his own, Naruto lowered his head in thought, then looked up and said:
"You're right—the people I want to protect have nothing to do with you."
"However..."
"The enemy isn't only after Konoha. They're after you, too."
"To me, you are also someone I need to protect."
"Even if you refuse to lend me your strength, I will still fight to protect you!"
Naruto's words carried unwavering resolve. Chomei, sensing his sincerity, was momentarily speechless.
For countless years, Chomei had only encountered humans who either feared or sought to control it. But here was a boy, standing before it, proclaiming that he wanted to protect it.
"Naïve brat!"
"The people you want to protect are the very ones I want to kill!"
As Chomei spoke, the air thickened with killing intent, his enormous insect-like eyes locking onto Uzumaki Raiden. However, Naruto knew that Chomei's hatred was directed at his uncle.
Caught in the oppressive aura, Naruto was momentarily speechless. He turned his head toward Raiden, who watched the exchange like a spectator at a play, showing no intention of intervening.
Naruto clenched his fists, lowered his head in thought, then looked up and said firmly:
"You're right—the people I want to protect have nothing to do with you."
"However... the enemy isn't just targeting Konoha. They're after you as well."
"To me, you are also someone I need to protect."
"Even if you refuse to lend me your strength, I will still find my own way to resist them!"
Naruto's voice rang with determination, his gaze unwavering. Chomei could sense his sincerity. As a tailed beast, connected by heart to its Jinchūriki, Chomei could feel Naruto's emotions and glimpse his experiences.
Before, the seal placed by Raiden had blocked their connection. But now that Naruto had stepped inside the cage, Chomei could perceive his thoughts clearly.
"Hmph!"
"You talk a big game, but all you're really after is my power!"
"Get lost—I don't want to see you!"
"And you, Uzumaki Raiden, I will never forgive you!"
Chomei's body twisted violently as he struggled against his restraints, attempting to lunge at Raiden.
Seeing that reasoning with the beast was futile, Naruto lowered his head and walked over to Raiden, feeling slightly dejected.
"Uncle, let's go." Naruto tugged at Raiden's sleeve and whispered.
Raiden nodded silently, about to lead Naruto away when, suddenly, a mass of red chakra flared up from his body. The energy quickly condensed into a fox-like apparition, which spoke in a deep, mocking tone:
"Hey, Raiden, why are you wasting time talking to this guy?!"
"Just beat some sense into him!"
"This bastard has a stubborn personality. He doesn't respond to kindness—he only understands force!"
"If this kid really wants to work with Chomei, he needs to stop being so soft!"
As the fox's head spoke, the red chakra dissolved, then rapidly reformed into a massive fist, launching straight toward Chomei.
Still restrained by the lightning ropes and Kongō Fūsa, Chomei had no way to dodge. The chakra fist struck his abdomen with crushing force, causing him to double over in pain, a deafening roar escaping his throat.
Naruto stood frozen, eyes wide in shock.
"Wh—what just happened...?"
He couldn't understand why Raiden had suddenly attacked Chomei.
Chomei, on the other hand, immediately recognized the chakra that had struck him.
"Nine-Tails, you bastard!" he roared.
"It's bad enough that you've become a lapdog for humans, but now you attack me too?!"
"Damn you! I'm going to kill you!"
Chomei's body convulsed as he struggled furiously against his restraints.
"Hmph! Then come at me!"
"Raiden, let him go!"
The fox-shaped chakra construct retreated, standing beside Raiden. As the Nine-Tails' voice echoed, more red chakra surged from Raiden's body, solidifying into a massive form.
The crimson chakra gathered into an enormous shape, rising like a mountain. Soon, it shifted and reformed into a fiery red, nine-tailed demon fox. Even with its wings fully spread, the Seven-Tails was barely comparable in size to the Nine-Tails.
"Oi, don't get carried away, Nine-Tails."
Raiden pressed a hand to his forehead, sighing in exasperation.
He hadn't expected the Nine-Tails to get so worked up, and now all he could do was hope that the fox wouldn't completely derail his training plans.
With a resigned sigh, Raiden withdrew the lightning restraints, recalling the Kongō Fūsa chains back into his body.
As soon as Chomei was freed, Raiden grabbed Naruto's wrist and swiftly retreated to the entrance of the cage.
"Finally! A chance to teach this guy a lesson."
"Let's start, Chomei!"
The Nine-Tails bared his fangs in a wide, toothy grin.
Before he could move, however, Chomei lashed out. A sharp, barbed tail shot toward the Nine-Tails in a blur.
Despite their shared origins as tailed beasts, the Nine-Tails had betrayed Chomei by attacking first. That was something Chomei couldn't forgive.
"Heh!"
The Nine-Tails chuckled, whipping out one of his own tails to intercept the strike. In a flash, he leapt forward, swiping his massive paw toward Chomei's face.
But Chomei was fast. He flapped his wings, retreating just in time to evade the blow. As he pulled back, a fine mist of white phosphorus powder sprayed from between his wings.
The moment the mist made contact with the air, it ignited.
A series of fiery explosions erupted, engulfing the Nine-Tails in blinding flames.
Naruto stared, dumbfounded.
"What… just happened?"
His mind struggled to process the chaotic battle unfolding before him.
Raiden, watching the fight, took a quick glance at the surrounding barriers. He frowned slightly.
The fence-like structure that sealed Chomei now bore visible cracks.
"That wasn't a particularly strong attack, yet it still affected my seal..."
"Is it because there are two tailed beasts clashing inside the seal at the same time?"
Deep in thought, Raiden ran his hand over the cracks. Instantly, they began to mend, the fence repairing itself within seconds.
Inside the cage, the battle continued to escalate. The two tailed beasts had abandoned all strategy, resorting to raw, primal combat. Claws, fangs, and tails clashed violently, waves of chakra surging outward with each collision.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Naruto—who sat cross-legged in meditation—suddenly found himself wrapped in a layer of red chakra. The stone platform beneath him shattered as his energy surged.
Nearby, Rin Nohara and Karin Senju experienced the same phenomenon. A red aura burst from their bodies, their chakra flaring uncontrollably.
Uchiha Obito, who had been observing their training, tensed at the sight, his expression darkening. He immediately turned to Raiden.
Raiden, however, remained calm. Placing a reassuring hand on Obito's shoulder, he said:
"Relax. It's unexpected, but it's under control."
Despite his words, Raiden rubbed his temple, sighing to himself.
He wasn't sure how to explain this to Obito.
At the same time, in the mental spaces where Rin and Karin had sealed their tailed beasts, battles had erupted as well.
The space trembled as a fiery red fox clashed against the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, sending shockwaves rippling through their respective seals.
(End of Chapter)