"This is my deal with you!"
For Kurama, this was nothing more than a mutually beneficial transaction—using the offer of healing Uzumaki Raiden's injuries in exchange for limited freedom. Even though it wasn't complete freedom, the Nine-Tails was eager for any form of release.
However, Raiden's focus wasn't on the deal itself. When he heard that Kurama didn't know what he would do if the seal was broken, an idea formed in his mind. If the Nine-Tails had no plans for the future, then perhaps Raiden could guide him toward one.
For a creature of such longevity, contemplating what to do tomorrow was a difficult question to answer.
"A deal, huh? Indeed, for us, it's just that—a transaction."
"But tell me, Kurama, if you don't know what you'll do after being freed, what's the point of breaking the seal?"
"You'll still be a fox in a cage—that won't change."
"I once heard a legend about you."
"They say the nine-tailed beasts were created by the Sage of the Six Paths. In other words, the Sage was your father."
"Do you remember why he created you in the first place?"
"What kind of expectations did he have for you?"
Raiden's words struck deep. Kurama's eyes widened in disbelief. How could this boy know such secrets? The common belief in the ninja world was that tailed beasts were natural chakra manifestations—miracles of nature. Only the tailed beasts themselves and a handful of select clans knew the truth.
"How do you know that the Sage of the Six Paths created the Tailed Beasts?!" Kurama asked, his voice laced with suspicion and curiosity.
Raiden smiled knowingly. "Don't be so surprised; I know much more than that."
"Not only do I know the Sage of the Six Paths created you all, but I also know that once, you were all one—before you split into nine, you were the Ten-Tails!"
"That creature I fought before, the Gedo Mazo, is the husk of the Ten-Tails."
Kurama's expression darkened. Raiden was dropping bombshells, one after another. This conversation was turning into a genuine heart-to-heart.
Raiden's battle with Uchiha Madara had left him shaken. He had truly felt the fear of death and didn't want to experience it again. He needed to grow stronger—fast.
An old Madara, without his Rinnegan, had nearly taken him down. The thought of facing Madara in his prime, resurrected with Edo Tensei, was terrifying. And beyond Madara, there was still the looming threat of an enemy from beyond this world.
Raiden couldn't afford to wait for Naruto and Sasuke to save the world—he had to be ready himself.
Kurama stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm me. My name is Uzumaki Raiden."
"I know it's hard to believe, but the truth is, I possess knowledge about the Sage of the Six Paths—things that most people can't even imagine."
"Including the Ten-Tails."
"You said you didn't know what to do, right?"
"Well, as a child of the Sage, wouldn't you want to fulfill his last wishes?"
As Raiden spoke, he reached out and touched the cage's iron bars. He could feel the connection between himself and the seal. Though he couldn't control his body yet, he had control over the seal.
Kurama's eyes narrowed as distant memories flooded his mind—the words of the Sage of the Six Paths echoed in his ears:
"Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Gokū, Kokuō, Saiken, Chōmei, Gyūki, Kurama..."
"Even though you are apart, your hearts will always be connected. One day, you will become whole again."
"But it will be different from before, and you will have names—your own identities. You will find a new purpose."
"Before that day arrives, you must seek to understand what true power means."
Kurama's gaze softened as he recalled the Sage's words.
Raiden, sensing this, pressed on. "Kurama, to be honest, my dream is world peace."
"I want to create a world where humans and tailed beasts can coexist in harmony. I believe this is what the Sage of the Six Paths envisioned too!"
"I need your strength, but I don't want to think of this as a mere 'transaction.' I want you to be my partner!"
"Let's fight together!"
Raiden couldn't explain why he was speaking such grand words—it was unlike him. Yet, deep down, he meant every word, not just for himself but for those he cherished.
Kurama snorted, his narrowed eyes observing Raiden closely.
"Hmph, since you're begging me so much, I'll consider it."
As the Nine-Tails agreed, the lightning that once enveloped the cage began to dissipate. The once-bright sky within Raiden's mindscape darkened, and the fading lightning gathered in the clouds.
The golden Kongō Fūsa chains wrapped around the cage began to vanish, and Raiden felt his consciousness expand—his sensory field stretched outward, reconnecting him with the outside world.
The cage that imprisoned Kurama slowly dissolved, and his size swelled within the mindscape, his chakra radiating intensely.
A torrent of negative emotions—hatred, resentment, and fury—flooded Raiden's mind as Kurama's chakra enveloped him.
"What... is this?!" Raiden gasped, overwhelmed by the dark emotions.
However, he quickly steeled himself. Deep within his heart, a small yet unwavering clarity resisted the darkness. Suppressing those negative emotions, he tightened his resolve.
In the real world, Uzumaki Raiden's eyes snapped open. He gasped for breath, his consciousness fully returning to his body.
"Where... am I?"
Darkness surrounded him. A heavy sense of weakness weighed on his body, and his sensory perception was restricted to just a few meters.
"A seal? Where am I?"
Kurama's chakra cloaked him, allowing him to slowly sit up. Stretching his hand forward in the pitch-black surroundings, he felt his body—everything seemed intact, but the stale air told him that no one had been in this place for a long time.
This place was an old grotto sealed off by the Third Hokage four years ago. It was rumored to house a tailed beast, though such legends were never confirmed. The location had been completely restricted, turning it into an inaccessible zone.
But today, the occupant of the grotto had finally awakened.
(End of Chapter)