In a vast, shadowy void—
The enormous form of the Nine-Tails lay crouched on the ground. With every breath he took, terrifying chakra surged through the air.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, their depths filled with exhaustion.
Before him appeared a translucent interface that only he could see—lines of glowing golden text hovered clearly in the air:
"Infinite Resurrection System successfully bound."
"Host: Qingling | Identity: Tailed Beast, Kurama (Nine-Tails)."
"Each time the host dies, they will be resurrected, power doubled upon return."
"System ignores all genjutsu. If the host is caught in an illusion, they will immediately die—and be reborn, stronger."
"System binding complete. Resurrection Starter Pack unlocked."
Reward 1: Unlock all seals restricting your jinchūriki vessel. The host now has perfect control.
Reward 2: Retrieve the other half of the Nine-Tails' chakra from the Shinigami. Full control granted.
Reward 3: Taijutsu technique: Eight Gates. Accelerated learning is complete. Mastery achieved.
Kurama stared blankly, a metaphorical question mark on his massive fox face.
What the hell? When did I get a system?
Qingling vaguely remembered being too lazy to get out of bed that morning. He just wanted to sleep in a little longer.
And now I've woken up… in another world?
He had died in his sleep—and transmigrated straight into the Nine-Tails.
That meant he was now sealed inside Naruto's stomach. But the seals had all been unlocked. Did that mean he was free now?
The "immune to genjutsu" part especially boosted Qingling's confidence.
If a tailed beast couldn't be affected by illusions, didn't that make him nearly invincible?
And with mastery over the Eight Gates, while others feared the damage it could do to their bodies, Qingling didn't need to care. After all, death only made him stronger.
Hmm?
Before Qingling had a chance to adjust to this new chakra flow fully, he was planning to leave and explore the ninja world.
Suddenly, a burst of chakra flared beside him—materializing into a familiar shape.
It was the other half of the Nine-Tails.
The system had forcefully retrieved the Yin half of Kurama, which had been sealed by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
"Why the hell are you wearing my chakra shell?"
The Yin Kurama glared, instantly sensing something was off—Qingling's soul felt completely different.
This wasn't the usual connection between halves of a single being.
He's occupying my chakra form!
"Maybe you're the one who wandered off and left your chakra behind."
Qingling shrugged, flipping the roles.
"If I eat you, I'll be whole again!"
Kurama's eyes gleamed with greed.
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing."
WHOOSH!
Yin Kurama lunged—but before he could touch Qingling, a single claw caught his paw.
Instantly, Yin Kurama collapsed, trembling uncontrollably.
"What… What did you do to me?! Some kind of illusion?!"
"No," Qingling said calmly. "This is control—perfect mastery over chakra, and soul."
Yin Kurama's hatred surged. He couldn't understand why his chakra refused to obey him.
"Tastes good."
Qingling didn't hesitate. Opening his massive jaws, he devoured Yin Kurama in one bite.
Yin and Yang became one.
Qingling immediately felt whole—his power surged, flowing with ease.
With a casual stretch of his paw, he could open or close the seal at will.
Then he paused—his senses sharpened.
A wave of malice tickled his awareness, and his brows furrowed.
Through his connection to Naruto, Qingling could see everything the boy did: eating ramen, talking with Iruka, and leaving Ichiraku Ramen.
But most of all, Qingling could feel the raw, unfiltered hostility directed at Naruto—malice that radiated from the Hidden Leaf Village itself.
"Dead-last loser."
"So what if he became a genin? He's still the fox demon of Konoha."
"Look at that dumb smile. Disgusting."
After saying goodbye to Iruka, Naruto walked home alone, hands in his pockets, smiling all the way.
He seemed cheerful, carefree.
But when he shut the door behind him—
Thud.
His head dropped. Shoulders slumped.
He stood silently in his tiny apartment, unsure of what to do next.
He wasn't hungry—Iruka had treated him to ramen at Ichiraku.
But still, out of habit, he reached for a cup of instant noodles.
He had passed the genin exam. That should be worth celebrating… right?
Cup noodles were only for special occasions.
One tear slid down his cheek.
Then another.
Naruto bit his lip hard, trying not to make a sound.
As if he didn't care? Of course, he cared.
He had always been sensitive to others' emotions, always watching their reactions.
He just… hid it well.
He told the world he'd be a straightforward ninja—but every step forward had been taken through sheer force of will.
He just wished there was someone to talk to.
"Hey. Why are you crying?"
A low, unfamiliar voice echoed inside his head.
Huh?
Naruto blinked. Who was that?
"Quit looking around. I'm in the seal inside your belly. Check your stomach."
He lifted his shirt—and sure enough, the seal mark was there, starting to fade like smoke.
It was Orochimaru's Five Elements Seal—used to disrupt Naruto's chakra.
"Who… are you?"
"The name's Qingling. Also known as… the Nine-Tails."
Qingling?
"Wanna learn ninjutsu? Get stronger? Be recognized? Change this world?"
Each question struck deep into Naruto's heart.
"Yes… I do!"
"Simple. I've got a taijutsu technique that'll boost your growth tenfold."
Taijutsu? Naruto was confused.
He couldn't recall any Hokage ever becoming famous through taijutsu alone.
"Is this a genjutsu?"
"Genjutsu my ass!"
Qingling immediately saw through him.
"If you don't wanna learn, fine. I'll leave—and you can stay weak for the rest of your life."
"Where are you? At least let me see you!"
Naruto was curious now. He wanted proof.
"Easy. Just focus on where the seal is. You'll see me."
Naruto closed his eyes—
Suddenly, he found himself standing in a flooded chamber.
Two massive gates loomed before him. He could feel something enormous sealed within.
"You're trying to trick me. You're sealed here—you just want me to let you out!"
Naruto was cautious—his instincts screamed danger.
"Sealed? As if anyone could seal me."
Qingling sneered and casually pointed a finger—
The gate swung open.
A gust of wind tousled Naruto's hair.
He froze, unsure whether to run or step forward.
Just then, a pair of hands gently pushed him from behind.
"Go on, Naruto. I can feel it—he means no harm."
The chakra of Kushina Uzumaki took form beside him.
"Mom…"
Naruto's eyes overflowed with tears, his body reacting to the familiar warmth.
"Silly child," Kushina smiled. "I never expected you to grow up so fast—to be brave enough at your age to unlock the seal and face the Nine-Tails.
Don't be afraid. Kurama's just a big, clumsy child who makes mistakes sometimes."
She cupped his face lovingly, eyes full of maternal warmth.
"But… Mom, I didn't unlock the seal. I think Qingling did it himself."
"Qingling?" Kushina frowned. "That's… strange."
Could Kurama open his seal? That wasn't supposed to happen.
Kushina stared in confusion.
Then she saw Qingling's massive fox face twist into an evil smirk.
"Lady Kushina, surely… You wouldn't want your son to get hurt inside this seal, would you?