The rough sand pressed against Kushina's back as the salty sea breeze rustled her disheveled red hair.
Tsunade's fingertips glowed with a soft green light, gently channeling medical ninjutsu to restore Kushina's chaotic chakra pathways, disrupted by the earlier burst.
Ryo stood nearby, his shadow stretching long across the beach in the setting sun.
Kushina's eyelashes fluttered slightly before her eyes slowly opened.
At first dazed, her gaze soon focused on Ryo's calm face and settled.
"How do you feel?" Ryo asked gently.
Kushina tried moving her fingers. A wave of soreness struck her.
"Not bad." Her voice was a little hoarse. She propped herself up on the sand, attempting to sit up.
Ryo reached out and supported her arm steadily.
Kushina turned to Tsunade. "That big fox…"
"It went back in." Tsunade withdrew her chakra and gave Ryo a complicated glance before she continued.
"It's behaving now. Your body's fine. You're just severely drained, both physically and mentally." She paused and frowned. "You're far too reckless. If earlier..."
"But Ryo was there." Kushina interrupted with a grin. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at Ryo with unreserved trust in her eyes. "If Ryo says it'll work, then it will."
"Good." Ryo stood up and brushed off the sand.
"This is just the beginning. We haven't even finished discussing the rent." He gave Kushina a look. The meaning was clear. The negotiation with the Nine-Tails had only just begun.
In the days that followed, the deserted island became a training ground, far from the Five-Tails' territory.
Every day at a fixed time, the silence of the island would be broken by Ryo's voice.
Standing beside Kushina, he would shout into her body.
"Nine-Tails, come out. If you've got the guts to want freedom, then come out and talk. Don't just play dead inside Kushina."
From deep within the seal would come the furious roar of the Nine-Tails. "You think I'm an idiot. You call that freedom. That's hell."
Ryo would tilt his head deliberately. "What was that. I can't hear you. How about you come out and we talk. I promise I won't hit you."
The usual response was silence.
The proud leader of the Tailed Beasts didn't lack the will to fight. It was just that after months of constant physical negotiation, it had been thoroughly broken.
Every time it tried to impact the seal or release hostility, Ryo would sense it immediately.
Then came another round of one-sided heart-to-heart.
With fists coated in strange black energy, Ryo ignored the Nine-Tails' chakra and defenses, landing direct hits on its soul with unbearable pain.
Months of this made the Nine-Tails accept one cruel truth. Being sealed inside Kushina wasn't imprisonment. It was protection. The outside world was far too dangerous. Its once-proud power, in front of that red-haired devil, was as fragile as paper.
Freedom. It couldn't afford that price.
"Give it a try." Ryo said as the Nine-Tails refused to come out. He instructed Kushina to attempt drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra. "Let's see how much control you have now."
Kushina took a deep breath, feeling an unprecedented calm within.
She tried drawing a strand of chakra.
A miracle happened.
The once violent chakra of the Nine-Tails now lay dormant and tamed like a beast trained into submission.
That red power no longer raged like a flood but flowed smoothly like a controllable stream. It emerged without tearing at her body or scorching her soul with hatred.
Flawless.
Kushina's eyes lit up. She focused harder.
A red chakra cloak formed instantly over her body. Its glow was steady.
One tail. Two tails. Seven complete chakra tails swayed behind her, brimming with power yet no longer out of control.
A flash of golden excitement crossed her eyes as she pushed further.
A faint outline of the eighth tail began to form.
Though still unstable and blurry at the edges, it miraculously held.
More importantly, the violent will that usually came with Tailed Beast transformation was now faint and distant, like muffled screams behind a solid barrier. It couldn't shake her will anymore.
"The eighth tail." Kushina panted, joy evident despite the sweat on her brow. The strain was heavy, but the excitement outweighed it all. "I can actually control it now."
Ryo nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Looks like the Nine-Tails really knows how to be reasonable."
His gaze shifted to Kushina's abdomen as if seeing through flesh into the prison within. His tone was calm but firm. "Rent. It still owes all of it."
Those words triggered a deep, primal fear from within the seal.
Tsunade watched Kushina smoothly withdraw from her eight-tail state, then looked at Ryo's composed expression. She could only shake her head, helpless yet reassured.
This guy always made the impossible seem routine.
Night fell over the island. The campfire crackled gently beside the reef, casting a warm glow on the trio.
Kushina nibbled on grilled fish, her energy mostly restored. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Her face was lively as she talked about the new feeling of controlling the Tailed Beast chakra.
Ryo leaned back against a smooth rock with his eyes closed, resting.
The only sounds left on the island were the waves brushing against the sand and the quiet crackle of the fire.
Then it happened.
A faint, probing pull suddenly stirred deep within Kushina's consciousness. Like a claw in the dark, it tapped her mind quickly, then vanished with hesitation and uncertainty.
Kushina paused mid-bite.
A knowing, cunning look flickered in her blue eyes. As expected.
That tenant couldn't play dead forever.
"What is it?" Tsunade instantly picked up on the change in her chakra. Her gaze turned sharp.
Kushina swallowed her food and licked her lips. Her tone was light. "Oh, nothing."
She tilted her chin toward her abdomen with a playful smile. "Looks like our freeloader just woke up and knocked on the door."
Mimicking a negotiation tone, she continued. "Probably wants to discuss rent payments. Or maybe clarify the terms of the lease with the landlady."
Tsunade caught on and grew cautious. "Be careful. Tailed Beasts are sly."
"Yeah, don't worry." Kushina responded casually, placing the fish aside and brushing the sand off her hands.
There was no tension on her face. Only anticipation. Finally.
She instinctively glanced at Ryo.
Ryo returned her gaze with silent encouragement.
Kushina knew that with just one thought, he'd be there. That certainty gave her peace of mind.
She relaxed back onto the warm sand, looking up at the night sky lit by the flickering firelight and scattered stars.
She didn't need to open the door herself. The Nine-Tails would pull her in.
And sure enough, in the next moment
The pull intensified and became forceful.
An invisible whirlpool expanded in the depths of her mind.
A powerful suction erupted.
Her world. The campfire. Stars. Reef. Companions. All twisted and blurred in an instant.
Color peeled away. Sound vanished.
The world spun. Her physical sense faded. Her consciousness was yanked from reality and plunged rapidly into the seal space.
The dizziness subsided as her awareness settled.
Kushina now stood firmly on the solid ground of her inner world.
Cold, damp air clung to her.
A massive iron gate loomed before her like a tower, forming the core of the vast prison.
Behind it, darkness as thick as ink.
This was the center of the seal inside her.
Kushina looked up, her eyes calm as she stared through the bars.
Suddenly, deep in the darkness, two enormous golden vertical pupils lit up, glowing with molten fury.
They locked onto the small red-haired figure with rage, unwillingness, and grievance.
Boom. Clang.
A massive shadow stirred, chains clinking coldly.
The colossal head of a beast slowly emerged from the dark.
Flaming red fur rippled in the heated air. The beast's massive jaws parted, revealing sharp white fangs. Its hot breath blew across Kushina's bangs.
"Little brat." The deep, gravelly voice thundered like rolling thunder, filled with irritation and reluctance. It tried to sound dignified but couldn't hide its suppressed weakness. "We… can talk." The last two words were squeezed out through clenched teeth.
Kushina looked up at the giant fox, large as a mountain.
Months ago, even a trace of its chakra would've crushed her spirit.
Now, staring into those massive eyes, brimming with world-ending power yet laced with complex emotions. Anger. Dread. Wariness. And a hint of cowardice. She felt utterly calm.
She crossed her arms, relaxed, tilting her head slightly. There was no fear on her face. Only the clarity of seeing through the act.
"Big fox," she said, her voice cutting through the silence, crisp and clear. "There's nothing to talk about."
She paused on purpose, each word striking directly.
"You won't even tell me your name. I think it's better if Ryo comes in to chat. He definitely knows how to talk."
Nine-Tails was just the name humans gave it. Of course, it had a real name.
That name was its final dignity and pride.
But this girl wasn't worthy of it.
However, the moment the name Ryo was spoken, the Nine-Tails visibly trembled.
In its golden eyes, terror surged. Deep and instinctual.
That name. That red-haired demon. Its eternal nightmare.
Those few months outside, filled with soul-crushing, nonstop negotiation. Each punch searing into its very essence.
Talk again.
Talk about how it was used as a punching bag.
This sealed space was its last safe zone. That devil must never step in here again.
Never.
The massive fox head thrashed in frustration, letting out a low growl filled with pain.
Its proud head lowered, unwillingly, inch by inch. The air around it lost its dominance.
"...Name..." it muttered through clenched teeth. Each syllable dripping with humiliation. "...I can tell you."
It stared hard at Kushina, searching for any trace of smugness.
But Kushina simply stared back calmly. Her blue eyes were clear and steady, like stating a fact.
That calmness left the Nine-Tails fuming with nowhere to vent.
"Also," Kushina continued, as if ignoring the fury in its eyes. Her tone was firm and unwavering. "From now on, when I use chakra, you provide it. Pure chakra. No resentment or hatred. When I need it, it must come without interference. That's the basic condition for staying here."
"ROAR."
The Nine-Tails let out a deafening roar from deep in its throat.
The entire space shook violently.
You're pushing it. Extortion. Was it now just a chakra supplier.
Worse than death.
Its golden pupils burned with rage. Massive claws raked across the bars of the seal in fury, screeching and throwing sparks.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)