However, once you relax and then try to start again… that truly becomes as difficult as ascending to the heavens!
Naruto was currently in this state.
After finally eating his fill and shaking off his exhaustion, the system forced him to immediately resume training, which he found utterly unbearable.
[Warning! Lightning Release Baptism countdown, 2… 1…]
[0!]
Naruto gritted his teeth, stubbornly refusing to continue training. He braced himself for the shock—muscles tensed, features twisted—when suddenly…
Sizzle sizzle sizzle—
Buzz!!!!
The Lightning Release Baptism struck as promised!
Violent electricity instantly surged through his entire body. Naruto immediately felt as if all 130 trillion cells in his body were being pricked by needles, only to explode the next moment!
The intense pain was beyond what any ordinary person could endure.
Even if Naruto was exceptionally gifted, even if he carried the bloodline power of the Uzumaki clan, and even if he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, he still couldn't resist this most direct and brutal pain.
"Ahhhh—!"
Naruto let out a hysterical scream that echoed across the night sky of Konoha.
But this was only the beginning…
[Lightning Release Baptism continues…]
"Ahhhhhh—!"
Clinging to his last shred of stubbornness, Naruto tried to resist the Lightning Release Baptism. But he quickly realized how naive and childish that thought was. Clearly, this wasn't just a one-time event.
As long as he refused to cooperate, the "baptism" would continue to rain down!
Who could possibly endure this?!
Naruto still wanted to fight to the death, to gamble everything… when suddenly—
"Damn it, Naruto! Hurry up and train!"
Naruto jolted in fright.
"What was that voice?!"
"This isn't the system's voice in my head…"
"You… who are you?!"
---
Inside Naruto's body, within the mental space of the Eight Trigrams Seal.
The legendary calamity—Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, a beast possessing the power to destroy heaven and earth—had been living a dull, suffocating life.
Ever since being sealed away by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, years ago, Kurama had been forced to endure humiliation, trapped inside the body of the brat Naruto Uzumaki, stripped of his freedom.
Though this existence was painful, over time, Kurama had begrudgingly grown used to it, forced to accept his fate.
But in his heart, he never gave up hope.
The Eight Trigrams Seal leaked a portion of his chakra—a deliberate design by Minato—but that was a double-edged sword.
His chakra was filled with malice. Bit by bit, it influenced Naruto's will.
If it continued, Naruto would eventually lose control. Then Kurama would have the chance to seize his body, break free once more, and regain his long-lost liberty.
Though the time might be long, for Kurama—a tailed beast with no concept of death, endless regeneration, and more than a thousand years of life—it was nothing.
But his quiet days were suddenly broken.
On this day, Kurama had been sound asleep inside the sealed space.
He wasn't bothering anyone. He wasn't provoking anyone.
Suddenly—
Sizzle sizzle sizzle—
Rumble!
A violent bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens, striking him in his sleep, leaving his fur scorched on the outside and tender on the inside!
Even Kurama, feared throughout the entire ninja world, couldn't stop himself from screaming in agony.
The power of this Lightning Release transcended everything—it struck both body and spirit, unbearable in every way.
Kurama, in pain and furious, immediately searched for the cause.
Soon, he discovered that a "system" had appeared on Naruto.
Even Kurama had no idea what this thing was.
But its power was unimaginable.
It forced Naruto into relentless training, and if he resisted, it would trigger the so-called "Lightning Release Baptism"!
After understanding, Kurama was both shocked and enraged!
Whether Naruto worked hard or not meant nothing to him. Whether Naruto became Hokage was none of his concern. But shocking Naruto and shocking him at the same time—unforgivable!
Of course, Kurama was far stronger than Naruto. But…
First, he was only half of the Yang Nine-Tails' chakra.
Second, his power was suppressed and bound by the Eight Trigrams Seal.
And third, the Lightning Release Baptism was practically "true damage"—ignoring all defenses and striking directly at the soul!
As a result, Kurama actually suffered more pain than Naruto!
He had never wanted to interfere with the brat. But now, his fur stood on end constantly, forcing him to pay attention to Naruto's every move.
Every time the system's warning sounded, Kurama couldn't help but tremble!
Fortunately, Naruto also feared the pain and had been desperately training all day.
That let Kurama breathe a sigh of relief.
But now… after dinner, that brat actually started resisting again, clueless about the danger!
Kurama didn't even have time to react before violent lightning slammed down once more!
In an instant, his fur was blown apart, his massive body convulsed under the electricity, and the pain made the thousand-year-old fox howl miserably.
Even worse—the brat Naruto was still stubbornly refusing!
So, the second wave of baptism immediately struck.
This time, Kurama's pain surpassed Naruto's!
Naruto could still endure. But Kurama? He couldn't take it anymore.
For the first time, he roared at Naruto.
"Damn it, Naruto! Hurry up and train!"
"And you, damned system! If the brat won't work hard, shock him—why shock me?!"