Naruto failed to find Nagato and Konan after defeating the Six Paths of Pain.
Fortunately, he already knew the Akatsuki's base location, so there was nothing to worry about.
With a flash of light, Naruto's figure vanished into the sky.
…
After finding Karin and Kurotsuchi, Naruto had withdrawn from his various transformations and returned to his usual handsome, kind, and warm-looking self.
But honestly, Kurama's chakra was getting stronger and stronger.
During the battle with Pain, Naruto had already noticed that the power of the chakra Kurama provided had greatly increased.
It seemed that after Kurama absorbed other fragments of the Nine Tails, not only did his chakra grow in quantity, but it also underwent a qualitative change.
Kurotsuchi and Karin had originally been fleeing toward Iwagakure, but with Naruto's arrival, Karin immediately knew the fight was over.
"That's great, Naruto! I knew you'd be fine!" Karin said happily, snatching the small Nine Tails from Kurotsuchi's hands and standing in front of Naruto.
Kurotsuchi rubbed her palms subconsciously and looked at the miniature Nine Tails.
She had to admit—it felt really good to touch.
What a pity it was so fierce and always tried to bite people.
Naruto smiled, hugged Karin, and said to Kurotsuchi, "Alright, there's no more danger now. You can head back."
"Tch…" Kurotsuchi huffed disdainfully. "Of course I'm going back! You pervert kidnapped me for days and made the old man misunderstand me! If I could beat you, I'd punch you a hundred times over!"
Seeing her acting so defiant, Naruto chuckled. "Aren't you afraid I'll beat you up right now?"
Kurotsuchi's scalp tingled. She took two steps back, forced a laugh, then quickly turned and ran away.
Naruto didn't bother arguing with her. He turned to Karin and said, "Let's go somewhere more remote."
"I'll go wherever you go, Naruto," Karin replied firmly—but there was a hint of sadness in her expression.
Seeing that, Naruto asked softly, "What's wrong?"
By now, the awkwardness between the two had completely faded. They could speak openly.
Karin lowered her head and said quietly, "I'm too weak. I can't even protect myself, let alone help you…"
Naruto also understood that concern—after all, there were times when he couldn't always be there.
After thinking for a moment, Naruto suddenly said, "Then… how about you become a Jinchūriki too?"
"Anyway, this little Nine Tails is still weak and recovering slowly. Keeping it as a pet feels like a waste."
"If you can use Nine Tails Mode, combine it with some Uzumaki clan sealing techniques, and train with others, your power will grow quickly."
Karin looked at the tiny Nine Tails in front of her, curious.
It looked adorable and harmless. But she had seen firsthand what it could become at full strength.
"Alright!" Karin clenched her fists and said firmly, "I'll do it!"
The small Nine Tails immediately protested, "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?! Do you think it's embarrassing to be my vessel?!"
Pa!
Naruto smacked it lightly on the head. "Shut up, Nine Tails."
The little fox glared angrily at Naruto but didn't dare to say another word.
After all, it knew exactly how terrifying Naruto could be.
Naruto warned it, "When you're sealed, don't make trouble. You'll cooperate obediently with my wife, understand?"
At that, the Nine Tails' pride shattered.
"What did you say?! Even if you kill me, I'll never—"
"Alright," Naruto said, grabbing the back of its neck.
The little fox froze, its two eyes wide with fear. "O-Okay, okay, fine! You win!"
Even though Naruto looked harmless on the surface, this guy could make life worse than death for the Nine Tails.
Better not provoke him—for now.
And so, the Nine Tails accepted its fate.
But just as Naruto was about to begin the sealing process, he hesitated, suddenly remembering something Kurama once said.
Holding the little fox by the scruff, he asked, "I heard you're genderless, right? So… are you male or female?"
The Nine Tails twitched and glared. "What are you trying to do?"
"You're speaking to me in a female voice right now," Naruto said flatly.
The fox exploded. "When I recover, I'll kill you for this!"
Naruto sighed. "Then I'll just have to kill you first."
The Nine Tails instantly panicked and stammered in a cutesy voice, "D-Don't be impulsive! I-I'll do it…"
Kurama's voice echoed in Naruto's mind, full of disdain. "Hmph, how pathetic."
The little Nine Tails roared, "Damn fox! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be like this!"
Even while fuming, it kept speaking in that girlish tone.
Kurama sneered, "How about I just absorb all of you?"
The smaller Nine Tails immediately backed down. "Ugh… meeting you is the worst thing that's ever happened to me."
Kurama replied coldly, "That's right. You'll never rise above me in this lifetime."
The little fox flared up again—
Pa!
Naruto sighed and smacked it once more.
Then he turned to Karin, holding the tiny Nine Tails in his left hand. With his right hand, he pressed his palm gently against her smooth abdomen.
Feeling the warmth of Naruto's hand, Karin blushed slightly, remembering their previous experiences together.
She was nervous, but when Naruto said calmly, "Bear with it for a bit," she nodded. "Okay!"
Zzzzt!
As Naruto activated the sealing technique, the small Nine Tails turned into chakra and began to flow into Karin's body.
However, she showed almost no reaction.
Even after the sealing was complete, Karin didn't break a sweat.
Naruto blinked, confused—had the seal failed?
When Sasuke was sealed by the Nine Tails, his face twisted in agony like he was enduring unbearable pain.
So Naruto asked, "How do you feel?"
Karin took a deep breath, lifted her shirt slightly, and checked the sealing mark. "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that much."
"Hm…" Naruto murmured thoughtfully.
Maybe for someone like Karin, this kind of pain wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Sensing his quiet concern, Karin smiled softly. "Naruto, don't worry. It's all in the past now. I'm fine—and you're here to protect me."
"And now that I have my own Nine Tails, I'll be able to protect myself too."
Naruto nodded, took her hand, and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Their next destination—
The Land of Snow.
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