superior naruto

Unlocking the Nine-Tails' seal was out of the question—not only because Naruto wasn't sure he could do it, but also because if he did, Kurama would likely devour him without hesitation.

After a long silence, Naruto smiled bitterly. "Alright, I admit it. Right now, there's no equality between us."

"So, how about we settle for a fair trade instead?"

Kurama: "A trade? What kind of trade? I lend you my power, and you help me find the other half of my body?"

Naruto: "Not exactly. As far as I know, if I die, you won't survive either. So, whenever I'm in a life-or-death situation, you'll have no choice but to lend me your power."

"Instead of just borrowing your power, how about you teach me? Guide me in my training. In return, I'll help you find the other half of your body."

Kurama paused, his lips curling to reveal sharp, white teeth. "Interesting. You want me, a demon fox, to be your teacher?"

Naruto: "Yes."

Kurama: "Do you even realize what you're saying? I killed your parents, and now you want me to teach you?"

Naruto: "Master Kurama, you seem to forget—I'm not the original Naruto. I'm an outsider who took over this body. In a way, the original Naruto is dead, or rather, killed by me. So, there's no revenge between us."

Kurama: "What about my hatred for Konoha? I want to destroy everyone in this village."

Naruto: "That has nothing to do with me. To the villagers, I'm just the demon fox. Did you see the way they looked at me earlier? Full of resentment. I have no reason to stand with people who hate me."

Kurama: "Then if I tell you to destroy Konoha, would you do it?"

Naruto: "If all my skills come from you, then your will becomes mine. I wouldn't refuse, but I have one condition."

Kurama: "Interesting. Go on."

Naruto: "It's simple. I won't harm the people who support me. Even if you want revenge on Konoha, you wouldn't want me to be ungrateful, right?"

"So, under no circumstances can we harm Iruka or Hinata."

"Master, do you agree?"

Kurama: "Hmph… you make a fair point. Ungrateful people are indeed disgusting."

"But what if the entire village ends up supporting you? Would that mean no one dies?"

Naruto: "Master Kurama, you're joking. Do you really think that's possible? Will the people of Konoha ever support me?"

Kurama thought for a moment. Given what he'd seen over the years, it was highly unlikely.

Naruto: "So, Master, will you accept me as your student?"

Kurama: "Since you've put it that way, why not?"

Naruto: "May I know your name?"

Kurama: "Kurama."

Naruto: "Then I'll call you Master Kurama from now on."

Kurama's expression froze. "Wait a minute… you said you weren't really Naruto, but now you're using his name?"

Naruto: "Master Kurama, you misunderstood. While I'm not the original Naruto, my soul now inhabits this body. In a way, I am Naruto. But if you don't like the name, you can call me whatever you want—Xiaoming, kid, brat… whatever makes you happy."

Kurama: "..."

Naruto: "Master Kurama, now that you've accepted me as your student, how should I improve my strength?"

Kurama twitched at the corner of his mouth. Is this what having a student feels like? It felt strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Kurama: "Human cultivation revolves around chakra. Chakra is the fusion of mental energy and physical energy. To grow stronger, you need to improve both."

"Your mental energy is already far beyond normal humans because of your unique soul. And your physical energy, thanks to your Uzumaki heritage, has great potential."

"In other words, your chakra reserves are already massive. What you need to do now is learn how to use that chakra effectively."

Naruto nodded, feeling a sense of clarity. "So, I should focus on learning powerful ninjutsu?"

Kurama: "Exactly. You've already memorized the techniques on that scroll, right? The Eight Gates technique would suit you well."

Naruto: "Wait, the Eight Gates? Isn't that a suicide technique?"

Kurama: "The first four gates are safe. It's only from the fifth gate onward that permanent damage occurs."

Naruto focused on his memory of the Forbidden Scroll. The Eight Gates technique was surprisingly simple in theory—strengthen the body and open the gates by channeling chakra to specific points.

The requirements, however, were anything but simple.

First Gate: Requires a body capable of bearing 500 kilograms.

Second Gate: 750 kilograms.

Third Gate: 1,000 kilograms.

Eighth Gate: 1,500 kilograms.

500 kilograms for the first gate? Naruto thought. That's insane! And the third gate requires a ton of strength! No wonder Rock Lee carries those ridiculous weights.

Naruto: "Master Kurama, how long do you think it'll take me to open the first gate?"

Kurama: "With my chakra enhancing your recovery, if you train hard, you should be able to open it within a month."

A month to reach 500 kilograms of strength… Naruto shuddered at the thought. What kind of brutal training would that require?

Naruto: "Can't I learn something else? Like the Flying Thunder God Technique? I remember it requires a massive amount of chakra, which I have."

Kurama: "Chakra is only part of it. The Flying Thunder God requires a natural affinity for Yin Release chakra and the ability to form complex seals. It's not something you can just pick up."

"Here, place your hand on my chakra. Let me see if your chakra has any special properties."

Kurama's chakra seeped out of the cage, bubbling like molten lava. Even a small amount radiated intense heat.

Naruto gritted his teeth and placed his hand on the chakra. The pain was excruciating, like dipping his hand into boiling oil.

Kurama: "Strange… your soul is different from ordinary humans, but your chakra only has an affinity for Wind Release."

"Wait… your soul can devour mine?!"

"Your chakra has changed! Aside from Wind Release, it's also fused with my Yang chakra! What the hell are you?"