What the hell was it even thinking? Shaking its head, the Nine-Tails decided to get back to the matter at hand. "So, what do you want?"
"I'll help you confirm if Xin really has the chakra of a tailed beast, but on one condition," Kushina offered, knowing she had the fox's interest.
"And what's that condition?"
"Lend me your chakra. No holding back, and no sneaky tricks. If you agree, I'll go talk to Xin right now."
The Nine-Tails snorted. "Dream on! You want to use my power? Not happening!"
It roared its refusal without hesitation. Why would it ever willingly lend its power to its jailer?
Kushina sighed dramatically. "Well, if that's how you want it, then I guess I'll just leave you locked up for even longer. Don't expect any more breaks out of your cage, either. I'm done dealing with you."
With that, she turned on her heel, ready to leave. She didn't look back, even though she was hoping the fox would take the bait. If she pushed too hard, the whole plan could backfire.
The Nine-Tails wasn't stupid. It could sense her tactic. But still, it hesitated. The curiosity about that strange chakra was gnawing at it. Who wouldn't be intrigued by something so unfamiliar?
Seeing that the Nine-Tails wasn't going to budge, Kushina left the seal space and returned to reality.
"Xin, it didn't work. The fox is stubborn-it refused," she said with a hint of frustration.
Xin chuckled, not at all surprised. "Of course it refused. If it agreed so easily, I'd be worried."
Kushina knew Xin wasn't one to give up easily. He had a backup plan, and she was ready to follow along. "So, what's next?"
"Come to my place. We need to move to the next phase," Xin said, already preparing for what was to come.
Without question, Kushina followed him to his house, curious about what the next step would involve.
Once they were inside, Xin turned to her and said, "In a moment, I'm going to step out. When he do, Ophis will release a bit of chakra. When that happens, slightly loosen the seal around the Nine-Tails, just enough for it to sense the outside world."
"Let the fox feel Ophis's chakra, but don't give it too much freedom. Follow Ophis's lead, and we'll see how the fox reacts," Xin explained.
This was just part of the plan. The initial negotiations were only to plant the seed. Now, Xin was going to let Ophis's chakra bait the Nine-Tails further.
The fox's curiosity would get the better of it. The key was to not let the Nine-Tails know that the chakra came from Ophis, so it would become fixated on figuring it out.