"You're literally the worst at chakra control," Kurama said as he looked at Naruto like he was looking at an idiot. He knew that brat Kakashi had sealed his leaking chakra, but this idiot still has poor chakra control.
"Hey! My chakra control's not that bad!" Naruto huffed, pointing an accusing finger at Kurama.
"You literally made a clone once that only had one leg."Kurama stared back with a bored look.
"That was only once! And now I have good control of my chakra," Naruto protested with puffed cheeks.
"And remember the time you fell into a pond trying to walk on water?" Kurama added with a sly grin.
"That was because of the frog!" Naruto shouted, eyes wide.
"There was no frog."
"Okay… maybe I need help." Naruto's shoulders slumped.
Kurama leaned in closer to the bars of the cage, eyes glowing faintly. "Listen, moron. You've got more chakra than three Jonin combined, but you waste most of it flailing around like a squirrel on fire. If you want to use my chakra, you need to stop being stupid."
"Easy for you to say. You're a giant chakra monster."Naruto crossed his arms and frowned.
"Watch your mouth, runt," Kurama growled low.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Naruto waved his hands quickly, sweat forming on his temple. "So… how do I start then?"
Kurama let out a sigh and lowered his head until they were nearly eye to eye. "We'll start with chakra shaping. I'll give you a little bit of my chakra. Try to balance it with your own without exploding."
"Wait, exploding?!" Naruto blinked.
"Yup," Kurama said, showing all his fangs with a big grin. "You mess it up, you go boom. Figuratively. Probably."
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"
"I'm always serious," Kurama replied calmly, then suddenly pushed a stream of red chakra toward Naruto.
The moment it hit him, Naruto staggered backward, his body tensing. The chakra felt like fire mixed with thunder racing through his veins.
"Focus, idiot," Kurama said, his voice calm but sharp. "Center it in your core. Don't let it spread wildly."
Naruto gritted his teeth. His fists clenched as he struggled to keep the energy from running wild. His arms shook, and sweat started dripping down his face.
"I-It's not working!" he gasped.
"That's because you're using your emotions. I told you, center it. Don't think about ramen or Sakura or Sasuke's dumb face!" Kurama sighed.
"I wasn't thinking about Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, cheeks red.
"Sure you weren't." Kurama chuckled darkly.
Naruto growled but tried again. This time, he slowed his breathing, like Kakashi-sensei once taught him. He let the chakra settle slowly instead of forcing it.
The red energy flickered less violently now.
"Better," Kurama said with a slow nod. "Now hold it there for one minute."
"One minute?! That's forever!"
"For someone like you, it is."
Naruto struggled, trembling as he focused all his will on keeping the chakra still. His body wanted to shake. His mind wanted to run.
Every time the chakra wobbled, Kurama thumped a giant claw against the cage bars.
"Stop flinching!"
"Then stop thumping!"
"You flinch, I thump. That's the deal."
"You're the worst teacher ever!"
"And yet I'm the only reason you'll ever stop being a weakling," Kurama smirked.
Despite the teasing, Naruto's control was improving. Slowly, the chakra started to feel more stable in his core. It pulsed softly, like a heartbeat.
"Good. You're not completely hopeless," Kurama said.
"So I passed?" Naruto wiped sweat from his brow and smiled.
"That was step one. Tomorrow, we try again. But with twice the chakra." Kurama huffed.
"WHAT?!"
Kurama laughed. It was a deep, rumbly sound that shook the air. "If you're going to handle my power, you'll train like it matters. No shortcuts, no whining."
"Fine. I'll do it. You'll see, I'll be awesome." Naruto groaned, but his grin stayed.
"You better be. I'm not going to babysit you forever." Kurama said with narrowed eyes.
"Wait… is that concern? Do you care about me?" Naruto blinked.
"Pfft. Don't flatter yourself," Kurama snorted. "Now get out. I'm tired of your voice."
—
Naruto's eyes snapped open. He gasped, taking in a deep breath. Sweat soaked his collar.
"Welcome back." Kakashi stood nearby, flipping a page in his orange book.
"He's a jerk… but I think we're making progress," Naruto said while wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Good. Now go run ten laps around the field." Kakashi gave him a small eye-smile.
"Ten laps?! I just survived the Fox training field!"
"Ten laps," Kakashi repeated.
Naruto groaned and slumped. "The fox was right. You guys are the worst."
—
By midday, the sun hung high in the sky as Team 7 gathered at the training ground.
Naruto stretched his arms with a cocky grin, bouncing on his toes. "Alright! Who wants to get wrecked first?" He pointed straight at Sasuke.
"You're the only one who ever gets wrecked, dobe." Sasuke folded his arms and raised a brow.
"Not today! I'm using the fox chakra now!" Naruto declared proudly, tapping his chest.
"Naruto, don't go overboard." Kakashi looked up from his book, tone calm.
"I've been training with the fox! I can handle it," Naruto said confidently, giving a thumbs-up.
"Then let's see it. I won't go easy." Sasuke stepped forward, his face unreadable.
"Alright. Begin." Kakashi nodded.
Sasuke blurred forward, moving with speed. Naruto met him halfway, a red shimmer of chakra flickering around his body. The energy danced like mist, wrapping his form.
"Heh! Not bad, huh?" Naruto smirked, his fist slamming against Sasuke's arm, making him slide back.
"So you are stronger." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
But something changed.
The red aura around Naruto darkened. His breath hitched. His muscles tensed as the chakra twisted and pulsed harder. His eyes turned sharp red with vertical slits.
"Just a little more!" Naruto shouted, digging deeper.
{Too much, idiot. You're forcing it,} Kurama growled inside his mind.
"Shut up! I can do it!" Naruto shouted back in his head.
Suddenly, a claw-shaped extension of chakra burst from Naruto's side and slammed into the ground, scorching the earth.
"Whoa…" Sakura whispered, stunned on the sidelines.
Anko tilted her head. "Looks like the brat's going nuts."
Kurenai frowned, her eyes glowing red. "That chakra feels dangerous."
Ranmaru hugged his cloak tighter, his voice small. "Is Naruto okay?"
"Dobe," Sasuke muttered. The ground cracked under Naruto as he stepped forward, heat rippling around him.
Naruto growled. The red cloak of chakra thickened, a second tail starting to form.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun fast. "If you lose control, I'll knock you out myself."
But Naruto didn't hear him. The beast inside was stirring too loudly.
Kurama's voice cut in sharply. {Stop. Now. You're not ready for two tails.}
Naruto tried to focus, but the power felt good. Too good.
His mouth opened in a roar.
And the next moment, everything around him exploded in red.