The conditions given by Sarutobi Hiruzen were quite good.
But after hearing them, Karin felt an increasing sense of fear.
Years of wandering and the ideas drilled into her by her mother made her far more aware of the world than most girls her age.
In some ways, Karin was more mature than her peers.
She knew very well—
there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen was being this generous, he definitely had ulterior motives.
As for what exactly he wanted, Karin couldn't quite figure it out yet.
The only possibility she could think of was… that he wanted to use her as a breeding tool to restore the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha.
That was exactly what her mother had once warned her about:
"Don't ever reveal your surname unless you completely trust the person you're with."
And now, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew her identity—
and he was trying to lure her to stay with promises and benefits.
Who knew what he would do next?
Karin hesitated for a moment, then abruptly stood up and walked out.
But Anbu operatives blocked her path.
"Let me go! I want to leave!" Karin shouted in panic, pushing the Anbu away and bolting for the door.
The Anbu were about to chase after her,
but Sarutobi Hiruzen raised a hand.
"No need."
What Naruto didn't expect was that Karin, who hadn't wanted to leave before, had now disappeared without a word.
He didn't know why, but he didn't care too much either.
After all, during this time in the original story, Karin was still safe.
So there was no need to worry.
As for learning the Uzumaki clan's secret techniques, it could wait.
Before the start of the Third Chūnin Exam,
Naruto returned alone to the Forest of Death, which had been almost completely destroyed.
Using the same technique as last time, Naruto released the full Nine Tails sealed inside his backpack and resealed it within himself.
Inside the sealed space,
Naruto confronted the restrained Nine Tails once again.
The giant fox roared in confusion and anger.
"Who are you?! Why am I here again?!"
They had just been fighting a big blond monster—
and now, a small blond brat had suddenly appeared?
"I'll kill you!"
But Naruto didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stared at his Kurama curiously.
Kurama, ready to attack, frowned when he noticed Naruto still standing there.
"Naruto, why aren't you leaving?"
"I'm just curious," Naruto said calmly. "How exactly do you absorb chakra?"
Kurama raised an eyebrow and smirked slyly.
"Well~ that's a secret, alright?"
Naruto clicked his tongue, suppressing his curiosity.
After he left the sealed space,
the air was filled with Kurama's furious howls.
A few hours later, Naruto returned to the sealed space.
The newly sealed Nine Tails had now shrunk down to a mere thirty centimeters in height.
It sat on the ground, fur in disarray, hugging its knees with its claws, muttering weakly:
"You two monsters… you're both monsters!!"
Meanwhile, Naruto's own Kurama's chakra levels had skyrocketed—
a thousand times stronger than before!
Seeing Naruto return, Kurama grinned.
"Naruto, looks like it's time I tell you something important."
"Oh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You've got something to say?"
Kurama nodded.
"Naruto, you already know that the chakra of us Tailed Beasts is full of malice, right?"
Scarlet chakra began to leak from Kurama's body, radiating evil and fury.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Kurama continued,
"If a Jinchūriki truly wants to wield our chakra, they must use their own willpower to resist its negative effects."
"Even we Tailed Beasts can't erase that malice ourselves."
"So, if you really want to use my power, you must first confront your own heart—
understand your true self and strengthen your resistance to the hatred in our chakra."
"Strengthen my immunity to the tailed beast's malice?" Naruto thought for a moment, recalling a certain part of the original story.
To truly understand oneself… one must go to the Falls of Truth, right?
Kurama nodded.
"That's right. Only when you can withstand my chakra completely will you be able to control it freely. Otherwise, the more power I give you, the more you'll be consumed by it. Understand?"
Naruto rubbed his chin.
"So… wait a second. Does that mean all the chakra you gave me before was controlled by you?"
Kurama chuckled.
"Of course! If I didn't suppress it myself, you'd have been swallowed whole by its hatred."
"Only by confronting your heart can you truly avoid that. I've lived for countless ages and traveled the entire world…"
"And there's only one place where you can truly face yourself—
the Falls of Truth."
"If you want to master my power, you'll need to go there."
"Otherwise, even if I hand you chakra, you won't be able to bear the malice it carries."
Naruto was pleasantly surprised that Kurama was voluntarily teaching him the method to unlock Kurama Mode from the original story.
But then, he grinned mischievously.
"How about you just give me your chakra right now and let's see?"
Kurama froze. "What? You little brat—do you even know what you're asking for?"
Naruto smirked. "Of course I do."
Kurama narrowed his eyes. "Then you also know what happens if you fail?"
Naruto replied calmly,
"If I fail, my mind will be consumed by your chakra. But don't worry—
I won't fail."
"Hahaha! Confident, aren't you?" Kurama bared his fangs in a grin.
"Fine! I'll give you chakra right now and remove all control. Let's see if you can handle it!"
And with that, Kurama released his chakra into Naruto.
A layer of red Nine Tails chakra surrounded Naruto's body.
Kurama warned him, "It's starting."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah."
The next instant, Kurama withdrew his control—
and the chakra instantly went berserk.
It tore through Naruto's spirit, flooding his mind with all the pain, loneliness, and hatred he'd ever experienced.
Countless dark thoughts whispered in his head.
But…
Naruto's breathing stayed calm.
His expression didn't waver at all.
Within moments, Kurama's chakra completely merged with him.
A faint golden light shimmered over Naruto's body—
growing brighter and brighter, until his red cloak of chakra turned into dazzling gold.
Naruto looked down at his palm,
a smile tugging at his lips as the radiant light gleamed across his skin.
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