Chapter 254
The Nine Tails stared at Riku for a long while before finally relaxing, lying back down on the ground.
Looking at the boy now standing confidently before him, the Nine Tails spoke. "But why should I cooperate with Naruto? Doesn't Konoha want to get rid of the Tailed Beasts? And with your strength, I doubt anyone in the ninja world could take him from you."
That much, the Nine Tails was certain of. After all, it had personally witnessed Riku's power.
He wasn't any weaker than Hashirama Senju.
Maybe even stronger.
Riku gave the beast a calm smile. "What if I'm not around? Do you think he can survive an Akatsuki assault while having an uncontrolled outburst of your chakra?"
The Nine Tails fixed a serious gaze on him. But Riku remained composed.
"My purpose is simple," Riku continued. "I want you to work with Naruto—to help him grow stronger, faster. If he becomes stronger, Konoha gains another formidable ally. And honestly, it makes my job easier."
The Nine Tails fell silent, clearly deep in thought.
After a long pause, it said, "Naruto can't handle all of my chakra yet. Sure, he's got quite a bit of his own, but compared to Mito or Kushina, he falls short."
Riku nodded. "True. He has some Uzumaki blood, but it's not a full lineage. And unlike the First Hokage, he doesn't have the Sage's Body."
"Still," Riku went on, "if he continues to train and you cooperate with him, his body will adapt. Naruto's sincere. You'll come to respect him. After all these years, I know you've seen that in him."
"If you really work with him, he'll see you as a precious comrade."
Riku rarely used the word "comrade." He usually said "teammate." But this was different. He was building a bridge between the Nine Tails and Naruto.
The fox opened its eyes, looking curiously at Riku. "Do you know about Naruto's past?"
Riku blinked, then asked with a raised brow, "Why are you asking me that? I know about it—why, do you have some grudge against the Fourth Hokage?"
When Riku phrased it that way, the Nine Tails knew Riku was fully aware of Naruto's lineage.
"Then why are you still asking me to help him?" the Nine Tails said, its tone darkening. "Of course I have a grudge against Minato Namikaze—and his wife, Kushina. Don't you know that?"
It was visibly angry. Cooperation was one thing, but forgiveness?
Standing his ground, Riku smiled. "Don't be so petty. Who else are you going to work with? You're sealed inside Naruto now. That can't be changed. And what does your grudge against the Fourth or Lady Kushina have to do with him?"
"Back then, he was just a baby. What did he know? And do you realize how much pain and humiliation you've brought him just by being sealed in his body?"
But the Nine Tails didn't see it that way. "Isn't that your twisted logic?"
"If Minato hadn't sealed me inside Naruto, none of that humiliation would've happened in the first place."
"You're arguing the wrong point," Riku replied bluntly.
The fox tilted its head. "And you're not being naive?"
Riku narrowed his eyes. "Enough nonsense. You're still being childish and biased. I'll ask plainly—will you cooperate or not? If you do, I'll train Naruto. Within a month, he'll be able to handle your chakra."
"If you don't, fine. But that means a worse living environment for you—and the risk of being extracted by the Akatsuki to power the Gedo Statue."
The Nine Tails didn't seem fazed. "The Gedo Statue can only be summoned with the Rinnegan. Are you telling me someone in the ninja world has awakened it?"
Riku chuckled. "The Akatsuki leader possesses the Rinnegan. I don't know how he got it, but he has it. So if you refuse, you're putting yourself in real danger."
"When I went to the Land of Demons on a mission, I met the Two-Tails' jinchūriki from the Hidden Cloud. They had a solid bond."
"I believe you can have that with Naruto. Fight side-by-side with him. It'll strengthen him and ensure you won't be captured."
"Sure, I can repel Akatsuki attacks—but I won't always be around. I can't be."
"And right now, there's no faster way to improve Naruto's strength than by having him master your chakra."
Gaining control over the Nine Tails' chakra would skyrocket Naruto's strength. Even Sage Mode couldn't compare.
The Nine Tails now lay calmly, finally acknowledging Riku's overwhelming strength. Fighting him would be pointless.
It tilted its massive head. "I'm curious—what would've happened if I had been sealed in you instead?"
Riku blinked, then laughed. "I'd already have mastered your chakra. Otherwise, you'd be getting beat down daily until you submitted."
The Nine Tails scoffed. "Good thing I wasn't sealed inside you. People like you have awful personalities."
Riku grinned. "Wait a minute. You're calling me the one with the bad personality? Says the one who's terrorized nations for centuries."
The beast stood and fixed its gaze on him. "Fine. I'll agree to cooperate with Naruto. But whether he can handle my chakra isn't my concern."
Riku nodded, satisfied. "Leave that to me. I'll train him properly over the next month."
"But during this time, you'd better not go berserk. I know you sometimes lose control, but do your best to hold it back. It hurts Naruto's body when you run rampant."
"That's our deal—one month. I'll toughen up his body by then."
"By the way," Riku added with a grin, "is this really all of your chakra?"
The Nine Tails paused and gave Riku a long look. "How do you know that?"
"I've read the records of your battle with Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage," Riku said. "I don't believe the chakra you're showing now is what made Madara fear you—or what let him challenge Hashirama."
"If your chakra wasn't so immense, Madara wouldn't have stood a chance against him."
"But now? You feel... diluted."
The Nine Tails grumbled, "Even if I'm just half of my full self, I still have more chakra than the rest of the Tailed Beasts. But in front of you? Anyone's chakra seems insignificant. Not even the Sage of Six Paths had as much as you."
"I don't know what kind of freak you are, but your chakra is monstrous."
Riku's chakra had long since surpassed the Nine Tails. Once, it was already three times greater than Kurama's full power—but now it had grown to nearly four times that.
He was approaching the chakra reserves of the Ten Tails.
If Riku mastered Yin-Yang Release completely, he would already be at the level of the Sage of Six Paths.
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