Chapter 22 - Chapter 22

Jiraiya visits Naruto in the Hokage Office out of boredom. With other hands on his spy-network, he has been left with much free time to do with as he pleases. Putting up with Tsunade's mood swings is not something he'd been keen on today, and with his apprentice out and about doing super-secret stuff, he thought he'd stop in and pay his godson a visit.

It's always interesting when Naruto brings up something that he doesn't often think about. Sure, he does give a lot of thought to the ideal of peace, but the nature of Chakra itself and folklore of their shared power is something that is usually just accepted as much as the sky is blue.

"Do you ever wonder why exactly Jinchuuriki are so feared?" Naruto asks, expression pensive as he languidly rests his feet on the desk.

Jiraiya blinks.

"I thought you of all people would already know. The strength of Chakra magnifies the existing abilities of a talented Shinobi. Just imagine what you could do if you had a Bijuu sealed inside of you."

"Ah, but that's just it. Enhanced abilities can still be defeated with sound tactics and strategy, and I have yet to see Sasuke prove that he can use the Nibi's power to do anything that can defeat me. And believe me, I know that Sasuke is no joke as far as elite Shinobi go. No, what has my attention now is that it's either multiplying the threat level of this person a few times, or just an outright transformation into a Bijuu. Granted, both are powerful traits to have in combat, but not undefeatable. Shinobi skills have advanced so much in the past few hundred years. Fuinjutsu, large-scale elemental Ninjutsu, specially tailored Jutsu that are designed for use against summons or in the worst case scenario, a Bijuu. What good does fearing a Jinchuuriki do in the modern age when we have tools to keep them in line?"

"Fear isn't easy to ignore for the people who don't have those tools. And they won't always be available anyway, it takes time and effort to prepare for fighting a Jinchuuriki. When one pops up in the middle of a battlefield or a mission, then of course anyone on their bad side is gonna be scared shitless. Not everyone can approach combat like you do."

"I suppose." Naruto utters, seemingly dissatisfied.

"What's on your mind, kiddo?"

Naruto leans back in the chair further, looking up at the ceiling.

"The Bijuu have a terrifying mythology built around them by humans. But there are still exceptional humans every now and then that can very easily defeat one or rend one under their control externally, without being a Jinchuuriki. Just look at Madara and Hashirama. The First Kazekage. The Sannin. Uchiha Naori, Uzumaki Ashina, Uchiha Obito, Uzumaki Nagato... Me. And there are still people who can match overcome their power. But they are fragments of something divine and primal, a Bijuu should be far, far more powerful. It has me thinking about the nature of Chakra and the Rikudo Sennin again."

Jiraiya relaxes as well, but still listens intently. He does so like a good story about the folklore of Shinobi.

"I had a discussion with Sasuke about a relic that used to be in the possession of the Uchiha Clan. I had interpreted the message as an explanation behind the Curse of Hatred in the Uchiha, an inborn weakness that was easily exploited. I believe that the Rikudo Sennin had deliberately split his power into two halves so that the one who inherited his eyes would be forced to cooperate with the other if they wanted to change the world. Instead, it set off a thousand-year blood feud that nearly annihilated two Clans as they struggled for power, and as they lost love, they grew to hate even more. It became their defining trait that people could recognize them by. The Sage believed so much in the power of cooperation that he had been willing to bet his children's lives on it, that he would divide his power completely instead of diluting it. Flawed humans with a power out of reach for normal people."

Jiraiya is patient, feeling that he might be missing some context but is willing to hear Naruto out.

"The Rikudo Sennin's religion of Ninshu in which he was God, was spread across the world by the man himself in the advent of humans gaining the ability to use Chakra. He taught people how to cooperate, and his religion became a contagious culture that still persists a thousand years later. Every person understands that without the help of others, they can't get far. Sure, people understand and respect individual merit where it's due, but functionally, Chakra in a single person can only get so strong and can only be so effective against a cohesive unit of powerful people working together. Teamwork, a founding principle of Konoha's Shinobi System. Strategy, and self-preservation tactics to overcome conflicts and tribulations. Chakra natures blend, people share it where they can, help each other where they can, but it's most often used as a tool for war."

A grim nod from Jiraiya is his agreement. Chakra is a tool far greater than any blade, shield, and wall.

"But people don't get along so well as their Chakra does. All Chakra comes from the same source, and is fermented and expanded by nature's own gifts. This is why it is possible to affect another person's Chakra with your own, as in the case of Medical-Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, we perceive it as different but it all comes from the same place, and given to us by a design that was beyond evolutionary. It was shared to become a device to bring people together, not pit them against each other. All Chakra is compatible, there's no fitting a round peg into a square hole. It's all the same. It is through a base instinct that we understand that even if we do not like who we work with, we are significantly more powerful when working alongside them."

"And is that so bad? Yeah, we all have people and things we don't like but as long as that instinct is there, then surely there's a hope for peace?" Jiraiya reasons, but is waved off dismissively by Naruto.

"The discussion of peace is something that doesn't interest me. No, what I'm curious about is how the Bijuu fit into this system that we believe grew organically. With the exceptions of incompatible people, Bijuu Chakra can significantly magnify a Shinobi's power. That seems quite simple, given that the Bijuu are entities created by the Rikudo Sennin, someone as fanatical about peace through cooperation as he was. I believe that the unification of Chakra between humans and Bijuu has a depth that has yet to be tapped, and what we have seen so far is merely the tip of the iceberg."

Naruto leans forward this time, eyes gleaming.

"If such a theoretical powerful state exists, then maybe an opposing theory is viable too. A separation of one's own Chakra from that of other peoples, and a spiritual and physical consolidation with one's own Chakra. A kind of enlightenment for people who believe that they should have the power and agency to be able to do things on their own without relying on other people or... entities. Don't you just find it fascinating?"

'Still trying to do everything on your own.' Jiraiya shakes his head exasperatedly. Some of the theory goes over even his head, but Jiraiya still feels not much will come of this. Naruto would only get more curious if he said it probably wasn't possible, better for him to figure things out on his own.

"But what if..." Naruto ponders aloud. "That was the point? Perhaps the Rikudo wanted people to outgrow his teachings on their own. To forge their own paths and break free of fate on their own terms. Maybe this is all intentional and he made this system intelligently for goals that we can't perceive yet."

"I think-" Jiraiya leans forward in the creaky chair. "-that you have too much time on your hands."

"Should've known you wouldn't understand, geezer."

"I'm not being disparaging kiddo, it just reminds me of your dad that you're so into your Chakra theory and research. But you've been cooped up in here for a while. How about we escape for a bit? Get some lunch, maybe spar a bit? Doesn't look like you've got anything else to satiate your boredom."

"Is a man your age really up to the task?" Naruto asks with a mockingly contemplative expression.

Jiraiya grins. "Tsunade told me you have a new trick. A Senjutsu battle. Let's see if you have the natural intuition to get the best of me."

"Hmm." Naruto rises, looking eager. "Let's see if you're all-talk, old man."

"I'm looking forward to wiping that smug smile off your face, brat."

Either without much thought or much care, neither paid attention to the secretary rubbing her hands together.

Two heroes of Konoha stand opposite each other. Jiraiya with his hands in an unusual looping seal in front of his belly, and Naruto with his hands simply clapped together.

"They're just standing still." Minako pouts.

"Maybe it's some unspoken rule between Sages. Paying respect? Some kind of honour tradition?" Shizune guesses uncertainly.

They aren't the only ones gathered. After word got out that Naruto and Jiraiya were going to have a 'Senjutsu battle', dozens of Shinobi rushed to find them. Some just for the spectacle, and others because the Hokage's secretary had elected to start a betting pool.

Off-duty members of the barrier-corps turn up immediately, a good sign of initiative on their part. The Doton wielding Shinobi in the crowd using their Chakra to create a stadium cradle is a bit over the top, but Shizune guesses that boredom is a strong motivator. Grandstands are built separately in conjunction with the barrier corps. Rather than limiting the fighting area with one large barrier, they elect to create smaller stands with protection surrounding each one.

Shizune spots another mop of silver hair.

"Oh look, Fujita-kun is here too. Wanna say hi to your friend?"

Minako is already running off before she can finish her sentence.

"Oh good," Shizune sighs, not wanting to be a bad influence. She turns to the bookie. "Twenty-thousand ryo on Naruto."

'What are you up to?' Naruto can't feel Natural Chakra coalescing around anything but himself, but Jiraiya seems to still be controlling a massive amount of his own. Does he have some different method?

Naruto re-focuses and continues to absorb energy. This wouldn't do. Entering Sage Mode takes far too long.

Finally, he feels the balance in his energies and nature.

"Done yet, old man?" Naruto taunts cockily.

Jiraiya opens his eyes and grins back. He bites his thumbs and wipes blood down his eyes.

"Just waiting on you, brat."

Two huge plumes of white smoke erupt on his broad shoulders, mystifying Naruto. All that waiting for a summoning? Only the amount of Chakra used doesn't match up to the small creatures Jiraiya brought forth. When the smoke clears, Naruto sees two creepy toads perched on each shoulder.

"I was in tha middle of makin' lunch ya dumb brat!"

"Go easy on 'im Ma, Jiraiya-chan hasn't seen us in so long! He probably missed ya!"

"Ma, Pa. Sorry to inconvenience you."

"Whas got ya riled up, Jiraiya-chan?"

"Look right in front of you."

The toads 'Ma and Pa' do exactly that, eyes popping out clearly as they take sight of the confuddled Naruto.

"The Rinnegan!" Pa exclaims in shock.

"He's using Senjutsu Chakra, Pa!"

"Jiraiya-chan, this man-"

"He's not an enemy." Jiraiya shakes his head, and Naruto notices his enlarged nose riddled with warts and misshapen eyes. "This is Minato's son, Naruto. I'm sorry to say that if I didn't summon you for this spar, he'd wipe the floor with me."

"Minato-chan's little boy?" Pa asks excitedly. "With those sacred eyes? What a marvel!"

"Pish-posh! So what if he has some creepy eyes?! Ya took me away from lunch!"

"You're one to talk for having creepy eyes, frog hag." Naruto provokes, seeing that she probably wouldn't cooperate with Jiraiya unless he pissed her off.

"Yer as disrespectful as yer mother, stupid brat!"

"Now Ma, tha boy is just confused. Let's introduce ourselves."

Naruto vanishes in a blue of motion, ground shattering in the wake of his dash. His entire body twists for maximum output in his punch straight to Jiraiya's face.

There is a gust of wind behind Jiraiya, but all the man does is catch the fist. Naruto is surprised to say the least. That punch should have sent Jiraiya flying.

"Enhanced sensory perception, enhanced speed and strength. You don't think this is all Senjutsu is capable of, do you Naruto? Let me show you the power of Jiraiya the Gallant, the Toad Sage!"

Jiraiya whips Naruto's arm up and sends a kick to his stomach. Naruto leaps up to whirlwind his own kick at Jiraiya's head, but he is brought down to the ground again by a pressure that he doesn't see. Jiraiya's kick doesn't land, but it still makes a shockwave so strong that spittle flies from his mouth as he gets sent away a hundred feet.

Naruto scrapes along the harsh ground before flipping back onto his feet, readying himself again.

'I'm positive I dodged that. Can he replicate his punches in any direction using Senjutsu? No, it felt like a punch that split off from his fist. His Taijutsu is tailored to match the power of Toad-Style Senjutsu.'

Spectators look on as Naruto cartwheels back onto his feet and into a more grounded and ready stance.

"What the hell?" Kiba asks aloud in shock.

"Indeed." Neji looks on with wide, pale eyes. "Jiraiya-sama is not to be underestimated, even at this age."

"Even still, I wouldn't underestimate Naruto-sama." Hizashi adds. "We have seen him adapt to difficult situations before. I wouldn't put it past him to identify just how Jiraiya-sama did that without hitting him. I, for one, didn't see anything."

Neji looks thoughtful, however. "Perhaps there is more to this spar than we can perceive anyway. Senjutsu is supposedly legendary."

Naruto doesn't hesitate, eager to gauge Jiraiya's skill and feeling the thrill of a potentially difficult fight for a change. He breaks out into a sprint, and he blurs into motion, enhanced by the power of his Sage Mode.

Jiraiya sees it coming - or feels it - and his stance changes. Naruto catches a punch by wedging it between his hands, rather than deflecting. Jiraiya tries for an open-palm strike, intercepted again with the younger man jamming his foot into the palm.

"I see now." Naruto grins, wide and wild. Interrupting the movements stops the invisible Senjutsu strikes from splitting off.

He goes for his initial strike again, whirling into an axe-kick that pelts Jiraiya straight in his head with enough force to shatter the solid ground beneath them.

Unsurprisingly though, Jiraiya braced himself for it. As powerful as the kick was, one hit wouldn't be enough against another Sage. The eruption of dust is kicked around more by spears of long, sharp white hair swishing around and smashing through any rock in its way.

"Realize you can't win with Taijutsu?" Naruto ducks and weaves narrowly. His coat gets nicked more than once, but the dodges are precise and not a strand touches his body.

"Taijutsu is one thing," Jiraiya strikes a mighty pose. "But let's see you add everything together!"

'It's not really fair to use the Rinnegan. The old man is giving it his all, he wants to have fun just as much as I do.'

Jiraiya and the Toads clap their hands in unison.

"Senpou: Goemon(Sage Art: Bath of Boiling Oil)!"

Three Jutsu combine to make a tsunami of boiling oil, so packed with heat that it glows white.

Naruto observes the wave, crashing and burning anything it came into contact with. He could feel the heat as the landscape changed, getting closer and putting the battlefield advantage in Jiraiya's favour.

'But what makes it Senpou? Is it only possible by using Natural Energy?'

The wave should be spreading out, but it's behaving as if guided. No matter how much it tides and surges, it's still coming towards him.

'Senjutsu Chakra isn't a flat power boost, it grants control over the Jutsu to a level that isn't feasible for normal people.'

For people with fine Chakra Control, it would be a linear boost in Chakra strength. Even still, Naruto wants to know just how much this will affect his own Ninjutsu and Genjutsu.

'He's letting me work it out on my own when he could be pushing for the advantage. You really are a good teacher, Jiraiya. Let me give it a try!'

Naruto doesn't weave a sign, but inhales a large breath.

"Senpou: Futon Daitoppa(Sage Art: Wind Release Great Breakthrough)!"

Even Naruto didn't expect the sheer concussive power of the stream of wind that launched from his mouth, but batting the boiling oil away wouldn't be effective. He concentrates and splits the burning sea with his Jutsu straight down the middle and gets ready to send some Katon down the passage.

If only Jiraiya made it that easy. As soon as the oil parted, sound waves that sounded like the croaking of frogs began to disorient him.

"Genjutsu!" Naruto realizes. If he stops the Futon stream then the oil will get him, but he can't resist the Genjutsu forever while already concentrating.

He feels like his brain is rattling around in his skull, but he focuses enough to remember that Kabuto used a Sound Jutsu with his own Sage Mode. Jiraiya is using it now in conjunction with frog croaking, Kabuto used a deployable light, and Tsunade uses whistling to attract her ANBU. The latter seems like his only option to expand on, given that he doesn't have summons. And what is more powerful than a whistle?

He claps his hands together, movement extremely shaky as he drags more air in through his nose and gritted teeth.

"Senpou: Hidoi Himei(Terrible Scream)!"

His roar echoes through the passage like the call of a vicious beast, hammering sound into sound. The ground quakes as his voice screams across the landscape. Sacrificing the potential of Genjutsu for the power of sound waves, Jiraiya and the Toads' Jutsu has little effect in the face of pure force.

The oil that had been split away sinks into the earth, slowly dispersing into natural energy although the lingering heat and hot wet patches still pose a hazard.

Naruto's successful use of Senjutsu emboldens him, and he tries another on the spot with what he just learned.

"Senpou: Katon Yokina Uta(Sage Art: Fire Release Jolly Song)!"

As one might blow out a ring of smoke from a cigarette, Naruto does the same with fire. The large halo of flame emits a pleasant note, unchanging while it soars through the air towards Jiraiya.

Naruto feels his remaining Senjutsu Chakra slip out of his body.

"Tha lad is out of Sage Mode." Pa comments. "Naruto-chan learned this on his own?"

"Yep, I dunno how but he figured it out. Still, let's see how he does now."

"Ya still gonna fight 'im? Ya just might hurt 'im." Ma frets, seemingly having calmed down and comes around to the idea of testing Minato's boy.

"Don't let him fool you. Senjutsu or not, he's the most dangerous man in Konoha. We can't go easy on him for a second now, not while he's plotting to find an easy way back into Sage Mode. I let him get a feel for it, but it's time to turn it up a bit."

The ring of fire is moving too quickly at them to give it much thought.

Jiraiya waves his palms out, causing the ground shake and an earthen wall to form between them. As if like a fungal growth, the insides of a toad's fireproof stomach emerge on the defensive barricade. They collide, and instead of fizzling out like Jiraiya had expected, the ring expands with violent force and severs everything in a burning wave, a small blast-radius but ridiculously powerful, and the cataclysmic sound left in its wake made Jiraiya want to cover his ears.

He feels Naruto sprinting at him, full-speed.

"Naruto-chan ain't gonna hold back." Ma sees the change in Naruto's demeanor.

Naruto dances around Jiraiya's rapid punches and kicks, intercepting when he knows Jiraiya is going to use the invisible attacks of his Senjutsu. He grabs Jiraiya's arm and does a side-on cartwheel to avoid a deadly pressurized stream of water, cutting into the landscape and swiping off the tattered sleeve of Naruto's coat.

Mid-roll, he hefts Jiraiya up off the ground with impressive strength and moves to slam him head-first into the dirt. Just as Jiraiya is about to crash, the ground turns to mud and Jiraiya sinks into it.

'He's not going to exit Sage Mode, not with those Toads helping him. I need to get back in as soon as possible. He really is a master of Ninjutsu.'

But he's figured out how to absorb Senjutsu Chakra before, not just through his own stillness. Humans can't absorb Natural Energy on the move, but a certain kind of Ninjutsu can.

"Mokuryuu no Jutsu(Wood Dragon)!"

His wood dragon wiggles out of the ground and dives into the muck, following the Toad Sage. The ambient Natural Energy coming off of Jiraiya feeds the dragon, and transfers Senjutsu Chakra to Naruto, but not nearly enough to re-enter Sage Mode. But while the old man is distracted, he can take better measures.

"Moku Bunshin no Jutsu(Wood Clone)!" An exact copy of him crawls out of his skin, and they both run in different directions.

Jiraiya decides to come and dance at last, no-doubt having sensed that Naruto's Chakra has split slightly. The real Naruto engages with Jiraiya again, and the flurry of attacks leave the spectators amazed at the level of combat they're capable of.

"Even with Senjutsu, you can't hope to match the power of my Chakra. You're gonna burn out eventually." Naruto jumps onto the wood dragon, riding it up and sending a veritable shower of fireballs down at Jiraiya.

"Don't go talking smack so soon! I was a Sage before you were in diapers!"

"Ya didn' tell me he had the Mokuton, Jiraiya-chan!"

"Not now, Ma!"

The constant transmission of Senjutsu Chakra from his wooden clone is making him cocky, so he tries to reel in his ego before he ends up embarrassing himself in front of an audience.

Jiraiya's Chakra begins to manifest in his palm, a lucious and brilliant green rapidly turning into the dangerous and oversized whirl of a Rasengan.

Naruto feels the powerful energies of nature re-enter his body in full. His own light-blue Chakra, sparkling like starlight, does the same.

"I'm proud of you, Naruto." Jiraiya smiles nostalgically.

"I'm proud of myself too, Jiraiya." Naruto grins.

"Cho Oodama Rasengan!"

Jiraiya groans, waking from a deep sleep but feeling exhausted.

"Did I win?" Is his first question.

Tsunade whacks him over the head with a clipboard.

"No, you idiot. In fact, the pair of you are idiots. You completely destroyed the training grounds and shredded the barriers of our most skilled corps members."

"Shit!" Jiraiya tries to leap out of the bed and falls flat on his face.

"Relax, no-one got injured. Besides the two of you that is."

"We didn't ask for anyone to watch us, don't these people have anything better to do with their time? Seriously, in our day-"

"-Chakra burns all up your right arm. Bruises everywhere, cracked ribs and severe concussion, Jiraiya. That's what I had to heal with you." Tsunade interrupts, voice clipped and clearly displeased.

Jiraiya nearly cowes at the tone. He would pay for this, but...

"Is Naruto alright?" Jiraiya asks hesitantly.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, he's fine. Got the same injuries you did, minus concussion. He just walked it off for a few minutes and he was good-as-new."

"Lucky brat." Jiraiya groans on the floor.

"Oh yeah, he's lucky. Karin doesn't have to worry about losing him to his own stupidity. You on the other hand, have a very angry and pregnant wife that doesn't want to raise her baby alone."

"Aw, shit."

Sasuke and Matatabi meditate and speak with each other in their sealscape. On the outside however, it appears that he's just passed out on Himari and Yuito's couch with Tsukimi sprawled out over his stomach, in equally deep sleep. Both of them are oblivious to the parents cooing over them with a camera.

"Do you feel that you are making progress, Sasuke-kun?"

"I didn't expect a cure for my fear of what Itachi can still do, but I'm not dissatisfied. I'm definitely working towards what I want, a safer Konoha. It might not be my brother yet, but still enemies that pose a threat to my people. Still, I wonder just how long it will take for me to get to a level that I can feel truly confident that I'll be able to protect what I want without fear."

Sasuke is laying down in the sealscape too, looking up at Matatabi as she rests languidly. Her heterochromic eyes look down at him with patience and understanding.

"Why do you help me, Matatabi?" Sasuke asks, truly curious as to her motivations.

"Now isn't that a complicated question, what brings this on, Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm trying to understand you. What do you really get out of being my partner in battle, and my therapist on the side?"

"Fufufufu, I will tell you that it's nothing too complicated. I simply enjoy watching your growth, dear child. You are becoming an admirable man, worthy of respect. You should carry yourself with the dignity you have earned. But... that is but one reason. Part of my desire to synchronize with you completely is selfish. You could not understand this as a mortal, but I simply do not get tired of living. I love humans, I love our conversations, I love the things we can do together, and it is my desire that I live out eternity without regret of never having made the most of my time with your species."

Matatabi's fiery fur skates across his body, leaving no burn.

"I do not wish to die. I have helped countless humans do great and terrible things, and perhaps I am part of the reason why my kind is so feared. But I made those choices, I have the power to decide what I do with this immortal life. That is something that I am thankful for to my father. And I hope that one day, perhaps you, or perhaps another, will truly become one with me. I want to reach my absolute best. Is this not a natural desire in humans as well?"

"Do you think it's possible? For a human and a Bijuu to truly reach that level together?"

"If you can think of something better for me to strive towards, do let me know. But do not give it so much thought, Sasuke-kun. My desires are hardly ominous. I truly do not want much, only to live happily on my terms."

"Sometimes that is too much to ask for. I mean, what if you could enter Mugen Tsukuyomi?"

Matatabi is silent for a moment.

"Merely an addictive temptation. Such thoughts take us away from living happily in the now. I want my happiness to be a result of my own efforts, not to have them handed to me. Life is full of miseries and mishaps, but it is our suffering that gives meaning to the joys we can experience. One might say my goal is as a gardener. To whittle away which poisons the fulfillment of many others. That is what you do now, Sasuke-kun. Our union can let others experience more joy than they would have if we don't do... dirty work."

"Necessary evil." Sasuke says aloud, not liking the phrase.

But it brings up questions about his life up until now. What if he has the best possible outcome already? That perhaps others enacted necessary evil to bring him happiness.

Maybe there is more to his life than he thinks. And maybe he needs to understand just what people have sacrificed for him.

Karin is asleep in the ship taking their team home, still adjusting the heavy Chakra now cradled in her body.

"Can you stop thinking about how your Uchiha is going to molest you when you return home? I'm going to be sick."

"Stop reading my thoughts then, you overgrown fur ball!"

"You're trying to suppress me too much. Let my Chakra merge with yours, it'll be less painful for the both of us."

"Wait, it hurts you?"

"Your control is slipping in your efforts to keep me down to mitigate your physical pain. Your concentration is focused too much on something you don't need to do when my Chakra will heal you quicker, and it's letting your emotions bleed through our connection. My pain is mental, from witnessing the horrid things you two do in that bedroom."

Karin ignores that, but tries to let the Chakra through a bit steadier than before.

"Better." Kurama lazily put his head on his paws, tails flicking.

"I don't get it. Why do you really want to be sealed in me?" Karin asks, trying to blink away the headache.

"My father envisioned that a time would come, where humans and Bijuu would stand alongside each other. I have witnessed what your kind is capable of, in both Hate and in Love. This Mugen Tsukuyomi, was destined to happen again eventually. Our father foresaw that despite his efforts to unify humanity, they would not weather the coming storm alone. He created us, with what your species was not ready for. I want to fulfill my purpose, to live alongside humanity through what I perceive as both the good and the bad. That brat's mother taught me how strong love can be, and his wretched grandfather taught me the hatred of your sniveling race."

"Gimme a damn break! Your father created the Curse of Hatred to force his kids to work together-"

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, WRETCHED CHILD!" Kurama howls viciously, shaking the mindscape.

The full-force of Kurama's hatred rattles her senses, and she nearly passes out for real.

Kurama calms himself.

"My father was a naive being. His kind could not truly be called 'Man', but he sought to understand humans like no other had ever done before. And when he traveled the world, sharing his power with them, he learned to understand love as humans do. He felt it too, for a female of your species, and sired two children who he treasured like nothing else. He witnessed what man is capable of. He did his best to turn those boys into wise, strong leaders, and he even gave them his power to do it. He sought to give the best parts of himself to them, his Eyes and his Body, his very being melding into them just to give them a chance at the joy that he attained in his life."

Karin listens carefully to the fox and his reverant words.

"He, in all his wisdom, could not have predicted what happened. Two halves of himself, bound together in an unnatural body, gifts that were powerful and yet did not have the grounding that the people who he shared Chakra with through other means did. They were not ready, they were made broken. One child was so consumed by hatred that it defined his existence with suffering, and the other so infatuated with ideals and platitudes that he had unrealistic expectations of what people should be like, rather than what they wanted to be like. They didn't understand humans, because they were broken humans, made by a mistake."

Kurama huffs, letting go of his anger.

"Naive, he was. Loving, he was. Malicious, he was not. His love for his children overwrote his sense. Humans and Bijuu paid the price. Do not be so quick to judge those you know nothing about!