"Time and again, you never learn your lesson."
"I am you; our strength is identical."
"You can never destroy me."
He spoke with a tone filled with anger, his fury more intense than ever before.
This hatred wasn't just targeting his past experiences.
Now, he also loathed Naruto himself.
Naruto looked at him, smiling slightly, "You're right."
Red-eyed Naruto was taken aback.
"You are me," Naruto continued candidly, "Why should I be obsessed with destroying you?"
"No one can completely erase their negative emotions."
"The thoughts within my heart change in an instant. I've had some terrifying ideas."
"That moment of self-awareness is also a part of me."
He paused here, drawing the 'Asura.'
The golden blade was brimming with life.
"Denying you would be like denying myself." Naruto looked at the knife, feeling the power it harbored.
Red-eyed Naruto smiled broadly, "But it seems you neither want to accept me nor live as I say."
"Is acknowledgment the same as acceptance?" Naruto countered.
"I accept that I have some dark, wicked thoughts in my heart."
"But do I have to act on those dark, wicked thoughts?"
Red-eyed Naruto reached for the knife at his waist.
But.
His hand grabbed nothing but air.
He looked down.
The 'Nine-Tails' had vanished without him realizing it.
The 'Asura' scattered into specks of starlight, merging into the blade in Naruto's hand.
Red-eyed Naruto lifted his head, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Why is this happening?"
He realized his power was ebbing away.
"Hatred can't solve problems," Naruto spoke calmly, as if naturally, "Only love can nurture and give life."
This revelation came after traveling multiple times between the 'Ninja World' and the 'Soul Society.'
The ones making themselves better are people like that convenience store owner, Dean Bogang, and all the captains and vice-captains who care about them.
For Karin, becoming better comes from familial bonds.
He raised the sword.
"Come back."
"We have never been apart."
"It's just that this waterfall made me see shadows under the light, mistakenly treating you as a separate entity split from my body."
Red-Eyed Naruto stood there.
His body began to disintegrate and dissipate rapidly, like the "Asura" sword at the start, drifting towards the sword in Naruto's hand.
Within his inner world.
In the warm and formidable "Asura's power," was a new force enfolded within.
Upon receiving this "nourishment," it was like a seed bursting into life in spring, having accumulated strength within the earth through the long winter. It broke open a gap in the Asura's power, sprouted, and grew.
Greedily absorbing the remaining strength of "Asura," it continued to grow.
It wants to flourish, to bear fruit.
Naruto watched it tenderly for a moment and then sheathed his sword.
Meanwhile, in another realm of consciousness.
The two Kuramas battled the Black Nine-Tails.
Fur flew wildly, and chakra rippled.
"You foolish fox who never learns from past mistakes," the Black Nine-Tails snapped. "How many times have we clashed by now?"
"I am your inner self."
"We are alike, exactly equal."
"You cannot kill me!"
Yang Kurama clicked its tongue: "Naruto told us that where there is light, there must be shadows."
"Therefore," it continued, "he believes the best way to handle this nuisance is acceptance."
"And then use one's own light to suppress this darkness."
Yin Kurama wagged its tails: "But no matter how many times we see it, your hideous form truly fails to convince us that you are part of us."
"Utterly disgusting."
"Just seeing your face makes us immediately lose the urge to follow Naruto's suggested method."
"So," said the figures in unison, "how about that move?"
They raised their fists, and the Yang Nine-Tails mimicked the gesture, lightly bumping fists with its counterpart.
"All this time, aside from thinking of how to beat you up,"
"We've also been pondering another thing: how to merge into one unified being."
As they spoke, they paused for a moment.
The Yang Nine-Tails grinned fiercely, "Although we haven't completely merged, we can now temporarily become one."
"And you?" the Yin Nine-Tails teased, "Can you use such power with only one body?"
Chakra surged like waves over their arms, colliding and then merging.
Light and dark intertwined, forming a circle.
The two forces combined, gradually creating a new body—a whole Nine-Tails.
The Black Nine-Tails sneered, "Is that all you have?"
"Did you forget? I already possess all of your powers."
"Even as one, you're just my equal."
Yet, just as the Black Nine-Tails claimed, they remained in balance, evenly matched.
"Why are you so eager to deny me?" the Black Nine-Tails murmured, "Did you not already admit your grudges against the ninjas?"
"Didn't the little brat tell you to accept my existence?"
"But—"
The Nine-Tails spat at it, cutting it off, "There's no way I'll acknowledge an ugly creature like you."
"Moreover, being called a natural disaster, the embodiment of hatred, a demon—"
"These are just the labels those ninja slapped on me."
A voice called stronger and clearer next to its ear.
The Nine-Tails suddenly laughed wildly.
"I know what you are, you ugly creature," eyes crimson, it stared intently at the Black Nine-Tails. "You're not my inner darkness."
"I have never denied myself!"
"Hate is simply hate!"
"I could even admit to Minato and Kushina's deaths in front of Naruto."
"What's so wrong with acknowledging the darker side?"
Black Nine-Tails scoffed, mocking, "If I'm not you, then what am I?"
The Nine-Tails backed off, placing its paw over its belly.
"Naruto once described us Tailed Beasts in this way,"
"He said,"
"We are a mirror."
"The way you treat us determines what kind of attitude you receive in return."
"I didn't take it to heart at the time,"
"Not until—"
It bowed its head, feeling the complete and intact power and consciousness within itself, and the thing that was brewing and born among them.
"I just received all the memories from the other me." The Nine-Tails continued, "And realized something."
"Naruto isn't an exception."
"Minato Namikaze was the same."
"The attitude we reflected back at them corresponded perfectly with Naruto's words."
"So,"
"You, this hideous being, are the hatred of those ninjas! They do not understand my power, nor do they know the meaning of my existence." The Nine-Tails clenched its paw, grasping that steadily solidifying power. "With their shallow, weak perspectives, they branded me as a disaster, a symbol of hatred."
"You are their consciousness manifested."
"Not mine!"
Black Nine-Tails remained silent.
The Nine-Tails gripped the sword handle forcefully: "Moreover, that guy Naruto made a mistake too."
"The reason I never heard that name before,"
"Isn't because I denied you, or blocked my own ears."
"It's because I had never tried to become one before now."
"Now that I am whole, I can hear it."
"Can you, this ugly creature, grasp such power?"
Chakra surged, overwhelming in its intensity.
With a resonant tone, the Nine-Tails called out its name: "Reflect, Hidden Fox Mirror!"
It channeled energy through its claws, drawing out a slender blade from its body, the blade colorless, almost transparent.
"This is my Zanpakuto!" The Nine-Tails bared its teeth, "And now, I'll cut you down."
The Nine-Tails swung its blade, and a fierce wind howled through the air.
Black Nine-Tails retaliated, attempting to extract something from within itself, but to no avail. Nothing emerged.
Several strikes landed.
Blood streamed down Black Nine-Tails, its wounds gaping, as dark energy surged around it.
The blade in Nine-Tails' hand seemed to absorb some of this darkness, becoming tinged with black.
Black Nine-Tails bared its teeth, its expression exuding extreme irritation. Opening its mouth, it swiftly gathered and launched a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Yet, Nine-Tails did not meet the attack directly.
Instead, it raised its sword, aiming to slice through the Tailed Beast Bomb. Within Nine-Tails' body, chakra surged violently, consuming an amount equivalent to what was needed to unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Like an ordinary ball, the bomb was molded and reshaped, then completely absorbed by the translucent blade.
By this moment, most of the blade had absorbed the black aura.
"This sword can absorb attacks," the Nine-Tails declared, lifting the sword high. "And then compress them, releasing them anew."
"Let your own hatred be your downfall."
"You ugly creature."
With a powerful swing, energy poured forth, an intensely compressed sphere slashing from the tip of the sword.
It struck Black Nine-Tails, tearing apart its massive form.
Reality itself fractured with the overwhelming, unrestrained energy that burst forth unexpectedly.
Rivers churned violently, sending water scattering like spray.
The Nine-Tails opened its eyes, turning towards Naruto, who spread his chakra to form a barrier on the platform. Water fell like rain but did not touch them.
On either side stood two foxes.
"How does it feel?" Naruto asked with a wide smile. "Your souls have strengthened recently. Did you achieve the first release?"
Yang Nine-Tails grinned, nodding firmly, "Yes, I've mastered the initial release."
"And vanquished that ugly, filthy beast."
Yet.
Naruto peered around but saw no sign of the Zanpakuto near either fox.
(End of Chapter)