"You should remind Tsunade to be careful. Hiruzen wants to be the victor, but he also doesn't want to offend the Daimyo," Shinki thought to himself.
It's like trying to take the fish and the bear's paw at the same time—having your cake and eating it too. The Third Hokage seems to want it all. The Daimyo's support must not only remain but increase, and the village must triumph over the Suna Ninja to negotiate as the victor and claim additional benefits.
"Haha, this has nothing to do with us," Torifu Akimichi said with a laugh. "Whatever happens in the war, it's not for us to worry about. Orochimaru can handle it."
Shinki nodded. Torifu was right, but it wouldn't hurt to remind Tsunade. The outcome, however, was Hiruzen's burden to bear.
After returning home, Shinki washed up and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, before Shinki could wake up naturally, he was abruptly roused by Kushina.
Kushina, still wearing her pajamas, burst into his room, yanking the quilt off him. When Shinki didn't respond, she slipped under the covers and tickled his nose with her hair.
"Wake up! Wake up already!" she chanted excitedly.
"Alright, alright, I'm up," Shinki groaned, his sleep interrupted. He reluctantly opened his eyes, still yearning for more rest. His plans for a quiet morning had clearly been dashed.
Kushina beamed with excitement, throwing the quilt aside and bouncing on the bed. "Shinki, guess what? I've made peace with the big fox!"
Her enthusiasm was contagious as she added, "I'm going to get stronger soon and help you!"
"Oh? Really?" Shinki asked, now wide awake. He gave her a thumbs-up. "That's amazing! As expected of Kushina. But be careful. Tailed beasts are old and cunning. They're not above lying. Don't forget, the Nine-Tails harbors a lot of resentment toward the village."
"I'm not lying!" the Nine-Tails fumed from within Kushina's sealed space. The fox's irritation was palpable.
The Nine-Tails had made its decision overnight. It couldn't afford to go back on its word now. If it did, Kushina's unwavering honesty would make it look bad in front of the other tailed beasts. That was a humiliation the Nine-Tails refused to endure.
Shinki continued with mock seriousness, "Kushina, if the Nine-Tails truly opens its heart to you, you'll master its chakra mode. But if it doesn't trust you, this mode will be out of reach."
"Ridiculous!" the Nine-Tails growled. "Chakra mode? Difficult? I'll show you difficult, you little brat!"
Despite Shinki's jabs, Kushina stood firm. "Shinki, I won't let you badmouth the big fox! It won't lie to me."
The Nine-Tails, though angry at Shinki, felt unexpectedly touched by Kushina's unwavering belief. For the first time, it felt genuinely trusted.
"Fine," Shinki said with a yawn, waving dismissively. "Then go for it. Congratulations in advance on mastering chakra mode. Although, to be honest, the Nine-Tails' chakra mode is pretty average."
The dismissive tone and hand gesture set the Nine-Tails ablaze with fury. Average?! This human dared to belittle it repeatedly. The fox swore it would help Kushina master chakra mode just to prove him wrong.
"Kushina, stop wasting time with this guy!" the Nine-Tails barked. "We need to start training now. Trust me, you'll get stronger."
Reluctantly, Kushina left Shinki's room, ready to focus on her training. The Nine-Tails smugly raised its metaphorical head. Shinki, meanwhile, collapsed back onto his bed, laughing.
"That fox is hilarious," Shinki thought. With the Nine-Tails fully cooperating, and Kushina's talent far surpassing Naruto's, the duo's potential was astounding. A perfect partnership could produce a level of power that would strike fear into any enemy.
"Go for it, big fox," Shinki muttered to himself with a grin. "I'm counting on you."
He resolved to provoke the Nine-Tails regularly to keep its motivation high. If Kushina could master the Nine-Tails' chakra mode, she wouldn't need anyone to protect her. She would be her own shield and sword.
Outside, Kushina's training was already underway.
"Don't stop! Stand up!" the Nine-Tails barked from within her mind.
"But I'm tired…" Kushina groaned.
"Stand up, you weakling! Where's your willpower?"
The fox's harsh guidance pushed Kushina harder than she'd ever been pushed. Though exhausting, the training forged an unbreakable bond between her and the Nine-Tails.
The fox's sharp criticism continued. "Too slow! Too weak! You'll never succeed like this!"
Despite the grumbling, Kushina didn't waver. She trusted the Nine-Tails, and the fox, though reluctant to admit it, believed in her too. Their shared determination would soon produce results that would shake the ninja world.
>>>>>
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A/N: Hey Guys,
I was going over the discount code and saw that it wasn't toggled on for all the tiers. I fixed it now, sorry about that. ;)