Water Release Chakra
In the sealed space within Naruto's consciousness, he saw Isobu, the Three-Tails.
Compared to Kurama, whose massive form stretched over ten meters, Isobu's compact, spherical body, measuring only a few meters, seemed almost insignificant. The sheer size difference made it hard to perceive the same level of majesty and ferocity as Kurama.
Sensing Naruto's presence, the Three-Tails lifted its head, its small, beady eyes glinting in the dim space. In a muffled voice, it asked, "Kurama, is this the Jinchūriki you acknowledge? His strength is formidable, and his chakra feels somewhat familiar..."
Kurama folded his massive forelimbs over his chest and scoffed, "Of course. My Jinchūriki is the strongest. Unlike you, who was actually controlled by the Sharingan. Couldn't you stop the masked man?"
Isobu let out a low, rumbling sigh. "Yagura and I tried everything to resist, but we were still subdued. Kurama, you might not know this, but the masked man doesn't just wield the Sharingan—he also has the power of Wood Release, which is highly effective against Tailed Beasts…"
"Tch, just another Sharingan user," Kurama grumbled.
"Then why was the mighty Nine-Tails sealed inside a human?" Isobu retorted, a rare hint of amusement in its voice.
Kurama coughed awkwardly before crossing his arms. "Isobu, our conversation is about evaluating Jinchūriki, not questioning the past. Was I sealed? That's not the right way to put it. It was merely my own decision—to connect with humans, to observe them."
"So that's how it is…" Isobu murmured, nodding slowly. "I thought only Yagura and I shared such a bond. I never expected you, Kurama, to find a human you trusted. It's unfortunate… Yagura won't live much longer."
"How long does Yagura have?"
A long-silent Namikaze Minato finally spoke, his voice tinged with emotion. As the Fourth Hokage, he understood the burden of leadership, and Yagura, as the Fourth Mizukage, shared a similar fate—both had sacrificed their lives for their villages far too soon.
Isobu turned toward Minato, its curiosity evident. "Kurama, who is he?"
Kurama glanced at Minato and replied casually, "This is the Fourth Hokage. He shares blood ties with Naruto. Due to some unfortunate circumstances involving the masked man, I ended up sealed within Naruto."
Minato fell silent, his expression unreadable. Kurama certainly had a way of twisting the truth in his favor. The reality was that Konoha had no choice but to ensure Kurama wouldn't escape, forcing Minato to use his own life to seal half of the Nine-Tails into Naruto.
Yet, Minato distinctly remembered sealing Yang Kurama inside Naruto. So why did the Nine-Tails in front of him have such a peculiar personality?
Suppressing his doubts, Minato shifted his gaze to Naruto. The answer, he suspected, lay with his son.
Naruto, having listened to the conversation between the Two-Tailed Beasts, remained unfazed by the news of Yagura's impending demise. When he had broken the genjutsu controlling the Mizukage, he had already noticed Yagura's severely weakened state. His body had been riddled with injuries, his life force hanging by a thread.
Unless someone was willing to exhaust a vast amount of Yang Release chakra to heal him, Yagura had only a few months left to live.
But expending such valuable chakra to save a Kage he had never met—and one who had ruled with an iron fist—was not a priority for Naruto. A Mizukage too strong would be difficult for him to manipulate in reshaping Kirigakure.
Noticing Kurama about to start boasting again, Naruto stepped forward and interrupted, "Kurama, let's not waste time. How do I obtain the Three-Tails' power?"
Kurama huffed, displeased at being cut off. "Just bump fists."
Naruto approached Isobu, extending his fist. The Three-Tails, instead of a hand, raised its tail and pressed it against Naruto's knuckles.
The moment they made contact, Naruto frowned slightly, feeling little to no change. "That's it?"
"There's nothing more to it," Kurama stated matter-of-factly. "You should now be able to draw upon Isobu's power—Water Release."
Naruto concentrated, sensing the shift within his chakra. A new, natural affinity for water had been added to his abilities. He chuckled. "I didn't expect gaining the Three-Tails' power to be so simple. This was much easier than obtaining yours, Kurama."
"That's because you've already earned my acknowledgment," Kurama snorted. "Isobu, on the other hand, is spineless."
Naruto smirked. "What about the other Tailed Beasts?"
Kurama's ears twitched. "Hmph. You won't be as lucky with the others. Most of them refuse to acknowledge me, and some are even my mortal enemies."
"Like the One-Tail?" Naruto asked, feigning curiosity.
"Don't mention that damned tanuki!" Kurama's fur bristled in irritation. "He's always yapping about surpassing me, even though he knows he can't. It's pathetic."
With that, Kurama waved a massive paw dismissively. "Now that you've gained Isobu's power, hurry up and leave. I'm tired."
Recognizing the dismissal, Naruto didn't linger and exited the sealed space.
Back in the real world, he immediately tested his newfound ability, channeling Water Release chakra. With a thought, a sphere of water formed in his palm. Manipulating it, he reshaped the sphere effortlessly in midair.
Unlike Wind Release, which still required hand seals, Naruto found himself able to use Water Release almost instinctively. It was as if he possessed a Kekkei Genkai specializing in Water Release, allowing him to cast jutsu with minimal effort.
However, he noted that for more complex techniques, hand seals were still necessary.
The reason was simple—ninjutsu originally did not require hand seals. It was Indra Ōtsutsuki who had developed the concept of hand seals, making ninjutsu accessible to the masses.
To Naruto, hand seals were merely a crutch—a training tool to control chakra precision.
Experienced shinobi could perform jutsu with fewer seals, and those with exceptional talent passed down their mastery to their bloodline, giving rise to Kekkei Genkai.
Of course, this primarily applied to elemental-based Kekkei Genkai.
Clans like the Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, and Kaguya had inherited abilities directly from the sons of the Sage of Six Paths, making their Kekkei Genkai unique in their own right.
As Naruto played with water by the lakeside, Zabuza and Hōzuki Mangetsu arrived.
Both were taken aback at how effortlessly Naruto manipulated water without forming a single seal. However, after exchanging glances, they quickly composed themselves. Given Naruto's overwhelming power, such feats were expected.
They approached cautiously, and Zabuza spoke first. "Mizukage-sama, Yagura has regained consciousness. He and Elder Genji wish to discuss an important matter with you at the Mizukage Building."
Mangetsu hesitated before adding, "Mizukage-sama has agreed to your terms. He hopes to strengthen relations with the Land of Whirlpools."
Naruto glanced at Mangetsu. "I thought you two would take this opportunity to eliminate the Fourth Mizukage. Your original plan was a coup, wasn't it? You just missed your best chance."
Mangetsu forced a smile. "Even if we killed Yagura, neither of us could stabilize Kirigakure. Besides, Zabuza wouldn't last long as Mizukage. He'd be forced to step down sooner or later."
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Are you confident you can become the Fifth Mizukage?"
Mangetsu took a deep breath. "There's a chance… But I'll do everything I can. Just give me time."
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