While the Nine-Tails processed its shock over Kushina's lack of surprise, it realized something.
It understood why Kushina wasn't shocked.
It had been thinking the "prophecy" Yang Kurama shared sounded strangely familiar.
Wasn't this the exact sort of thing that had happened in the Limited Tsukuyomi?
Back then, it had watched the whole circus play out alongside Kushina. Even now, that cursed line from the Limited Tsukuyomi's Naruto—"You're no longer a demon fox, you're my wife, Kurama"—still lingered over its pure innocent beastly heart.
Originally, that in itself wasn't a big deal.
But afterward, based on everyone's analysis, everything that appeared in the Limited Tsukuyomi had a real-world counterpart.
Sometimes similar, sometimes an inverted reflection.
For example, in the real Shinobi World, people instinctively feared and hated both Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki.
But in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, it was the exact reverse: the entire shinobi world was captivated by the Tailed Beasts' beauty and fought to possess them!
Which meant that, at first glance, the bizarre relationship between the Nine-Tails and Uzumaki Menma in the dream world could be understood as an inverted reflection of the real world.
But now? Was it really the opposite?
Yang Kurama had already reconciled with Naruto.
Where was the "opposite" in that? Or was the inversion supposed to be this: in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, the Nine-Tails was the lawful wife and Sasuke was the concubine, while in the real Shinobi World, the Nine-Tails was the concubine and Sasuke was the lawful wife?
"Nine-Tails, even though I haven't asked before... judging by your voice, you should be male... or, uh, masculine, right?" Kushina asked carefully.
[Tailed Beasts don't have biological sex, but we do have gendered traits and self-perception. Only the Two-Tails and Six-Tails identify as female. Why?]
"Gendered traits and self-perception?" Kushina pondered those words. "So even if you see yourself as male, because Tailed Beasts are special beings, you technically could create certain female biological traits inside your body if necessary?"
As established, Tailed Beasts were beings with a dual nature of chakra and flesh.
They didn't need to eat or reproduce, so they had no need for corresponding organs.
But by the same logic, they could manifest whatever body parts they needed at any time.
Most of the time, there just wasn't any reason to do so.
Kushina understood that, which was why she asked the question.
[...]
[You crazy woman! I would rather die than enter into that kind of relationship with Uzumaki Naruto! Stop daydreaming!]
[And besides... heh, think carefully about the relationship between humans and Tailed Beasts in the Limited Tsukuyomi. I'm sealed inside you! If that brat Naruto ever really took things that far, what do you think the result would be? Other than in the mental world, or by making a shadow clone, there would only be one possible choice left—you. He'd have you complete a Tailed Beast transformation, and then... Heh. That would be some real "filial devotion," Kushina. Could you accept that?]
"No. No way!" Kushina's face turned pale, and she shook her head in frantic rejection.
Then, an idea struck her. "It doesn't have to be like that. I can just transfer you to Naruto's wife instead—Sasuke, for example. Wouldn't that solve the problem? Anyway, I'm an Edo Tensei body, so I don't have to worry about dying from extracting a Tailed Beast."
[What do you take me for? Merchandise?!]
Yin Kurama grew furious.
It essentially copied the "chat log" of its negotiation with Kushina and beamed it straight to Yang Kurama.
Yang Kurama took one look—and grew furious too.
So, Kushina—it had assumed that after sharing this prophecy, she would become a staunch ally and help them avoid getting dragged into any kind of bizarre relationship with her son.
But instead, she was doting on him so much that she wanted to enable him?
Fine.
Old grudges and new grudges could be settled all at once.
Let's do this!
...
[Naruto, remember that bone kid from last time? Since he used that method to take my chakra away, you can use the exact same method to take it back.] Kurama spoke to Naruto in a leading tone.
It didn't state the plan outright, but it did everything it could to guide Naruto into reaching that conclusion himself.
As for whether it was being too obvious—if it wasn't obvious, Naruto probably still wouldn't figure it out by next year.
"I get it!" Naruto experienced a flash of realization.
He had been wondering how that blonde man he had defeated with his Wind Release: Rasengan One Thousand Years of Death, and that evil red-haired woman who had tied up Kurama, had managed to enter the seal space.
Now he understood.
Naruto touched his stomach.
The sealing pattern was there, which meant the seal was in his belly.
Back then, Kimimaro had used his Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets: One Thousand Years of Death to drill right into his stomach.
So...
"That blonde man and that red-haired woman were the advance force sent by that bone guy! They used One Thousand Years of Death to get into my stomach and steal your power, Kurama!"
[Congratulations, Naruto, you got it right. Do it.]
"Alright! Let's go, Kurama!"
Naruto decided to use his second strongest ninjutsu, One Thousand Years of Death, to take Kurama's chakra back out of this bad guy's body!
...
Back on Kushina's side, she was busy bickering with Yin Kurama when she sensed a massive spike of malice.
Thanks to the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto had gained malice sensing, and naturally, Kushina had as well.
Naruto's previous attacks could still be considered harmless sparring.
But now there was actual, directed malice at her?
Kushina snapped to attention, sensed where it was coming from, and lunged forward, rolling across the sand.
At the exact spot where she had been standing, Naruto's real body burst up from beneath the dunes, shooting skyward locked in the posture of One Thousand Years of Death.
If she had been even a moment slower, or if she lacked the ability to sense malice, she probably would have been hit.
Even though an Edo Tensei body didn't fear injury and lacked normal internal organs, getting hit by that move wasn't just about physical damage.
What's more, Kushina knew Makoto was still watching from the sky.
If she got hit by that, she really would lose all her dignity!
"Naruto, you've gone too far!" Kushina climbed to her feet, glaring at her son in fury.
Naruto's malice sensing started screaming.
In Naruto's perception, Kushina had only shown the slightest bit of malice when he transformed into Makoto earlier.
But now the malice radiating from her was enormous.
"Kurama, you were right. This woman really does have that much malice toward me." Naruto formed hand seals with both hands and created a massive wave of shadow clones, charging toward Kushina.
Golden chains erupted from Kushina's back, piercing the shadow clones one after another.
Their speed didn't decrease in the slightest as they shot toward Naruto's real body.
"So, Multiple Shadow Clones, huh?" Kushina's fury peaked.
Her own son was trying to use One Thousand Years of Death on her—and right in front of Makoto, no less.
Who could tolerate that?
Kushina formed the cross-shaped seal, and a huge army of shadow clones appeared behind her as well.
'Fine then.'
'If you're using shadow clones, I'll use shadow clones too. It's not like you're the only Uzumaki, the only Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, or the only one with a massive amount of chakra around here.'
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