Chapter 126 - 26

Chapter 26: Perfect Jinchuriki Mode?Naruto reached out and gently grasped the tip of that tail.The next second, a violent, scorching torrent of Chakra, filled with negative emotions, surged into his meridians like a breached dam of lava!Here it comes!The Nine-Tailed sneered inwardly, staring fixedly at Naruto's expression, waiting for the expected pain, horror, or a twisted smile intoxicated by power.How long had it been since it heard that naive, stupid talk about "being friends with a Tailed Beast"?The last one to say that was probably that old man who founded the Ninshu...However, its expected reaction did not appear.Naruto frowned slightly at first, seemingly adapting to the impact of that violent energy, but soon, his expression became... somewhat strange.Not only did he not let go or show discomfort, but he actually began to gently stroke the fur on the Nine-Tailed's tail with his fingertips, even unconsciously leaning in to sniff it.The texture...Surprisingly good!Dense, smooth, carrying an indescribable, primitive scent—a mix of volcanic minerals and an ancient beast—but it wasn't unpleasant."What are you doing?!!!"The Nine-Tailed's eyes widened suddenly, its furious low roar shaking the entire sealing space.What is wrong with this brat?No fear, no greed, he's actually... petting its tail?!And he even brought his nose over?!Associating this with the occasional glimpses of Naruto's deep inner longing for "warmth" and "contact," the Nine-Tailed suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable discomfort and... embarrassment?This emotion was too unfamiliar to it."Don't do these unnecessary and stupid things! Get lost! You evil brat!"It hurriedly accelerated the output of Chakra, wanting only to finish the transaction as quickly as possible, then, as if shaking off something dirty, it violently pulled its tail back.It quickly retreated into the depths of the bars, laid back down, and even subconsciously shifted its massive body further into the shadows, moving further away from that damn gate.Naruto's consciousness stood in place, rubbing his fingers with a lingering sense of satisfaction, the sensation of that unique fur seemingly still lingering on his fingertips.To avoid further irritating this obviously ill-tempered big fox, he didn't put his fingers under his nose again, but a faint, smug smile curled the corners of his mouth."Thanks, Kurama."His consciousness waved, then vanished from the spot.Outside, at the training ground—Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently at Naruto, who stood with his eyes closed. His palm was already quietly forming the preparatory signs for a sealing Jutsu inside his sleeve, Chakra circulating quietly in his body, ready to deal with the worst-case scenario at any moment—Naruto being manipulated by the Nine-Tailed's power, falling into a loss of control, and going completely berserk...After all, that was the Nine-Tailed, far more powerful and violent than any other Tailed Beast!However, the expected cold, violent scarlet Chakradid not appear.When Naruto opened his eyes again, a layer of dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from around his body!The light flowed like liquid, quickly condensing into a form-fitting Chakra cloak that wrapped around his body.The edges of the cloak had a flame-like, vibrant texture, and the golden radiance, like tangible sunlight, not only illuminated Naruto's young face but also brightened a small area of the training ground.A feeling of vitality, warmth, yet vast and boundless power spread out with Naruto as the center."It's actually... real!"Hiruzen Sarutobi's shock was beyond words. He slowly let go of the prepared sealing Jutsu, but the gravity in his eyes deepened.The nature of this Chakra... is completely different from any recorded leakage of Nine-Tailed Chakra!There is no coldness, violence, or hatred, but instead, it is full of... a unique vitality, almost like healing Ninjutsu?Naruto looked down at his hands covered in golden Chakra, feeling the unprecedented, surging power within him.He raised his right arm, stretched it back, lowered his body slightly, and assumed a powerful lunge stance, gathering all his strength and that warm yet violent Chakra into his clenched fist.Hiruzen Sarutobi watched this starting stance in confusion. As a master of Ninjutsu, he couldn't identify the corresponding technique; it didn't seem to be any known Taijutsu or Ninjutsu...The next second, Naruto twisted his waist and thrust his hips, his fist blasting forward like a cannonball—The instant his fist reached its peak speed, the Chakra in his body vibrated and erupted at a unique frequency, creating an indescribable resonance with the punch itself!Hum—Boom!!!A brilliant golden stream of light erupted from his fist, and at the core of that golden light, countless fine, twisted pitch-black lightning bolts weirdly intertwined and burst forth!Gold and black intertwined, forming a strange shockwave mixed with destruction and vitality, emitting a teeth-achingly shrill scream as it tore through the air!The shockwave exploded in a ring, kicking up dust and grass from the ground, like an invisible giant hammer smashing into the surroundings!The golden-black shockwave plowed forward mercilessly. The solid ground was easily torn open like tofu, creating a hideous gully several feet deep and over a yard wide!Everything in its path, the training logs, scattered stones, were all pulverized into dust the moment they made contact! Trees further away, caught by the edge of the shockwave, had their thick trunks instantly burst, wood chips flying everywhere as they collapsed with a roar!"What?!"Several Anbu who were originally hiding at the edge of the forest and ordered to be on alert were caught off guard and blown away by the sudden, terrifying aftermath.The two fastest-reacting Anbu immediately formed hand signs: "Earth Release: Earth Wall!"A thick earthen wall rose from the ground, attempting to block it—However, the remaining power of the golden-black shockwave slammed into the earthen wall. The sturdy wall only lasted for an instant before it was covered in spiderweb-like cracks and shattered with a bang!The two Anbu groaned and were buried by the collapsing earth and stone.Other Anbu were even more wretched, rolling and dodging in the shockwave, their armor grinding against the ground with a harsh sound.The dust and smoke slowly dissipated...Hiruzen Sarutobi stood silently in place, the hem of his Hokage robe swaying slightly in the wind.He stared fixedly at the shocking, huge gully in front of him, and the devastated forest at the end of the gully, rapidly assessing in his heart:"A-rank, no..."This kind of technique that requires no hand signs, is almost instantaneous, and has space-distorting properties—its destructive power definitely reaches—The threshold of Super A-rank!Is this the power gained after establishing communication with the Tailed Beast?Moreover, the key point is that this attack of Naruto's required no hand signs; it was equivalent to Taijutsu...This seems to be a qualitative change resulting from the combination of Naruto's own Taijutsu and the Tailed Beast Chakra!It seems to be an all-around enhancement...Truly incredible..."Naruto..."Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was a bit dry. He took a few steps closer, his gaze falling complexly on the golden cloak gradually fading on the boy's body, "Was that attack just now... something you figured out yourself?"