Chapter 358 - 43

Chapter 43: Kurama's Provocation StrategyShukaku and Kurama had not seen each other for a long time, but as soon as they met, they began arguing endlessly like two children. The content of their argument was also extremely childish and dull, repeating the same few lines over and over, making Naruto's head ache as he lost all interest in listening.In the end, it was a draw, with neither gaining the upper hand. The two Tailed Beasts then crossed their arms, gave a "humph," and turned their heads away, ignoring each other.Finally, Naruto had a chance to speak. He tried to address the Ichibi, saying, "Shukaku? Can I discuss something with you?"Hearing Naruto's words, Shukaku turned his head slightly and squinted his eyes to look him up and down. With a hint of mockery in his tone, he said, "Oh? Does the dignified Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed actually have something to ask of me?""It seems you also know that the smelly fox inside you has no other skills besides boasting!""Kid, your attitude seems decent enough. Speak up; maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll agree to it."Naruto was delighted to hear there was room for negotiation, but before he could speak, the Nine-Tailed angrily cut in: "Naruto, don't beg this dead Raccoon Dog anymore. Let's go. Look at his smug face; he's just playing with you. I bet he definitely won't help you.""Or simply don't waste your breath. Just use the Sharingan to control him directly. Let him know how powerful you are as my Jinchuriki, but don't forget to make this annoying guy lick my toes when the time comes!"Hearing the Nine-Tailed's words, Shukaku turned around and roared, "What did you say, you smelly fox? How dare you speak so insolently to me!""Naruto, is it? Whatever help you need, just say it. No matter what it is, I will definitely agree!"Although Shukaku said this because he was angry with the Nine-Tailed, he was also looking for a way to save face. After all, the Nine-Tailed was right—Naruto did possess the Sharingan.If things went too far and Naruto really controlled him with the Sharingan, the loss would outweigh the gain. Being controlled by the Sharingan was far more terrifying than this lack of freedom; at that point, even his thoughts would be manipulated by the other party.Hearing this, Naruto immediately said, "Really? That's great! It's like this: your Jinchuriki is my good friend, but because you're a bit 'restless,' his mental strength is starting to buckle. He developed insomnia from trying to keep himself from losing control.""For all these years, he hasn't even had a good night's sleep. At such a young age, he already has a pair of particularly large dark circles under his eyes.""So I hope you can show some mercy and stop tormenting him. If there's nothing else, communicate with him more. If you two can get along well, I believe you will become great partners!"Shukaku heard this and said arrogantly, "Humph! As my Jinchuriki, he trapped me here and won't let me out, so of course he has to pay a price.""Besides, how could the noble Lord Ichibi ever be partners with a mere human? Impossible! Stop daydreaming."As soon as Shukaku finished, the Nine-Tailedmocked, "See, Naruto? I told you long ago that this smelly Raccoon Dog is the least likely to keep a promise. He was just vowing to help, but he went back on his word the moment he turned around. Don't babble anymore; hurry up and use the Sharingan to control him."Hearing the Nine-Tailed say this, Naruto was actually tempted. He closed his eyes as if engaged in a psychological struggle, and the aura emanating from him became sharp. Seeing Naruto like this, Shukaku began to get nervous, and even Kuramawaited with a scrutinizing gaze for him to make a decision.In the end, Naruto gave up on the idea. He slowly opened his eyes, and the Chakra fluctuations in his body smoothed out. He let out a long sigh and said with some disappointment, "Then forget it! Kurama, let's go. At most, I'll leave a Flying Thunder God mark here with Gaara and come over every night to help him sleep with the Sharingan."After speaking, Naruto turned to leave. Just then, Shukaku suddenly called out to him, "Wait."Naruto turned his head and asked curiously, "Is there something else?""Your name is Naruto, right? Kid, you're lucky. I'm in a good mood today. Seeing how much you care about your friend, I'll reluctantly agree to your request!" Shukaku said, curling his lip."Really? Thank you so much!" Naruto said excitedly, while bowing deeply to Shukaku.Shukaku continued to be stubborn: "Alright, alright, don't give me that. I already said it's just because I'm in a good mood today. Maybe one day when I'm unhappy, I'll make your friend unable to sleep again."Naruto knew this was just Shukaku's way of saving face. He ignored the words and said to Kurama, "Kurama, let's go! I need to tell Gaara this news quickly!"Unexpectedly, Kurama said, "Naruto, you go out first. I have some things I want to say to this smelly Raccoon Dog alone."Naruto didn't seem to mind and directly withdrew his consciousness. When he came out, he seemed to want Gaara to sleep a bit longer, so he didn't wake him immediately but sat silently by his side.In fact, he had roughly guessed what Kurama and Shukaku were talking about. Furthermore, he really had considered using the Sharingan to control Shukaku just now, but in the end, he dismissed the thought for various reasons.Because he also realized that perhaps this was a test from Kurama. Although his relationship with Kurama had improved a lot, it wasn't as close as one might imagine.One could imagine that if he really did it, he would likely lose the trust of all the Tailed Beasts afterward, including Kurama. Then, his plan to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki would be very difficult to achieve.Moreover, he couldn't use the Sharingan to control it forever. Kotoamatsukami was currently on cooldown, and most importantly, he wasn't really sure if Kotoamatsukami would even work on a Tailed Beast.And what about the other Tailed Beasts? It wasn't realistic to try and control them all at once. This was the main reason Naruto gave up.