Appearance

The Kyubi's attack was brutal. Its immense figure, with its mouth wide open, lunged toward Kushina, releasing a malevolent chakra that seemed to darken everything around it.

However, Kushina did not waver. With her head held high and her back straight, she faced the beast without showing a hint of fear.

But before more could happen, a cold and authoritative voice cut through the air.

"Kyubi!"

"Your power is too great. I can't allow you to roam free causing havoc!"

Suddenly, Luo Lei's body appeared right in front of her, standing between Kushina and the Kyubi.

"...."

Kurama, who was about to unleash his full fury, abruptly stopped his attack upon hearing that familiar voice. His reddish eyes widened, and a shiver ran through his massive body.

"L-Luo Lei..." he murmured in surprise and fear.

Kushina, for her part, was also bewildered. "How did you get in here?" she asked, her tone full of confusion.

As a Jinchūriki, the sealed space within her was part of her. She didn't understand how Luo Lei had managed to enter.

Calmly, Luo Lei explained as he cast a glance at the Kyubi, "I covered my spiritual power with the seal on your lower abdomen and used it as a bridge to enter directly."

Luo Lei also showed a confused expression. He only wanted to see if he could affect the Kyubi in the seal with his spiritual power, but he didn't expect his Chakra to enter directly.

It was as if he and Kushina were one!

The explanation was simple, but for Kushina, it had much deeper implications. Her face instantly turned red as she realized the connection between them.

'Could it be because of... that?' she thought, avoiding looking directly at Luo Lei.

The connection between them was so deep that it seemed to have facilitated this strange synchronization.

Kurama, on the other hand, recovered from his initial surprise and looked at Luo Lei with distrustful eyes. Although his body trembled slightly, he tried to maintain his dignity.

"You...? Did you really come in here?" he asked incredulously, though deep down he remembered the paralyzing fear he had experienced the day before, when this man had effortlessly dominated him.

Luo Lei stepped forward, his crimson gaze shining. He directed a cold smile at the Kyubi, whose gigantic figure seemed to waver in his presence.

"Kyubi, I don't see where you can run now."

"Surrender or die."

Kurama bared his fangs, trying to maintain his aggressive stance, "I am the Nine-Tails. Do you really think you can kill me?"

Luo Lei raised an eyebrow, and his smile widened. "Oh, of course I can. I killed the Four-Tails and the Five-Tails. And though I know they eventually respawned and resurrected, do you want to see how well that works for you?"

The mention of the other dead Bijuu filled the space with an icy silence.

"Killing the Nine-Tails would be even more satisfying than those two."

For the first time in centuries, the Kyubi showed clear signs of fear. His massive body shrank slightly, and his gaze faltered.

He had never faced someone as irrational as Luo Lei. Even Hashirama and Madara, with all their power, had been more "reasonable" in their interactions with him. But this man seemed to have no limits.

Where did this monster come from?

He didn't have the chakra of Indra or Ashura. He hadn't reached the level of the Six Paths, so how could he be such an irrational being?

Facing the beast's resistance, Luo Lei clenched his fists.

"If you won't obey," he said coldly, "then you leave me no choice."

Kurama, aware of the killing intent emanating from Luo Lei, backed away slightly. However, the threat to his own existence led him to one last attempt at negotiation.

"If you kill me..." He growled urgently, "Kushina will also die."

Those words made Luo Lei pause. His brow furrowed as he considered the beast's statement.

"Makes sense..." he murmured after a few seconds, his gaze growing more serious. But instead of giving up, a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Then if I can't kill you, I'll torture you every day. That'll be good training."

Luo Lei's words made Kurama take a step back.

"This is too much!"

But before he could continue his protest, Luo Lei disappeared in a flash.

Swish

Kurama felt a chill run through his body. His instincts screamed that he was in danger, and the image of Luo Lei appearing out of nowhere confirmed that he had no escape.

"Wait, wait!" He shouted desperately. "I surrender, I'm willing to surrender! From now on, I will be Kushina's loyal companion!"

In an instant, Luo Lei appeared above his head, his presence completely dominating the massive fox. He leaned forward slightly, a cold smile on his face.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said in a low voice, "because if you'd delayed any longer, I wouldn't have been able to hold back my fist."

Kurama lowered his head, defeated.

It was too humiliating for him, the powerful Nine-Tails, to surrender in this way.

But he had no choice. His mind went back to the days of the Sengoku period, when Hashirama and Madara had used him like a toy. Now, facing this irrational and dangerous man, he could only surrender.

It's hard to be a Bijū... but it's even harder to be me.

Kushina watched everything with wide eyes. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Is it over?"

Luo Lei, standing atop the Kyubi's head, called to her calmly. "Kushina, come."

"Really? I'm coming!" she exclaimed, and with a quick movement, she appeared next to Luo Lei, atop the Kyubi's head.

She looked around in amazement before taking a few steps to make sure it was real.

"Grandma Mito, look at me!" she said excitedly, clenching her fists. "The Kyubi has been subdued by me!"

Kurama looked up with an irritated expression. "What?" he growled in a low voice. "Obviously, I was subdued by your man."

Kushina turned to him with a smile, "Shut up, little fox! If you interrupt my speech, I'll hit you."

With that, she gave him a light kick on the head. Kurama groaned silently, dejected.

"As long as you behave, everything will be easy," Kushina added confidently, "but if you don't, face the consequences."

The fox sighed, resigned to his fate.

Luo Lei shook his head and, in a calm voice, spoke to the Kyubi. "Kurama, help Kushina well. If you do, someday I'll help you break free from your fate of being food for the Ten-Tails."

The words made Kurama look up abruptly.

"What...?" he whispered, surprised. His enormous eyes fixed on Luo Lei with a mixture of astonishment, "You know my name?! And on top of that, you know the Ten-Tails?!"

His heart pounded, something he hadn't felt in centuries.

________

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