Chapter 174: Negotiating with Kurama, A Plan Within a Plan

Once Kushina could control the Nine-Tails' chakra and enter the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, her strength would skyrocket to the point where she could take on even Kage-level opponents. Who would dare challenge her then? Who would still try to restrict her freedom? And who in their right mind would continue criticizing the Uzumaki clan? At that point, the village leaders would treat Kushina like a living treasure.

"You need to enter the sealed space," Takuya advised, his voice calm but serious, "and tell the Nine-Tails that as a girl, there's no way you'll let anyone or any tailed beast control your body. But offer to help confirm whether I have tailed beast chakra on me. The catch? It has to lend you its chakra, and it can't play any dirty tricks."

The Nine-Tails, as mighty as it was, was still just a beast. It didn't have the scheming nature of humans. Takuya was confident that with the right bait, the fox would bite.

Kushina, determined to gain control over the Nine-Tails for her freedom and her people, eagerly entered the seal space.

Inside the dark, eerie seal space, the Nine-Tails lay sulking as usual. When it saw Kushina approach, it narrowed its eyes, clearly not in the mood for conversation, and turned its massive head away, closing its eyes as if to dismiss her entirely.

"Hey, you overgrown fox, don't push it," Kushina snapped, clearly frustrated with being ignored.

"You have the nerve to accuse me of being over the line, brat?" the Nine-Tails roared, its voice echoing through the space, shaking the ground beneath Kushina's feet and forcing her to step back instinctively.

Normally, this would've been the moment where Kushina would slam the fox with her chakra chains, shutting it up immediately. But this time, she restrained herself. She had a mission.

"Fine, fine, let's talk," she said, trying to sound calm and composed.

"Humph!" The Nine-Tails grunted, still not convinced. It turned away from her, clearly signaling that it wasn't interested in what she had to say.

Seeing that, Kushina mumbled just loud enough for it to hear, "I was actually going to help you confirm that thing about Takuya, but I guess you don't care. Too bad."

As she turned to leave, the fox's massive face twitched for a moment. Before it could stop itself, it barked, "Brat, are you calling me a dog?!"

"Did I say that?" Kushina shot back, her arms crossed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You've been acting shady, wanting to control my body and all. I mean, seriously? A girl's body isn't something just anyone—or anything—can touch. Didn't your mom teach you manners?"

"..." The Nine-Tails blinked, clearly at a loss for words. Did this girl just... accuse it of not having proper upbringing? Was this seriously happening?

Wait... Did tailed beasts even have parents?

Images of the Sage of Six Paths, the ancient figure who created the tailed beasts, flashed through the Nine-Tails' mind. It shuddered at the thought.

What the hell was it even thinking? Shaking its head, the Nine-Tails decided to get back to the matter at hand. "So, what do you want?"

"I'll help you confirm if Takuya really has the chakra of a tailed beast, but on one condition," Kushina offered, knowing she had the fox's interest.

"And what's that condition?"

"Lend me your chakra. No holding back, and no sneaky tricks. If you agree, I'll go talk to Takuya right now."

The Nine-Tails snorted. "Dream on! You want to use my power? Not happening!"

It roared its refusal without hesitation. Why would it ever willingly lend its power to its jailer?

Kushina sighed dramatically. "Well, if that's how you want it, then I guess I'll just leave you locked up for even longer. Don't expect any more breaks out of your cage, either. I'm done dealing with you."

With that, she turned on her heel, ready to leave. She didn't look back, even though she was hoping the fox would take the bait. If she pushed too hard, the whole plan could backfire.

The Nine-Tails wasn't stupid. It could sense her tactic. But still, it hesitated. The curiosity about that strange chakra was gnawing at it. Who wouldn't be intrigued by something so unfamiliar?

Seeing that the Nine-Tails wasn't going to budge, Kushina left the seal space and returned to reality.

"Takuya, it didn't work. The fox is stubborn—it refused," she said with a hint of frustration.

Takuya chuckled, not at all surprised. "Of course it refused. If it agreed so easily, I'd be worried."

Kushina knew Takuya wasn't one to give up easily. He had a backup plan, and she was ready to follow along. "So, what's next?"

"Come to my place. We need to move to the next phase," Takuya said, already preparing for what was to come.

Without question, Kushina followed him to his house, curious about what the next step would involve.

Once they were inside, Takuya turned to her and said, "In a moment, I'm going to step out. When I do, Snowy will release a bit of chakra. When that happens, slightly loosen the seal around the Nine-Tails, just enough for it to sense the outside world."

"Let the fox feel Snowy's chakra, but don't give it too much freedom. Follow Snowy's lead, and we'll see how the fox reacts," Takuya explained.

This was just part of the plan. The initial negotiations were only to plant the seed. Now, Takuya was going to let Snowy's chakra bait the Nine-Tails further. The fox's curiosity would get the better of it. The key was to not let the Nine-Tails know that the chakra came from Snowy, so it would become fixated on figuring it out.

After explaining everything, Takuya left Snowy behind and quietly stepped out. He casually grabbed a drink from the fridge, then made his way to where the ANBU agents were stationed, keeping an eye on Kushina.

"What's this kid up to?" one of the ANBU muttered as they saw Takuya walking towards them.

"Hey, you two have been working hard," Takuya said, tossing them a couple of cold drinks. "Take a break?"

Caught off guard by Takuya's sudden appearance and gesture, the ANBU agents politely declined. "Sorry, Takuya-sama, we're on duty."

"No hard feelings?" Takuya grinned.

The agents exchanged uneasy glances. They didn't want to offend him, but they had a job to do. Just as Takuya kept them distracted, Snowy made her move.

Inside the house, Snowy leaked a small pulse of chakra. Following Takuya's instructions, Kushina loosened the seal just enough to let the Nine-Tails sense what was happening.

The Nine-Tails didn't react at first, until the moment Snowy's chakra hit its senses. Instantly, the massive fox's eyes snapped open, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air.

This... this was definitely tailed beast chakra. But it wasn't like anything it had ever encountered before.

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