Meeting Kurama

As Kurogiri prepared himself to confront his first Tail Beast, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Then, he turned his attention towards the Sage, who was floating in the air. "Would you like to accompany me?" he asked. "I believe your child, Kurama, would be eager to see you again, especially after enduring so much suffering."

Kurogiri believed that having the Sage by his side would make the encounter easier, as opposed to facing the Tail Beast alone. The Sage contemplated his words, fully comprehending that if Kurama agreed to go with Kurogiri, his child would have to leave the world behind, potentially never seeing them again. After careful consideration, he replied, "Alright, young one. I will enter the seal with you." He felt a slight nervousness about meeting Kurama after such a long time.

Content with the Sage's decision, Kurogiri redirected his attention back to the slumbering blonde boy. Placing his hand gently on the boy's shoulder, he activated his All for One quirk and closed his eyes. However, instead of attempting to absorb the boy's powers, Kurogiri focused on allowing his own spirit to enter the boy's being, utilizing his experience with spiritual spaces. Simultaneously, the Sage flew into the blonde boy's body, joining Kurogiri in the spiritual space where the seal was located.

As Kurogiri opened his eyes, he found himself in a vast sewer-like area, with ankle-deep water and a long corridor leading towards a massive cage bearing the word "seal." The Sage appeared next to him, surveying the conditions of the poor boy's spiritual space and shaking his head in dismay. He recognized the poor mental health by the appearance of space, and was concern considering the boy was the reincarnation of his one of his sons and house another of his children as well.

Kurogiri and the Sage ventured further down the corridor until they reached the cage labeled "Seal." Inside, they both witnessed a large orange fox with sharp rabbit ears and nine tails surrounding him. As Kurama sensed the familiar presence of his father, he opened his eyes, fixating on the entrance of the cage. He saw his father standing alongside an unknown creature but didn't pay much attention to it.

"Father, I thought you died," Kurama finally spoke, after a long pause, his gaze focused on his father. He had believed his father to be deceased all these years.

"Hello, Kurama. You're not entirely wrong. I am indeed dead. However, due to my strength, I was able to retain my soul in a separate space, watching over the ninja world," the Sage responded to Kurama, shocking him. He recalled his father's incredible power, making it plausible for him to exist in a spiritual form. The realization began to sink in.

"Well, if that's the case, Father, what brings you here now, and who is that creature next to you?" Kurama inquired. He wondered why his father had chosen this moment to appear after such a long absence, and why he was accompanied by this unfamiliar being. As Kurama focused his attention on the creature, he sensed its presence and noticed the similarities between it and his father. He also recalled the surge of chakra he felt earlier, realizing that he wasn't in Konoha anymore, Kurama never did pay attention the blonde boy life just seeing him as another jailer.

Sensing that it was his turn to speak, Kurogiri took the initiative before the Sage could respond. "Hello, Kurama. First and foremost, please refrain from calling me a creature. My name is Kurogiri. I brought your father here after our discussion about the mistreatment you have endured in this world, being used and kept imprisoned by others," Kurogiri introduced himself, explaining both his presence and the Sage's presence to Kurama.

Kurama, though surprised by the creature's words, managed to maintain his composure. He turned his attention towards his father, who slowly nodded his head, confirming what Kurogiri had just stated. The Sage didn't appreciate being interrupted by the creature, but he chose not to show it.

"Yes, Kurama, my young friend here plans to bring peace to the world by taking all the chakra, including you and your siblings, to another world," the Sage explained to Kurama. The news shocked Kurama, as he couldn't fathom how a mere creature could achieve peace, especially by eliminating all chakra. Having lived for so long, Kurama had come to understand that peace couldn't be attained through such drastic measures. It would only lead to smaller scale conflicts among humans, as it had always been.

"Hah! Just taking all the chakra and leaving the world won't bring peace. It will only result in more wars, albeit on a smaller scale," Kurama dismissed the offer, skeptical of the creature's proposal. More than anything, Kurama desired to continue the conversation with his father, hoping to gain further insight. However, Kurogiri wasn't ready to let the discussion end there.

Kurogiri realized that in order to convince Kurama, someone who had experienced mistreatment and had been alive for so long, he would need to provide a clear and persuasive explanation of how he could change the world. Kurogiri, after his evolution, had developed an enhanced ability to understand people due to his increased mental capacity, and with it he was able to finetune a plan with over ninety percent success rate.

"I understand that you would be skeptical, but I will do more than just take chakra," Kurogiri said, causing both the Sage and Kurama to be taken aback. Without waiting for a response, Kurogiri continued, "I have the ability to create and grant abilities, and that was before my evolution. So I will take chakra and the potential for chakra, and in return, I will bestow a passive empathy ability upon everyone, allowing them to feel the emotions of others."

The Sage was left in awe, realizing that this young man standing beside him was about to achieve what he had longed for all those years ago. Kurama, sensing his father's astonishment, contemplated on the creature's words, understanding that this proposal would honor his father's goal for the world. With that in mind, Kurama used his emotion sensing and found no hint of dishonesty from Kurogiri, although he still had one question.

"What would be my and my siblings' role in this?" Kurama asked, his tone accusing. "Are we to accompany you so that you can exploit our power for yourself?"

"I will not lie to you," Kurogiri replied. "Yes, I did plan to use your chakra to enhance my ability to create, but only with your permission. I do not see you as mere tools but as companions in my journey. Together, we can make a difference in this world."

Kurama sensed the unwavering determination in Kurogiri's eyes and felt the absence of fear. Convinced of his honesty, Kurama was ready to agree but had one more question before making his decision. The Sage silently observed their interaction, leaving this pivotal choice up to the two beings.

"And what do you plan to do to my current host, if I am removed? My host's life is at stake," Kurama said, using this as a test of character for Kurogiri. To the surprise of both Kurama and the Sage, Kurogiri simply laughed at the question, confident in his ability to solve the impending issue. After a moment of laughter, Kurogiri spoke up, "I apologize for laughing, but solving that problem is quite simple for me. I can create an ability that will double his lifeforce," he stated, as if it were an effortless task.

Kurama, sensing no deception emanating from Kurogiri, was taken aback by the creature's ability. Knowing that he wouldn't allow the boy hosting him to die, Kurama began considering the idea of joining forces with Kurogiri. However, before he could express his thoughts, Kurogiri continued, addressing Kurama directly.

 "My spiritual space is far superior, and I can allow you and your siblings to manifest after creating an ability that allows me to do so," Kurogiri proposed, understanding that the allure of such freedom would be hard to resist for Kurama.

Kurama was truly astounded by this revelation. This meant he would finally be free, existing outside of the confines he had known for so long. The thought of how his siblings, including Shikaku, the one-tailed beast with whom he had never managed to get along, would feel in such a situation also crossed his mind. The Sage, too, was taken aback, yet his conviction grew stronger, convinced that this path would be the best for his children and the world.

"Alright, as long as you can keep your word, I agree," Kurama informed Kurogiri, taking into consideration his unique circumstances as only half of his original self. "But please note that I am only half of my original self."

"I am aware," Kurogiri replied, surprising Kurama by revealing that he had a way to retrieve his other half. "We will take care of that matter after we leave this place."

The Sage, who had been silently observing the conversation, chose this moment to speak up. "It seems you are familiar with the Mask of the Shinigami. As such, this meeting has come to an end, and it is time for me to return to my dimension. We shall meet again before you depart this world," the Sage said, fading away from the sealed space.

Left alone, Kurogiri turned to Kurama and informed him of the next steps. "Alright, Kurama. I will leave and prepare the boy's body for your extraction. We will meet again in my spiritual space. Just be aware that I currently have a snake in there as well," Kurogiri cautioned, before his spiritual body left the sealed space and returned to his physical form, still touching the blonde boy.

Author here, I am currently experiencing writer's block and have found myself growing disillusioned with the direction of this story. It no longer excites me as it once did, and I am struggling to find the motivation to continue. I am considering working on different stories instead, but I am open to the idea of revisiting this story if there is interest from readers. Please leave a comment with a simple "Yes" or "No" to indicate whether you would like a redo of this story or not. Thank you.