The Nine-Tails' enormous body lay behind the red wooden gate, its amber eyes narrowing as it studied Uchiha Gen. The fox's tail flicked, splashing ripples across the shallow water beneath it.
He still hadn't decided.
He wanted revenge for being controlled, he loathed that sensation more than anything. Ever since Madara, that humiliation had burned deep into his pride.
But he also wanted Kushina to lose, as a way to spite Minato Namikaze, the man who had split and sealed him, tearing his essence in two.
Minato was the kind of man who cherished his family more than his own life. For a creature like the Nine-Tails, that kind of selflessness was incomprehensible.
Caught between vengeance and resentment, the beast remained silent.
Seeing his hesitation, Uchiha Gen spoke first. "Nine-Tails, don't hold Kushina back. Even if you fight alongside her with everything you've got… you'll still lose."
The fox's pupils contracted, fury rising. "You arrogant, perverted Uchiha brat! How dare you underestimate me?!"
It bared its fangs, its voice shaking the space. "Fine then—Kushina, I'll help you!"
Uchiha Gen blinked. "…'Perverted' again? Seriously?"
He sighed inwardly. It seemed his reputation preceded him, though he'd argue he was merely curious, not whatever the Nine-Tails implied.
Kushina laughed under her breath, then fixed him with a fiery look. "Don't underestimate the power of the Uzumaki. You'll regret it."
"Are you worried I'll go easy on you?" Gen teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Pah! Keep talking, smooth-tongue. I'll make sure you eat those words."
Kushina's expression hardened, and she suddenly burst into motion.
In a single, fluid leap, she flipped over Gen and landed gracefully beyond the red gate. Chains of golden light erupted from her back—her Adamantine Sealing Chains—piercing the gate's surface to connect with the Nine-Tails' body, pulling out waves of crimson chakra.
Gen didn't move to stop her. Instead, the air around him trembled.
A torrent of black chakra erupted from his body, swirling like a storm. It condensed rapidly, forming into the unmistakable figure of a full-body Susanoo.
Unlike the one he had shown to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others before, this was complete, an enormous armored warrior with black wings folded behind its back. A long blade rested at its side, and a circular mirror hung at its waist. Its surface absorbed light instead of reflecting it, its form radiating a silent, abyssal pressure.
The Nine-Tails' massive pupils constricted. "Impossible… His Sharingan evolved to the Eternal Mangekyō, and he's mastered it fully. How can a human reach this so soon?"
Gen, standing between the Susanoo's brow crystals, crossed his arms with a faint smile. "You've got sharp eyes, Nine-Tails. You recognize true power when you see it."
"Hmph," the beast snorted. "Don't think you've already won."
Even as it said so, both it and Kushina knew the truth: their odds were slim.
If the Nine-Tails were complete and unsealed, combining its full might with Kushina's, they might have stood a fifty-fifty chance. But here? The balance was gone.
Gen exhaled slowly, then spoke. "Let's end this in one strike."
Kushina's expression turned solemn. "Fine by me." She looked back at the fox. "Nine-Tails, lend me more chakra."
The beast's tails twitched. "Hmph. You can't draw out my full power without undoing the seal. No matter how much I cooperate, you'll still be limited."
"Then I'll take what I can. I'd rather lose than break the seal," she said firmly.
Her chakra flared violently. The red of the Nine-Tails merged with her own golden glow, wrapping her in blazing light. Magatama marks and sealing runes formed across her body. In the next instant, Kushina stood in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, her hair floating like fiery threads.
Nine dark-golden chains burst from her back, thicker, brighter, and more potent than ever before. They wove together in the air, merging into a colossal spear of divine light that shot straight toward the heart of Susanoo.
The sheer pressure of the attack made the entire sealed space tremble.
Gen's eyes narrowed in admiration. "Impressive… The Nine-Tails' chakra fused with her sealing chains. Her control really is exceptional."
But admiration didn't mean hesitation.
He reached for the mirror at Susanoo's waist, raising it toward the oncoming golden strike.
"Sage Mode, activate."
Natural energy surged into his chakra pathways, amplifying his power beyond mortal limits. The mirror pulsed, and a beam of condensed black light—dense as a solid—erupted forward.
Boom!
The two forces collided.
A blinding flash flooded the sealing space, followed by a sound like thunder shattering the heavens. Water vapor exploded upward, transforming into clouds of mist.
The golden chains strained against the black beam, cracking under the immense pressure.
Kushina clenched her teeth and poured every ounce of strength into the attack. The Nine-Tails roared behind her, its chakra burning to the limit but the difference in power was insurmountable.
The black beam broke through, scattering the golden chains like glass.
In the next instant, it stopped, mere inches before Kushina. The deadly energy dissolved into drifting particles, fading harmlessly into the air.
Gen's voice echoed through the silent space.
"Kushina… you lost."
Kushina stood still for a moment, chest rising and falling, then lowered her eyes. "Yes," she murmured softly. "I did."
"Hey, Nine-Tails," Gen called casually.
The fox's eyes glinted warily. "What do you want now?"
It expected mockery. Instead, Gen's Eternal Mangekyō spun once more, and the Nine-Tails' pupils changed to match the same pattern, frozen under his genjutsu.
He didn't want an audience for what came next—not even a fox.
Gen looked at Kushina with a faint smile. "It's fine here. Let's return."
"Alright," she replied quietly.
Their consciousnesses left the sealing space and returned to the real world.
Kushina blinked as the surroundings of her home came back into focus. The next second, she realized Gen's arms were still around her.
"W–why are you holding me?" she stammered, flustered. "Let go!"
Gen laughed softly but didn't move immediately. "You're still a little dizzy from the sealing space. Stay still for a moment."
Her heart pounded in confusion, though she didn't sense ill intent—only warmth. She exhaled, slowly regaining her composure.
Gen's voice turned light again. "You fought well, Kushina. Stronger than I expected."
"Of course I did," she huffed, turning away to hide the color in her cheeks. "Don't think I'll lose next time."
Gen smiled faintly, his tone softening. "I'll be waiting."
The tension between them eased, replaced by something quieter—familiar, uncertain, and human.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Finally, Kushina broke the silence. "You always act so composed… but you really like provoking people, don't you?"
He chuckled. "Maybe. Or maybe I just like the original flavor of sincerity in others."
She blinked at him, puzzled by his phrasing. "Original… flavor?"
He shrugged. "I mean people who don't hide behind masks. Like you."
Her expression softened, though she tried to hide it. "…You really have a strange way with words, Gen."
Some time later, when they finally parted, Kushina stood at her doorway, still flushed from exertion but calm. Gen turned to leave.
"I'll pick up Naruto for you," he said over his shoulder. "And Sasuke too."
Kushina nodded faintly. "Thank you."
Her right hand unconsciously rested against her stomach, her gaze lingering on Gen's retreating back.
He was reckless, sometimes overbearing but there was no mistaking his resolve.
"…That man," she whispered to herself. "Always so impossible to predict."