Mufasa held the mace, his gaze fixed on Naruto with a wicked grin.
"All my hard work is in this stick," he said, resting the weapon on his shoulder. "How much you can learn depends on you."
Naruto's eyes flicked to the mace, something deep in his subconscious stirring with unease.
Even in his transformed state, he could sense the danger. Instinctively, he started forming a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Mufasa's hand crackled with electricity.
"Electromagnetic Release: Reflector."
A bright flash erupted, blinding Naruto momentarily.
When his vision cleared, countless electromagnetic mirrors floated in the air, reflecting Mufasa from every angle.
There was no telling which one was real.
Mufasa meant business this time.
Meanwhile, Gaara arrived with the 1st and 2nd Division Ninja Army.
They immediately secured the perimeter, ensuring no one else got caught in the battle.
The remaining spectators were ushered back to the village, and Sasuke—along with Yoruya—was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Sasori pulled up in a reinforced transport vehicle, a massive chakra storage jar strapped to his back.
Orochimaru and Gaara followed soon after, riding atop sandworms, each carrying additional storage jars.
They weren't just here to watch. They were here to collect chakra.
The half-tailed Naruto, surrounded by dazzling reflections and an army of shinobi, felt the tension rising.
His growl deepened.
The beast inside him wanted blood.
And that man floating in the sky… He was the biggest threat.
With a guttural roar, Naruto launched himself upward, slicing through the wind.
Mufasa smirked. "Good. Now we're getting somewhere."
BOOM!
Lightning flashed.
Mufasa vanished from sight.
Naruto twisted in midair, searching—
But it was too late.
CRACK!
A massive force slammed into his skull.
Mufasa reappeared above him, swinging the mace down with devastating power.
The impact ripped through Naruto's Tailed Beast cloak, sending him hurtling back to the ground like a meteor.
Before he could recover, Mufasa grabbed one of his chakra tails—
And tore it off.
With a flick, he tossed the severed tail toward Sasori and the others.
"Seal it!"
Sasori moved fast, capturing the wild, thrashing chakra inside the storage jar.
The lid slammed shut, and the sealing formula glowed brightly.
Tail +1.
Naruto crashed into the sand, leaving a deep crater.
Mufasa peered down into the pit, twirling his mace lazily.
"Oh, come on," he taunted. "Don't tell me that's all you've got. At least sit up a few times."
Naruto groaned, but the mocking tone hit a nerve.
A furious growl escaped his throat.
Inside him, Kurama stirred.
"These damn humans…" the Nine-Tails growled. "I'll tear him apart!"
Naruto's body convulsed as another surge of chakra flooded out from his seal.
He pushed himself up, claws digging into the sand.
His tails lashed wildly, the torn one already regenerating—
And then, two more burst out behind him.
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Huh. One attack with my stick, you produce another tail? If I hit you four more times, will you be full Nine-Tails?"
Naruto let out an earth-shaking roar, a new Tailed Beast Bomb forming.
Mufasa sighed. "Still trying that, huh? Kyubi, your tactics are too predictable. Let me correct that."
He disappeared again.
WHAM!
This time, the mace struck Naruto's side, launching him like a baseball into the electric barrier.
ZIIIIIZZZZZTTT!
Naruto convulsed as the electricity surged through his body, smoke curling from his form.
The barrier rippled violently from the impact.
Sasori, standing by with the electromagnetic cannon, tensed.
If Naruto broke through, he'd be ready.
But Naruto didn't escape. He crashed back to the ground, twitching, dazed.
Mufasa landed next to him, grabbing his tails again—
And ripped two more off.
Sealing jars snapped shut as the chakra was stored away.
Kurama seethed. "What the hell is this?! Am I livestock?!"
Naruto growled louder, his rage boiling over. He forced himself up, his body shifting again—
Six-Tails form.
Mufasa chuckled. "Would you look at that? It really is one stick per tail."
Another heavy strike.
Another tail ripped away.
Naruto roared, thrashing in fury. He barely managed to get back up—
Seven-Tails.
Another hit.
Eight-Tails.
Another.
Nine-Tails.
At last, Kurama had enough.
The chakra exploded outward, a tidal wave of pure power.
The dark red energy surged like a raging storm, carving deep trenches into the sand.
The air itself seemed to tremble under the force.
Even Gaara, from his vantage point, felt the overwhelming pressure.
"So this is the full power of the Nine-Tails…" he murmured.
Sasori, Orochimaru, and Kabuto all took a step back, instinctually bracing against the oppressive force.
It was beyond anything they had expected—an endless, raging inferno of hatred.
Mufasa, floating high above, simply patted his mace.
"Now this is interesting," he mused. "Guess recess is over. Time for the real lesson."
Mufasa swung his mace again.
Whoosh!
Naruto's figure flickered and vanished.
The mace struck nothing but air, dispersing Naruto's afterimage.
In his Nine-Tails state, Naruto's strength, speed, and reflexes had all been enhanced to a terrifying degree.
Mufasa chuckled. "Oh? You're improving."
After so many beatings, so many forced sit-ups, his student was finally starting to catch up.
Naruto let out a guttural roar and lunged forward, claws extended, aiming straight for Mufasa.
Mufasa raised his mace, preparing to block—
CRASH!
Naruto's clawed hand swiped him aside like a ragdoll, sending Mufasa flying into the electrified barrier.
Sparks exploded as Mufasa's body crackled with electricity. The sight made the beastly Naruto snarl in what sounded like amusement.
But then—
Mufasa stepped out of the barrier completely unharmed.
"Oh? So thoughtful of you to recharge your teacher." He rolled his shoulders, smirking. "That makes me very happy."
His expression turned serious. "But since you're having fun, I guess it's time I got serious too."
"Time to feel the teacher's love."
Lightning exploded around him.
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
He didn't understand the words—only the danger behind them.
In an instant, Mufasa was gone.
Bright flashes reflected from the electromagnetic mirrors floating above, each one flickering between light and darkness.
Mufasa's form zipped between them at blinding speed, leaving behind afterimages of himself in every direction.
He was too fast.
Naruto's beastly instincts screamed in confusion.
Which one was real?
Suddenly—
THWACK!
A crushing blow struck the back of Naruto's skull.
Even the Nine-Tails inside him couldn't react in time.
Naruto's body slammed into the sand, his face buried deep in the ground.
Mufasa casually tore away three of his chakra tails and tossed them aside.
Naruto lifted his head, panting. Three new tails grew in their place, whipping angrily through the air.
Frustrated, he lashed out wildly, swiping and slashing at the countless reflections.
But none of them were real.
"Gotcha."
WHAM!
Mufasa's mace crashed into Naruto's gut, sending him rocketing into the air.
Before he could recover, Mufasa appeared behind him—
"Go back down."
Another crushing hit.
Naruto was slammed back into the ground, a deep crater forming beneath him.
Mufasa landed beside him, yanking away three more of his tails.
Inside the sealed cage of Naruto's mind, the Nine-Tails raged.
"DAMN IT!" Kurama howled, slamming his massive paws against the bars of his prison. "I'LL KILL YOU HUMAN!!!"
Mufasa's voice echoed inside.
"Stay put, Nine-Tails."
Kurama flinched.
"I bet you're furious," Mufasa continued smoothly. "You think that if you were free, you'd tear me apart, right?"
Kurama growled but said nothing.
"But you're sealed. You can't even use your real strength. Frustrating, isn't it?" Mufasa's voice dripped with amusement. "Maybe you should try working with your jinchūriki instead of fighting him."
Kurama scoffed. "As if I'd ever lower myself to cooperating with a weakling."
Mufasa sighed. "Oh well. If you won't listen, I'll just have to beat some sense into you."
Electricity surged around him as he raised his mace again.
"Thunderclap and Flash!"
A devastating series of blows rained down on Naruto's body. Every impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
The ground cracked.
The air hummed with static.
The sheer force of the attacks made the very atmosphere shudder.
Each strike carried Mufasa's voice along with it.
"KYUBI—!"
WHAM!
"A TEACHER'S—!"
BAM!
"PATIENCE—!"
SMASH!
"HAS LIMITS!"
Kurama winced inside the seal.
That mace hurt.
For the first time, the Nine-Tails felt something eerily close to fear.
"Tch… This bastard really will kill this brat at this rate."
Kurama hesitated—then made his decision.
The chakra inside Naruto began shifting.
The suffocating hatred that had poisoned it for so long started to fade.
Naruto blinked.
He stood inside his mind, face-to-face with the massive, caged fox.
Kurama's burning eyes locked onto his.
"Listen up, Naruto." The beast's voice was low, grudging. "That bastard outside is kicking our asses. You need to take him down."
Naruto crossed his arms. "Why should I fight him for you?"
Kurama twitched.
He hadn't expected that answer.
"Because I'll give you all the chakra you need!" he snapped. "No restrictions! No tricks!"
Naruto smiled. "One day, you're gonna willingly give me your power, without asking for anything in return."
Kurama huffed. "Tch. Whatever. But for now, let's work together and put that stick-wielding maniac in his place."
Naruto grinned. "Deal."
Pure Nine-Tails chakra erupted from the seal, surging through Naruto's body.
In the real world—
Naruto's blackened form began to change.
His dark skin lightened, revealing his true face.
His once feral, clawed stance straightened.
His wild, glowing eyes became clear.
His chakra cloak no longer twisted with violent malice—it flowed like flames, bright and controlled.
Naruto stood tall.
The beast was gone.
Instead, he had entered Perfect Jinchūriki Mode.
Mufasa rested his mace on his shoulder, watching the transformation with an approving smirk.
"Well now," he mused. "My Thunderclap and Flash really isn't bad after all."
Lightning crackled around him as he tapped his mace lightly against his palm.
"Congratulations, kid. You just passed today's lesson."
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Word count: 1636
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