Dale opened his eyes.
He was standing in a massive, dark room.
The floor was covered in shallow water.
In front of him were giant, heavy red gates.
And behind those gates was a massive orange fox with nine sweeping tails.
The Fox was pinned to the floor by thick, glowing chains.
He could not even move an inch.
Dale looked up at the giant monster.
He didn’t feel any fear at all.
Instead, a heavy feeling of pity washed over him.
The Fox looked so miserable and trapped.
Mito stood next to Dale.
In this mental world, her mind was absolute.
She was still young and powerful here.
She raised her hand and loosened the chains just a tiny bit, allowing the Fox to lift its massive head.
Immediately, a terrifying, malevolent energy exploded in the dark room.
“Mito!”
The Fox roared, his voice shaking the entire cage.
He snapped his giant, sharp teeth, trying to bite her.
“I curse you! I curse you and Hashirama! I will tear you to pieces!”
Then, the giant Fox noticed Dale standing there.
His massive red eyes narrowed into angry slits.
He pushed his terrifying killing intent right at Dale, trying to intimidate him.
“Who is this little bug?!”
The Fox growled dangerously.
“Are you the next sacrifice? I will eat your soul alive!”
Dale didn’t flinch.
He just let out a long, heavy sigh.
He turned to look at Mito.
“Lady Mito,”
Dale said calmly.
“He is completely right to be angry. If I were a big, fluffy fox locked in a dark cage for decades, I would be furious too.”
Dale looked back at the giant beast.
“Can you change the seal a little bit? Just enough so he can at least move his own body.”
Mito was shocked, but she trusted Dale.
She waved her hand, and the heavy chains fell away, though the giant red gates stayed firmly closed.
The Fox stood up, towering over them.
He growled deeply, showing his terrible teeth.
Dale walked right up to the metal bars of the gate.
“Come any closer, human,”
The Fox threatened, his voice rumbling like thunder.
“And I will crush you.”
Dale didn’t listen.
He reached his hand right through the thick metal bars.
He completely ignored Fox’s threats.
He reached up and firmly scratched the giant Fox right behind his big ears using his chakra as medium.
Suddenly, the terrifying killing intent completely vanished.
The Fox’s eyes went wide.
His giant body instantly melted like soft butter.
He dropped his heavy head down to the floor, leaning into Dale’s hand with a loud, happy groan.
His giant back leg even started to thump against the floor like a happy puppy.
Mito stood frozen in absolute shock.
She had lived with this monster for decades.
She had never, ever seen the Nine-Tails behave like a normal, soft animal.
Dale smiled and scratched the Fox everywhere he knew an animal would feel itchy—under the chin, behind the ears, and on the thick neck.
After a few minutes, Dale pulled his hand back.
The Fox immediately opened his big red eyes.
“Hey!”
The Fox grumbled loudly.
“Who told you to stop? Do it again!”
Dale chuckled softly.
“Let’s make a deal first,”
Dale told the giant beast.
“You are going to be moved into a new girl named Kushina. If you promise to behave and not hurt her, I will help convince Mito to give you a much bigger space and some freedom inside the seal. What do you say?”
The Fox grumbled.
He looked at the dark, boring cage, and then looked at Dale’s hand.
He really didn’t have a choice.
“Fine,”
The Fox huffed, resting his chin on his paws.
“I agree. Now keep scratching.”
Dale smiled and reached his hand out again.
But suddenly, something strange happened.
The space-time seal inside Dale’s chest—the one he was almost finished absorbing—pulsed with a blinding, bright light.
Without Dale even trying, the seal violently pulled a huge wave of the Fox’s thick red chakra right through the metal bars and straight into Dale’s chest.
“What are you doing?!”
The Fox yelled in surprise.
But the red chakra didn’t hurt Dale.
The red chakra turned into bright, crackling blue lightning.
Dale gasped as a massive rush of pure, fresh power filled his body.
Mito stepped forward, her eyes wide with fear.
But it was the Fox who looked the most shocked.
The giant beast stared at Dale’s glowing chest in absolute terror and disbelief.
“That energy…”
The Fox whispered, his voice trembling for the first time.
“That seal… how do you have that?!”
“Do you know what it is?”
Dale asked, breathing heavily as the lightning settled inside him.
“Know it?”
The Fox swallowed hard, his big red eyes full of ancient fear.
“That seal was here before I was even born. It might even be older than my father… older than Hagoromo himself.”
A moment ago, the giant Fox thought this young man was just a soft, naive fool.
He had secretly planned to trick Dale.
He wanted to use Dale’s pity to kill Mito and break the cage open.
But seeing that blinding light changed everything.
The Fox stared at Dale’s chest in absolute terror.
He realized a dark, terrifying truth.
The ancient seal inside this boy was incredibly hungry.
If Dale wanted to, he could pull all of the Fox’s chakra through the bars.
He could absorb him completely, and the Fox would not be able to resist at all.
The seal had chosen this man.
When Dale finally finished absorbing it, this naive human would be just as strong as Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths.
Maybe even stronger!
The Fox swallowed his pride.
He was a proud beast, but he was not stupid.
This man was incredibly dangerous.
But fortunately, he was also very kind.
He actually felt bad for the Fox.
The giant beast’s mind worked quickly.
If he played his cards perfectly right, this sympathetic boy might actually set him free in the future.
“Are you going to answer me?”
Dale asked, looking at the giant monster.
“What is this seal?”
The Fox lowered his massive head.
He did not growl or threaten Dale this time.
His voice was deep and careful.
“It is a relic from the age of gods,”
The Fox answered slowly.
“It is older than chakra itself. I do not know its true name, but I know its power. And it has chosen you to be its master.”
Dale touched his chest.
The bright blue lightning was fading into a warm hum.
“Will it hurt Kushina during the transfer?”
Dale asked, his voice full of worry for his little sister.
“No,”
Fox said honestly.
“As long as you tell the seal not to eat my chakra, the girl will be safe. But you must be careful, human. You hold the power to erase me completely from this world.”
Dale stepped right up to the metal bars again.
He looked straight into the giant, scary red eyes.
“I do not want to erase you,”
Dale said softly.
“I told you, I feel bad for you. You are treated like a weapon. Nobody should live in a cage for their whole life.”
The Fox stared at Dale’s honest eyes.
For the first time in many decades, the beast felt something strange.
He felt respect.
“My name is Kurama,”
The giant Fox suddenly said.
Mito gasped.
She had lived with him for her entire life, and he had never told her his real name.
Dale smiled a warm, gentle smile.
“It is very nice to meet you, Kurama.”
“You said you would give me a better space,”
Kurama said quietly, keeping his voice low.
“If I behave in the new girl’s body… if I do not fight back… will you promise to set me free one day?”
Mito’s eyes went wide.
“Dale, no!”
She warned him quickly.
“You cannot make a promise like that to a Tailed Beast! It is too dangerous!”
But Dale did not look away from Kurama.
He saw the deep sadness and the desperate hope hiding behind the monster’s scary face.
“If you promise to protect Kushina,”
Dale told the Fox directly, his voice firm and true.
“If you promise to be her friend and keep her safe, then yes, Kurama. One day, when the world is safe, I will find a way to set you completely free.”
Kurama closed his eyes.
He didn’t have a choice right now, but for the first time, he actually wanted to agree.
“Then we have a deal, Dale,”
Kurama whispered, resting his giant head on his paws.
“I am ready. Tell the old woman to start the transfer.”
Mito stood silently in the dark, watery room.
She did not know what to think.
Her entire worldview had just completely shattered.
For decades, she believed the Nine-Tails was just a mindless monster made of pure, evil hatred.
She believed it only wanted destruction.
But it had a real name.
It could make promises.
It had feelings, and it was connected to the legendary Hagoromo.
She looked at Dale.
He was looking at the giant Fox not with fear, but with genuine kindness.
“Alright,”
Mito finally said, letting out a long, tired sigh.
She felt incredibly old.
Maybe the old ways of ninja were wrong.
Maybe it was time to trust this new generation.
“Dale,”
Mito said softly.
“I will trust you. I will change the seal for Kushina. I will give Kurama the freedom you promised.”
Kurama opened one giant red eye and looked at the old woman.
He didn’t say thank you, but he didn’t curse her either.
The mental world slowly faded away.
Dale opened his real eyes.
He was back in the dim bedroom.
Tsunade and Kushina were looking at him worriedly.
Tsunade and Kushina had no idea what had just happened inside the seal.
They didn’t know about the deal, the Fox’s real name, or the massive power Dale had just absorbed.
“It is time,”
Mito whispered weakly from her bed.
Dale nodded.
He sat behind little Kushina and placed his hands gently on her back.
Mito placed her shaking hands on her own stomach.
Bright, complex sealing formulas began to glow on both Mito’s stomach and Kushina’s stomach.
“Don’t be afraid, Kushina,”
Dale whispered softly.
“I am right here with you. It won’t hurt.”
The transfer began.
A thick, heavy red chakra slowly pulled out of Mito’s body and flowed into Kushina.
Usually, a Tailed Beast would fight and roar, trying to break free during the transfer.
It would normally cause massive pain.
But not this time.
Kurama kept his promise.
He did not resist at all.
He flowed quietly and smoothly into the new, specially designed seal.
It was a space that was much larger, much brighter, and gave him room to finally move around.
When the last drop of red chakra entered Kushina, the glowing formulas faded away.
Kushina let out a soft breath and instantly fell unconscious, safely falling backward into Dale’s waiting arms.
“She is okay,”
Dale told Tsunade softly, carefully laying the sleeping girl down on a soft mat.
“The transfer was a perfect success.”
Tsunade let out a breath she had been holding.
But then, she quickly turned back to the bed.
“Grandmother!”
Tsunade cried, rushing to her side.
Mito was barely breathing.
The transfer had taken the very last of her life force.
Her snow-white hair spread across the pillow.
Her eyes were dull, but her face was completely peaceful.
“Tsunade… Dale…”
Mito whispered, her voice fading like a dying wind.
They both leaned close to hear her.
“I have no more worries for this village,”
Mito smiled a tiny, weak smile.
“I leave my granddaughter… and my home… in your strong hands, Dale.”
“I promise I will protect them, Lady Mito,”
Dale said, his voice thick with emotion.
Mito looked at Tsunade one last time.
“My beautiful Tsunade,”
Mito breathed out.
“Be happy… I am only sorry… I cannot see your wedding day…”
Her eyes slowly closed.
With one final, quiet breath, Uzumaki Mito, the powerful wife of the First Hokage, passed away peacefully.
Tsunade broke down, crying loudly over her grandmother’s chest.
Dale wrapped his arms around Tsunade, holding her tight as they both cried in the quiet, sad room.