Kurama's pupils constricted. "Baryon Mode!"
The moment that name was spoken from Naruto's mouth, the last shred of doubt in its heart dissipated.
Baryon Mode was the ultimate trump card that it kept hidden in the deepest part of its heart, a mode that exchanged its own life force for extreme power.
Once this mode is activated, its Chakra would undergo a nuclear fusion reaction with the Jinchuriki's Chakra at a microscopic level, producing a terrifying power that far exceeded the simple addition of Tailed Beast and human Chakra, but the cost was burning its life.
After Baryon Mode ended, it would die and wait for resurrection.
No one had ever known about this mode because no Jinchuriki had ever made it feel that it was worth sharing this secret.
Mito didn't know, Kushina didn't know, and guys like Shukaku and Matatabi certainly didn't know either.
But Naruto not only knew the name, but also stated the cost of consuming its own life.
"It seems the enemy we face in the future is ridiculously strong. To think that even such a suicidal move was forced out." Kurama sighed.
"So, what do you intend to do?"
Naruto clasped his hands behind his head and lay down on the grass.
"While growing stronger, I will unify the Ninja World, and then gather the power of the entire Ninja World to confront the Ōtsutsuki Clan together."
Kurama narrowed its eyes. "Unify the Ninja World? So you intend to use that Mangekyo Sharingan called Kotoamatsukami to rewrite the wills of those Kage and Daimyo?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, there's no time to play ninja games with them slowly anymore. Those Daimyo constantly instigate wars for their own interests, causing countless ordinary people and low-level ninjas to lose their lives in vain."
"If using a unification of will without sacrifice can bring an end to war throughout the Ninja World, and prevent our bodies from being burned like firewood when fighting the Ōtsutsuki clan as they were in that future, then I will use it without hesitation."
"Unification is only the first step. After unification, reform is needed."
"Reform?" Kurama's ears twitched.
Naruto nodded. "Yes, reform."
"After unifying the Ninja World, the Ninja World will need a brand-new system. Under this system, the Ninja World will be a place where everyone is equal. No one will be treated as a tool or a monster because of which country they were born in or what bloodline they possess."
"Everyone's beliefs will be unified. The Ninja World will be prosperous, democratic, civilized, and harmonious."
"By that time, even Tailed Beasts will be able to live in peace with humans, and no one will fight over you by treating you as mobile Chakra reservoirs."
"You will be able to freely choose where you live and whether or not to be friends with humans."
Kurama listened to Naruto's words quietly.
It had never heard these terms in all the thousand-plus years it had lived.
It was also not quite sure how these terms could turn from slogans into real rules after integrating all countries into a single political entity.
But it understood one sentence: Tailed Beasts and humans living in peace.
Tailed Beasts could choose where they live and whether or not to be friends with humans.
It had lived for over a thousand years and had never heard such words.
It recalled the humiliation of being forcibly enslaved by Madara using the Mangekyo Sharingan, the anger of being sealed into Mito's body by Hashirama, and the decades of imprisonment inside one Jinchuriki after another.
No one had ever asked it: "Are you willing to be friends with humans?"
Naruto was the first.
"I look forward to you realizing such a Ninja World soon."
After finishing, it paused for a moment, and then spoke again as if it had made a major decision in its heart, "Naruto, do you want to undergo Tailed Beast Transformation?"
Naruto was stunned. He knew what Tailed Beast Transformation meant. It meant his Chakra and Kurama's Chakra would fuse into one.
"In that case, I'll be troubling you, Kurama."
Naruto smiled.
...
Outside
Naruto, sitting in the Waterfall Cave, opened his eyes.
He sensed the surrounding environment. The Sensory Suppression Barrier was functioning perfectly, and there were no abnormal Chakra signals from the direction of Konoha.
He closed his eyes, activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The next moment, his figure disappeared from the cave. When he appeared again, he had arrived on an uninhabited island.
This island was composed of volcanic rock and surrounded by various strangely shaped reefs.
Naruto's gaze fell on a Flying Thunder God Kunai at his feet. This Kunai was brought here by one of the Shadow Clones he had created after defeating Shukaku.
This Shadow Clone crossed most of the ocean before finding this island with no traces of human activity, specifically to be used one day for transferring himself or transferring attacks.
Naruto closed his eyes, activating Mind's Eye of the Kagura and Negative Emotions Sensing simultaneously.
With the enhancement of Chakra, the detection range of the two superimposed sensory abilities was pushed to the limit. With the island as the center, all Chakra signals within a radius of hundreds of kilometers were included in his sensory range.
There was no presence of any human Chakra.
Although the Shadow Clone deliberately avoided all shipping lanes and human activity areas when selecting this island, Naruto still confirmed it again.
The Ninja World had White Zetsu and Black Zetsu operating in the shadows, he could not risk being discovered prematurely.
After confirming there were no errors, he formed hand seals and laid out an additional large-scale Sensory Suppression Barrier that enveloped the entire island.
From the outside, this sea area was just an ordinary expanse of water with no Chakra fluctuations and no traces of human activity.