When Wen Lan saw Kurama fall into deep thought, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Oh, right," he said casually.
"Back then, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were also the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura."
"???"
Kurama's crimson pupils shrank instantly.
Then his brain… completely froze.
Memories flooded back.
Uchiha Madara hadn't even said a word—just one glare, and the Sharingan had seized control of him.
As for Senju Hashirama?
That man had the audacity to say:
"Nine-Tails, you're too powerful. I must seal you."
While using a giant Buddha statue dozens of times bigger than Kurama himself to grab him like a chicken.
You tell me.
Was that even something a human should say?
Kurama was the mighty Nine-Tailed Fox.
When had he ever been treated with such contempt?
"You say I'm powerful?" Kurama roared internally.
Am I more powerful than YOU?!
Even now, centuries later, the humiliation still burned.
Madara had controlled him, yes—but it was merely genjutsu and a forced summoning contract.
Hashirama, however?
That man beat him up while talking about peace.
Pure psychological damage.
Kurama's chakra surged violently.
"So Senju Hashirama must have been Indra's reincarnation," he growled.
"No," Wen Lan replied calmly.
"He was Ashura's."
"…Huh?!"
Kurama's brain froze again.
In his memories, Ashura had been warm and kind.
Indra had been the cold, violent one.
Yet somehow—
The compassionate Ashura had reincarnated into the man who beat him senseless with a giant Buddha statue.
Kurama stared blankly.
Wen Lan couldn't help laughing.
For a moment, the terrifying Nine-Tails actually looked…
Cute.
The mighty fox looked utterly confused.
After all, the tailed beasts had rarely interacted with Indra and Ashura directly.
What made the situation truly absurd was this:
Indra's descendant had controlled him with the Sharingan.
Ashura's descendant had sealed him "for peace."
Kurama growled in frustration.
"I'm literally your father's creation!"
"By seniority, we should be brothers!"
"I treat you like family, and you treat me like livestock?!"
His tail lashed the air, sending ripples through the mental space.
Wen Lan's Proposal
"Alright, alright," Wen Lan said with a laugh, waving his hand.
"But I'm serious."
"In the future, you and Naruto become brothers who share life and death."
"You even sacrifice yourself for him—and he does the same for you."
Kurama snorted.
He didn't believe it.
But Wen Lan had revealed too many secrets.
Secrets Kurama knew no human should know.
For the first time, doubt crept in.
Finally, the fox gritted his teeth.
He had already been chained like a dog for decades.
Even if it was a lie—
What did he have to lose?
"…What do you want me to do?" Kurama asked.
"Split your chakra," Wen Lan said.
"Divide yourself into Yin and Yang halves."
"One half stays inside Kushina."
"The other goes into Naruto."
Kurama fell silent.
Then nodded.
"…Fine."
Wen Lan's three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly—
Transforming into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Don't try anything," he warned quietly.
"If you betray the deal, I can control you."
Kurama snorted but said nothing.
Wen Lan closed his eyes and withdrew from Kushina's mind.
Kurama's Secret Plan
The moment Wen Lan left—
Kurama grinned.
He wasn't stupid.
Between:
A weakened woman who had imprisoned him for years, and
A newborn baby
…it was obvious which one would be easier to influence.
If he split evenly, half his consciousness would remain inside Kushina.
But what if…
He secretly left only a tiny portion of chakra inside her?
That would keep her alive—
But allow all his consciousness to move into Naruto.
And if Wen Lan's prediction was true…
If he truly formed a bond with Naruto someday…
Then maybe—
Just maybe—
He could split off a portion of himself later and gain true freedom.
If he was going to gamble—
He would gamble big.
Back in Reality
Wen Lan opened his eyes.
"It agreed," he said.
Minato and Kushina both relaxed.
But Tsunade frowned.
"Tailed beasts have lived for thousands of years. They're cunning."
"We need a safeguard."
Minato nodded.
"Do you have one?"
Wen Lan tapped his eye.
"While inside Kushina's mind, I implanted a hidden genjutsu seal in the Nine-Tails' consciousness."
"If it tries anything suspicious, I'll know instantly."
"And I can trigger the seal to control it."
Minato smiled with relief.
"With you handling things, I feel at ease."
Wen Lan turned to Kushina.
"For now, focus on recovering."
"When your body stabilizes, we'll perform the separation."
He softened his voice.
"Aunt Kushina… I'll personally protect you during this time."
Kushina looked at him quietly.
For a moment she seemed lost in thought.
Then she smiled gently.
"You're starting to act more and more like your parents."
Wen Lan froze slightly.
His mother's warm, determined face flashed through his mind.
Minato laughed.
"If they could see their son now—"
"A child already at Kage level, planning things this thoroughly…"
"They'd probably be bragging about him to the whole world."
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