How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

To be honest, these two have had this fiery energy from the very start of *Naruto*. One's called 'Naruto,' and the other's 'Sasuke.' If you didn't know any better, you might think they've had some strange habits or fetishes since childhood.

But Kurama knows better—these two actually have!

Truthfully, if either of them had a different personality, the entire story of *Naruto* would change.

There'd be things like 'Naruko' or 'Sasuko,' because honestly, there are plenty of people on Earth who are into that.

Kurama is definitely not into it, he swears.

But setting that aside, after Sasuke came out of that wooden container, his chakra aura had definitely grown much stronger. If Kurama had to describe it, his chakra used to feel like a volcano, all bottled up with anger and hatred. Now, it was more like a can of sardines that had been opened.

All that anger, hatred, and jealousy had been let loose, and it was all out in the open. If Kurama didn't know Sasuke and Naruto had already planned to fight, he might've thought Sasuke was just taking it out on Naruto.

Sasuke stood on a large rock, looking down at Naruto from above, with a spark of challenge in his eyes. 

"Naruto, use Kurama's power. Let me see how strong you are now."

That didn't sound quite right. Kurama was a bit confused.

Naruto, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered. He nodded firmly. "Let me see how strong you are now!"

After playing the roles of Tsunade, Orochimaru, the four Otogakure Ninjas, and Sakura, Sasuke had a strange feeling of invincibility. It was as though just a little bit of effort could shatter Naruto in front of him.

So instead of activating Curse Mark Level Two, Sasuke only used Level One to face Naruto.

After seeing Naruto's reaction, a sickly smile spread across Sasuke's face, and almost instantly, he disappeared from his position.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. His right hand was covered in crimson chakra, like an armor. He clenched his fist and struck forward. With a loud boom, their fists collided, sending an enormous shockwave through the air.

"Just like that!" Sasuke's Three Tomoe Sharingan gleamed with excitement. "This is it, Naruto! This is the difference between us!"

"Give it your all, Naruto! Use your best jutsu to attack me! Defeat me with everything you've got! Let me feel your power!" 

Something still felt off. Kurama watched the scene unfold in his mind and couldn't help but laugh. "Naruto, Sasuke's feeling himself after that sudden power boost. He thinks he's on top again. You need to respond with everything you've got—that's the respectful thing to do."

It was clear Sasuke thought he was invincible now, with the power boost from Level Two of the Curse Mark. No wonder Kurama had thought Sasuke's tone sounded off—he had already placed himself above Naruto in terms of strength. Everything he said was about challenging Naruto to go all out, not about him trying to defeat Naruto with his full power.

Tch, typical. As soon as the rain stops and the sky clears, Sasuke thinks he's back on top. He's probably expecting Naruto to slap some sense into him to realize he's not invincible.

"I got it!" Naruto didn't hesitate. He had already prepared to give it his all.

Crimson chakra suddenly appeared around Naruto's body, and the immense power took the form of the Nine-Tails' cloak, enveloping Naruto. As inhuman traits emerged, Naruto's strength received a massive boost.

As for Sasuke... he noticed something was wrong, but it was too late. Just as he felt Naruto's chakra growing stronger, the next moment, a Tailed Besat Boom was thrown from Naruto's other hand, landing directly between them.

Boom—

Sasuke's mind went blank. He didn't expect Naruto to just throw a Tailed Besat Boom like that.

Broken stone fragments scattered everywhere, and the immense power turned into a storm, blowing in all directions. All Sasuke could feel was a powerful force landing on him, and then it felt like he was hit by a car, sending him flying through the air.

Naruto looked at the scene in confusion. 

"Kurama, did I go too hard?" 

"No, just right," Kurama grinned. "If you don't show Sasuke what reality is like, he might really consider going to Orochimaru." 

Naruto fell silent, then suddenly glared at Kurama. 

"You tricked me again!" 

"I didn't," Kurama denied flatly.

It was always the plan. It was exactly what Sasuke needed to see.

Naruto didn't exactly go all out just now. After all, he was only using one tail of the Nine-Tails' cloak. If he really wanted to go all-in, he would've used the three-tailed cloak, and without his cursed seal, Sasuke wouldn't have been able to stop it. He probably wouldn't have survived if hit.

Kurama just helped Naruto solidify the decision to go full force. It wasn't meant to be a complete power attack.

As for Sasuke, he was just pretending, and he didn't do a good job of it. He got slapped in the face, that's all. Kurama was lying comfortably in the seal space, enjoying the sight of Sasuke from a distance.

Sasuke… survived!

In fact, there was nothing special about this battle. In the original story, Sasuke had just activated his second curse seal, while Naruto was using the one-tailed Nine-Tails cloak, and Sasuke narrowly won. Now, not only had Naruto unlocked the one-tailed cloak, but he could also use the Tailed Besat Boom.

With that last attack, even if Sasuke didn't die, he was seriously injured. Naruto probably didn't expect that a single move could cool Sasuke's fiery spirit so quickly, nor did he expect Sasuke to take the Tailed Besat Boom head-on.

What a shame.

By the time Kakashi arrived, it was already near dawn. That night, Naruto used Kurama's chakra to help Sasuke recover a little. Sasuke lay on the ground, full of doubt about his life, and finally stubbornly said, "Next time, when I activate my curse seal again, we'll fight again."

Naruto, of course, accepted and promised that he wouldn't sneak attack next time, telling Sasuke to trust him.

This... only made Sasuke feel even worse.

By morning, Kakashi was carrying Sasuke, and Naruto was following behind. The three of them returned to the village, immediately taking Sasuke to the hospital. Sasuke wasn't alone because everyone else who had gone for support was also in the hospital. Aside from the three from the village, the rest were all resting in the hospital.

Neji, Kiba, and Shino were in another room, all with light injuries. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Sasuke were in one room. Shikamaru was okay, but Chouji was severely injured. It was said he had taken some forbidden medicine.

Tenten, Ino, and Hinata were in a separate room, all with light injuries. Among the group, the one with the most serious injuries was...

Sasuke pushed Chouji aside. 

"That's right, it's me."

This almost made Kurama laugh himself to death.

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