As the red chakra swirled around him, Naruto felt everything else fade away. The sounds of the field grew distant, and the bright sun dimmed, leaving him surrounded by shadows.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer outside.
Naruto found himself in the familiar mental plane, face to face with the massive fox.
"You are...?"
"Don't hold back," the Nine Tails' voice dripped with malice. "You want power, don't you?"
"Cut it out!" Naruto shouted, but the darkness was already creeping in. The Nine Tails had seen this moment coming—this perfect opportunity when its host's determination would war with his doubts.
"You know it's pretty pathetic..." the Nine Tails continued, as dark water began rising around Naruto's feet. Each word struck at Sasuke, at friendship, at abandonment—the very thoughts that made Naruto's control slip. "The guy you are trying to bring back left the village... he forgot about you long time ago... and he has teamed up with 'better partners'."
"Shut up and go back!" Naruto struggled against the rising waters, already half-submerged in the oppressive liquid.
As the dark water closed over Naruto's head, the Nine Tails' final words echoed through the mental space. "Idiot... if anyone goes back... it's you..."
.
.
Outside, in the physical world, the fourth tail began to emerge, Naruto's consciousness lost to the fox's influence. The chakra cloak turned darker, becoming almost black.
Naruto's skin began to peel away as the corrosive chakra burned through his cells. Blood mixed with the chakra, creating a dark, sinister shroud around his body.
"This was a reckless idea after all," Jiraiya muttered, his earlier confidence giving way to grim resignation. "Such a pity."
He turned sharply to the floating toad. "Gerotora, stay back! I will stop Naruto!"
When Jiraiya approached with the sealing paper, Naruto lunged forward with incredible speed, forcing his master to leap backward. The noon sun cast harsh shadows across the battlefield as master and student faced each other.
Jiraiya's expression hardened. "This is bad." He quickly formed hand signs, creating three shadow clones.
While two clones positioned themselves strategically in the distance, the third clone burrowed underground. The original Jiraiya rushed forward, engaging the transformed Naruto in close combat.
Naruto's chakra-covered fist swung at Jiraiya's head. The Sannin ducked under it, countering with a swift kick, but the chakra cloak absorbed the impact. They exchanged a rapid series of blows—Naruto's enhanced strength meeting Jiraiya's decades of experience.
Each clash sent shockwaves across the field, uprooting smaller trees nearby. The sparse landscape became their battlefield, dust and debris filling the air with each devastating exchange.
Despite his skill, Jiraiya knew he couldn't maintain this close combat for long. The corrosive chakra was singeing his clothes and skin with each blocked attack.
Then he saw it—a split-second opening. Chakra swirled in his palm, forming a tight spiral.
"Rasengan!" Jiraiya drove the sphere into Naruto's stomach, sending him flying backward twenty meters.
The moment Naruto landed, the two waiting clones performed their hand signs:
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The solid ground beneath Naruto instantly transformed into a deep, dark swamp, the mud already beginning to pull him down.
The third clone, hidden beneath the earth, burst up through the muddy swamp.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
White hair shot out, wrapping around Naruto's legs and pulling him deeper into the thick mud.
Seeing their chance, the original Jiraiya and his two remaining clones jumped into position around the struggling beast.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!" they shouted in unison. Their white hair grew rapidly, completely enveloping the transformed Naruto in a thick cocoon of binding hair.
The original Jiraiya pulled out the sealing tag, rushing forward. But before he could reach Naruto's forehead, two chakra arms burst through the hair bindings. One struck Jiraiya squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward with a sickening crack.
Blood spilled from Jiraiya's mouth as he hit the ground, but his final clone hadn't been idle. In that crucial moment, it leaped over Naruto's thrashing form and slapped the sealing tag onto his forehead.
The effect was immediate. The dark chakra began receding, the tails disappearing one by one. Naruto's human features slowly returned, though his skin was raw and burned. He collapsed unconscious, the seal once again firmly in place.
Jiraiya lay on his back, breathing heavily, his chest severely injured. Despite the pain, a grim expression crossed his face.
"We've got... a long way to go..." he whispered, before his own consciousness began to fade.
The field fell silent, marked only by the aftermath of their intense battle—scattered trees, the remains of the muddy swamp, and two unconscious figures lying in the dirt beneath the unforgiving sun.