Although the Undying Netherflame was harmless, burning impurities within the body rather than expelling them, Lin Yu still went home for a bath to wash away the day's frustrations!
Teleportation plus ignition—his combat power hadn't increased at all! He seemed to recall he could use a partial Susanoo, but he'd forgotten. Whatever! He'd seen the complete form; what was there to admire in a partial one!
After bathing, Lin Yu lay on his bed, feeling his Mangekyo's chakra slowly replenishing. A jolt of joy ran through him: So it was true! His initial Senju body still had its uses. Now he wouldn't have to worry about switching careers to become a blind masseuse and could focus on being a poison-healer—no, a guide for lost maidens on their life's journey!
But then... a flash of inspiration struck Lin Yu. Couldn't he leave a spark of Undying Netherflame with Kushina, and another with Konan? That way, he could switch between them freely—no, accompany them.
Hmm! This eye technique actually had some utility. He'd leave one with Tsunade too. As for the others... hah, I'm not Nagato, thank you!
Far away in the Land of Rain, Nagato suddenly sneezed, rubbing his nose in confusion: Was someone speaking ill of me?
Lin Yu, feeling a bit like a thief, snuck into Kushina's room. He tiptoed to the bedside and reached out, his hand resting on her soft belly through her clothes. There wasn't a hint of lewdness in his heart; the three black tomoe in his eyes slowly spun...
The surroundings shifted. Instead of Naruto's sewer-like inner world, Kushina's was much better, but this was still the darkness deep within her heart—a village: Uzushio.
The destruction of the Land of Uzumaki was an eternal pain in Kushina's heart. The Nine-Tails was sealed deep within Uzushio, the very place Kushina's inner self had manifested as a seal.
Lin Yu walked along a familiar path, looking at the vaguely reminiscent buildings. A mix of nostalgia and loathing welled up, but these feelings vanished with the fall of the Land of Uzumaki.
Soon, a tall, imposing seal gate appeared before him. It wasn't the Eight Trigrams Seal in Naruto's body from the original story, but a composite seal primarily using the Four Symbols Seal, augmented by various Uzumaki clan sealing techniques. Not a hint of the Nine-Tails' chakra leaked out. This was likely due to Mito Uzumaki's power, the last vestige of the First Hokage's wife's strength left in this world.
Lin Yu found himself in a difficult spot. He really wanted to have a face-to-face talk with the Nine-Tails. Although he could break this seal, he didn't want to release the Nine-Tails. After all, this wasn't the Kurama that had been subdued by Naruto's talk-no-jutsu; it harbored a deep-seated hatred for humans.
With a hopeful attitude, Lin Yu approached the great seal gate and knocked on the hard, wooden door, which resembled a Myojinmon: "Hello? Is anyone there? Can you hear me?"
"Hello? I'm the delivery guy. Your takeout is here."
"Hello..."
Just as Lin Yu was about to give up, a furious roar came from within the gate: "Stop making so much noise! Don't you know what time it is!?"
A pair of enormous, blood-red demonic eyes appeared behind the gate, like two crimson lanterns. Sharp fangs exhaled chilling air, and it growled, "Who are you, brat? How did you manage to come to this place?"
"Nice to meet you. My name is Uzumaki Lin Yu. As for how I got here, you should be familiar with these eyes!" Lin Yu opened his Sharingan, gazing at the Nine-Tails without a trace of fear.
"Sharingan!? Are you a descendant of that damnable Uchiha Madara!" The Nine-Tails slammed its sharp claws against the gate, but it didn't budge an inch.
"No, your surname is Uzumaki. You're a clansman of that woman Mito, yet how do you possess the Sharingan?"
"We'll discuss those matters later. I'm not here to chat about family trees, Kurama!" Lin Yu found it somewhat amusing; the Nine-Tails must have been lonely for too long to seem so gossipy.
"Brat, what's with that expression on your face? Don't think I can't see it through this door." Then, as if hearing something unbelievable, the Nine-Tails' blood-red demonic eyes suddenly shrank: "Brat, what did you just call me? How do you know that name?"
How did I know? I saw it in an anime, of course! Otherwise, would I have given it to you? Lin Yu curled his lips and said teasingly, "Kurama, do these eyes look familiar to you!"
Lin Yu's pupils shifted rapidly. This time, he didn't linger to observe. A second later, a Rinnegan with spiral patterns met Kurama's gaze.
"Kid, you... those are old man's eyes! How could you possibly have them!?" Kurama's eyes widened as it scrutinized Lin Yu's pupils, its furry face filled with disbelief!
Lin Yu didn't let Kurama stare for too long. After 10 seconds, he froze the Rinnegan, a grimace on his face; it was all burning through his resources!
Kurama fell silent. It could tell these were genuine Rinnegan. It asked in a deep voice, "What is your purpose in coming here?"
Lin Yu smiled a little, with a hint of indulgence and a silly grin, and said softly, "I just want you to be a little more considerate towards Kushina normally, and to help her when she's in danger."
"You want me to be considerate to a brat? Do you think I, the leader of the Nine Tailed Beasts, have no dignity?" Kurama scoffed disdainfully. As for helping her later, Lin Yu hadn't even said it, and it would have done so anyway. After all, if the jinchuriki died, it would also dissipate. While not true death, it certainly didn't want to experience that feeling.
"Brat, since you have those eyes, I believe no one in the ninja world can be your opponent. Why do you still need me to help her?" Kurama was puzzled.
Lin Yu gave a bitter smile. He knew his own situation best and couldn't truthfully explain it. Helplessly, he said, "Even if I am very strong, I can't protect Kushina at all times. Since you are sealed within her, only you are in the most suitable position."
"Hmph, I don't want to go through all that trouble. Isn't it comfortable sleeping here? Why bother with so many human affairs... By the way, if you want me to do something, what benefits will I get?"
*Ding*, Kurama's tsundere attribute has been activated!
Lin Yu smiled. This tsundere fox had taken the bait. Lin Yu pondered, it seemed Kurama had no other desires besides freedom. So, he could only offer an empty promise: "I promise you that Kushina will be your last jinchuriki. When her lifespan ends, or when she willingly agrees to let you leave, you will be free."
Sorry, Kurama, as long as I'm alive, Kushina won't die. As for Kushina willingly agreeing, how can you take a little girl's words seriously! Right now, Kurama is a great asset to Kushina. As for a decade or two later, Lin Yu would likely be invincible in the ninja world, and Kurama could go wherever it pleased.
Kurama stared intently at Lin Yu and said in a deep voice, "Why should I believe you, human!"
"Trust is mutual. It's not that you trust me and I trust you, but that we both trust each other," Lin Yu said with great seriousness. The current yin-yang integrated Kurama was still terrifyingly powerful.
Kurama remained silent for a long time before asking, "I have one last question. With your eyes and strength, it would be effortless for you to control me with genjutsu and make me do your bidding. Why don't you do that?"
"That's because I'm not like Uchiha Madara, someone with a strong desire for control. And since I know your name, I naturally know your true nature isn't to hate humans. It's just that over the past thousand years, you've witnessed too much human greed and depravity. Humans, fearing your power, treated you as an embodiment of hatred. In reality, deep down, you still hoped someone would understand you."
Lin Yu grinned and said to Kurama with a smile.
"Hmph! So-so." Lin Yu's figure gradually dissipated. Kurama closed its eyes, and the sealed world fell silent...