"Kazama's my big bro now, so doesn't that make you my big sis?"
"You jerk!"
Jōren Yōson's words made Kōren Gōka's face flush red. She promptly smacked him, leaving his face bruised and swollen.
"Big Bro Kazama, help me out here! What did I say wrong?"
Jōren Yōson scurried behind Kazama for cover.
"You tried to flatter her, but you ended up kicking the horse instead! A stunning beauty like Kōren Gōka? Way out of my league!"
"What did you just say?!"
Kōren Gōka shot a glare at Kazama, who quickly waved his hands and flashed an awkward smile.
"Alright, you two, since you're both my comrades now, let's put the past behind us!"
"Hmph! As if I needed you to tell me!"
With her usual tsundere flair, Kōren Gōka turned into a streak of fire and returned to Kazama's body.
"Big Bro Kazama, I gotta hurry up and train. Call me if you need me!"
Jōren Yōson transformed into a flame and slipped back into Kazama's body as well.
Kazama couldn't be more satisfied. Not only had he tamed the formidable Jōren Yōson, but he'd also fused an even stronger Kōren Gōka. His gaze then fell on Kurozetsu, who was being tormented by the Kintei Futen-en below.
Kurozetsu had been burned into unconsciousness, barely clinging to life. Kazama moved to finish him off, but just as he was about to strike, the system stopped him, leaving him puzzled.
"If the host wishes to unlock the Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan, you must rely on Kurozetsu's power!"
"What?"
Kazama was stunned. He'd never imagined Kurozetsu could help him awaken the Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan. If that was the case, Kurozetsu couldn't be killed just yet.
"Due to the host's influence, Kurozetsu has only absorbed half the chakra of seven Tailed Beasts so far. Without Kurozetsu's final mental fusion, you cannot summon the Ten-Tails' true form, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Only by absorbing Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's power can the host fully awaken the Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan. Otherwise, even if you obtain the Ten-Tails' power, you'll only awaken a Six-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan!"
"I see!"
Kazama finally understood the true method to unlock the Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan. While a Six-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan was powerful, it paled in comparison to the Nine-Tomoe version. If he was going to awaken it, he wanted the strongest one.
"Fine!"
With that, Kazama reluctantly spared the half-dead Kurozetsu.
"Wait a sec!"
Kazama suddenly recalled that Jōren Yōka could turn those it burned into puppets under his control. Since Betsu Tenjin couldn't control Kurozetsu, maybe Jōren Yōka could manipulate his actions. But when he shared this idea with the system, it shot him down.
"Kurozetsu isn't a human body but a product of will. Jōren Yōka can only destroy him, not control him!"
"Alright, then I'll just have to keep Kurozetsu alive until he revives Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!"
Kazama dispelled the Kintei Futen-en that was burning Kurozetsu and used the Seirei no En to revive him.
Unaware that Kazama had saved him—or why—Kurozetsu, upon waking, immediately sank into the ground and vanished.
"Hmph!"
Kazama smirked at Kurozetsu's escape and contacted Obito, instructing him to bring half of the Eight-Tails Gyūki's chakra back for the Gedō Mazō to absorb.
"Next up is Naruto's Nine-Tails. Once the Gedō Mazō absorbs half the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, I can use Kurozetsu to summon the Ten-Tails' true form, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!"
The thought of soon obtaining the legendary Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan thrilled Kazama.
"To absorb the Nine-Tails' power from Naruto, I need him to release the Nine-Tails' full form. Got it!"
Kazama remembered that Naruto would later train with Killer B to control the Nine-Tails, during which the Nine-Tails went berserk once. So, he decided to have Naruto train with Killer B early. If Naruto lost control and unleashed the Nine-Tails, Kazama could seize the opportunity to absorb its power.
"Then I'll gain the Ten-Tails' power, awaken the Nine-Tomoe Rinne-Sharingan, and maybe even obtain an even stronger strange flame!"
With that, Kazama revived the unconscious Fourth Raikage and shared his plan. The Raikage, grateful for Kazama saving him from Kurozetsu's control and intimidated by Kazama's strength, eagerly agreed.
But to Kazama's surprise, when he returned to Konoha, Naruto was nowhere to be found.