========
Naruto had tried so hard. Got so far. Too far for it NOT to matter!
He clasped the sapphire brooch bequeathed to him by Lady Tsunade, the one that had seen her little brother into the next world. The necklace that Tsunade had enchanted as an extra foil against the crafty demon fox resting within Naruto. The fox, Kurama, as wily as he was patient, had only needed to poke and prod the ninja youth he was sealed within for a handful of years - a drop in the bucket for an immortal tailed beast! And the ninja, Naruto, while coming into his own as a warrior sworn to his Leaf Village, had propped himself on the demon fox's power more than once.
And now... Naruto was going to swear an all new allegiance to the Nine-Tailed Fox!

Naruto turned the sapphire brooch once in hand. And CRUSHED it to bits!

He was rewarded immediately by a distinct ripple down his back, followed by an even more distinct RIP in the back of his orange jumpsuit.
SWISH... fwish fwish... fwip...
The first tail. And not any facsimile knitted from condensed chakra. This was the real deal! An actual TAIL, that Naruto could call his own. The first of nine that rightfully belonged to Kurama, the demon fox.
But then again, Naruto WAS the Nine-Tailed Fox after all. Mizuki had said so himself. So had Gaara.
And Naruto was done with trying to deny to himself the simple and obvious truth. Instead, he smile and laugh. And laugh. And laugh with gleaming fangs dripping with mirthful diabolism.

"Huhuhu-HWAUHWA!! One down, eight more to go!"

===============

Made in Clip Studio Paint by me and  Vultsky We've learned a LOT since the previous version: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44178790/
We're not stopping here! The only thing that'd stop us probably is if the two of us grew tails, ourselves. ;3

Naruto Uzumaki, Nine-Tailed Fox, et all are characters from the Naruto and Naruto Shippuden universe which is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, Shonen Jump, and Viz Media. Please support the official release.