Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

Naruto didn't quite catch what Shen Jue and Kurama talked about.

At this moment, he was unaware of the truth behind how his father, Minato Namikaze, had sealed the Nine-Tails into his body.

He was somewhat dazed at this moment. Naruto, who had long been called the Demon Fox, never expected that there was actually a giant demon fox inside his body.

"So, try to be good, Nine-Tailed Fox," Shen Jue said softly.

"Otherwise I'll damage your fur."

The nine-tailed fox whimpered and pressed its paws against its head, revealing a pitiful expression.

Shen Jue only let the Nine-Tails experience the feeling of being surrounded by Yuan Magnetic Chakra.

With just a slight exertion of Shen Jue, the Nine-Tails would be crushed into the most basic chakra particles by the will field of the Yuan Magnetic Chakra.

This feeling of fear is no less than having a gun shoved into your mouth and pressed against your palate.

The magnetic chakra made Kurama's fur tingle.

The suppression of power at its core forced the Nine-Tails to disguise itself as an obedient fox.

Having lived for over a thousand years, having seen Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, it thought it had witnessed all levels of terror in the world, but unexpectedly, its limits were being pushed back again today.

The fear generated by the electromagnetic chakra pack was hundreds of times more profound than the humiliation of being held in the palm of the Wood Golem Technique.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked instinctively, looking at Kurama's condition.

Kurama raised its eyelids and glanced at Naruto, letting out a muffled groan before burying its head back into its claws.

It doesn't want to talk to anyone right now; it just wants to quietly process the psychological trauma it just experienced.

Shen Jue patted Naruto's shoulder, the warmth of his hand passing through his orange coat, carrying a strange, comforting power.

Naruto's chaotic thoughts seemed to be gently gathered by an invisible hand, gradually calming him down.

"Don't be afraid, Naruto," Shen Jue continued. "Next, I'm going to use the Symbiosis Technique."

"Let the Nine-Tails' chakra no longer be a stumbling block for you, and let the power of the tailed beast be used for your own purposes."

He raised his hand and formed a hand seal that Naruto had never seen before, a faint golden light emanating from his palm.

"The Seal of the Contract, in my name Shen Jue, establishes a symbiotic contract between Naruto Uzumaki and Kurama, the Nine-Tails."

"From now on, our chakra will be connected, and our minds will be linked. Your power will be their power, and their life force will be your life force."

The golden light transformed into two streams of light, one entering Naruto's chest and the other shooting into Kurama's brow.

The two beings connected by the contract shuddered simultaneously, and a warmth they had never felt before spread deep within their bodies.

The Nine-Tails' eyes widened. It could clearly feel the chakra within its body flowing in an unprecedented way, no longer violent or resistant, but spreading out gently like a spring breeze sweeping across the earth.

What surprised it even more was that it could sense the brat's emotions.

Lonely, stubborn, yearning for recognition, unwilling to admit defeat, and a little bit of silly optimism.

Naruto's feelings were even more direct.

He felt as if something inside his body had exploded, and a surge of scalding heat flowed from his abdomen to his limbs and bones.

The amount of chakra was increasing at a rate he couldn't comprehend.

Naruto's total chakra increased dozens of times in a short period of time.

"Although I call it the Symbiosis Technique," Shen Jue said again, "in reality, even if the Nine-Tails is separated and annihilated, it won't have any effect on you, Naruto."

Naruto nodded emphatically, feeling unusually sad when he saw Kurama (the Nine-Tails).

The images of his parents, whom he had never seen before, seemed to flash before his eyes.

"Then next up is the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan," Shen Jue said.

Shen Jue placed his palm on Naruto's abdomen, his five fingers slightly spread, and his fingertips glowing.

"Naruto, the Uzumaki clan bloodline is what your mother left you."

Naruto was stunned.

mother.

This word was so unfamiliar to him that he didn't even know how to piece together a complete image in his mind.

All he knew was that he was an orphan, rejected by everyone since childhood, and no one told him who his parents were.

At this moment, Shen Jue's words were like a key, easily prying open the door that he had never thought of pushing open.

"It's time for the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan to awaken."

Naruto's breathing became rapid, his golden hair was blown upwards by an invisible airflow, and a faint red light shone deep in his blue eyes.

The chakra fluctuations generated when the Uzumaki clan's bloodline awakens share the same origin as those of the Senju clan.

That is the purest power in the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths.

The Uzumaki clan's bloodline grants them an innate vitality and chakra reserves far exceeding those of ordinary people.

Their bodies are like an inexhaustible spring, constantly generating new chakra to repair damage and maintain life.

This is why Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, was able to become the first Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and maintain the stability of the seal even during childbirth.

Now, this power that has been dormant within Naruto for over a decade is being forcibly awakened by Shen Jue using a method that can be described as ruthless yet incredibly precise.

Naruto's body began to change.

If his previous chakra reserves were likened to a lake, then now, that lake is turning into an ocean.

Shen Jue slowly withdrew his palm, and when his fingertips left Naruto's abdomen, they brought with them several strands of crimson chakra.

The threads twisted and tangled in the air, eventually transforming into a small vortex-shaped mark, which was imprinted in the very center of the seal on Naruto's abdomen.

"Diamond Lockdown," Shen Jue whispered the name of the technique.

"The bloodline limit passed down through generations of the Uzumaki clan is a chain materialized from chakra, capable of binding all things, both tangible and intangible."

Naruto looked down at his hands, and faint golden patterns had appeared on his palms.

He clenched his fists instinctively, and nine chains made of pure chakra suddenly unfurled from behind him.

At the end of each chain hangs a diamond-shaped golden cone, which swings slowly in the air, making a soft metallic clanging sound.

"Well then, let's stop here."

As for the Asura power within Naruto, and part of the power of the Sage of Six Paths, Shen Jue has not yet considered activating them.

Konoha Village is ultimately too small. Allowing Naruto to grow into a perfect Jinchuriki and forcibly activate the Uzumaki clan's bloodline is enough for the current Chunin Exams.

When Shen Jue and Naruto's consciousness returned to the training ground, the training ground was already full of Konoha's elite ninjas.

The Third Hokage, along with elite Jonin from various Konoha clans and their leaders, were setting up a sealing barrier and preparing for battle.

Upon seeing this, Shen Jue naturally took a step back and shook his head indifferently.

Naruto's sudden surge in chakra destroyed the entire training ground.

The terrifying power and pressure made many of Konoha's ninjas almost mistakenly believe that several other ninja villages had come to attack Konoha with several fully unleashed Jinchuriki.

In such a solemn scene, Shen Jue naturally spotted Inuzuka Tsurugi mixed in with a group of clan leaders.

The head of the Inuzuka family kept winking at him.

Shen Jue retreated helplessly, his face regaining its cold expression.

But watching the Third Hokage's concerned expression towards Naruto, he felt increasingly bored.

Being in Konoha Village always felt too restrictive.

The Chunin Exams finally proceeded as scheduled.

Shen Jue did not return to the Root's underground experimental base under the guise of Danzo, but instead enjoyed the last few moments of peace in Konoha.

The genin (lower-ranking ninja) selected by each ninja village have basically arrived in Konoha.

Shen Jue took a few more glances at the genin sent by the five major ninja villages: Sunagakure, Amegakure, Kusagakure, Takigakure, and Otogakure.

Especially the genin of Otogakure, for some reason they always felt a chill in their hearts when Shen Jue's gaze swept over them.

Sound Village is a rogue ninja from Konoha, and also a ninja village controlled by Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin.

If the plot hasn't deviated too much, Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha should already be in its final countdown.

The Sound Ninja Trio—Dosu, Zaku, and Kin—were less like genin and more like pawns planted by Orochimaru in the exams.

Shen Jue was somewhat interested in the cursed seal that Orochimaru had developed.

The first written exam of the Chunin Exams concluded with Morino Ibiki's psychological pressure and a life-or-death decision on the final question.

When Ibiki announced that everyone who remained in the examination hall had passed, Mitarashi Anko burst through the window and announced the news of the second exam to the examinees in an exaggerated manner.

She was followed by a team of Chunin Examiners, who were responsible for distributing consent forms and guiding the examinees to the 44th Training Ground - Forest of Death.

Shen Jue stood at the end of the examiners' line, dressed in dark casual clothes, without wearing any headband or insignia that could identify her.

He leaned against the iron fence surrounding the Forest of Death, watching as small teams of three genin from various villages gathered in twos and threes at their respective entrances.

On the Sand Village side, Gaara stood alone at the edge of the crowd, arms crossed, staring blankly at the ground, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

Kankuro and Temari stood on either side of him, very close, yet it felt as if there was an invisible wall between them.

"Gentlemen," Red Bean announced loudly as she stood in front of the iron gate at the entrance.

"The venue for the second exam is this Death Forest."

"The rules are simple. Each of you now has a scroll of Heaven and Earth. Seize a scroll of a different type than the one you already possess, gather the Heaven and Earth scrolls, and reach the tower in the center of the forest within five days to qualify."

"No quitting halfway, no giving up, otherwise the whole team will be eliminated."

She grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Good luck, the second exam, begin!"

The iron gate swung open with a bang, and dozens of genin shot into the dense forest like arrows, disappearing into the thick canopy within a few breaths.

Shen Jue waited until the last examinee disappeared from sight before slowly propping himself up from the iron fence.

He stepped into the Forest of Death.

The towering ancient trees blocked out most of the sunlight, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Shen Jue activated his senses, attempting to locate Orochimaru, who had killed the current Sunakage, and Kabuto Yakushi.

In just a moment, he found Orochimaru and Kabuto's hiding place.

Deep in the forest, several kilometers from the tower, a stream of chakra was moving slowly and calmly.

A few seconds later, Shen Jue appeared and found his target among the roots of a giant tree.

Kabuto was sitting on a protruding tree root, with a map spread out on his lap.

Hearing footsteps, Kabuto looked up.

"Oh, isn't this Mr. Shen Jue?" He pushed up his glasses, revealing a perfectly timed expression of surprise.

"I didn't expect the proctor to personally go into the forest to patrol. Is there some problem?"

Shen Jue stood a few steps away, looking down at him with a cold expression.

"No need to pretend, Kabuto," he said. "I'm here to see Orochimaru."

Kabuto's smile froze on his face.

"Mr. Shen Jue may have some misunderstandings about me..." Before Dou could finish speaking, a scalpel had already silently slid from his sleeve into his palm.

Shen Jue's consciousness stirred.

Kabuto felt the air around him suddenly become hundreds of times heavier, and every inch of his skin was being squeezed from all directions by some invisible force, as if countless invisible metal wires were cutting into his muscles and bones.

This is the most basic way of using the Magnetic Chakra, simply concentrating the electromagnetic field to a very small range and applying it to the target.

Dou's knee slammed into the mud with a "bang," creating a shallow crater in the dead branches and decaying leaves.

He braced himself on the ground with both hands, veins bulging on his forehead and neck, his spine creaking under the strain.

"I know where he is." Shen Jue's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "I was just asking for fun."

Kabuto's shoulders began to tremble; he felt a shiver of almost excited excitement.

Faced with such absolute suppression, his usually deceptive mind became more active than ever before.

He was assessing and calculating the source of the man's power.

Information about Shen Jue kept flashing through Kabuto Yakushi's mind.

Shen Jue turned his head to the side, his gaze passing over the dense foliage of the forest and landing in a certain direction.

"Since you're here, why don't you come out yourself?" he said.

"Or are you planning to appear only after your own subordinates have been crushed?"

A low laugh came from the woods.

The laughter was soft, yet it sounded like countless snakes slithering across withered leaves, making a rustling sound.

A human-shaped outline slowly bulged out from the surface of a giant tree trunk, and then that outline peeled away from the trunk, turning into a pale, genderless face.

Orochimaru wore the grass-green Jonin vest of the Sound Village, and his long black hair, reaching his waist, swayed gently in the windless air.

A pair of golden vertical pupils emitted a cold light in the dim forest light, purple eyeshadow extended to the ears, and a meaningful smile curved the corners of his mouth.

"Shen Juejun," he said, his voice hoarse and soft.

"I have long admired your name."

"The murderer of Konoha possesses intelligence capabilities and special ninjutsu that would put me to shame."

He approached slowly, each step silent, the withered leaves beneath his feet making no sound.

"How interesting, Shen Jue-kun." Orochimaru tilted his head at an angle that no human cervical spine could possibly reach.

Why can I sense the same qualities in you that I possess?

"Plus, Danzo has recently lost contact with me."

"I'm very curious, Shen Jue-jun, what interesting things did you do in Konoha?"

Shen Jue's cold expression melted away at that moment, and he smiled slightly when he saw Orochimaru appear.

"Want to know?"

"Become my subordinate, Orochimaru, and I'll tell you everything."

Orochimaru's lips tightened for a moment.