The intense communication between the two tailed beasts, Hana (Kurama) and Shukaku, occurred in a realm of consciousness so deep and hidden that ordinary people, even ninjas with high sensory abilities, would never be able to know or feel it.
The entire ninja world was completely unaware that Shukaku the One-Tail from Sunagakure and Kurama (who now preferred to be called Hana) the Nine-Tails from Konohagakure had just made a 'deal' that might affect the balance of power in the future.
When the remnants of Hana's chakra that had briefly leaked out of Naruto's body during the confrontation with Gaara finally returned to a normal level, the two tailed beasts also simultaneously withdrew from their deep consciousness realm, returning to their respective 'cages' within their Jinchuriki's bodies.
Hana, in her human form in Naruto's subconscious, now lay gracefully in front of her cell bars.
She took her long smoking pipe, lit it with a flick of her fingers, then exhaled thin smoke from her red lips, which were as sensual as ripe cherries.
A satisfied and calculating smirk was clearly etched on her beautiful face.
"Fufufu~ Now we just have to wait calmly until the final stage of the Chunin Exams begins tomorrow."
Meanwhile, in the real world, in the hospital ward that had just nearly become a battleground for two Jinchuriki, Naruto and Shikamaru were still slightly shocked by Might Gai's sudden intervention.
The thick-eyebrowed sensei now looked very cheerful and full of spirit, as if unaware of how dangerous the situation had been moments ago.
And although his mind might not always be as clear as water (especially when it concerned the 'spirit of youth'), as a senior and a teacher, he was indeed very kind-hearted.
Well, perhaps too kind-hearted and too spirited.
"YOSH! You two, Naruto, Shikamaru!"
Gai exclaimed in a loud voice, his eyes glinting.
"Seeing your burning fighting spirit just now, I'm inspired! How about after this we do some special training to increase your stamina and youthful spirit?! We'll start with handstands around Konoha for... just fifty laps as a warm-up!"
Gai gave a thumbs-up, his teeth sparkling.
Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other with pale faces.
"Fif-fifty laps... while doing a handstand?!"
Naruto shrieked, imagining himself having to walk on his hands around a village as large as Konoha.
Shikamaru could only let out a long sigh.
"So troublesome... Gai-sensei, with all due respect, I think both of us have had enough 'spirit' for today. Maybe some other time..."
"There's no 'some other time' for the spirit of youth, Shikamaru!"
Gai retorted with equal enthusiasm.
"Precisely because you just faced a tense situation, this training will help release all negative energy and..."
Fortunately, although Naruto was sometimes not very smart academically, he still had basic common sense not to get carried away immediately.
If not, he might have actually been persuaded by Gai's speech, which was full of jargon like 'spirit of youth' and 'flames of life'.
Especially since he was accompanied by Shikamaru, who was far more rational and adept at finding excuses to avoid troublesome things.
"Ano... Gai-sensei,"
Naruto interjected, trying to find an excuse.
"Actually... my stomach suddenly hurts a lot! Maybe because of the tension earlier! I have to go to the toilet right away, dattebayo!"
"Ah, that's right! And I... I have to report this incident to Asuma-sensei immediately! This is a rather serious incident!"
Shikamaru quickly chimed in, supporting Naruto's excuse.
After much effort to convince (and slightly escape from) Might Gai, who looked a little disappointed but still enthusiastic, Naruto and Shikamaru finally managed to leave the hospital.
They decided not to try visiting Choji anymore, worried they might encounter another 'surprise'.
Now all they had to do was wait patiently until the final stage of the Chunin Exams began the next day.
That evening, in Naruto's simple apartment, the atmosphere felt calm from the outside.
However, within Naruto, in his dim and watery subconscious, an important conversation was taking place.
Naruto sat cross-legged in front of the giant bars that imprisoned Hana, the Kyuubi.
Thanks to the slightly opened seal, he could now not only hear Hana's voice clearly, but part of her human form – from her slender arms to her head crowned with orange hair and fox ears – could extend out from the gaps in the bars, allowing for a more... intimate interaction.
Hana, with part of her body having 'escaped', could now reach Naruto.
Her prince, after being persuaded (and slightly 'threatened' with Hana's characteristic spoiled whines), was now sitting quite close to the bars, letting Hana do what she liked best.
Hana's slender fingers gently stroked Naruto's spiky blond hair, which felt slightly coarse yet pleasant beneath her touch.
"Naruto-kun,"
Hana whispered softly, her voice as gentle as a night breeze, her blazing red eyes looking at Naruto with great warmth.
"Tomorrow is a very big day for you, isn't it? Your final match... Are... are you feeling a little nervous, my prince?"
Naruto, who had been almost lulled to sleep by the comfortable caress and the fragrant scent emanating from Hana, immediately opened his eyes.
His face instantly flushed slightly upon realizing how close Hana's face was to his, separated only by the thin bars.
"Wh-what are you talking about, Hana-neechan!"
he retorted, trying to sound strong and a little annoyed by the 'prince' nickname that still embarrassed him.
"How could I, Uzumaki Naruto, the great future Hokage, feel scared or nervous just because I'm going to fight an arrogant guy like that Neji! If anyone should be scared, it should be him scared of me, dattebayo!"
Hana smiled amusedly, a smile so close that Naruto could feel the faint floral scent of her breath.
"Fufufu~ I didn't say you were afraid of... Neji,"
she said in a teasing tone, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"I just asked if you were nervous. And it seems, the answer is already very clear on your face, which is as red as a boiled crab. No need to be so embarrassed, my prince, you turn out to be very honest with your feelings, huh."
Naruto's face turned even redder, all the way to his ears.
He actually really wanted to refute Hana's words loudly, wanted to shout that he wasn't scared at all and was ready to beat Neji anytime.
But... deep down in his heart, he knew that what Hana said was an undeniable fact.
He did feel scared.
He did feel anxious.
Although he had developed rapidly over the past month thanks to hard training with Ero-sennin and Hana's relentless support and guidance, the shadow of Neji's true strength, which he had heard from Rock Lee's story after their fight, still haunted him a little.
This was what Lee had said about Neji very seriously: that Neji was truly very strong, a natural genius from the Hyuga clan.
Lee also said that among the three of them (Lee, Neji, and Tenten), Neji was the strongest, far stronger than the average Genin or even an ordinary Chunin.
Naruto had also seen with his own eyes Lee's terrifying burst of power when he opened several of the Hachimon gates.
And if he had to face Lee in that condition, Naruto himself wasn't one hundred percent sure if he could win.
Especially now that he had to fight Neji, who was said to be much stronger than Lee.
According to Hana, who tried to understand Naruto's feelings from her 'human' perspective (even though she herself was now a thousands-of-years-old entity), this kind of mentality was actually very normal for a teenager about to face a big challenge.
She remembered how she felt back when she was about to face college entrance exams or important presentations in front of her career-determining bosses in her previous life.
Even if your grades were good and your preparation felt solid, the fear and anxiety of failure would definitely still be there, gnawing at your self-confidence.
Hana watched Naruto's facial expression slowly change.
From anger due to embarrassment and his pride being hurt, to a slight unwillingness to admit reality, and finally to a bit of disorientation and full of doubt.
Even the sparkle in his sapphire blue eyes, which were usually always full of spirit and optimism, now seemed a little dim and weak.
"I... I don't want to lose, Hana-neechan,"
Naruto muttered softly, his voice barely audible, his head slightly bowed.
"I already promised Hinata I'd beat Neji. I promised myself I'd become strong so everyone would acknowledge me. But... but can I really win against him tomorrow? That Neji... he really looks so strong and unbeatable."
Hearing the clear despair in her prince's voice, Hana's heart ached a little.
This was a side of Naruto he rarely showed, his vulnerable side.
She stopped her caressing for a moment, then gently, both her hands, which could now reach further, cupped Naruto's cheeks, forcing him to lift his face and look directly into her blazing red yet gentle eyes.
"Naruto-kun," Hana said in a voice full of warmth, conviction, and sincere affection.
"Listen to me carefully, okay? Fear is natural. Anxiety is very normal. It just means that you care about the outcome of this fight, you're serious about facing it, and you're not underestimating your opponent. That's a good thing, my prince."
She resumed stroking Naruto's hair with very gentle and calming movements.
"But, never let that fear and anxiety control you or break your spirit. Remember all the hard training you've gone through with that Pervy Sage. Remember all the people who believe in you and support you – Iruka-sensei, Kakashi, your friends, and of course... me."
While speaking, Hana occasionally gave gentle, brief kisses on Naruto's forehead, then on both his still slightly blushing cheeks, giving a touch of pure and calming affection, trying to channel strength and conviction into him.
"Whatever happens tomorrow in that arena, win or lose the fight, I will always be here for you, my prince. I will always support you unconditionally. You are never alone, remember that."
Without waiting for Naruto's approval, Hana gently pulled the blond boy's head closer to the bars.
Naruto, who was initially a little surprised and reflexively tried to pull away due to embarrassment and a sudden increase in his heartbeat, finally gave in and let Hana 'hug' his head with her outstretched arms.
The sweet and calming scent characteristic of Hana's body, as well as the warmth of her skin against his cheeks and forehead, somehow managed to slightly alleviate the restlessness and fear that had gripped his heart.
"Alright, then!"
Hana said suddenly with a feigned cheerful tone, trying to cheer Naruto up and bring a smile back to his face.
"Tonight, your most beautiful, strongest, and most loving Hana in the whole world will accompany you to 'sleep' here, in this subconscious of yours, so that all your disturbing nervousness and anxiety will completely disappear before morning comes!"
With that, Hana gently (but also with a strength Naruto couldn't resist) brought her face even closer, letting Naruto feel the warmth of her breath, as if truly embracing him with her entire body even though only a small part could come out of the seal.
"W-wait a minute, Hana-neechan! Wh-what do you mean accompany me to 'sleep' like this?!"
Naruto protested in a panicked voice, his face, which had calmed down a bit, now turning beet red like fire again.
"I-if it's like this, I'm now even more nervous and won't be able to sleep, dattebayo! This... this is too close!"
In his heart, Naruto truly felt overwhelmed and confused about what to do.
The warm, soft, and safe feeling he felt from Hana's 'embrace' and closeness, as well as the distinctively sweet and intoxicating scent emanating from Hana's hair and skin, truly threw his mind into chaos and made his heart pound uncontrollably!
This felt far more tense and nerve-wracking than facing Neji Hyuga tomorrow morning!
Hana just chuckled softly at Naruto's protest, which sounded more like the spoiled whine of a shy little child.
She tightened her 'embrace' around Naruto's head.
"Ssssh... no more protests, my sweet prince. Close your eyes now and try to sleep soundly. You need a lot of energy for tomorrow. You have to perform at your best and mesmerize everyone with your strength."
And with Hana's warmth and calming scent, as if she were truly embracing him, although it initially felt very awkward, embarrassing, and made his heart pound erratically, Naruto finally, slowly, began to feel calmer and more peaceful.
His racing heartbeat began to slow, and the suppressed drowsiness finally began to overcome him.
He fell into a deep sleep, his head resting comfortably between Hana's arms extended from behind the bars, feeling safe and loved.