In case you are new to the Naruto fandom, it is pretty common to wonder how and in what episode does naruto become friends with the nine-tails.
If you ask the Naruto fans what their most favourite moment from the anime series is, we can bet that majority of them will answer: when Naruto, at last, became friends with Kurama (the Nine-Tailed Fox) and opened the gate.
Even though Naruto was not the very first jinchuriki who was able to befriend the beast within them, befriending Kurama that is the Nine-Tailed Fox, is a credible accomplishment.
It is obviously due to the fact that Kyuubi or the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, the strongest of all the tailed beasts, was the most unfriendly and difficult even with the other beasts.
However, Naruto and his well-known ‘talk-no-jutsu’ has been seen to manage to achieve what any other nine-tailed jinchuriki have not been able to do ever.
So, how did Naruto befriend Kurama? Continue reading this article to find out!
From the very beginning of the anime series, the character of Naruto Uzumaki did not only have the ability to create a place for himself in the hearts of the fans, but also in the hearts of his enemies.
Naruto, who in some cases even convinced his enemies to sacrifice themselves for his cause, was able to make the most belligerent and powerful creature to ever exist – the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kurama, his friend.
So, in what episode does naruto become friends with the nine-tails?
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Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Fox become friends in episode no. 329 of the Naruto Shippuden series, which is titled ‘Two-Man Team’.
Even though Naruto and the Nine-Tailed Fox were at odds with each other from the very first interaction they had, the young shinobi was able to impress Kurama multiple times throughout the years with his determination.
At the time of the Fourth Shinobi War, Naruto has been seen to help Son Goku, the Four-Tailed beast, by taking out the rods which Madara put in him. As a token of gratitude, the Four-Tailed beast gave Naruto a portion of his chakra, which was also an attempt he made for helping Naruto in the fight against the Uchiha.
After seeing this incident, Kurama realized that Naruto acquires the compassion of Rikudo Sennin, known as the Sage of the Six Paths, and sees Naruto as a reincarnation.
Later on, the Nine-Tailed Fox offered his chakra to Naruto, along with the two fist bumps. After that, Naruto opened the place that was sealed upon the nine tails, acknowledged Kurama as a friend, and declared that he will no longer be called the vicious nine-tailed fox, but by his actual name – Kurama.
How Did Naruto And The Nine-Tailed Fox Become Friends?
The friendship between Naruto and Kurama becomes official at the time of the Fourth Ninja War.
The viewers have witnessed their friendship developing slowly throughout the years and making the hatred between the two fades away.
The friendship between the two started when Naruto was practicing to control the power of Kurama’s chakra. For achieving his target, he needed to gain the trust of Kurama and clear out the hatred in their hearts. Naruto was able to do it with a little help from his mother, who once suppressed the Nine-Tails’ chakra.
Later on, the bond between the two consistently developed and deepened to a certain point that Naruto fully won the trust of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
At the time of the Fourth Ninja War, each of the tailed beasts except for the Nine-tails has been seen to be controlled by Obito. The young shinobi portrayed his determination for befriending the Nine-Tails and freeing all the other tailed beasts.
The strong determination of Naruto softened the heart of the Nine-Tails, which allowed him to trust Naruto and let him use his powers. Afterward, Kurama let Naruto utilize the chakra freely when needed.
What Did The Nine-Tails Realize From His Conversation With Naruto?
After his conversation with Naruto, Kurama realized that Naruto is not like the previous jinchurikis. Kurama understood that the young shinobi could be trusted, and he would not use the power with any bad intentions.
Throughout all those years, Kurama has been utilized just as a powerful object. Being a Nine-Tailed beast allows him to have the most chakras compared to the other tailed beasts. Hence, Kurama was frequently put under genjutsu for spreading annihilation.
But, Naruto has always treated the Nine-Tails very differently, specifically when the two had a conversation at the time of the ninja war. Kurama has been seen to be treated as a friend by Naruto and not a just mere beast that has the capability of causing massacre.
Naruto exhibited concern for the other tailed beasts as well, and it shocked the Nine-Tails. He wanted to protect each of the tailed beasts, who were under Obito’s control.
Kurama was able to sense the sincerity in Naruto and realized that he deserves to use the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
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Why Did Naruto And The Nine-Tails Do A Fist Bump?
Naruto and the Nine-Tails do the fist bump for sealing their friendship. The conversation at the time of the Fourth Ninja war made the Nine-Tails realize that Naruto can be trusted.
Thus, Kurama did a fist bump with Naruto as a symbol of trust and friendship.
Why Befriending The Nine-Tails Was A Huge Feat For Naruto?
Befriending the Nine-Tails was a major achievement for Naruto because of how strenuous Kurama can be. He is the most powerful tailed beast, and also the most hostile and ambiguous one.
There were many shinobis who were able to befriend the tailed beasts, but Naruto was the only one to befriend the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Whereas the previous jinchurikis treated the Nine-Tails as a powerful tool, Naruto treated him respectfully and gained his trust.
Is Naruto Weak Without The Power Of The Nine-Tails?
No, Naruto is not weak without the Nine-Tails.
Naruto has not always depended on the Nine-Tails for help in some of the major battles in his life.
Through practice and determination, Naruto has been able to develop a broad set of skills and tactics even before he began to use the Nine-Tails’ power. The chakra of Kurama considerably increases Naruto’s power. Naruto is able to deal major damage by just using his own set of skills.
Naruto is able to utilize the Toad Sage Mode, Rasengan, Six Paths Sage Mode, and Rasenshuriken, which are some of the strongest skills of the Naruto Universe.
And we should not forget that Naruto is an Uzumaki with major reserves of chakra, which make him a formidable foe even without the use of the Nine-Tails’ power.
FAQs
1. In What Episode Does Naruto Fight With The Nine-Tails?
The young shinobi fights the Nine-Tails in episode 245, which is titled ‘The Next Challenge! Naruto vs. The Nine-Tails!!’ in the Naruto Shippuden series.
Naruto took help from the Killer Bee for controlling the Nine-Tails, however, it goes south, and the two end up fighting one another, in this particular episode.
Generally Naruto comes face-to-face with the Nine-Tails because of the antagonism in his heart. But, during this incident, Naruto mentally contacted the Nine-Tails and released his seal using the key that Gerotora gave him.
After realizing that Killer Bee is utilizing eight tails for controlling him, the Nine-Tails got enraged and attacked Naruto.
2. Does Naruto Like The Nine-Tails?
Yes, Naruto sincerely respects and feels an attachment to the Nine-Tails.
Even though Naruto did not like Kurama in the beginning, with the passing time, he gradually started to understand the beast. Later on, he befriended Kurama, and they even became best friends.
At a certain level, the Nine-Tails actually became more like a father figure in Naruto’s life.
The bond between the two continually deepened with time, and they started to understand one another more and more.
3. Is Kurama Naruto’s Best Friend?
Yes, Naruto’s best friend is Kurama.
Though Kurama is not the only close friend, he is the only one that has witnessed all the sufferings Naruto has been through.
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