When Naruto was just a baby, Minato—the Fourth Hokage and his father—sealed half of the Nine-Tails’ chakra into Naruto’s body. As a Jinchuriki, young Naruto had to endure being ostracized by the villagers of Konoha. People hated Naruto and feared the tailed beast fox within him.

At first, the relationship between Naruto, as the Jinchuriki, and Kurama, as the Bijuu, was far from harmonious. Kurama often tried to take over Naruto’s consciousness, making him lose control to the Nine-Tails’ rage and go berserk. Kurama’s goal was to weaken Minato’s Fuinjutsu seal so he could break free from Naruto’s body. Meanwhile, Naruto worked hard to suppress the Nine-Tails’ power to avoid harming those closest to him.

Over time, Naruto discovered the reason his father sealed the Nine-Tails within him. He resolved to control Kurama’s chakra. Eventually, Naruto and Kurama managed to work together, making their combined power a key weapon for the Shinobi Alliance during the Fourth Great Ninja War against Madara and Obito.

Naruto’s achievements in the Shinobi world were remarkable. He earned the title “Hero of Konoha” after defeating Pain and was hailed as the “Hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War” after freeing many people from the Mugen Tsukuyomi. Thanks to all his accomplishments, Naruto succeeded in fulfilling his dream of becoming Hokage. With Kurama’s presence inside him, Naruto was considered to possess the greatest chakra on Earth, ready to protect the Village of Konoha and the entire Shinobi world.

Here are the 10 stages of Naruto’s Kyubi transformations, culminating in Baryon Mode.

1. Naruto’s Kyūbi Form Without Tails

The Kyūbi form without tails is marked by a red chakra enveloping Naruto’s body. His eyes turn red, and the “whisker marks” on his cheeks become thicker. In this form, Naruto can heal his wounds while gaining a surge of overwhelming strength. This healing ability from the Kyūbi becomes the foundation for Naruto’s subsequent Kyūbi modes.

Several battles that triggered the emergence of the Kyūbi’s tailless chakra form include:

a. Naruto vs. Haku

When Naruto and Sasuke were trapped inside Haku’s Makyou Hyōshō (Demonic Ice Mirrors), Sasuke was critically injured after shielding Naruto from a rain of needles. This event enraged Naruto, causing him to be consumed by the Kyūbi’s tailless chakra. In this form, Naruto could match Haku’s speed, shatter the Ice Mirrors, and ultimately defeat him.

b. Naruto vs. Orochimaru

During the second stage of the Chūnin Exam in the Forest of Death, Orochimaru disguised himself as a participant and tried to steal Team 7’s scroll. Sasuke, paralyzed by fear, almost handed over the scroll, but Naruto quickly stopped him. At that moment, Naruto was engulfed by the Kyūbi’s tailless chakra, allowing him to take down Orochimaru’s giant snake and protect Sasuke from its attack.

c. Naruto vs. Neji

In the Chūnin Exam semifinals, Naruto faced Neji, who used his Byakugan to seal 64 chakra points in Naruto’s body, preventing him from using chakra. In this dire situation, Naruto tapped into the Kyūbi’s tailless chakra, enabling him to move much faster, dodge Neji’s attacks, counter the Kaiten Jutsu, and ultimately defeat Neji.

d. Naruto vs. Gaara

During his battle against Gaara, Naruto fought fiercely to protect Sasuke, who was overwhelmed by Gaara’s attacks and left defenseless on a tree branch, and to rescue Sakura, who was trapped in Gaara’s sand. To combat Gaara, who had transformed into Shukaku’s Bijū form, Naruto summoned Gamabunta using Kuchiyose no Jutsu.

Naruto and Gamabunta worked seamlessly together to confront this massive threat. Naruto leaped onto Shukaku’s head to attack Gaara, who was asleep atop the Bijū’s head. Naruto’s punch successfully woke Gaara, forcing Shukaku to fall asleep again.

Naruto then harnessed the Kyūbi’s tailless chakra to enhance his strength before launching an attack on Gaara. Even when Gaara immobilized Naruto with his sand, Naruto did not give up. Using his quick wit, he headbutted Gaara with all his might. This headbutt dispelled Gaara’s Shukaku form, causing him to collapse.

e. Naruto vs. Kimimaro

When Kimimaro suddenly appeared during the fight between Tayuya, Naruto, and Shikamaru, he took the coffin containing Sasuke. Naruto immediately pursued Kimimaro to stop him.

In the ensuing battle, Naruto utilized the Kyūbi’s tailless chakra to create hundreds of Tajū Kage Bunshin (Multiple Shadow Clones) to attack Kimimaro. However, Kimimaro was too strong and defeated all of Naruto’s clones with his bone techniques, rendering none of the Kage Bunshin capable of inflicting any damage on him.