Despite being the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, Nine-Tails was, after all, just that, a Tailed Beast. Reflecting on the recent turn of events, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to curse.
When this human brat first entered the sealed space, Nine-Tails had briefly entertained the thought of tempting him to break the seal, imagining that his long-awaited freedom was finally within reach. But now? Looking at this chaotic mess, he could hardly believe it. What kind of absurd nonsense was this?
Asking him strange, random questions was one thing, but a few days ago, the brat had even forced him, him, the mighty Nine-Tails, to study. And now, now he was being asked to help with an exam? What exactly did this brat take him for?
Nine-Tails had lived for centuries, witnessing the rise and fall of the ninja world, having even felt the pressure of human hands around his neck in the past. But never, never, had he encountered something so utterly ridiculous.
Sure, his last two Jinchūriki had been irritating, but neither had been as audacious as this one. Asking a Tailed Beast for help on an exam? Was this really something a Jinchūriki was supposed to do?
Naruto watched as Nine-Tails lifted a single massive claw and pointed at himself, his expression unreadable. Then, in a deep, measured voice, the beast asked, "Do you even know what I am?"
"Of course! You're the Nine-Tails!" Naruto replied without hesitation, blinking in confusion. "Why are you asking all of a sudden?"
Nine-Tails stared at him for a long moment. Then, his voice erupted into a thunderous roar that shook the very walls of the sealed chamber. "YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE STILL ASKING?!"
The iron bars trembled slightly under the force of his voice as he continued, "I AM THE NINE-TAILS! THE NINE-TAILS! DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!"
Naruto took an instinctive step back, but the beast wasn't finished.
"I AM A TAILED BEAST! A TAILED BEAST! THE STRONGEST TAILED BEAST! AND YOU, " He jabbed a claw toward Naruto, his eyes burning with indignation. "YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK ME TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR STUPID EXAM?!"
With that, Nine-Tails let out a final huff, flopped back down, and shut his eyes, exhaling sharply as if the very idea had drained him. His message was clear, he was done with this nonsense.
Nine-Tails barely cracked an eye open, his expression still as cold and uninterested as ever. "The exam is starting soon. If there's nothing else, stop bothering me," he growled, his voice a low rumble. "I'm going to sleep. Keep pestering me, and, " He smirked, a hint of malicious amusement creeping into his tone. "Believe it or not, I'll report you to your teachers for cheating on the exam."
With that, his eyes slid shut again, and he added, "You're my Jinchūriki, so you'd better take responsibility for your own test."
Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly, letting out a nervous chuckle. Maybe, just maybe, his plan had been a bit too much, even for a Tailed Beast. But what else was he supposed to do?
He glanced back at the slumbering Nine-Tails, sighed in frustration, and then shifted his gaze to the pile of books he had painstakingly recreated inside the sealed space. Everything, everything, was for one goal: to show off to Sasuke and Gaara, to make them realize just how hard he'd been working. And now… the Nine-Tails was refusing to help?
"Oi, come on! Help me out here!" Naruto whined, leaning closer to the massive beast, his voice a mixture of frustration and pleading. "You've been living in my belly for so long, at least pay some rent, yeah?!"
He continued, undeterred by the lack of response, "How about this, once the exam is over, I'll figure out a way to make this place more comfortable for you. Maybe even redecorate a little?" He gestured vaguely around the sealed space, clearly unimpressed with its current state. "Look at this place, damp, dark, gloomy. It must be uncomfortable to sleep in, right?"
Still getting no response from Nine-Tails. Naruto hesitated, then, with a sigh, he added, "Fine, fine. If that's not enough, I'll promise you this, if you behave yourself, I'll find a way to let you out someday. But you have to promise not to cause trouble."
He waited for a moment, but the only sound was the low rumble of Nine-Tails' breathing as he continued to sleep, seemingly unaffected by Naruto's words.
Naruto clenched his fists, determination shining in his eyes. "Alright, listen up. I will grant you one wish!" He pointed at the Nine-Tails with a mischievous grin. "I've been saving up my allowance, so whatever you want, I'll buy it for you. Just help me out this once, okay?"
Still, the Nine-Tails didn't react. Not a twitch, not even an irritated growl. Instead, the massive beast let out a slow exhale, shifting slightly as if Naruto's presence alone was exhausting.
Naruto's grin faltered, but he refused to give up. "Come on, I have to take first place. You and me, we're in this together, right?" He jabbed a thumb at his chest, his voice filled with conviction. "I never go back on my word!"
But the Nine-Tails remained as indifferent as ever. With a heavy sigh, he lazily lifted one of his giant paws and pressed it over his ears, making it painfully clear that he had no interest in Naruto's pleading.
That was the last straw. Naruto's patience snapped. Planting his hands on his hips, he scowled. "Fine, be that way. I don't need you anyway." His voice rose with frustration. "I'll take the top spot on my own. Just watch, Uzumaki Naruto never backs down."
His cheeks puffed slightly in irritation as he muttered under his breath, "Stupid fox… You're just as annoying as Sasuke."
Then, as if struck by an idea, he turned back with a sly smirk. "Oh, and when I see Gaara, I'm definitely telling Shukaku that you were too scared to help me. Let's see how that goes for you."
With that, Naruto spun around and turned around to storm off, leaving the Nine-Tails in silence.
Just as Naruto was about to turn and leave, he noticed Nine-Tails's ears twitch. In an instant, the beast shot up, his eyes snapping open, locking onto Naruto with an intense glare. "Hold on a second!"
Naruto froze mid-step, letting out an exaggerated puff of air. "What now? I've got an exam to finish!"
Nine-Tails's voice was low and sharp. "What did you just say?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, puzzled. "Huh? That you're a big dumb fox?"
Nine-Tails growled, his irritation clear. "No, you little brat… the sentence before that!"
Naruto blinked, still confused. "Uh… you mean when I said I could do it on my own?"
"Not that one, either!" Nine-Tails's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed his own head in frustration. He growled through clenched teeth. "I'm talking about One-Tail!"
Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, One-Tail? You mean the Tailed Beast inside Gaara?"
"Gaara… the One-Tail's Jinchūriki?" Nine-Tails muttered, his gaze darkening. "That kid is taking the exam, too?"
"Yeah. So what? If that's all, I'm going." Naruto shrugged, turning away.
"I'LL HELP!" Naruto nearly tripped over himself as Nine-Tails's sudden roar shook the sealed space.
"This exam, I'll help!" Before Naruto could even process what was happening, the giant fox loomed over him, his body radiating raw, powerful chakra. A sharp grin stretched across his face as he continued, "But on one condition, you absolutely cannot lose to that damn raccoon!"
Huh? Raccoon? One-Tail? Naruto blinked before realization dawned on him. His lips curled into a mischievous grin as he raised a fist toward Nine-Tails. "Tch, like I'd let that happen. First place is mine. Let's crush Gaara and the One-Tail together!"
Nine-Tails let out a low chuckle, his massive claw extending to lightly tap Naruto's fist. "You'd better not go back on your word, brat."
Naruto smirked. "I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way!"
Nine-Tails huffed but couldn't hide his amusement. Then, with a smirk of his own, he added, "Good. Because if you screw this up… I'm reporting you for cheating."
Naruto's eye twitched. Why is this fox so obsessed with snitching?
…
Naruto snapped back to reality. Though it felt like he had spent ages inside his mindscape, only fifteen minutes had passed in the real world. The exam was in full swing, with students showcasing a variety of creative, if not outright shameless, methods to tackle the test.
Some controlled tiny puppets, slipping them through the air unnoticed to peek at answers. Others activated their dōjutsu, copying entire responses with a single glance. Some relied on cleverly placed reflective surfaces to spy on their neighbors' sheets. The well-prepared scribbled away at lightning speed, while a few, completely unbothered, looked ready to turn in blank papers without a care.
And then… there were those who had simply pulled out their notes and treated it like an open-book exam.
Meanwhile, inside Naruto's mind, he was deep in conversation.
"What's the answer to this one?" he asked, squinting at the test paper.
"IT'S B! IT'S B, YOU IDIOT!" Nine-Tails roared, his voice booming with exasperation. "How do you not remember this? Were you even paying attention in class?! How did my Jinchūriki turn out to be such a dunce?!"
"Alright, alright! Quit yelling, I'm looking!" Naruto shot back, rubbing his temple in frustration.
Nine-Tails let out a huff. "Can't you figure things out on your own? And if you can't, what happened to all those so-called ninja skills, huh? Just cheat off your neighbor already, you moron! I've never been more disappointed in you!"
Despite his complaints, the giant fox frantically flipped through the textbooks piled around him, his claws turning the pages at record speed. "If I lose to that damn raccoon, I swear, I'll REPORT YOU for cheating!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it!" Naruto muttered under his breath, eyes darting across the test paper. "Hurry up! You don't want to lose to Shukaku, do you?"
"Nine-Tails, you wouldn't want that raccoon to think you're an idiot, right?" Naruto grinned mischievously, leaning into the taunt. "Nine-Tails, you wouldn't want everyone to know you're a fool, would you?"
With a smirk, Naruto applied his newly learned New Grass Philosophy, cleverly targeting Nine-Tails' weak points, and motivating him to work harder.
Nine-Tails' anger flared, and for a moment, his chakra flared up dangerously. If he wasn't careful, it would expose Naruto's 'study method' to the proctors. "SHUT UP, YOU ANNOYING BRAT! I HEARD YOU!"
Meanwhile, not too far from Naruto's seat, another voice murmured under their breath. "Tch… Why do I keep smelling that damn fox?"