The battle between Naruto and the Third Hokage…
Even though Hiruzen had locked down all information, there were simply too many students and teachers who had witnessed it firsthand. At least within the borders of Konoha, the story had already spread like wildfire.
And of course, Danzo couldn't possibly miss something like this.
The moment the Third returned to his office, Danzo barged in right on his heels and immediately demanded,
"Hiruzen, I want the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki transferred to Root!"
The Third didn't even hesitate before refusing.
"No."
"This isn't the time for your soft-hearted compassion!" Danzo snapped. "Kekkei tōta and now Dark Release—do you, as Hokage, have any idea what this means!? The importance of Uzumaki Naruto goes far beyond being the Nine-Tails' vessel now!"
"Precisely because of that, I will never let you take him into Root," the Third replied firmly. "That darkness isn't suitable for him. His heart belongs to the light."
Danzo let out a cold laugh, his tone dripping with disdain.
"Do you even hear yourself? Don't you know what kind of life Uzumaki Naruto has lived all these years?"
"Even in such an environment," the Third said calmly, "he never fell into darkness. Not then. Not now. Not ever."
Danzo's voice grew harsher.
"You're saying that the one who awakened Dark Release should be kept away from darkness? Hiruzen, do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds?"
"Dark Release is merely a power," the Third countered. "It has nothing to do with the kind of darkness you're talking about. You're twisting concepts on purpose."
Seeing Hiruzen stand his ground so stubbornly, Danzo's forehead veins bulged. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he spat,
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen! You're wasting his potential!"
"Danzo," the Third said coldly, "Naruto is a good child, not a tool. As long as I am Hokage, I will never allow you to lay a hand on him."
Bam!!
Danzo didn't reply. He simply turned around, slammed the door open, and stormed out.
The Third Hokage remained seated, his expression calm, unfazed by Danzo's outburst. He slowly reached for his crystal ball, his hand brushing over its surface.
The image of Naruto gradually appeared inside.
...
At this moment, Naruto had already returned home.
He was lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his face full of confusion.
At school, Shikamaru had already given him a full rundown of what had happened during his battle with the Third Hokage. Naruto had been in shock then… and he still hadn't recovered.
After all, he was just a hopeless student who couldn't even pull off a basic Clone Technique properly. Yet somehow, in what felt like a dream, he had gone toe-to-toe with the Third Hokage himself—and before that, he had even one-punched the top student, Sasuke.
Of course, compared to fighting the Hokage, defeating Sasuke was a trivial matter.
But to Naruto, oddly enough, knocking Sasuke out in one hit had been the most satisfying part. The fight with the Hokage, on the other hand… that had been nothing short of terrifying.
Even worse, it hadn't been one-sided. He had actually fought the Third Hokage to a standstill… even injuring him...
Thinking of that, Naruto felt a flicker of excitement—but it was quickly drowned out by anxiety.
Wouldn't this just make everyone in the village even more convinced that he was the demon fox… a walking disaster waiting to happen?
Naruto turned restlessly on his bed. Slowly, he raised one hand toward the ceiling, murmuring to himself,
"Shikamaru said this Dark Release… is that really my power?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
"Of course not."
Naruto's eyes flew open. He shot up from the bed, looking around frantically.
"Who's there!?"
...
Watching through the crystal ball, the Third Hokage's brow furrowed.
"Could it be… Naruto is able to communicate with the Nine-Tails now?" he muttered under his breath.
Back in the room, Naruto had pressed himself into the corner, his face tense as he scanned the empty air.
The voice spoke again.
"Stop looking around. I'm inside you. I lent you my power today—don't you think you should thank me?"
Naruto froze, then asked cautiously,
"You're… the demon fox they talk about??"
But this time, another voice snapped furiously,
"Brat! Who are you calling demon fox!?"
Naruto collapsed back onto the bed in shock.
Inside the seal, Carl shot the Nine-Tails a cold glance.
Scarlet-black lightning crackled from his body, the sheer weight of his Conqueror's Haki making the Nine-Tails' fur stand on end.
The beast stiffened under the pressure, instinctively lowering himself to the ground.
When the Nine-Tails finally fell silent, Carl turned back toward Naruto's consciousness.
"The so-called demon fox is right here beside me. Want to see him? Don't bother speaking—just think it in your mind."
Naruto, still shaken by the Nine-Tails' earlier roar, felt strangely reassured by Carl's calm voice. He did as told, thinking silently,
"Are you… the guy from my dream?"
"Dream? Hmm… maybe. Close your eyes. I'll bring you here."
Naruto obediently shut his eyes.
He focused on Carl's voice… and soon felt as though he were falling.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a dark, vast space.
...
In front of him loomed a massive gate.
Naruto swallowed nervously as a tall, lean figure approached—Carl.
And behind him, a pair of enormous red eyes snapped open, radiating murderous, violent energy.
Carl let out a soft hum. Instantly, the eyes shut tight again.
Naruto, meanwhile, stared blankly at Carl.
He couldn't help thinking that Carl looked even more striking than he had in the dream—tall, handsome, almost overwhelming. Not even Sasuke could compare.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if Carl ever showed up at the Academy in person. The girls would lose their minds.
Carl glanced at him calmly.
"Why are you standing there in a daze?"
Naruto snapped back to his senses.
"Uh—hello! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you!"
Uncharacteristically nervous, Naruto rubbed the back of his head.
Carl smiled faintly.
"No need to introduce yourself. I already know everything about you."
"Then… what's your name?"
"Figarland Carl."
The name sounded strange in the world of shinobi.
Naruto blinked.
"Then… can I call you Carl?"
"Sure. I'll be staying in your body for a while anyway."
"Uh… Carl, why are you inside me?"
Carl chuckled softly.
"Got tricked by some old man. Forget it—let's talk about today first."
Naruto quickly nodded.
"So it was your power that helped me today? The Dark Release Shikamaru mentioned…"
Before he could finish, darkness surged like a tide beneath Carl's feet, flooding the space behind the gate in an endless, black ocean.
Naruto stared in awe, his voice trembling.
"So… this was the power I used to fight Grandpa Third..."
-----------
+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg