Carl clenched his hand, and the endless darkness dissolved into wisps of fading black mist.
"This power doesn't belong to you."
Naruto froze for a moment, feeling a pang of disappointment. But he wasn't the type to obsess over strength. The reason he wanted power was only so that the village would finally acknowledge him.
He quickly adjusted his mood, bowed deeply to Carl, and said sincerely,
"Thank you so much!"
In his mind, if Carl hadn't lent him that power, he wouldn't have even gotten past Sasuke, let alone fought the Third Hokage. He would've been crushed instantly by Sasuke, ending in humiliation and leaving behind nothing but disgrace.
Carl studied Naruto with a faint smile.
"Not bad. You really are a good kid. To be honest, I used to doubt whether you'd been caught in some kind of Kotoamatsukami… and yet, you never turned dark."
Naruto blinked and asked,
"Carl, what's Kotoamatsukami?"
"It's an ultimate brainwashing technique. You're not qualified to know about it yet."
"Oh… I… I'm still too weak. I'm just the dead-last in their eyes…"
Naruto would never call himself "dead-last" out in the real world, but here, he felt like he could put down all his burdens and finally voice his frustrations.
Carl said calmly,
"Yes, the dead-last. A failure who can't even perform the most basic Three Basic Techniques. At this rate, even graduating is impossible."
The words pierced Naruto like a knife. He bit his lip and lowered his head.
It wasn't like he wanted this. He had worked harder than most of his peers, yet no matter how much effort he put in, he made no progress. It felt as if he simply wasn't born to be a ninja.
Seeing Naruto's downcast look, Carl shook his head.
"You think your talent is just too poor, right?"
Naruto nodded silently and whispered,
"Everyone else can do it… but I can't. Even when I managed to pull off the Clone Technique, the result was…"
He sighed, remembering the pitiful "clones" he produced—so miserable it was unbearable to watch.
Carl chuckled.
"Your clones didn't even look human, right?"
Naruto's face turned red. He stammered, unable to reply. Carl pointed behind him casually and said,
"Actually, it's not your fault. That fox lying there—its chakra has been interfering with your own. That's why you can't use ninjutsu properly."
"Nani!?"
Naruto's eyes widened. He looked past Carl at the Nine-Tails, who lazily opened its eyes and gave Naruto a look of pure disdain.
Carl went on,
"But that's not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, this is a treasure no one else can ever obtain. One day, it will help you stand at the very peak of the ninja world. As for your own talent… heh, I'll tell you clearly: you're not a dead-last. You're one of the greatest geniuses in the entire ninja world. It's just that your potential is sealed off for now—you can't unleash it yet."
Naruto was stunned by his words. Considering Carl's power, which rivaled the Third Hokage's, it didn't sound like an empty comfort.
Naruto swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"Carl, you mean… I'm a genius?"
Carl only tilted his head with a half-smile.
"You'll see for yourself one day. I've told you so much already. Shouldn't you do something in return for me?"
Naruto was someone who always repaid kindness. Hearing this, he nodded firmly.
"Of course! What do you want me to do?"
"Simple. Try peeling back that seal on the gate a little."
"Eh?"
Naruto looked up at the seal plastered over the giant iron gate. Then he glanced at the Nine-Tails lounging behind Carl and said hesitantly,
"But Carl… that fox…"
The Nine-Tails bared its fangs, its crimson eyes locking onto Naruto. A wave of murderous cold washed over him, as if he had fallen into an ice pit.
Carl didn't even turn his head. He just snorted. Darkness formed into a massive black hand, which pressed down on the Nine-Tails' head.
Feeling the oppressive darkness, the beast's pupils shrank. The killing intent smothering Naruto vanished in an instant.
Carl looked back at him calmly.
"Don't worry. Just go ahead and peel it."
Seeing Carl effortlessly suppress the very monster the village feared most, Naruto felt his heart settle. Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails fumed inwardly.
"Idiot! This human is far more dangerous than I am!!!"
Naruto gripped the iron bars and climbed up. When he reached the top, he stretched out his hand and carefully peeled back a corner of the seal.
At once, Carl felt his body loosen, his strength recovering faster. But when Naruto tore the seal halfway, Carl suddenly sensed a strange fluctuation within the space, as if something else was about to emerge. He stopped him immediately.
"That's enough, Naruto. Come down."
Naruto froze, confused but obedient. He dropped down at once.
Carl ignored him, focusing instead on the power surging back into his body. The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. He released his darkness again, and this time, the iron bars no longer stopped it. Shadows spread across the ground.
At this rate, he wouldn't need Naruto to remove the seal completely. With his full strength restored, he could break out of this space by force.
The thought filled Carl with joy, and his gaze toward Naruto softened.
"You've done well. When I get out of here, I'll grant you a wish—say, becoming Hokage."
Naruto scratched his head.
"I didn't really do anything. And as for being Hokage… I want to achieve that with my own power."
Carl nodded approvingly.
"Fair enough. But since I've said it, I'll keep that promise. I'll save that wish for you."
Naruto hesitated, then pointed timidly at the Nine-Tails behind Carl.
"Um… Carl, when you get out of here, can you take it with you?"