Back in the real world, Sasuke lay quietly on the grass, fast asleep. But even in his sleep, his brows were furrowed, making it obvious that whatever he was dreaming about wasn't pleasant.
Meanwhile, Naruto turned to Makoto, his eyes full of anticipation. "Sooo... Makoto! Is it my turn now?! Do it with me too!"
"You made Sasuke pass out! Are you gonna make me pass out as well?!"
Makoto's eye twitched. '....What the hell is this kid saying?'
[Senju Tobirama: Tsk tsk tsk tsk... Minato, your son is truly something else! He want to do it with Makoto and pass out like Sasuke? Why does that sound so disturbing?!]
[Hatake Sakumo: So, what's the plan for Naruto, Makoto? Are you also going to make him faint?]
[Might Duy: Sakumo! This is the burning passion of YOUTH!! LET'S DO IT TOGETHER! Youth must not be allowed to faint!!]
[Hatake Sakumo: Get lost, you lunatic!]
[Ito Makoto: I swear, Naruto's way of speaking is always weird. I can never tell if he's doing it on purpose or if he's just naturally like this.]
[Uzumaki Kushina: ...]
[Namikaze Minato: It's time for Naruto to feel pain too! Hehehehe!]
[Ito Makoto: Sigh... like father, like son.]
[Uzumaki Kushina: MINATO, YOU DAMN IDIOT! You're gonna feel the pain first!]
[Namikaze Minato: AHHHHHH~~~!!!]
———
Back in the real world, Makoto stared at Naruto, completely speechless. "Alright, alright, I get it. Just... stop saying weird stuff like that, okay?"
"Before I help you, there are a few things I need to explain first."
Naruto, eager as ever, nodded so fast he looked like a baby chick pecking at rice. "Yeah, yeah! I get it! Just tell me already, Makoto!"
Makoto let out a sigh, then leaned back against a large tree, shifting into a comfortable position.
Beside him, Sasuke was still fast asleep, while Naruto sat across from him, practically vibrating with curiosity.
"What I want to tell you is about you."
"First of all, do you know why so many people in the village call you the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox? I doubt you fully understand it."
He locked eyes with Naruto. "You're obviously just Naruto. So why do they call you a demon fox?"
The moment those words left Makoto's mouth, Naruto's excitement faded. His eyes dimmed slightly.
'Yeah, Why?'
'I'm Naruto, just an ordinary person... so why does everyone call me that? Why do they look at me like I'm a monster? Why do they hate me?' Naruto had asked himself these questions countless times. But instead of speaking, he stayed quiet, waiting for Makoto to continue.
Makoto exhaled. "The truth is... there really is a monster inside you. The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox is sealed within your body."
Naruto's eyes went wide after hearing his words.
"Of course, calling it a 'demon fox' isn't entirely accurate," Makoto added. "It's actually a Tailed Beast,"
The second he heard that, Naruto jumped to his feet, patting himself all over like he was trying to find a hidden pocket on his body. His head darted side to side, eyes scanning his arms, legs, and stomach.
"Makoto, what?! A monster inside me?! No way! That's impossible! I've never felt anything like that before!"
He paused, staring at Makoto with an uncertain expression. "Wait... You're not messing with me, right? This isn't some kind of weird joke?"
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You do know about the seal on your stomach, right?"
Naruto blinked. Then, without hesitation, he lifted his shirt and pointed at his belly. "You mean this thing? Yeah, no idea what it is."
"It's been there since I was a kid. For a long time, I thought it was just a weird birthmark."
"Then one day, Old Man Hokage told me it was some kind of sealing technique!"
Makoto nodded after listening to Naruto. "Inside your stomach, there's actually a sealed space."
"And inside that space... is a massive creature, Tailed Beast."
Naruto stared at the Four Symbols Seal on his stomach, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground, completely overwhelmed.
"So... so the villagers were right all along..." his voice trembled.
"I really am a demon fox... I really am that monster they always talk about... That's why everyone hates me..." Naruto sat there, his hands gripping his shirt tightly. His mind was racing, spiraling into thoughts he had always tried to ignore.
Then suddenly, as if snapping out of it, he looked up at Makoto with panic in his eyes.
"Makoto!" He grabbed his friend's arm desperately. "I'm not a monster! You believe me, right?! We're still friends, right?! You don't hate me, right?!"
Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes as he clung to Makoto, his voice cracking. "I'm Naruto! Just Naruto! I'm not a monster!"
It wasn't the truth that scared him. It wasn't even the idea that there was a beast inside him.
What truly terrified him was the thought that Makoto might look at him the same way the villagers did.
And that his best friend might abandon him too.
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