Shimura Danzo attempted to manipulate Sarutobi Hiruzen—using memories of the traumatic Nine-Tails attack, the chaos it brought upon Konoha, to provoke an emotional response.
But once he laid out the tragedy, Danzo revealed his true intent.
"Hand the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki over to Root."
"I promise you—in just one month—I can turn him into a weapon who follows my every command."
Danzo's words were clear and confident.
With control over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, one of his operatives would possess strength beyond Kage-level.
And with that power, everything else would follow.
But the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, knew exactly what his old comrade was after.
Danzo didn't want Naruto for Konoha's sake.
That much was obvious.
After all, Hiruzen had the same thought—
But with a different vision in mind.
There was no way he'd hand Naruto over.
In Hiruzen's eyes, Naruto was already his responsibility.
More than that—his asset.
The boy had inherited his parents' extraordinary talent.
He would surely grow into a powerful shinobi.
Perhaps even—
His greatest trump card.
With Naruto at his side, Hiruzen could maintain his position atop the village.
Even as he grew older, he could groom the boy, guide him, and when the time came—pass the torch to his son, Asuma.
That way, the seat of Hokage would remain within the Sarutobi clan.
Something not even the Senju or Uchiha had managed since Konoha's founding.
The thought filled Hiruzen with pride.
Naturally, he wouldn't let Danzo get his way.
"Danzo," Hiruzen said firmly, "I won't allow you to lay a hand on Naruto."
"Before his death, the Fourth Hokage entrusted Naruto to me personally."
"I won't let you harm him."
"I am the Hokage!"
He met Danzo's gaze, his face grim and resolute.
Danzo sneered in response.
This old man was shameless.
Even Danzo, who had spent decades alongside Hiruzen, felt a flicker of disgust.
If he hadn't known Hiruzen so well, he might have been fooled by that righteous facade.
But behind that kindly exterior...
Heh.
No wonder—
He'd lost his chance under the Second Hokage.
Danzo had to admit, Hiruzen was a master at playing the part.
And despite everything, he was still worthy of the title Hokage.
Today, no one in Konoha could match Hiruzen's strength.
Not even Danzo.
Not yet.
He hadn't wiped out the Uchiha.
He hadn't acquired the Sharingan for his arm.
He hadn't injected Hashirama's cells to stabilize it.
Without those preparations, he couldn't face Hiruzen directly.
"Hiruzen…" Danzo spat. "You'll regret this."
With that, he turned and strode out of the Hokage's office, his expression dark.
But Danzo was like the very foundation of the village—
Rooted deep underground, unseen.
Just because Hiruzen had said, "I am the Hokage,"
Didn't mean Danzo would stop moving in the shadows.
Since Naruto was out of reach for now,
He'd simply shift his focus.
The Uchiha...
Their time was almost up.
Back in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt Danzo's chakra retreat into the distance.
He took out his pipe and lit it.
After a few puffs, the corners of his mouth curled slightly.
"Danzo..." he murmured.
"You still don't have what it takes."
Night fell across Konoha.
Warm lights flickered on in every home.
The village glowed—peaceful, vibrant, alive.
It was a beautiful night.
But Uzumaki Naruto wasn't paying attention to the view.
After preparing his dinner and finishing his meal,
He headed straight for the bathroom to wash up.
Then, without hesitation, he jumped into bed.
Not to sleep.
It was only 8 o'clock... maybe 9?
Naruto was pretending.
Lying still in bed, eyes closed, breath even—
All to reach the being sealed within him.
In his mind, he called out softly:
"Hey."
"Kurama."
"Can you hear me?"
He focused inward, searching for that immense, familiar chakra.
Hoping for a response from the Nine-Tails.
As the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, if Naruto wanted to grow stronger, the best path forward was to gain the Nine-Tails' cooperation.
At that moment—
Inside the sealed space.
Kurama—the Nine-Tailed Fox—lay in his cage, his massive body resting lazily on the ground. His eyes were half-closed, dozing in silence.
He hadn't expected this.
After so many years…
Someone had finally called his real name again.
And more absurdly—it was a kid who did it.
"What!?"
Kurama's crimson eyes snapped open, his voice booming through the sealed chamber.
"Brat!"
"What did you just say!?"
His words, laced with menace, echoed inside Naruto's mind.
But Naruto was ready. He didn't flinch or recoil in fear. Instead, he answered calmly:
"Kurama. That's your name, right? Anyway, let's not dwell on that. Just pull me in already."
He still couldn't sense the sealed space clearly. If he couldn't sense it, entering was obviously out of the question.
That offhanded response caught Kurama off guard again.
This brat—why did he say that name like it was just any other word?
Kurama knew better than anyone: the name "Kurama" had long faded from the shinobi world, buried and forgotten.
For him to hear it now, from a mere child no less...
Kurama stared at the mental presence reaching toward him.
...Interesting.
If the kid wanted to come in, then so be it.
Kurama gathered his chakra and tried to pull Naruto into the sealed space.
But—
He stopped after just one attempt.
He had sensed it immediately:
Naruto's mental strength was still far too weak.
With his current spiritual resilience, he couldn't maintain a connection strong enough to enter this space.
It wasn't time yet.
Not until the boy grew stronger.
"Brat," Kurama said, his voice calmer now, "your mental strength's too weak. Come back when you're stronger."
With that, his voice faded—submerging into silence like a stone dropped into deep water.
Naruto furrowed his brows.
"Seriously?" he muttered, frustrated.
He hadn't thought about that particular detail.
Apparently, there was no need to rush things. Kurama wasn't going anywhere.
First step: build a strong foundation.
Chakra was the fusion of spiritual energy and physical stamina.
To grow, both his mind and body had to develop in tandem. If one side became too dominant, the balance would be thrown off.
But that raised another question—
How was he supposed to increase his spiritual strength?
Naruto thought hard.
Suddenly, a light went off in his head.
Meditation!
He remembered it from his previous life.
Even back then, meditation wasn't superstition—it had a solid scientific basis.
Long-term meditation could improve a person's focus.
It helped regulate emotions.
Calm the mind.
And most importantly…
It strengthened spiritual power.
Eyes wide with realization, Naruto sat up.
He began recalling everything he knew about meditation from his past life.
He would start now.
He would prepare himself.
If he wanted to meet Kurama again, to face him properly—
He had to be ready.
...
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