Naruto leaned against a tree at the edge of the village training grounds, tossing a pebble up and catching it with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. A group of Academy students nearby were practicing shuriken throws, their laughter and shouts filling the air. "Nice aim, Kiba!" he called, flashing a thumbs-up when Kiba's shuriken hit the target dead center. Kiba smirked back, oblivious to the storm brewing in Naruto's mind. To everyone else, he was the same old knucklehead, but inside, he was piecing together a plan.The scraps of information he'd gathered—the library's books, the Academy scrolls, the shinobi's whispers—pointed to one truth: he was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, sealed by the Fourth Hokage. But the why and how remained locked away, hidden behind the village's silence and the Hokage's orders. The more he dug, the clearer it became: knowledge alone wouldn't get him answers. The village's secrets were guarded by power—by shinobi stronger than him, by systems he couldn't break through as a scrawny, untrained kid. If he wanted the truth, he needed to be stronger, tougher, someone they couldn't ignore.He'd always dreamed of being a ninja, but now it wasn't just about becoming Hokage to prove himself. It was about power—enough to force the truth out of those who hid it. The Hokage, the elders, even Anko—they all had strength he didn't. Without it, he was just a kid they could brush off or beat down.Naruto tossed the pebble again, his mind drifting to the Academy. Iruka's lessons were basic—kunai throws, basic taijutsu, chakra control. But there were other skills, forbidden ones, in the scrolls he'd glimpsed in the storage room. If he could master those, or even tap into whatever power the Nine-Tails gave him, maybe he could demand answers instead of sneaking around for scraps.As the training session ended, Naruto wandered toward the forest, his grin fading. He needed to train, not just for the Academy but for himself. He found a secluded clearing and started with what he knew: punches, kicks, shadowboxing against an imaginary foe. His muscles burned, but he pushed harder, picturing the shinobi from the alley, the Hokage's unreadable eyes. Each strike was a promise—to get stronger, to become someone who could rip the truth from the village's grip.Sweat dripped down his face as he collapsed onto the grass, panting. The Nine-Tails was inside him, a monster with power he didn't understand. If he could learn to use it, even a little, it might be enough to change everything. But how? The books hadn't said, and asking anyone was out of the question. Trust was a luxury he couldn't afford.Naruto stood, wiping his brow. He'd keep up the act—loud, annoying Naruto, the kid no one took seriously. But in the shadows, he'd train, study, and grow. Power was the key, and he'd find it, no matter how long it took.
