"Why don't you just kill me?"
Naruto approached the prison gate, his hand brushing against its icy surface.
"If you want to die, go kill yourself. I'm not going to waste my time on a brat who's begging for death!" The Nine-Tails' closed eyes opened into a narrow slit, glaring at Naruto.
"Hmph!" Naruto scoffed, slamming his hand against the gate.
"Do you think the people of Konoha would let their most important jinchūriki die?" Naruto squeezed through the gap in the gate, standing before the Nine-Tails with arms outstretched, his sapphire eyes filled with anticipation.
"Nine-Tails, eat me! That way, you'll gain freedom, and I'll finally be free too."
"Brat…"
The Nine-Tails' eyes widened as it stared at the child standing before it, smaller than its own fingernail. It couldn't deny that Naruto's words had stirred something within it.
This kid gave it a feeling unlike anyone else. Those sapphire eyes met its gaze without a trace of fear.
"Well, if you insist!"
The Nine-Tails opened its mouth and swallowed the tiny Naruto whole. Expecting a struggle, it felt only eerie calmness.
"Ugh!"
The Nine-Tails spat Naruto out, his body covered in its saliva. Naruto sat up, staring at the ripples on the water's surface, then looked up at the Nine-Tails, demanding an answer.
"Why didn't you eat me?!"
"Brat, you're too small—I'd probably get food stuck in my teeth! Now get lost and stop bothering me while I sleep!" The Nine-Tails glanced at the saliva-covered Naruto, oddly feeling a bit guilty. Its ears twitched as it turned away, closing its eyes.
"Ugh… Ah! Jerk!"
Naruto, pushed away by the Nine-Tails, lost his temper. He charged forward, kicking the Nine-Tails' leg, then grabbed its fur and climbed onto its body. Scrambling up, he reached its head, tugging and kneading its ears.
"Stupid Nine-Tails! If you don't eat me, I'm not leaving!"
"Just eat me already!"
"You're so annoying, brat!"
The Nine-Tails roared in frustration, having never met someone so eager to be eaten. It shook its head to dislodge Naruto, but he clung tightly to its ear, laughing with delight.
"Hahaha! This feels like riding a pirate ship! Come on, Nine-Tails, shake harder!"
Perched atop the Nine-Tails' head, Naruto laughed, his sapphire eyes crinkling into crescents. It was the first time he'd laughed so freely since arriving in the Naruto world.
Finally, the enraged Nine-Tails banished Naruto from its inner realm.
Kakashi, flipping through Icha Icha Paradise, noticed the unconscious Naruto's smiling face. A flicker of tenderness crossed his eye.
Did you dream of something nice…?
Banished from the Nine-Tails' inner realm, Naruto woke to find himself back home, his wounds treated but his body still aching. He dragged himself to the window, drew the curtains, boiled water, and prepared a cup of instant ramen. Sitting at the table, he watched steam rise from the loosely sealed cup, his hand resting on his stomach as he recalled the events in the inner realm. A happy smile tugged at his lips.
He snapped open a pair of disposable chopsticks and slurped down the ramen.
"Eating ramen all the time will make you malnourished." Kakashi's voice suddenly appeared, along with several cartons of milk on the table.
"Whatever, it's none of your business!" Naruto retorted, grabbing a carton and gulping it down.
"Kakashi, you're really concerned about that Nine-Tails brat, huh?" The other ANBU members exchanged puzzled glances.
"Earlier, you just watched as Naruto was bullied?" Kakashi tilted his head slightly, his eye scanning their masked faces.
"We were protecting her safety. As long as her life wasn't in danger, there was no need to intervene. Besides, it's a way to gauge her stability as a jinchūriki. If she goes berserk over such treatment, the Hokage might not let her stay in the village."
"Is that so…"
Kakashi sensed the blunt malice in their words.
Are they taking out their frustration over feeling powerless against the Nine-Tails on a child? Kakashi narrowed his eye but said nothing, vanishing with a Body Flicker.
The next day, Naruto returned to the Nine-Tails' inner realm.
The third day…
The fourth day…
Every day, Naruto sought out the Nine-Tails, no matter how harshly it treated him. He clung to it, chatting until the Nine-Tails grew impatient and drove him away.
As time passed, the Nine-Tails sensed Naruto's loneliness, and despite itself, its attitude softened.
"Sorry."
On the way to the store, Naruto accidentally bumped into a chūnin. He bowed his head in apology and walked past, but the chūnin's disgusted words made him clench his fists.
"Bad luck—just finished a mission and this monster bumps into me! I don't get why the Hokage lets her roam freely in the village."
At the store, Naruto placed his items on the counter, pulling out crumpled bills. The cashier's attitude did a 180 upon seeing Naruto, starkly contrasting their treatment of other customers.
Carrying a heavy bag, Naruto trudged home, taking a shortcut through narrow alleys to avoid people. There, he saw three boys harassing a girl with distinctive white eyes.
Hyuuga Hinata…
Isn't this the scene from the original story where Naruto and Hinata first meet? Who'd have thought I'd stumble upon it taking a shortcut.
Intervene or not?
Hinata's from the Hyuuga main house—she's got to have someone with her, right? So these bullies must be from the branch family.
Thinking about it, this is probably after Neji's father sacrificed himself for the main house twins.
What a carefree young miss~
Naruto shrugged and continued walking, passing the three boys blocking the path.
"Hey, you're in my way!"
"Huh? Why should we move for you?!" One boy's words were cut off as his companion tugged his arm.
"My mom told me never to get close to Uzumaki Naruto. She's the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—a monster!"
Even whispered, the boy's words reached Naruto's ears. Setting down his bag, Naruto punched the boy in the face, knocking out a tooth. He spun, striking another boy's chin, then kicked the third to the ground.
"Now scram!"
The three boys, terrified, stumbled away.
Naruto turned to Hinata, her hands clasped over her chest, eyes wide with fear.
"If you don't want to be bullied, get stronger." With that, Naruto brushed imaginary dust from his hands, picked up his bag, and left.
Hinata stared at Naruto's retreating figure, her young face flushing.
The girl with the messy golden hair left a deep impression on Hinata, one she wouldn't soon forget.