There was still nearly a month left until the Chūnin Exam finals.
At a remote, uninhabited lake outside Konoha Village—
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the silence. The blast created a massive crater in the middle of the lake. Water surged outward from the epicenter, rippling violently. The trees surrounding the lake weren't spared either—many were either uprooted or snapped in half from the sheer force of the shockwave.
Thick smoke billowed into the sky, rising like a smoggy curtain. The whole area looked as if a natural disaster had just struck.
"Ahem…"
A small, childish cough came from within the dense smoke.
As it began to clear, the figure behind the blast finally emerged—none other than Uzumaki Naruto.
He staggered out, patting his chest, eyes wide with disbelief. "Big fox… why was that Rasengan so terrifying?!"
A deep voice echoed in his mind.
"Hmph! You're seriously asking that? Who told you to go beyond the limits of the Rasengan and compress it even more?!" the Nine Tails scolded. "You over-compressed the chakra until it turned purple! Of course, that kind of power is insane!"
"If I hadn't protected you just now, you'd be missing an arm by now!"
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Haha… Thanks, big fox!"
The truth was, Naruto had been avoiding ANBU surveillance for over a week using Shadow Clones. His real body had secretly slipped out of the village to train in secret at this very lake. His goal? To develop a brand-new Rasengan—one stronger than anything he had ever created.
And today, for the first time… the technique worked.
Even Naruto hadn't expected just how overwhelming its power would be. The destructive blast earlier was the result of his newest jutsu, a spiraling ball of chakra condensed and compressed to its absolute limit—something that surpassed even the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!
> Namikaze Minato: "Can the Rasengan really evolve to that extent? This... this is a transformation I never imagined. It's a completely new path."
> Jiraiya: "You're not the only one, Minato. Even I didn't think the Rasengan could reach such heights. This isn't just an A-rank or S-rank jutsu—if developed further, it could wipe out an entire village!"
> Orochimaru: "Indeed, it's terrifying. The question is... which village will get the 'honor' of witnessing this power first?"
> Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Orochimaru! Don't speak such nonsense. Naruto would never attack Konoha!"
> Terumi Mei: "Didn't Naruto say he wanted to rebuild Konoha into the new Uzushiogakure? Why would he destroy it?"
> Uchiha Madara: "Tch. Sometimes, destruction is necessary for rebirth. Without tearing down the old, how can the new world thrive?"
> Senju Tobirama: "That brat... don't tell me he actually plans to turn on the village?"
> Uchiha Fugaku: "Excellent. If the Senju lose what the Uchiha have lost, then balance will finally return."
Back at the lake, Naruto chuckled to himself. "Let's go home, Big Fox!"
He looked at the small crater in the water proudly and gave a name to his new jutsu. "How about... Big Spiral Wheel?"
"Hmph, not bad," the Nine Tails replied half-heartedly. "Still not as impressive as my Tailed Beast Bomb though."
Naruto smirked. "When will I get to see you in person, big fox?"
"In time. The damn seal's limiting my power. If it weren't for that…"
Naruto suddenly stopped walking. He looked up at the blue sky and smiled softly.
"Don't worry. I'll break that seal for you soon. Then... you'll be free."
The words caught the Nine Tails off guard.
Long ago, they'd made a deal—Kurama would lend Naruto power, and in return, Naruto would slowly release parts of the seal. But truthfully, the Nine Tails had never trusted him. Back then, lending power was just a way to hasten its freedom.
But now... Naruto was offering it willingly.
Kurama fell silent.
He recalled Naruto's constant visits to the seal, sometimes just to chat, sometimes to train. Most humans feared Kurama or only sought to use him. But Naruto... he treated Kurama like a companion. Someone to talk to. Someone to trust.
Sure, the kid was loud, irritating, and way too persistent—just like that old Sage of Six Paths.
But unlike anyone else, Naruto never faked anything in front of him.
Kurama was the only one who truly saw Naruto as he was—a boy with pain, joy, dreams, and loneliness. In front of others, Naruto was quiet and mature, even cold like Sasuke. But here, before Kurama, he was just himself.
"Maybe... being sealed like this isn't the worst thing," Kurama muttered.
A rare, almost invisible smile crept onto the corner of his lips.
> Uzumaki Naruto: "What?! Nine Tails, why are you smiling at that Naruto?"
> Nine Tails: "Tsk! Don't flatter yourself. I have no interest in you humans. I must be pretending in that other world. Yes! Just pretending—to wait for the right moment when Naruto breaks the seal so I can finally devour him!"
> Naruto: "Oh… that makes sense."
Kurama chuckled coldly. This version of Naruto was far too easy to manipulate. Everything was going according to plan.
In another four or five years, he'd be free. The thought of that freedom filled him with joy.
"Soon… very soon..."
Meanwhile, Naruto returned to Konoha Village without anyone noticing, quickly swapping places with his Shadow Clone.
Once safely back, he headed straight to his favorite destination—Ichiraku Ramen. After all that intense training, his stomach was practically screaming for food.
"Uncle Ichiraku, one bowl of super deluxe ramen, please!" Naruto called out eagerly.
These days, Naruto wasn't short on money. Thanks to sponsorship from Cardo and generous gifts from the Third Hokage, he could afford as much ramen as he wanted.
But today, it wasn't Uncle Teuchi behind the counter.
"Hey, isn't this Naruto?"
It was Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, who was running the shop.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Long time no see, Sister Ayame!"
Ayame smiled warmly at him. She was one of the very few people in Konoha who had ever treated Naruto kindly.
Not once had she looked at him with fear or disgust like the rest of the village. In fact, when he was younger and broke, she had treated him to ramen several times.
Naruto never forgot that kindness.
He still remembered the taste vividly—salty, warm, full of flavor and love. Ayame's noodles were different. They weren't just food; they were memories.
> Hatake Kakashi: "Heh… looks like Naruto in every world has the same taste—he can't resist ramen."
> Uzumaki Naruto: "Of course! Ramen is the best food in the whole world. When I become Hokage, I'll make sure Ichiraku Ramen becomes the biggest shop in all of Konoha!"
As Ayame prepared the ramen, Naruto sat back and relaxed, savoring the moment.
For now, the future was looking bright. He had a powerful new jutsu. The Nine Tails was slowly beginning to trust him. And his journey to becoming Hokage was one step closer.
But deep down… he knew the real storm hadn't even begun.