"Is it really just worthless scrap paper—something that can be torn apart at any time..."
Kurama's words gradually wiped the playful smile off Naruto's face. After a long silence, he sighed softly, crossed his arms, sat down cross-legged, and furrowed his brows in thought.
Naruto wasn't oblivious to the blunt warning Kurama had just voiced. Having read the original manga from a god's perspective before transmigrating into the Naruto world, he was, in some respects, even more familiar with Danzo Shimura's secret ambitions than the Third Hokage, who had once fought side-by-side with Danzo and shared life-and-death situations.
But in the three years since he inexplicably arrived in the world of Naruto and became Naruto Uzumaki, aside from mentally filtering out the petty insults and cold glares of the ignorant villagers, Naruto had never actually experienced any external interference in his freedom of movement. Add to that the joy of recently forming firm bonds with Sasuke, Itachi, Hinata, the Third Hokage Hiruzen, and the Nine-Tails Kurama—it all washed away the caution he had when he first arrived. He'd grown bold, acting without much regard for the consequences.
"Hmph. Brat, is it that you don't want to believe, or that you just don't believe what I'm telling you?"
Kurama snorted, misinterpreting Naruto's silence as childish disbelief. "Those big shots at the top of Hidden Leaf Village—glorified and admired by all—do you have any idea how filthy and disgusting they really are? I saw right through them long before you were even born... Don't forget, back when Uchiha Madara controlled me and I broke loose from my seal, if they hadn't stood by and done nothing, your parents wouldn't have..."
Kurama's voice remained gruff and abrasive, filled with cold warning—but beneath it was genuine concern and warmth, impossible to miss.
"Don't worry, Kurama. How could I not believe you?"
Naruto, who had long harbored suspicions, quickly reined in his arrogance and pride under Kurama's pointed reminder. He resumed his vigilance against Danzo and the Konoha Elders, which he had nearly let slip. Even though Kurama's words sounded tsundere and harsh, Naruto felt touched by his awkward concern. He gently patted the massive beast's head beneath him and murmured:
"You're right, Kurama. As your Partner, someone who shares a body and life with you... I've been far too careless lately. If not for your warning, I might've really walked myself into a point of no return."
This wasn't Naruto flattering Kurama—it was the truth. Things had been going too smoothly lately, and that had made him arrogant and lightheaded. It was as if Kurama had pounded his brain a hundred times with a Tailed Beast Bomb. He'd actually thought that since he'd won the support of the Third Hokage, Danzo wouldn't dare try anything anymore...
But this was the same Danzo who craved the power of the Sharingan so much that he schemed to ambush Uchiha Shisui, stole the Mangekyō Sharingan, and indirectly triggered the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
And during the Pain Invasion, when the Hidden Leaf was under attack, Danzo shamelessly assassinated Gamakichi's communication partner, Gamakōsuke, just to sever the link to Mount Myoboku—his only goal being to weaken the Hokage faction.
To achieve this, he labeled the future casualties as "necessary sacrifices" to help him seize the Hokage position.
If Naruto had kept acting recklessly, he'd undoubtedly be stepping on Danzo's toes. And if that happened, no matter how much the Third Hokage publicly backed him—even assigning people to protect him around the clock—Naruto might still end up dead, silenced by Root's elite assassins, without anyone ever knowing how or why.
"But Kurama, there's no turning back now. If I give up halfway, all of it will have been for nothing. And what if Danzo's already noticed me because of recent events? If that's the case, I'll probably face more and more restrictions moving forward.
Losing everything without gaining a thing? That's not a deal I'm willing to make."
Once he'd sorted out his thoughts, Naruto's usual confident smile returned to his face. His mind worked fast, refining the plan he already had in place.
'As the saying goes, every advantage comes with a price…'
Yes, his recent actions might've caught Danzo's attention—but wasn't that proof that the gains he'd made were significant enough to threaten Danzo's power?
"Since I've already joined the game, then I'll play big. If Danzo wants to mess with me… fine. Let's give him a real show."
"...Naruto, you brat... Hmph. Now that's more like it. This is the kind of Jinchūriki I can be proud of."
Kurama's anxiety and unease—built up from watching Naruto act increasingly arrogant lately—vanished in an instant. Hearing Naruto's familiar, steady voice full of conviction reassured him. The corner of his mouth curled up in a smile that wasn't exactly friendly by human standards, but was genuine all the same.
"Judging from your smug little face, you've probably already come up with something ridiculous again, haven't you?
Come on, spill it. What's the next big move you're planning?"
"Well, duh. If I didn't have some tricks up my sleeve, how could I be worthy of being the legendary Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow and teased back. While bantering with Kurama, he also sorted through his current gains and resources.
Before long, the faces of a tsundere bro-con fanboy and a gentle big-brother figure—Sasuke and Itachi—floated through his mind. A wider grin spread across his face. He didn't hesitate to voice his next step:
"Old man Third Hokage is probably already making plans to counter Danzo's faction. But if we really want to put pressure on him, we have to strike before he gets a chance to respond.
Let's go. First, I'll change into something more presentable—
Then once night falls, we're paying a visit to the head of the Uchiha Clan!"
"The Uchiha Clan Head?
You?
Pfft, you little brat, I bet you won't even get past their front gate."
Kurama, though aware Naruto had met with the Uchiha brothers before—especially Sasuke—had never heard Naruto explain their identities. So he was left totally confused by Naruto's bold declaration.
"Relax, Kurama. Those two Uchiha brothers I met earlier? Yeah, they're the Uchiha Clan Head's precious sons.
Even if nothing else works, I built a solid bond with Sasuke through our training—think his dad won't see me?"
Naruto grinned and dismissed Kurama's doubts as he pulled his consciousness back to his body, no longer trying to unravel the secrets of the Hyuga's Gentle Fist.
He used Kurama's chakra coating his body to break through the pressure points, sprang to his feet like a carp, got his bearings, and quickly left—leaving only a vague, distant sentence behind:
"Besides, even if Sasuke and Itachi don't vouch for me...
I've still got connections from the previous generation, don't I!"