Naruto slowly opened his eyes.
The wind had calmed. The storm of chakra that once threatened to tear the world apart had vanished.
He blinked, his breath steady. Around him, the forest clearing lay in ruins—trees splintered, rocks shattered, the earth scorched in trails of chakra burn. The ground bore silent testimony to the chaos of his earlier rampage.
So that wasn't a dream, Naruto thought, standing slowly and flexing his fingers. I took control of the Nine-Tails… and more.
His muscles hummed with residual power. Inside him, the once-unstable tides of chakra had calmed. The Nine-Tails now slept, buried deeper, its consciousness fragmented, almost docile—for now.
But I can't get careless, he reminded himself, his thoughts sharp and calculated. This world isn't forgiving to people who show their hand too early.
He scanned the damage. A crater carved into the earth stretched behind him—evidence of the nine-tailed chakra mode's destructive potential.
The lesson was clear.
He was too strong.
And that meant he had to hide it.
Naruto exhaled slowly and turned his attention outward. He had inherited not just Naruto's body, but the Kyuubi's as well—two sources of strength fused into one seamless entity. The sheer magnitude of power at his disposal was intoxicating.
But power invited fear. Fear invited attention. Attention invited death.
Especially in this era, just before Shippuden, when Akatsuki was preparing to hunt down Jinchuriki. Any sign of abnormal power would draw them faster than vultures to a corpse.
And Naruto had no intention of becoming carrion.
I'll keep a low profile for now, he decided. No unnecessary battles. No glory. I'll build my strength quietly… and when the time comes, I'll move.
The dream of surpassing even the Ōtsutsuki—those godlike beings who once ruled chakra itself—no longer felt like a fantasy.
It felt like a path.
And he had already started walking it.
A groan interrupted his thoughts.
Naruto turned to see Jiraiya, limping toward him with blood smeared across his robe. The old sage was barely standing, his white hair plastered to his forehead with sweat, his eyes strained.
"Naruto… what the hell just happened?" he asked, hoarse and disbelieving.
The moment the seven tails had flared, Jiraiya had begun forming seals to enter Sage Mode—but then, just as suddenly, the chakra vanished. It was as if a switch had been flipped.
Naruto forced a sheepish grin.
"Sorry, Ero-Sennin," he said. "It got a little… out of hand."
Jiraiya didn't answer immediately. He studied Naruto closely, wary.
"That wasn't just the Nine-Tails going berserk. It felt like the whole seal was coming undone."
Naruto paused, then gave a slow nod.
"I know. I felt it too."
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "How did you suppress it?"
"I didn't," Naruto said, lying with calm precision. "My father did."
"Your father?" Jiraiya's expression shifted.
Naruto nodded. "Just when the Nine-Tails was about to break free, a chakra imprint appeared inside the seal. My father—the Fourth Hokage."
He lowered his voice and made his expression sincere.
"He said… he left a piece of himself in the seal. A backup plan. I guess it activated when things got too dangerous."
Jiraiya's posture eased slightly.
"Minato…" he muttered, a trace of guilt softening his voice. "I should've known you'd prepare for something like this."
Naruto tilted his head. "So… it's true, then?"
"Yes," Jiraiya said after a pause. "You are his son. Uzumaki Kushina was your mother. She was the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
Naruto looked down, letting a thoughtful silence stretch just long enough to sell the emotion.
Then he smiled.
"It makes me proud," he said. "I've got a lot to live up to. My dad was Hokage, so I'll just have to aim higher."
Jiraiya let out a breathy laugh, surprised—and relieved.
"You haven't changed a bit, kid. Still the same loudmouth idiot… just like Minato."
Naruto chuckled. But behind the grin, his mind was already moving.
Act like the original. Never give them a reason to suspect you're not him.
Later, as Jiraiya leaned against a tree to catch his breath, Naruto struck while the moment was still fresh.
"Ero-Sennin," he said, "you said you'd teach me Sage Mode one day, right?"
Jiraiya blinked. "That's no walk in the park, brat. You need perfect chakra control and a still mind. It nearly killed me when I first learned it."
Naruto folded his arms.
"But I have to learn it. If my father were that strong, and you've mastered it, then I need to keep up."
He added with a grin, "Besides, I've got a great teacher."
Jiraiya hesitated, then nodded.
"All right. We'll go to Mount Myōboku. I need treatment anyway. That damn Nine-Tails nearly tore me in half."
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth again.
Naruto moved forward to help, but Jiraiya waved him off and performed a quick hand seal.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"
In a flash of chakra smoke, both of them vanished from the ruined training ground.
Mount Myōboku.
The air here was cleaner, older. The giant trees rose like ancient guardians, moss-covered and silent. Toads of various sizes hopped between rocks and streams, croaking lazily under the midday sun.
The smell of herbs and damp stone filled the air.
When Naruto and Jiraiya arrived at the foot of the Great Elder's temple, two old toads rushed out to meet them.
"Jiraiya-boy!" cried Fukasaku, eyes wide with concern. "What in the world happened?! You look like a damn pincushion!"
Jiraiya managed a smirk, even as he collapsed to one knee. "Got into a little scuffle with the Nine-Tails."
Shima, Fukasaku's wife, narrowed her eyes. "That's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?" She looked Naruto up and down. "Hmph. Good face. Strong body. I'll make you a hearty meal."
Naruto's smile faltered.
"Oh, uh, that's all right—we brought our food!"
He waved his hands quickly. No way in hell I'm eating bug stew, he thought with a shudder. I know how this goes.
Fukasaku carried Jiraiya into the temple for healing, and Naruto was left standing at the edge of the great toad village, overlooking the mountains.
He took a breath.
The scent of sage energy danced on the wind.
And so, a new plan began.
Over the next month, Naruto remained at Mount Myōboku.
Every day, he trained in senjutsu under Fukasaku's guidance. Every night, he refined his chakra control, practiced Flying Thunder God in secret, and restructured his body to adapt to both his and Kyuubi's chakra signatures.
He progressed quickly—too quickly for a normal human.
But he wasn't a normal human.
And he wasn't the old Naruto.
This world is built on talent, power, and bloodlines. But knowledge? Naruto stood atop the cliffs of Myōboku, eyes glowing golden with newly acquired Sage Chakra. Knowledge is the true cheat code.
The pieces were falling into place.
And soon, the ninja world would see a different kind of storm.
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A/N: Please Leave A Comment Or Drop A Powerstone It'll mean alot to me...