Chapter 10: The Big Fox
After finishing his milk and carefully rinsing his mouth, Naruto collapsed onto his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The Bond System... who else could he build relationships with now?
He'd definitely visit Satsuki again, but thinking about it more, wouldn't the Uchiha clan getting close to him as the Nine-Tails jinchuuriki attract the attention of Konoha's leadership? Especially that old schemer Danzo—hoping he'd show mercy just because she was a three-year-old girl? Better abandon such naive thoughts early.
He'd need to find a way to drop hints with the Third Hokage...
Couldn't help it. Uchiha Satsuki's bond had given 500 points for just one level increase—Naruto couldn't stop himself from being envious.
Speaking of which, would the Third Hokage also have bond points? That old fox probably didn't really see him as just a simple Bijuu container, right?
To be fair, the Third had treated him decently enough, though it only reached the level of "decent." His living situation wasn't bad enough to starve, and later the villagers would sell him things on the Hokage's orders, but the alienation and isolation never stopped.
Every time the Third visited, aside from delivering living supplies like clockwork, his most frequent question was:
"Naruto, do you know what a Hokage is?"
"Do you know what the Hokage represents?"
His intentions couldn't be more obvious—the old man clearly wanted him to follow in his father's footsteps, become an excellent Konoha shinobi, and preferably dream of becoming Hokage.
Naruto didn't want to become Hokage, not because being isolated by the villagers had bred massive resentment—though that rejection was certainly annoying. The real reason, aside from not wanting to get involved in the dark side of politics, was that Naruto knew all too well how exhausting the Hokage position was.
That version of himself in Boruto...
In the anime's opening, the "him" who'd become the Seventh Hokage was buried under mountains of paperwork, so overwhelmed he could only send shadow clones to his daughter's birthday. Those perpetually dark-circled, exhausted eyes formed a stark contrast with his current bright-eyed reflection in the mirror.
What a joke—whoever wanted that kind of life could have it!
The people he could currently build bonds with were truly limited. The Third Hokage was one option, Kakashi should still be in ANBU and completely unreachable, and as for the Konoha Twelve...
Aside from the civilian-born Sakura, and Tenten—though Tenten probably wasn't really civilian—the others were all children of major clans. Approaching them recklessly now would definitely alert Konoha's leadership.
The scene from the original where he walked Hinata home and played hero hadn't happened yet...
Actively seeking out the Hyuuga heiress was impossible. Thinking this far, Naruto sighed helplessly.
"...Looks like aside from Might Guy, there aren't really any suitable candidates."
Night gradually deepened. As Naruto lay in bed, his thoughts slowly grew sluggish. The sound of insects outside his window drifted near and far, his eyelids growing heavy without him noticing. Finally, filled with anticipation for the future, he slowly closed his eyes.
---
Surrounding him was murky darkness, the damp air permeated with a faint metallic scent. Puddles on the ground reflected dim light, each step sending out small ripples.
Directly ahead, a massive iron gate dozens of meters high stood imposingly. The heavy door panels were carved with complex, obscure jutsu formulas, with a sealing tag pasted right in the center.
Naruto wasn't sure if he was dreaming or had actually entered the seal space. Right now, he was staring through the gate's bars at the enormous orange fox behind it, the two locked in an intense staring contest.
"Hmm..." Little Naruto craned his neck, trying his best to study the scene before him. "Though it's pretty big, if you look carefully, it's actually quite cute."
Behind the iron gate, the Nine-Tails felt a vein throb at its temple upon hearing this comment.
This brat... was there something wrong with his head?
As the strongest Bijuu, it had grown accustomed to humans looking at it with fear and hatred. But "cute"? This descriptor left it momentarily speechless—which part of it could possibly be considered "cute"?
Fine. Rather than worrying about how it was perceived, the Nine-Tails craved the freedom that had been stolen from it for so long.
"Brat, come over here and open this door."
The low, oppressive voice echoed through the seal space. Naruto looked up at the enormous orange fox before him—those orange-red eyes still emanated dangerous light even in the darkness, sharp fangs barely visible, nine tails restlessly swaying behind it.
Watching the Nine-Tails address him so directly, Naruto couldn't help but feel speechless. This fox couldn't even be bothered with basic deception? Opening with demands to break the seal without even trying to act?
"This door's too big—I can't open it."
"Just tear off that paper on the door." The Nine-Tails impatiently flicked its tail, lowering its massive head until its breath hit Naruto with intense heat.
Naruto thought for a moment, then asked, "What would happen if I opened it?"
"Why so many questions? Just open it when I tell you to!" The Nine-Tails' voice suddenly rose, making the entire seal space tremble slightly.
In the Nine-Tails' view, though this brat often muttered incomprehensible things to himself, he was ultimately just an immature human child. As the mighty strongest Bijuu, surely it could handle one three-year-old?
"I don't want to," Naruto stepped back and crossed his arms. "I don't know much, but if I let you out, it would probably be pretty dangerous, right?"
...What a perceptive little brat.
Just as the Nine-Tails was scheming about how to manipulate this child, it discovered that Naruto showed not a trace of fear. Instead, he widened those azure eyes and studied it with obvious fascination.
"No wonder those people called me a demon fox..." Naruto looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at the massive creature before him. "So there really is a big fox inside my body."
The Nine-Tails' ears twitched slightly, not expecting this kind of reaction.
Naruto paid no attention to its silence and continued talking to himself. "Though it's pretty big, it really is... magnificent!"
This comment left the Nine-Tails completely stunned.
It had lived for over a thousand years, seen countless humans look at it with every conceivable expression—fear, hatred, contempt, calculation... but no one had ever called it "magnificent."
What surprised it even more was that through emotional perception, Naruto's words were completely sincere.
Because the Nine-Tails really was beautiful.
Its orange-red fur maintained a soft luster even in the dim seal space, nine massive tails swaying gently behind it, every strand containing immense chakra that traced elegant arcs through the air. Its enormous form nearly filled the entire field of vision—sharp claws, razor fangs, orange-red eyes... clearly a fearsome beast, yet somehow radiating the noble presence of a mythical creature from ancient legends.
...The Nine-Tails' design really was based on divine beasts, wasn't it?
As Naruto's mind wandered, he suddenly realized a problem. "But... how do I get out of here?" He looked around at the damp, dark seal space with only endless shadows and that massive iron gate. "Looks like we're both stuck in here."
He scratched his head, then flashed a brilliant smile at the Nine-Tails while extending his hand. "Oh right! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Since we've met, let's get acquainted!"
What answered him was a cold snort full of impatience from the Nine-Tails.
"Get lost, brat." It slowly lay down, resting its massive head on its front paws and glaring coldly at Naruto. "Before I kill you."
"Eh? Why?" Not only wasn't Naruto scared off, he looked genuinely confused as he asked back, "This is our first meeting, right? Mutual hatred isn't good."
He simply sat down cross-legged and propped his chin on his hand. "Anyway, we're both stuck here, so chatting has to be better than just staring at each other, right?"
The Nine-Tails' tail swished irritably, not having expected this brat to not only be unafraid but actually want to "chat" with it.
What a troublesome human child.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host: Initial bond established with canonical character "Nine-Tails (Kurama)"!]
[Points obtained: 1000!]
The system notification chimed in Naruto's mind, but for once, he barely paid attention to the points. He was too busy studying the magnificent creature before him, wondering if this was the beginning of the most important friendship of his new life.
"So," Naruto said cheerfully, completely ignoring the death threat, "what should I call you? 'Big Fox' seems a bit rude, don't you think?"
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