Chapter 11: Another Tsundere
"Big Fox, how long have you been stuck in here? There's water everywhere—aren't you uncomfortable?"
The Nine-Tails' ears twitched slightly as it glanced at him sideways. "You think I want to be like this? Don't casually talk to me, brat."
"Geez..." Naruto protested with obvious dissatisfaction. "I already told you I'm Uzumaki Naruto, not some 'brat'! Since I introduced myself, shouldn't you politely give your name too?"
The Nine-Tails snorted derisively. "Heh, a name? Don't you humans all call me 'Nine-Tailed Demon Fox'? I'm sick of hearing that designation."
...Looks like getting closer to this big fox would require some unconventional methods.
Naruto rubbed his chin, then looked up with a sly smile. "Hmm... by any chance, is your name 'Kurama'?"
"What?!"
The Nine-Tails, which had been lying down and ignoring Naruto, suddenly jerked its head up. Its massive body tensed instantly—its name should only be known by the Sage of Six Paths and the other Bijuu in this world! How could this brat possibly...?!
BOOM—!
The Nine-Tails shot to its feet, its enormous claw slamming against the cage's iron bars with such force that the entire seal space trembled. "Brat... where did you learn that name?!"
'I saw it in the anime.' Was the honest answer, but that wouldn't satisfy Kurama, and this world had no concept of "anime" anyway. If he really said that, the Nine-Tails would probably think he was mocking it.
"Well, you see," Naruto put on a hesitant expression, "what I'm about to tell you might sound a bit strange."
"Then just say it already!" The Nine-Tails impatiently struck the ground with its claw, sending up splashes that soaked Naruto's pants.
"Actually, I can't be sure if this is real or not. A long time ago, I had a very strange dream."
"A dream?" The Nine-Tails showed a mocking expression. "Brat, you're not going to tell me you learned my name in a dream, are you?"
"Though it does sound weird," Naruto met the Nine-Tails' eyes, his tone unusually serious, "that's exactly what happened. In the dream, an old man in white robes with a very distinctive appearance told me that a big fox named Kurama lived inside my body. He said I should become friends with you, something about mutual understanding..."
An old man...?
This description struck home with the Nine-Tails. Its massive frame visibly stiffened, even its breathing becoming rapid. White robes, a distinctive elderly figure, teaching humans and Bijuu to understand each other... these details were too specific to be coincidence!
"Someday, Bijuu and humans will understand each other and find their true place."
The Sage of Six Paths' words thundered through Kurama's mind. These were secrets known only to Bijuu who'd lived through that era—absolutely impossible for a mere three-year-old human child to fabricate!
The Nine-Tails' claws unconsciously tightened. "Brat... what else did that old man say?"
Naruto noticed the subtle shift in Kurama's attitude and felt secretly pleased. "Umm... he said some strange things, like how chakra's essence is connection, and that true power comes from understanding..."
With each sentence, the Nine-Tails' pupils contracted further. These words, these concepts—every one was core to the Sage of Six Paths' philosophy!
Naruto scratched his head. "There was one particularly weird thing about that old man."
"What?" The Nine-Tails immediately pressed, its voice carrying barely concealed urgency. Its mind raced, trying to piece together the truth from these fragments while carefully analyzing Naruto's words for potential contradictions.
"In the dream," Naruto wore a confused expression, "he kept calling me Ashura. Isn't that strange? Did he mistake me for someone else?"
"Ashura?!"
The name exploded in Kurama's ears. The Sage of Six Paths, its true name, the old man's prophecy, and now this name... could this brat before it actually be Ashura's reincarnation?!
Naruto watched the Nine-Tails suddenly fall silent, those orange-red eyes boring into him without speaking. The information overload seemed too much even for this thousand-year-old Bijuu to process.
"Well..." Naruto broke the silence himself. "Kurama, that is your name, right! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" He patted his chest. "Since you're living in my body, please take care of me from now on!"
The Nine-Tails was quiet for a long moment, then slowly lay back down, turning its massive head to the side. In a low voice, it said, "...Kurama."
Though it had already believed most of what Naruto told it, as a Bijuu that had witnessed too much hatred and fear, it wouldn't be naive enough to trust humans based on a single conversation, much less immediately embrace some ideal of "mutual understanding."
I'll observe for now...
Kurama narrowed its eyes, using its peripheral vision to study this blonde brat. To see if he truly had any connection to the old man... and whether he really had the qualifications to be the person from the old man's prophecy.
Kurama noticed Naruto's unguarded, burning gaze—those azure eyes sparkled with an expectation that made it uncomfortable. It irritably flicked its tail.
"So, brat, what exactly do you want?"
Naruto sat cross-legged on the damp ground, his smile radiant. "Nothing special, really. It's just that hardly anyone talks to me normally. Have you been stuck here alone this whole time too? Doesn't that mean... I was never really alone?"
"Hmph, I'm not here by choice."
"Well... at least our mutual unwillingness is pretty compatible? If letting you out would be dangerous... how about being somewhat noisy neighbors until we find a better solution?"
"You're quite the dreamer."
"Don't be so cold~" Naruto drew out his tone. "Though that old man told me to be friends with you, that's not my real reason for wanting to chat."
The Nine-Tails didn't respond, simply watching Naruto quietly, waiting for him to continue.
Naruto's expression grew somewhat melancholy. "Because... normally no one pays attention to me at all. Having someone to talk to really makes me happy."
His smile turned slightly bitter. "Of course, if even you won't talk to me... I really would only have my shadow left. So... thank you for listening to me."
"...Hmph, don't lump me in with you."
Kurama turned its head away, but those several fluffy tails behind it swayed uncontrollably from side to side.
Naruto just smiled gently at Kurama's coldness. He knew this big guy was another tsundere.
"Right now I don't know how to get out, and I don't know how to help improve this place for you." Naruto looked around at their surroundings.
"Kurama, if you had to choose... would you rather continue staying alone, or let me chatter away and maybe tell you some stories?"
"...Whatever you want."
[Ding!]
[Bond with canonical character "Nine-Tails (Kurama)" has reached Level 2!]
[Points obtained: 400!]
The notification chimed, but this time Naruto barely registered it. He was too focused on the sight of those massive tails still swaying despite Kurama's aloof words, and the way those ancient eyes held just a flicker of something that might have been curiosity.
"Alright then," Naruto settled in more comfortably, "let me tell you about this really weird dream I had about a place called the Final Valley..."
In the depths of the seal, two unlikely companions began what would become the most important conversation of both their lives.
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