After finishing his milk and rinsing his mouth, Naruto flopped onto his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
The Bond System... who else can I build a relationship with now?
He definitely wanted to hang out with Satsuki again, but then he considered the Konoha leadership's surveillance of the Uchiha clan. Would getting close to a jinchuriki raise alarms? Especially with that old schemer Danzo—expecting him to go easy on her just because she was a three-year-old girl? He should discard that naive thought immediately.
I need to find a way to talk to the Third Hokage about this...
He couldn't help it. Leveling up his bond with Satsuki Uchiha gave him 500 points, a reward he couldn't help but covet.
Speaking of which, would he get bond points from the old man Hokage? That old geezer doesn't really see me as just a vessel for the Tailed Beast, does he?
To be fair, the Third Hokage had treated him reasonably well, but it was only to the extent of "reasonably well." He didn't starve, and eventually, the villagers started selling him things under the Hokage's orders, but the ostracism and isolation never went away.
Every time the Third visited, besides bringing supplies, the most common questions were:
"Naruto, do you know what a Hokage is?"
"Do you know what the Hokage represents?"
The intention couldn't be more obvious. The old man clearly wanted him to follow in his father's footsteps, become an excellent ninja for Konoha, and preferably dream of becoming Hokage.
He didn't want to be Hokage, not because of some deep-seated resentment from being ostracized—though that was annoying. The real reason, aside from not wanting to get involved in dark politics, was that he knew all too well how exhausting the position was.
His future self in Boruto...
In the clips he had seen, the "himself" who had become the Seventh Hokage was buried under mountains of paperwork, so busy he could only send a Shadow Clone to his own daughter's birthday. The perpetual dark circles under his tired eyes were a stark contrast to the vibrant reflection he saw in the mirror now.
Are you kidding me? Anyone who wants that life can have it!
For now, his options for forming bonds were limited. The Third Hokage was one. Kakashi was likely still in the ANBU and completely inaccessible. As for the Konoha 12...
Besides the civilian-born Sakura, Lee, and Tenten... wait, Tenten probably wasn't a civilian, the rest were all from major clans. Approaching them rashly now would definitely attract the attention of the village leadership.
The events of him walking Hinata home and saving her hadn't happened yet...
Proactively seeking out the Hyuga heiress was impossible. Thinking about this, Naruto sighed in frustration.
"...Looks like besides Might Guy, there aren't many suitable candidates."
The night deepened. Lying in bed, Naruto's thoughts gradually slowed. The chirping of insects outside faded in and out, and his eyelids grew heavy. Finally, filled with anticipation for the future, he slowly closed his eyes.
All around him was a dim, murky space. The damp air was filled with the faint smell of rust. The water on the ground reflected the gloomy light, and every step sent out small ripples.
Directly ahead, a massive iron gate, dozens of meters high, stood imposing and silent. Its thick bars were covered in complex, arcane seals, and a single sealing tag was stuck right in the center.
Naruto wasn't sure if he was dreaming or if he had truly entered the seal's space. Right now, he was staring through the bars of the gate, eye-to-eye with the enormous orange fox behind it.
"Hmm..." Little Naruto craned his neck, trying to take in the sight. "It's a bit big, but it's actually pretty cute up close."
Behind the iron gate, the Nine-Tails heard this, and a vein throbbed on its forehead.
This kid... is he missing a screw?
As the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, it was used to the fear and hatred in human eyes. But "cute"? The word left it momentarily speechless. What part of it could possibly be considered "cute"?
Whatever. More than how it was perceived, the Nine-Tails craved the freedom that had long been stolen from it.
"Kid, come over here and open the gate."
A deep, oppressive voice echoed through the sealed space. Naruto looked up at the massive orange fox—its crimson eyes still radiated danger even in the darkness, its sharp fangs were partially visible, and its nine tails swayed restlessly behind it.
Seeing the Nine-Tails speak to him so directly, Naruto couldn't help but feel exasperated. This fox can't even be bothered to pretend? Its first words are a demand to break the seal? Not even a little bit of acting?
"This gate is too big. I can't open it."
"Just tear off that piece of paper on the gate," the Nine-Tails said, flicking its tail impatiently. It lowered its enormous head, its hot breath washing over Naruto.
Naruto thought for a moment and asked, "What will happen if I open it?"
"Enough with the questions! Just open it when I tell you to!" the Nine-Tails' voice suddenly boomed, shaking the entire sealed space.
From the Nine-Tails' perspective, while this kid often muttered things it couldn't understand, he was ultimately just a human brat. Could it, the mightiest of the Tailed Beasts, not handle a three-year-old pipsqueak?
"No way," Naruto said, taking a step back and crossing his arms. "I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure it would be very dangerous if I let you out."
...A sharp little kid.
Just as the Nine-Tails was plotting how to trick the boy, it noticed that Naruto showed no fear at all. Instead, he was staring at it with wide, blue eyes, looking at it with great interest.
"No wonder those guys call me a demon fox..." Naruto tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the behemoth before him. "So there really is a big fox living inside me."
The Nine-Tails' ears twitched slightly, not expecting this kind of reaction.
Naruto paid no mind to its silence and continued on his own. "But, even though you're a bit big... you're really cool!"
That statement left the Nine-Tails completely stunned.
It had lived for over a thousand years and had seen countless humans look at it with fear, hatred, contempt, and schemes... but never had anyone used the word "cool" to describe it.
What surprised it even more was that, sensing his emotions, it knew Naruto was being sincere.
Because the Nine-Tails was, objectively, very good-looking.
Its crimson fur glowed softly even in the dim sealed space. Its nine massive tails swayed gently behind it, each strand of fur containing immense chakra, tracing beautiful arcs in the air. Its body was so large it nearly filled his entire field of vision. The sharp claws, the pointed fangs, the crimson eyes... it should have been a terrifying beast, yet it somehow exuded the noble air of a mythical creature.
...Weren't Tailed Beasts originally based on divine beasts anyway?
As Naruto's thoughts wandered, he realized a problem. "But... how do I get out of here?" He looked around the damp, dark sealed space, which contained nothing but endless darkness and the giant iron gate. "Looks like we're both trapped in here."
He scratched his head, then broke into a bright smile and held out his hand towards the Nine-Tails. "Right! My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Since we've met, let's get to know each other!"
The response he got was a cold, impatient snort from the Nine-Tails.
"Get lost, brat," it said, slowly lying down and resting its massive head on its forepaws, staring coldly at Naruto. "Or I'll kill you."
"Huh? Why?" Naruto wasn't scared off at all. Instead, he asked with a puzzled look, "This is our first time meeting, right? Hating each other isn't good."
He then plopped down cross-legged, resting his chin in his hand. "We're both stuck in here anyway. Chatting is better than just staring at each other, right?"
The Nine-Tails' tail swished in annoyance. It hadn't expected this kid to not only be unafraid of it but to also want to "chat."
What a troublesome human brat.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (320 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (250 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (120 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (130 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (320 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (130 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (150 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(75 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (196 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (160 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (110 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (80 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (120 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (130 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (87 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (70 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (130 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (130 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (60 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (90 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (90 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (70 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (70 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (30 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (30 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (134 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (100 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (140 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (110 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (50 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.