"Hey, Big Fox, how long have you been in here? It's all wet everywhere, doesn't it bother you?"
The Nine-Tails' ears twitched, and it shot him a sideways glance. "Do you think I want to be here? Stop talking to me so casually, brat."
"Seriously..." Naruto protested with a dissatisfied look. "I already told you my name is Naruto Uzumaki, not some brat! Since I introduced myself, isn't it polite for you to tell me your name too?"
The Nine-Tails sneered. "Hmph, a name? Don't you humans just call me the 'Nine-Tailed Demon Fox'? I've long grown tired of that title."
...Looks like I'll need to use some unconventional methods to get closer to this big fox.
Naruto rubbed his chin, then looked up with a sly smile. "Um... excuse me, is your name 'Kurama'?"
"What?!"
The Nine-Tails, which had been lying on the ground ignoring Naruto, shot its head up, its massive body instantly tensing. Its name—in this ninja world, only the Sage of Six Paths and the other Tailed Beasts should know it! This kid... how could he possibly know?!
BOOM—!
The Nine-Tails lunged forward, slamming its massive paws against the iron bars of the cage, shaking the entire sealed space. "Brat... where did you hear that name?!"
"I saw it in an anime." ...But that answer wouldn't satisfy the Nine-Tails, and the concept of "anime" didn't even exist in this world. If he really said that, Kurama would probably think he was just messing with it.
"Um... well," Naruto said, feigning hesitation, "what I'm about to say might sound a little strange."
"Just spit it out!" the Nine-Tails said impatiently, smacking the ground with its paw and splashing water onto Naruto's pants.
"Actually, I'm not even sure if this is real or not. A long time ago, I had a very strange dream."
"A dream?" The Nine-Tails' expression was full of scorn. "Brat, don't tell me you learned my name in a dream."
"I know it sounds weird," Naruto said, looking directly into the Nine-Tails' eyes, his tone surprisingly serious, "but that's what happened. In the dream, an old man wearing a white robe with a very unique appearance told me that a big fox named Kurama lives inside my body. He also told me to become friends with you, something about mutual understanding..."
An old man...?
That description hit a nerve with the Nine-Tails. Its massive body visibly stiffened for a moment, and its breathing became ragged. A white robe, a unique-looking old man, teaching humans and Tailed Beasts to understand each other... the details were too specific to be a coincidence!
"One day, the Tailed Beasts and humans will come to understand one another and find their true home."
The words of the Sage of Six Paths thundered in the Nine-Tails' mind. These were secrets known only to the Tailed Beasts who had lived through that era. There was absolutely no way a mere three-year-old human child could have made it up!
The Nine-Tails' claws unconsciously tightened. "Brat... what else did that old man say?"
Noticing the subtle shift in the Nine-Tails' attitude, Naruto rejoiced inwardly. "Umm... he said some other strange things, like 'chakra is the essence of connection,' and 'true strength comes from understanding'..."
With every phrase, the Nine-Tails' pupils contracted. These words, these concepts, were all core tenets of the Sage of Six Paths' philosophy!
Naruto scratched his head. "There was another really weird thing about that old man."
"What?" the Nine-Tails pressed immediately, its voice tinged with an undisguised urgency. Its mind was racing, trying to piece together the truth from these fragmented pieces of information, while also carefully looking for any contradictions in Naruto's words.
"In the dream," Naruto said with a puzzled expression, "he kept calling me 'Ashura.' Isn't that weird? Do you think he got the wrong person?"
"Ashura?!"
The name exploded in the Nine-Tails' ears. The Sage of Six Paths, its true name, the old man's prophecy, and now this name... could this brat before it be the reincarnation of Ashura?!
Naruto watched as the Nine-Tails suddenly fell silent, its crimson eyes fixed on him, but it didn't speak. It seemed the information overload was too much even for a beast that had lived for a thousand years.
"Um..." Naruto broke the silence. "Kurama, that's your name, right? I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" He patted his chest. "Since you're living inside me, let's get along from now on!"
The Nine-Tails was silent for a moment before slowly lying back down, turning its massive head to the side. In a low voice, it said, "...Kurama."
Although it already believed most of what Naruto had said, as a Tailed Beast that had seen too much hatred and fear, it wasn't naive enough to trust a human after just one conversation, let alone foolishly start pursuing some ideal of "mutual understanding."
I'll just observe for now...
The Nine-Tails narrowed its eyes, watching the blond kid out of the corner of its eye. I'll see if he really has any connection to the old man... and... if he's truly worthy of being the one in the old man's prophecy.
Kurama noticed Naruto's unabashedly intense gaze, the unabashed expectation in those blue eyes making it feel uneasy. It swished its tail in annoyance.
"So, what do you want, brat?"
Naruto sat cross-legged on the damp ground, a bright smile on his face. "Nothing special. It's just that I hardly ever have anyone to talk to. Have you been stuck in here all this time too? Does that mean... I was never really alone?"
"Hmph, I'm not here by choice."
"Well... at least our 'not by choice' situations match up, right? If letting you out is too dangerous... how about we become not-so-quiet neighbors until we find a better way?"
"You're quite the dreamer."
"Don't be so cold~" Naruto drew out his words. "Even though that old man told me to be friends with you, that's not the real reason I'm talking to you."
Kurama didn't reply, just watched Naruto silently, waiting for him to continue.
Naruto's expression grew a little sad. "Because... usually, no one ever talks to me... having someone to chat with makes me really happy."
His smile became a little bittersweet. "Of course, if you don't want to talk to me either... then I'll really 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 its several large, fluffy tails behind it began to sway uncontrollably from side to side.
Naruto just smiled faintly at Kurama's coldness. He knew this big guy was a tsundere too.
"Right now, I don't know how to get out of here, and I don't know how to change this environment for you." Naruto looked around.
"Kurama, if you had to choose... would you rather stay here alone, or let me ramble on and tell you some stories?"
"...Do whatever you want."
-------
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