That day, suddenly—
"Hmm? Where… am I?"
Looking around at the surroundings that resembled a sewer, Amano Ren furrowed his brow. He distinctly remembered he had been refining chakra, so why was he here?
Wait… a sewer… the Nine-Tails?
Interesting. I didn't expect I'd be coming here this early.
In the original story, Naruto only reached this place during the Chunin Exams, right? But now, with a different soul inhabiting this body, would he even be recognized by the Nine-Tails?
Whether it accepts me or not doesn't matter. Even on my own, I can become one of Konoha's strongest. Besides, I have a system—a tool that exists only in human imagination. In that sense, the Nine-Tails isn't as crucial as in the original story.
With that thought, Amano Ren walked forward through the sewer without hesitation.
After a few minutes, a massive iron gate appeared in his path. By estimation, it was about seventeen meters tall. On the gate was a talisman, with a large character "Seal" written on it, surrounded by mysterious patterns.
The Four Symbols Seal… indeed quite mystical. I can even see traces of the Eight Trigrams in it.
Ren touched his chin, scrutinizing the patterns on the gate.
Suddenly!
A deep, cold, weathered voice rang out, almost startling Ren.
"You brat! I didn't expect you to come here on your own!"
The powerful voice sent shivers down his spine.
Ren looked up and saw a vast, crimson silhouette slowly forming inside the gate's darkness.
Sharp fangs like spears, claws like bayonets—before him appeared a massive fox: the Nine-Tails in the flesh!
Even Amano Ren couldn't hide his shock. The aura of malice and rage… truly, this was the strongest of all tailed beasts! It was almost unimaginable that Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju had once dared to subdue it. The original story probably didn't even show one-tenth of its true presence.
"Not bad, little brat. You're surprisingly calm upon seeing me."
The Nine-Tails' dissatisfaction was palpable. Who was it? The strongest tailed beast! A symbol of destruction. Anyone in the ninja world would be terrified or flee in its presence.
"Calm? I suppose. I just don't like showing my emotions on my face. And though your aura is strong, being sealed here proves you're not invincible. If you can be defeated, why should I be surprised?"
Amano Ren shook his head and said calmly.
"You insolent brat! If not for your parents sealing me here, you'd already be dead and buried for your words just now."
The Nine-Tails, seeing Ren speak so boldly—especially with a face identical to that other guy—was furious.
"That's just because you're not strong enough. A fox manipulated by the Sharingan dares to boast? Even if the Fourth Hokage hadn't intervened, Konoha had plenty of people who could seal you."
Ren looked up at the Nine-Tails coldly. He didn't believe only two people in all of Konoha could perform the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Whether it was Danzo's operatives or the Anbu under Hiruzen Sarutobi, others could have learned it.
"Hahaha! Do you even know who you're talking to?"
A strange red light flickered in the Nine-Tails' eyes, murderous intent tangible in the air around it. Even outside its seal, Ren felt the pressure.
"What kind of existence? Hah. One of the Ten-Tails? A pet of the Sage of Six Paths? The fox in Hashirama's eyes? Summoning of Madara Uchiha? Konoha's Jinchuriki? You have many identities, but none that I fear. Right, Kurama?"
Ren spoke disdainfully.
The Nine-Tails blinked, a hint of seriousness flashing in its eyes.
"Who are you? How do you know so much? Those ninjas shouldn't have told you, and even my name… how do you know it? Tell me, who told you?"
It couldn't believe Ren knew its identity—and even its name. This was impossible. Outside of the Six Paths, its brothers, Ashura, Indra, and that woman Mito, nobody knew.
"So what if I know, Kurama? The outside world isn't like you remember. In the future, the Mangekyo Sharingan, Eternal Mangekyo, and even the Rinnegan will appear. Madara Uchiha will revive. Their goal is to gather all tailed beasts to form the Ten-Tails. Then, neither you nor I would survive. How about we cooperate?"
Ren's lips curved slightly, a spark of heat flickering in his eyes.
"Rinnegan? That old man's eyes? Madara Uchiha will revive? Damn!"
Kurama cursed, hesitant yet suspicious. But it sensed no deceit. Lately, it felt as though someone was orchestrating events around it.
"So? Kurama, cooperate? It concerns our survival. You may not die yourself, but once the Ten-Tails awakens, you'll never leave this place."
Ren pressed the point.
"No… no, I can't agree yet. Though I don't doubt what you say, you must tell me why you know my name and that of the old man. Otherwise, I won't cooperate."
Unexpectedly, Kurama neither agreed nor refused. Its point was clear: unless Ren revealed the source of his knowledge, it wouldn't comply—even at the cost of death.
"Must I tell you?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Absolutely." Kurama was firm.
Ren sighed. "Fine."
"You must be familiar with Ashura, right? I am the reincarnation of Ashura in this generation."
"You? Ashura?"
Kurama paused, then sneered.
"Ridiculous. You think I don't know who Ashura is? He's nothing like you."
"That's because I erased his personality. I am Amano Ren, not Ashura. Understand? I am only the reincarnation of Ashura's chakra, but I am not Ashura!"
Ren snorted coldly.
"Can you prove it?" Kurama asked, tilting its eyes.
"Don't you feel it yourself? You're a tailed beast—you can't even sense this?" Ren replied disdainfully.