The moon hung high over Konoha, its pale light spilling through the tattered curtains of Naruto's small apartment, casting silver streaks across the worn wooden floor. The air smelled faintly of instant ramen and dust, a familiar comfort that wrapped around Naruto like an old blanket. He lay sprawled on his creaky bed, the same lumpy mattress he'd slept on since childhood, its springs groaning under his weight as he stretched, arms flung wide. In his past life, this place had been obliterated—reduced to rubble by Pain's devastating Shinra Tensei, a memory that still tightened his chest. Not this time, he thought, his jaw set with quiet resolve. I won't let it happen again.
The moonlight was beautiful, painting the village in a soft glow, but Naruto had no time to linger on its beauty. He pulled the curtains shut, the fabric rustling softly, and sank back onto the bed, his mind heavy with purpose. Lifting his faded orange pajamas, his fingers traced the familiar spiral seal on his stomach, the Eight Trigrams pattern that caged the Nine-Tails. His heart thudded, a mix of anticipation and unease. Kurama had been silent for too long, shutting him out like a locked gate. What's going on with you, big guy? he wondered, his brow furrowing.
Chakra gathered at his fingertips, a faint blue glow pulsing as he channeled the key Jiraiya had entrusted to him. The seal shimmered, the intricate lines of the Eight Trigrams flaring to life. Naruto pressed his palm against it, his touch steady, and turned his hand as if unlocking a vault. A soft click echoed in his mind, the first layer of the seal parting like a door. His chakra surged inward, a rush of energy that pulled his consciousness into the depths of the seal.
Inside, a pair of scarlet eyes snapped open, glowing like twin embers in the darkness. Kurama, the Nine-Tails, loomed behind the massive sealed gate, its gaze burning with raw hatred. The air in the mental space was damp and heavy, the familiar "sewer" of Naruto's mind dripping with unseen water, the walls slick with mossy grime. The gate's bars, etched with ancient seals, rattled faintly as Kurama's claws scraped against them, a low growl rumbling like distant thunder.
Naruto stepped forward, his sandals splashing in the shallow puddles, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. "Hey, Kurama! What's your deal? I've been calling you for days, and you just cut off our chakra link. Had to use the key to get in here!" His tone was light, teasing, but his sage-orange eyes were sharp, searching the fox's massive form for answers.
Kurama stalked closer, its nine tails lashing like whips, its fangs bared in a snarl that could've shaken mountains. "Don't call me Kurama, you fake!" it roared, its voice a guttural boom that vibrated through the sewer, sending ripples across the water. Its claws lunged through the bars, swiping at Naruto with lethal intent. Naruto dodged with a flicker of Flying Thunder God, reappearing a few feet back, his heart pounding but his grin unfazed.
"Whoa, whoa, Kurama! You trying to skewer me?" he shouted, brushing off his jacket as if dusting away the near-miss. "What's with the death glare? I'm still me!"
Kurama's eyes narrowed to slits, its massive form pacing behind the gate, each step sending tremors through the mental space. "You're not that brat Naruto," it snarled, its voice dripping with venom. "That kid calls me Nine-Tails. Your soul—it's wrong. Too strong, too old. You've taken his body, impostor. Who are you, and how do you know my name? Get out!"
The fox's roar erupted, a shockwave of chakra that slammed against the gate, the sound reverberating in Naruto's ears. He winced, covering his ears, but a smile tugged at his lips. So that's it, he thought, piecing it together. Kurama had sensed the shift in his soul—the weight of a life lived as Hokage, the scars of battles fought and lost. To the fox, he was a stranger wearing Naruto's face, a threat to the boy it had grudgingly grown to tolerate.
"Tell me where that brat is!" Kurama bellowed, its claws raking the bars, sparks flying as the seals held firm. "What did you do to him?"
Naruto's grin widened, a warmth spreading in his chest. You big, stubborn furball, he thought, amused by Kurama's protectiveness. In his past life, they'd become partners, brothers even, fighting side by side in the Fourth Shinobi World War. But this Kurama, trapped in an earlier time, didn't know that bond yet. Naruto crossed his arms, tilting his head playfully. "What's this? You miss that 'brat' you always complained about? Didn't you say he was a loudmouth pest?"
Kurama snorted, its tails thrashing, sending waves crashing against the sewer walls. "I don't need to explain myself to a fake like you!"
Naruto laughed, the sound echoing brightly in the grim space. "Sorry to break it to you, big guy, but I'm afraid I devoured that kid's soul." He leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief, baiting the fox just to see how far it'd go.
Kurama's reaction was instant, its nine tails flaring like a storm, its scarlet eyes blazing with fury. "You bastard!" it roared, slamming against the gate, the seals glowing red as they strained under its rage. "You're worse than I am! I'll tear you apart!" Its claws slashed wildly, the air humming with chakra so dense it felt like a weight on Naruto's shoulders.
Naruto couldn't hold it in anymore, his laughter bursting out, loud and unrestrained. "Hahaha, Kurama, you're killing me! You're all fired up over that 'brat' you pretend to hate!" He doubled over, clutching his sides, the sight of the mighty Nine-Tails acting like an overprotective cat too much to handle. "You haven't changed a bit, you big, tsundere furball!"
Kurama's growl deepened, its fangs glinting in the dim light. "I said don't call me Kurama! That name's not for you!" To the fox, its name—bestowed by the Sage of the Six Paths—was sacred, shared only with its fellow tailed beasts and the Sage himself. Naruto's casual use of it was an insult, a violation of its pride.
Naruto's laughter faded, his expression softening as he looked at the fox, his oldest companion. In his past life, Kurama had been with him from birth, a constant presence through every triumph and tragedy. After the war, their chakras had intertwined, their thoughts laid bare, forging a bond deeper than words. You're my brother, Kurama, he thought, his heart aching with the weight of memories this fox couldn't yet know. He decided it was time to stop teasing and open his heart.
"Alright, Kurama, listen up," Naruto said, his voice steady, sincere. "I'm not the Naruto you know, but I am Naruto. I'm the Naruto who came back from the future, sent here to fix things, to save everyone I lost."
Kurama's tails froze mid-lash, its scarlet eyes narrowing in disbelief. "The future?" it scoffed, its voice dripping with skepticism. "You expect me to believe that nonsense? Time travel's a fairy tale, even for a brat like you."
Naruto grinned, undeterred, leaning casually against the sewer wall. "It was the Sage of the Six Paths who sent me back. Yeah, the old man himself. As for your name? I learned it in my last life, during training with Killer B and Gyuki—the Eight-Tails, or 'Hachi,' as B calls him. They helped me master your chakra, and Gyuki spilled the beans on your name, Kurama."
Kurama's jaw twitched, its claws flexing against the gate. "Gyuki? Helping you? And you think I'd let some loudmouth kid control my chakra?" It snorted, but a flicker of doubt crossed its eyes. "You're full of it, faker."
Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, you were a tough sell back then, too. Took a lot of convincing—and, okay, maybe a few bowls of imaginary meatballs in here to sweeten you up." He tapped his temple, grinning at the memory of their banter in his past life.
Kurama's growl was half-hearted now, its tails lowering slightly. "Meatballs? You're mocking me, brat." But its eyes lingered on Naruto, searching, as if trying to find the boy it knew beneath this stranger's confidence.
Naruto stepped closer to the gate, his voice softening, earnest. "I'm not mocking you, Kurama. I know all your siblings' names, too, because you and I… we were partners. We fought together, saved the world together. Let me prove it." He held up his fingers, ticking off the tailed beasts with a grin. "One-Tail: Shukaku. Two-Tails: Matatabi. Three-Tails: Isobu. Four-Tails: Son Goku. Five-Tails: Kokuo. Six-Tails: Saiken. Seven-Tails: Chomei. Eight-Tails: Gyuki, or Hachi to his friends. And you, the Nine-Tails: Kurama, you big, grumpy cat."
Kurama froze, its scarlet eyes wide, the names hitting like a shockwave. Those were secrets only the tailed beasts and the Sage knew, shared in moments of trust during the war. "How…?" it muttered, its voice low, almost vulnerable. "How do you know their names?"
Naruto's smile was warm, his sage-orange eyes glinting with memories of battles fought and bonds forged. "Because I lived it, Kurama. In my last life, we became friends. You told me everything—your name, your siblings, your story. I'm back to change things, to save Konoha, Jiraiya, Sasuke… everyone. But I need you with me, like before."
The sewer was silent, the drip of water echoing as Kurama stared, its massive form still, its claws retracting slightly. For the first time, doubt gave way to something else—curiosity, maybe even trust. "You… you're really that brat?" it asked, its voice quieter, less venomous.
Naruto nodded, his grin softening into something raw, heartfelt. "Yeah, it's me. Just a little older, a little wiser. Ready to kick some butt with you again?"
Kurama snorted, turning its head away, but its tails flicked less aggressively. "Hmph. You're still a loudmouth. If you're lying, I'll rip you apart, future or not."
Naruto laughed, the sound bouncing off the sewer walls, bright and unshaken. "Deal, big guy. Now, what do you say? Help me save the world again?"
Kurama's eyes gleamed, a spark of its old fire returning. "Don't get cocky, brat. I'm not your pet. But… I'll hear you out. For now."
Naruto's heart swelled, the first step toward rebuilding their bond taken. The moonlight outside his apartment faded as he withdrew from the seal, his body sinking into the bed, exhausted but hopeful. With Kurama's trust on the horizon, Sasuke's fate in his sights, and Jiraiya alive, the child of prophecy was ready to face the future—his past, his present, and everything in between.