The Nine-Tails raised its chin and smiled faintly, suddenly feeling a wave of nostalgia for the Pirate World... it truly was a world with a completely different feel than the Shinobi World.
It was a shame it was sealed the whole time and never got to sail the seas.
Having shared the pirate experience, it knew how formidable the former Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates was.
To put it simply, while he hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit and had no special powers, his Armament Haki and Observation Haki mastery on Whitebeard's ship was second only to Whitebeard himself.
And rumor had it he possessed the extremely rare Conqueror's Haki.
But now he was a child. His power was essentially reset, or at least severely limited.
After all, how strong could a little kid's body be?
"You're just a brat now. Your weak body can't handle the power you gained in the Pirate World," the Nine-Tails said dismissively.
"You don't believe me?" Naruto challenged.
"Hmph!" The Nine-Tails gave him a look that said, 'I rest my case.'
"CRACKLE!"
Naruto slammed his fists together. Terrifying Conqueror's Haki, like black lightning, coiled around him, making him look like a terrifying War God.
"Conqueror's Haki!" The Nine-Tails' eyes bulged. It cautiously took a step back. "Brat, how do you still have such powerful Haki?"
The Nine-Tails had been suppressed by this power countless times in the Pirate World. It was practically its Achilles' heel.
It was as annoying as Hashirama's Wood Style and Uchiha Madara's Sharingan.
No, it was even worse! Absolutely infuriating!
"Hehe." Naruto pulled back the Conqueror's Haki, instantly shifting from a commanding ruler to a harmless child.
Naruto touched his golden hair. "I'm not sure why either. Maybe it's my experience. I remember the old man saying that the strength of Conqueror's Haki depends a lot on the user's experience and ambition."
"My Haki is much stronger now. I feel like I might be able to learn the Conqueror's Haki Infusion the old man talked about pretty soon."
The Nine-Tails was speechless. Judging by the Conqueror's Haki just now, the kid's power was incredible. Based on its experience, even if he wasn't Kage-level, he was far superior to normal Jōnin.
This strength was nothing to the Nine-Tails, but the kid was only six and hadn't even started formal Ninjutsu training!
Speaking of Ninjutsu!
"Brat, are you planning to train in Ninjutsu?" the Nine-Tails asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Naruto replied, confused.
Three types of Haki plus Ninjutsu!
The Nine-Tails felt an unexpected spark of anticipation for how powerful this kid would become.
Wait! Won't the stronger he gets make it harder for me to break the seal? Why am I looking forward to this?
"By the way, big fox, you know that combining Haki and Chakra can create incredible miracles, right?" Naruto suddenly said, interrupting the Nine-Tails' train of thought.
"Like the guy I saved a few days ago."
"That Uchiha brat!" The Nine-Tails was full of distaste.
"He's my friend," Naruto corrected.
"No Uchiha is any good."
Naruto was never good with words or "lecturing." He chose not to argue with the Nine-Tails and waved his hand instead.
"Big fox, I'm done chatting. I have something important to do, so I'm leaving now."
"What's so important?"
"My fish is ready!" Naruto said excitedly, then added wistfully, "Too bad I can't share it with you!"
The Nine-Tails' response was to lie down and slowly utter one word: "Go!"
"Got it!"
...
When Naruto left the sealed space, the sky was dark. The moon had not yet risen above the eastern horizon. The inky black night sky seemed to press low, silently weighing down on Naruto.
In the distance, the village lights shone brightly, but Naruto could only stare at the stubborn bonfire burning in the vast darkness, guarding his three or four roasted fish.
The fish were done, though slightly burnt.
Naruto didn't mind at all. What he needed most now was nutrition; flavor wasn't important.
So, he bit into the fish without worrying about how hot it was.
Little Naruto devoured three of the four big, fatty roasted fish.
His appetite was monstrous.
After leaving one fish behind, Naruto sat cross-legged again. This time, he focused on training his Observation Haki.
Observation Haki sharpens the five senses, allowing the user to perceive the presence and emotions of living things, and to predict and evade danger.
As Naruto used his Haki, he seemed to instantly hear the sounds of all creation. He quietly listened to the soft sounds of the wind between the mountains and streams; he heard the gurgling flow of the river.
He also perceived the gaze of the Third Hokage secretly watching him.
He had been to the Third Hokage's office and knew the old man had a crystal ball to monitor the village.
Clearly, he was being watched.
He hated it. Naruto silently vowed that once he was strong enough, he would smash the Third Hokage's broken crystal ball.
...
Meanwhile, through the crystal ball, the Third Hokage's cloudy eyes watched Naruto's small figure. He felt uneasy. Naruto's recent changes were too radical.
Not only had he grown stronger, but more importantly, he no longer sought attention through pranks.
These changes were ambiguous, and besides, the Third Hokage didn't have the energy to focus on Naruto right now.
The Uchiha situation was more pressing, as well as...
"Hiruzen, why did you call me here?" Danzō Shimura, the dark side of Konoha, silently walked into the Third Hokage's office.
Danzō's right eye was now covered with fresh bandages, leaving only his left eye exposed, making him look rather sinister.
"Danzō, have you found Uchiha Shisui yet?" The Third Hokage asked pointedly.
"Not yet," Danzō replied gruffly.
"The Uchiha clan is very unstable. You should avoid doing anything rash," said Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Everything I do is for Konoha. Hiruzen, you are simply too soft and indecisive." Danzō's left eye caught sight of Naruto in the crystal ball on the desk, using it as an opportunity.
"You should hand that Nine-Tails brat over to Root. I will train him to be the perfect weapon."
"That is the proper destiny for a Jinchūriki!"
"I will not give Naruto to you!" The Third Hokage's face hardened. He put away the crystal ball. "I forbid Root from interfering with Naruto."
"I promised the Fourth Hokage I would take care of Naruto."
"Take care of him by letting him be excluded and hated? If that's your care, you might as well hand him over to me. I will let him embrace the darkness and become a fully functional..."
"Enough, Danzō. I will train Naruto to inherit the Will of Fire and become an excellent ninja."
The Third Hokage sternly cut Danzō off.
"Tch..." Danzō was inwardly furious at being interrupted. He looked at the Third Hokage, a torrent of unspoken words inside him.
The Third Hokage didn't give Danzō a chance. He picked up his pipe, stood up, and with his back to Danzō, gazed at the great Hokage Rock outside the window, slowly saying:
"Danzō, you must remember, I am the Hokage!"
"You will regret this, Hiruzen. Hmph!"
'I will be the Hokage one day,' Danzō vowed fiercely to himself. He took one last deep look at the Third Hokage and slowly left the office.
"One more thing, Danzō. You are confined to your quarters," the Third Hokage added.
In that moment, Danzō's desire to become Hokage grew even stronger.