At that very moment—when Naruto first activated the Perfect Chakra Refining Technique—his entire being seemed to erupt with power. The air itself trembled around him. The grass swayed though there was no wind. His chakra overflowed like a torrent breaking through a dam.
The brilliance of that energy was blinding—dense, steady, and impossibly vast. Even Naruto himself hadn't expected it to be so strong. He could feel the energy surging through him, as though his blood had been replaced by raw lightning.
It wasn't just the technique. It was the combination. The physical vitality of the Uzumaki Clan, the chakra reserves of the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, and the enlightenment of his Heaven-Defying Comprehension—three forces overlapping into one. The result was—utterly monstrous.
Boom! A fresh wave of chakra burst from him, and the air around him rippled like heat haze. The dying embers of the campfire were instantly snuffed out.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing only a few steps away, was nearly blown backward. He threw up his arms instinctively to shield his face. For a split second, his heart skipped a beat.
This wasn't a child's chakra. This was a tsunami wearing human skin.
He stared, utterly dumbfounded. "Th-this…" he stammered, his pipe nearly slipping from his hand.
Naruto sat there calmly, his expression focused, completely unaware of the shock he was causing. When the violent aura finally subsided, the boy opened his eyes—and twin blue flames seemed to flicker in them.
Hiruzen took a long breath, his mind racing. In all his years—decades of experience—he had never seen anything like this. Most academy students spent weeks just learning to sense their own chakra. Even talented clan heirs needed three or four days to refine their first wisp of energy. But Naruto… had not only succeeded on the first try, he had done it with a chakra volume rivaling that of a fully grown chunin. And this was only the beginning.
Hiruzen's lips parted slightly in disbelief. "…This talent… even surpasses his father's. "
The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—the man once hailed as Konoha's fastest and brightest—had refined chakra quickly, yes, but nowhere near this quickly, nor with such terrifying output. Naruto's talent was something else entirely. Genius was too weak a word. A monster. That was what he was.
Hiruzen forced a smile to hide his unease. With talent like this… he must be kept under control. If this child ever turned against the village, he wouldn't just be a danger—he'd be a catastrophe.
He needed to keep Naruto's heart bound by gratitude and dependence, to ensure the weapon never turned on its master.
Meanwhile, deep within Naruto's consciousness—behind the towering iron gates of the sealing space—two enormous crimson eyes snapped open. "Hmm? "
A low, rumbling growl echoed in the void. The Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama, had been dozing peacefully. But the sudden rush of chakra from his host had jolted him awake. His gaze swept the inside of the cage—and his massive tails twitched in irritation.
"What the hell is this brat doing? "
For days now, he had been subtly leaking slivers of his own chakra, testing the limits of the seal. But now, every crack he had created was gone—filled and reinforced by Naruto's newly refined chakra. He couldn't sense a single weak point anymore.
Kurama's crimson eyes narrowed. The brat had just undone all his careful work in a few seconds. "Damn kid…" he muttered. Still, his voice held a touch of amusement. At least the vessel wasn't useless. If anything, this might make things… more interesting.
He snorted. "Hmph. Let's see how long you can keep that up, runt. " Then, curling his tails around himself, the giant fox closed his eyes again, sinking back into the dark. He had time. Plenty of time.
Back outside, Naruto slowly opened his eyes, feeling the chakra circulating through his veins. It was intoxicating. He had never felt such vitality before. Every muscle, every bone, every breath—buzzed with strength.
With this power, he could easily punch through a wooden door. Maybe even a boulder. If he learned Tsunade's monstrous strength technique, he could probably punch a cow into orbit.
He flexed his small hands, marveling at the flow of energy. So this is chakra…
Across from him, Hiruzen finally composed himself. His heart rate slowed, and his political mask slipped back into place. He smiled warmly. "Well done, Naruto! You've done wonderfully. "
Naruto looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Hehe, really? I did it, Grandpa! "
"Of course, " Hiruzen said kindly. "With such talent, I'm sure you'll make everyone proud one day. If you keep working hard, you'll be a splendid ninja… maybe even Hokage! "
Naruto nodded eagerly, eyes shining with mock excitement. "I'll become Hokage! Just you wait! "
Inside, though, his thoughts were ice-cold. Hokage, huh? Sure. But when I do, I'll burn down your whole rotten system and build my own.
Hiruzen then added, "Oh, by the way, Naruto—I've already registered you for this year's Ninja Academy intake. When classes begin, I'll take you there personally. "
Naruto nodded again, pretending to beam with joy. "Really! ? That's awesome! "
The perfect little actor. Even the ANBU watching from afar were probably smiling behind their masks.
After that, Hiruzen handed over an envelope—the new month's living allowance. "One thousand ryō, " he said. "Spend it carefully. "
Naruto accepted it with both hands, bowing slightly. "Thank you, Grandpa! "
And once Hiruzen finally left—the smile on Naruto's face vanished.
He opened the envelope. Thin. Pitifully thin. One thousand ryō. Barely enough to survive.
He clenched his jaw. If he hadn't known better, he might've believed this was all the village could afford. But he did know better.
His parents—Minato and Kushina—had been top-tier shinobi, heroes of Konoha, each with an impressive record of A-rank and S-rank missions. The wealth they'd left behind should have been more than enough to support him for a lifetime. And yet, somehow, all of it had "disappeared. "
Naruto's hands tightened around the envelope. He didn't need to guess where it went. The Hokage and the elders had devoured it, just like they'd devoured the truth of his parents' sacrifice.
His smile twisted into a sneer. Old vulture… enjoy your power while you can.
He exhaled slowly and forced himself to calm down. He couldn't let anger rule him. Not yet. He was still too weak.
For now, he needed to grow quietly—and plan carefully. He would train in secret. Study everything.
And when the time was right, he would build his own force, a power that belonged to him alone. That was how he would strike back.
For now, he would bide his time, pretending to be the same harmless fool as always—the village's lonely, unwanted child. But beneath that smile was a beast sharpening its claws.
That afternoon, Naruto packed up the leftover food, skewered the rabbits and fish onto a stick, and slung them over his shoulder. Thanks to the new chakra coursing through his small frame, the load felt light as air.
He hummed a tune as he made his way home, a rare trace of genuine good mood on his face.
But just as he reached the outskirts of the village, he noticed something up ahead. Three boys—roughly his age—were surrounding a small girl. The girl had fallen to the ground, trembling, while the boys taunted her cruelly.
Naruto frowned. "Bullying, huh? "
As a decent man reborn from a modern world—he wasn't about to ignore that.
He strode forward and barked, "Hey! What do you think you're doing! ?"
His shout cracked through the air like thunder. The three boys froze and turned. The moment they saw who it was, their faces went pale.
"That… that's the demon fox! "