Deep within a labyrinth of sewersa damp world of concrete, rusted metal, and dripping pipesstood a massive steel cage door. Water lay stagnant everywhere, its surface broken only by occasional drips.
From within the cage, something stirred in the darkness. A pair of red, slit eyes snapped open.
The creature shifted, its massive form sending ripples through the shallow water. It raised a hand, a large, fur-covered paw and stared in bewilderment.
"What the fuck?" a low voice rumbled, echoing in the chamber. "Am I high? Why am I furry?"
It looked around, turning its enormous head. Behind it was only an impenetrable, endless dark. The only way forward was through the cage door and down a single hallway that vanished into shadow.
"What's going on?"
Driven by confusion, it heaved itself up and lumbered toward the cage. It gripped the cold steel bars and pushed, muscles straining. Nothing happened. It threw its full weight against the door, but it wouldn't even shudder.
"ARGH!" it roared in frustration, the shout unleashing a physical shockwave that rattled the pipes.
Finally, it gave up. Slumping back, it truly looked at itself for the first time.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" it bellowed.
It was covered in thick, red fur. And behind it… he could feel them. Nine powerful tails swished and slammed into the water, each movement under his complete control.
"Am I dreaming? This can't be happening." The creature's voice dropped to a mutter. "Maybe… if I slap myself, I'll know for sure."
He took a deep breath and brought a paw up, swatting his own face. The impact was thunderous, and a sharp sting followed.
"Yeah," he grunted. "This is real."
He moved to the water's edge, waiting for the ripples to still. When his reflection finally cleared, he recoiled. Staring back at him was the face of a gigantic, nine-tailed fox with burning red eyes.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
Utterly lost, he sat down, his large frame settling into a cross-legged position with a sigh.
"Hmm, well, I'm not really sure what's going on here," he murmured, closing his eyes to think.
Suddenly, his vision shifted. He was no longer in the cage but looking at a plain, wooden ceiling.
"What's going on?" he thought, bewildered.
The moment he opened his eyes, he was back in the dark, damp cage.
"Hmm. This is kind of interesting," he mused.
He closed his eyes again, focusing. The vision returned, but this time it was moving. He was seeing through someone else's eyes as they got out of bed, slid open a door, and walked down a hallway.
"A Japanese house?" he wondered, recognizing the architecture.
The person entered a bathroom and approached the mirror. For a moment, the reflection was just a blur, and then it cleared.
Staring back was a young girl with fair skin, long red hair, and striking violet eyes.
A spark of familiarity ignited in his mind.
"I feel like I've seen this girl before."
Then, suddenly, she began to remove her clothes. He instantly severed the connection, the vision snapping back to the darkness of his cage.
"That was too close," he muttered, a phantom sense of panic receding. "I nearly watched a teenager get undressed." He pondered the girl's face, a nagging familiarity tugging at his memory. "But I feel like I know who that is."
An image surfaced in his mind: Uzumaki Kushina from Naruto.
"Yeah, she looks just like her. Wait..." His thoughts raced, putting the pieces together. "Am I Kurama? The Nine-Tails? Maybe."
A wild, thrilling idea took hold. "If that's true... I should be able to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb."
He opened his massive maw, targeting the endless darkness ahead. 'My chakra should be boundless,' he thought, reaching inward to sense the energy. It was effortless; his entire being was chakra, a raging ocean of power that was completely untamed.
He focused his intent, and chakra surged to gather in front of his mouth. But it came too fast, too violently. Before he could form the bomb, the raw energy detonated prematurely.
BOOM!
A hemisphere of explosive force erupted, slamming into him and hurling his gigantic form against the back of the cage. He gritted his teeth, the sheer power washing over him. As he pushed himself back up, a wide grin spread across his fox-like features.
"That... was awesome!" In that moment, he fully, joyfully accepted his new reality.
His eyes sparked with new ambition. "Maybe I can do other jutsu, too?"
He recalled the hand signs for the Shadow Clone Jutsu and clumsily went through the motions. Nothing happened. He tried to force his chakra to comply, but it was like trying to channel a hurricane through a straw.
"Wait, I'm an idiot," he grumbled, holding his chin. "I don't have the chakra control ratio or the precise instructions. I just have the raw power."
Then he remembered Kushina. "She's heading to school, right? If I'm lucky, I can listen. Please let them be ninjutsu lesson."
He reconnected to her vision. Kushina was now eating breakfast with an elderly woman who bore a distinctive diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
'That's Mito, if I'm not wrong,' the newly-christened Kurama thought.
"Kushina, are you all right? Has the Kyuubi been taunting you?" Mito asked, her voice laced with concern.
'The fuck?' Kurama thought, indignant. 'I didn't even do anything yet!'
"Nothing's happened. The Kyuubi has been silent," Kushina replied.
"Has been silent?" Mito seemed surprised. "Give me your hand."
As Kushina extended her arm and Mito reached for it, Kurama instantly cut the connection. He slumped in his cage, feigning a deep sleep, though he could still sense the two figures standing before the seal's gate.
"Kyuubi," Mito's voice was sharp and clear in the mental space. "What are you planning?"
'I ain't saying shit,' Kurama thought, maintaining his act of serene slumber.
He felt Mito's stare for a long, tense minute. Behind her, he could sense Kushina's terror, the girl clutching Mito's clothes even though this was only her second time facing the beast within her.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mito and Kushina departed.
The moment they were gone, Kurama reconnected to Kushina's sight, watching as she went to the academy. While the new Jinchuriki was distracted and uneasy, Kurama was the one who focused intently on the instructor's lesson.
Luck was on his side. The instructor was detailing the mechanics of the three basic jutsu: Transformation, Clone, and Substitution. Kurama listened with rapt attention, a wide, triumphant smile spreading across his face.
As soon as he had committed the knowledge to memory, he disconnected.
"Okay," Kurama said to the darkness, his voice brimming with determination. "Now that I know the theory for those three jutsu, I can start training my chakra control. I'll practice until I've perfected them."