Chapter 5: Kurama, do you think Wood Release might be a Kekkei Tōta?
Watching the figures of the Hyuga father and daughter disappear at the end of the street, Naruto stood there for a while, only turning to walk toward his home on the top floor of the apartment building after they vanished around the corner.
Opening the door with his key, a familiar, slightly cool breath of air washed over him.
The room wasn't large, and the furnishings inside were simple.
It wasn't spotless, but it was tidy, maintaining a basic, barely respectable façade that could be called "home."
The only people who frequently came and went were Naruto and the few Anbu monitoring him.
Those Anbu usually worked in shifts and didn't sleep inside the house.
Naruto was the only resident here.
As for the Third Hokage himself, he only visited quietly on rare occasions when the night was deep, wearing his ceremonial robes, bringing the next month's living expenses, gently inquiring about his recent situation, and offering words of encouragement.
To the current Naruto, those brief meetings felt less like the concern of an elder and more like periodic experimental records taken of a test subject.
He closed the door, shutting out the wind, snow, and the complicated world outside.
The room was silent, with only his own breathing clearly audible.
He walked to the small refrigerator, opened the door, and saw milk and some simple ingredients neatly stacked inside.
He took out a bottle of iced milk, skillfully pried open the cap, and tilted his head back to take a large gulp.
Placing the empty bottle in the kitchen sink, he didn't delay, going straight back to the bedroom and sitting cross-legged on the not-so-soft single bed.
He closed his eyes, rested his hands naturally on his knees, and his breathing gradually became long and rhythmic.
Fine control over Chakra was one of the core cultivation subjects he had set for himself since transmigrating.
He knew deeply how powerful future enemies would be, and relying solely on a massive amount of Chakra would be far from enough.
For Naruto, the world of Naruto was a time-limited instance; in about ten years, the Akatsuki Organization would target him, the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, for capture.
Black Zetsu, the devoted son of Ōtsutsuki, would also fully push forward Kaguya's revival plan.
Uchiha Obito was secretly plotting the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan.
Uchiha Madara was waiting in the Pure Land for the day he would be resurrected.
As his consciousness sank into his body, he could clearly "sense" the warm and vigorous energy, like the rising morning sun, slowly flowing through his meridians.
He did not perform large-scale refinement, but instead concentrated all his attention on his fingertips.
Guided by his will, an extremely subtle thread of Chakra was carefully separated, and he tried to outline a stable form at his fingertips, like controlling an invisible thread, or make it flicker like breathing.
This process was tedious and mentally exhausting; the slightest carelessness would cause that wisp of Chakra to lose control and dissipate.
But his expression was exceptionally focused, and fine beads of sweat even seeped from his temples.
Because he knew this was the indispensable and most solid foundation for the path to becoming a powerhouse.
As a member of the Uzumaki Clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto's Chakra reserves far exceeded the average person, making the mastery of this power even more necessary.
After the cultivation ended, the mental exhaustion far outweighed the physical.
Naruto let out a long breath, leaned back directly, and lay down on the not-so-soft bed.
He didn't fall asleep immediately; instead, he closed his eyes and slowly let his consciousness sink, as if diving into deep water.
The familiar sight of his home rippled and vanished like water, replaced by a dark, damp space.
Shallow standing water covered the floor, creating eerie ripples.
The air was heavy, permeated with an ancient and violent aura.
Most striking was the massive cage constructed of cold iron bars directly ahead.
Behind the cage, in the deep darkness, a pair of scarlet eyes, like giant lanterns, lit up first, revealing vertical, bestial pupils.
Immediately afterward, an enormous figure gradually became clear in the shadows.
The gigantic fox with orange-red fur was sprawled out lazily; its mere presence brought a suffocating sense of oppression.
Its sharp teeth gleamed coldly in the dim light, and the several massive tails behind it swayed slowly in the confined space like burning shadows.
The Nine-Tailed's pair of scarlet giant eyes stared at Naruto, who looked incredibly tiny standing outside the cage, and a deep, echoing voice reverberated through the space:
"You're here, Naruto."
"Yes, I'm here, Kurama."
Naruto's response was as natural as greeting an old friend. He stepped forward, walking fearlessly to stand before the massive, cold iron gate.
This friendship, which defied common sense, began with an even more unusual start.
Shortly after Naruto's soul transmigrated here, his already mature consciousness voluntarily sank into this Sealing Space for the first time.
At that time, Naruto, still in the form of an infant, moved freely within the consciousness space.
He toddled up to the massive iron gate, ignored the hatred and killing intent that had nearly solidified, looked up at the pair of violent, scarlet giant eyes behind the cage, and clearly and accurately shouted the name that had been sealed away for a millennium: "Kurama."
That name, like a key, plunged the previously restless giant beast into a brief, startled silence.
Immediately afterward, this infant-shaped soul, using a calm and resolute tone completely unlike his appearance, confessed to this most dangerous "tenant": "I know you, and I know the Six Paths Sage. If I told you that I am the Child of Prophecy, foretold by the Six Paths Sage on his deathbed, the one who will bring change and peace, would you... believe me?"
This earth-shattering declaration became the starting point for countless conversations between them in the years that followed.
Over the years, Naruto entered the Sealing Space day after day to communicate with the Nine-Tailed. The relationship between the man and the beast, while not exactly warm and affectionate, was certainly getting along well.
"Every day you manage to find a new topic. Tell me, what topic did you find today?"
The Nine-Tailed lowered its massive head slightly, its scarlet vertical pupils fixed on Naruto outside the iron cage. Although its tone still carried its usual laziness and a hint of impatience, the slightly swaying tip of its tail betrayed its true inner emotion.
Expectation.
Sealed in this dark, lightless space for decades, facing the same unchanging scenery day after day, it had long been bored nearly senseless.
Naruto's periodic "disturbances" over the years, along with his wild and sometimes shocking topics, had become the only fresh diversion in its long life as a prisoner.
Naruto sat cross-legged in front of the gate, cupping his chin with his hand. After a brief moment of thought, he looked up and posed his question in a calm, academic yet resounding tone:
"Kurama, do you think there's a possibility that Wood Release isn't a Kekkei Genkai, but rather... a Kekkei Tōta?"
This sentence was like a clap of thunder, or a giant rock thrown into a stagnant pool, stirring up a thousand waves in this silent Sealing Space!
It transformed into an invisible tidal wave, violently exploding next to the Nine-Tailed's ear.
The Nine-Tailed immediately stood up on all fours, its fur bristling, and hot air puffing from its mouth.
If you're talking about this, then I'm certainly not sleepy anymore.
[end of chapter]