Chapter 6:
At the words "hate Konoha," a vicious glint flashed in the Nine-Tails' eyes.
It had once lived freely under the Sage of Six Paths. Then, out of nowhere, a brat with Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan ambushed it—an ancient tailed beast hundreds of years old—and forced it into submission as his mount. Just like that, the Nine-Tails was bound by a humiliating contract. (Thank the stars it was male—if it had been female, the indignity would have been unbearable.)
It thought that was the worst of it. But its first summoning under Madara pitted it against Senju Hashirama. Even now, the Nine-Tails remembered that massive wooden Buddha statue rising up, thousands of arms overwhelming it in an instant. In that moment, it almost forgot its own identity—who was the real monster here? Hashirama was absurdly powerful, grinding both it and Madara into the dirt while politely saying, "Stop fighting—I don't want to hurt you!" The softer his words, the heavier his blows.
From then on, the Nine-Tails shuddered at the mere thought of Hashirama. After Madara's defeat, it was sealed into Uzumaki clan jinchūriki, never seeing daylight again. It missed those carefree days racing across sunsets with the other tailed beasts—its lost youth. (Except for the One-Tails. That one still owed it a beating.)
Sealed inside various hosts, it grew irritated—with the seals, with the jinchūriki, with everything. What had it done wrong? Just having more chakra, more power? If they had a problem, take it up with the Sage! Sure, when the Sage divided his chakra, the Nine-Tails took a little extra—one tail's share for each, plus its own. It had simply worked harder than the others. Was that a crime?
Finally freed by a masked man… only to fall under Sharingan control again. The Nine-Tails swore it never wanted to see another Uchiha. But this kid—Naruto—was Uzumaki. No cursed eyes. Maybe… just maybe… this was its chance.
After its internal storm subsided, the Nine-Tails let out a cold huff, said nothing, and closed its eyes.
Naruto's lips curved into a faint smile. He knew—the deal was done.
Emerging from his mindscape, Naruto opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling. He sat up and gazed out the window. The moon hung high; it was deep into the night. Looking down at the sleeping village, anger flickered in his eyes. "Demon fox." "Monster." "Killer." "Disgusting." The insults echoed in his mind as if whispered right beside him.
Naruto slowly extended his palm, feeling the chakra within. For years, the Nine-Tails' presence had suppressed and interfered with his own reserves—most of his chakra automatically went toward containing the fox. As an Uzumaki, he should never have run low on stamina. But now… his chakra flowed like a torrential rain—abundant and free. It was still a drop compared to the Nine-Tails' ocean, but more than enough for serious training.
That night, Naruto didn't sleep. He sat cross-legged on his bed, refining chakra with unwavering focus. A breeze rustled through the window, tousling his golden hair. But his young face remained deadly serious.
Haruno Sakura: "Is this guy even Naruto? Actually training seriously?!"
Nara Shikamaru: "And the Naruto who only ever relied on brute force suddenly has a brain?"
Uzumaki Naruto: "..."
Uzumaki Naruto: "That guy's not me at all!"
Tenten: "It's the other-world Naruto."
Fourth Raikage: "Looks like that world's Naruto has allied with the Nine-Tails. Konoha could be in danger."
Orochimaru: "And isn't that thanks to my dear Sensei Hiruzen?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "What does this have to do with me?"
Orochimaru: "Sensei, don't you realize? Naruto should be the hero's son, yet the village treats him like a monster. This world's Naruto is easy to manipulate—otherwise, who wouldn't rebel against you?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Is that your excuse for betraying Konoha?"
Orochimaru: "I simply believe in science, Sensei. One day, I'll prove the pinnacle of shinobi lies in science!"
Namikaze Minato: "I believe the other-world Naruto is still kind at heart. Threatening Konoha is probably just talk."
Ōnoki: "Hmph. If the Nine-Tails had been given to Iwa, none of this mess would exist!"
Deidara: "Gramps, you think you could handle it?"
Uchiha Madara: "Ōnoki, brat—what nonsense are you spouting?"
Seeing Madara speak up, Ōnoki quickly deleted his boastful reply about one-shotting the Nine-Tails with Dust Release. Madara… he couldn't afford to provoke that monster. Even now, Ōnoki remembered their clash—he was ten years old, standing like a nobody while Madara soloed the entire village. The only way to make him ease up? Mention Hashirama's name. That humiliation and fear lingered to this day.
[The black-frame world's Naruto continued his routine.][A simple two-point life: days spent fishing and grilling in the back mountains while refining chakra; nights eating ramen, then chatting with the Nine-Tails before sleep.][Most nights, the fox simply drooped its ears, ignoring him completely and dozing off.]
Naruto should have been hailed as the hero's son. Instead, his own village rejected and despised him—for no reason he understood. Worse, the villagers enjoyed the peace bought with his parents' lives and his own sacrifice as the jinchūriki. At enrollment age, no one had ever checked on him. Even chakra basics came only because the Third Hokage felt like teaching one day.
But this Naruto felt no gratitude—only clarity. The village leadership was complicit. Civilians might be ignorant, but the higher-ups knew the truth. They hid his heritage and let—encouraged—the "demon fox" stigma to spread. The Nine-Tails was a victim too—controlled by the masked man's Sharingan. Truth be told, it even respected Minato and Kushina. Yet in the end, Naruto and the fox bore all the blame.
The Nine-Tails hadn't revealed Naruto's parentage yet, but through scattered conversations, it pieced together the story. Its hatred for Konoha burned deeper. One day… it would force the village to face justice.
Once, fate controlled him. Now, he would seize control himself.