The ground beneath him was damp, and the atmosphere was heavy with an eerie dimness. Before him, a pair of enormous, glowing scarlet eyes glared menacingly, belonging to a towering figure exuding a dark and oppressive red chakra.
Naruto distinctly remembered falling asleep from sheer exhaustion after hours of studying. But how had he ended up in this strange place? No one would dare break into their home and take him, especially with Uncle Akihiko around. So, where exactly was this?
Lost in his thoughts, Naruto frowned, trying to make sense of the situation. Suddenly, a deep, growling voice rumbled from the giant red eyes before him.
"So, you've finally shown up, huh?" the voice growled, low and sharp, carrying a tone of irritation. "Took you long enough. Come closer, kid."
For years, he had been aware that the boy could potentially access this space. But somehow, inexplicably, the seal had only grown stronger over time. It was infuriating—an unnatural interference, undoubtedly the handiwork of some meddling fool. If he ever discovered who had tampered with it, they would learn firsthand what it meant to face the wrath of the strongest tailed beast.
Despite the barely-contained rage in its voice, the creature forced an air of cold indifference as it growled, "As much as I'd love to rip you apart, this damn seal keeps me locked in. Curse this infernal thing!"
The sharp, venomous words snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. His gaze drifted upward to the towering figure looming before him—a massive, red-eyed creature. His lips parted slightly in astonishment as he murmured, "A... fox?"
For a moment, the Nine-Tails froze, its fiery eyes narrowing in disbelief. "A fox?!" it hissed, its voice dripping with indignation. "I am the Nine-Tails!" The creature's tone deepened, growing darker and more oppressive. "The strongest and mightiest of all the tailed beasts."
Naruto blinked, tilting his head slightly in curiosity. Then, as if a switch had flipped, his expression brightened. "Oh, Ohh, right! The Nine-Tails."
As a soon-to-graduate student, Naruto was well-versed in the lore of the tailed beasts. At school, there was even a special course dedicated to various unique creatures, including summoning beasts and other—tailed beasts were a significant part of the curriculum.
Naruto had always found that class fascinating, particularly the colorful stories shared by the instructors. He recalled tales of how the Nine-Tails and the One-Tail were bitter rivals, or how the Nine-Tails was said to have a tsundere personality. There were even wild stories about how the Nine-Tails had once struck fear into the heart of the legendary God of Shinobi.
Though these were often labeled as mere rumors, legends impossible to confirm, Naruto couldn't help but be intrigued by them. After all, the idea of a creature so powerful that it could shake even the most legendary figures was thrilling to him.
And then there was the fact that Gaara, and Rin-nee were all jinchūriki. Over time, Naruto had come to understand exactly what the seal on his stomach was for. By now, he had a solid grasp of what it meant to harbor a tailed beast within.
"A tailed beast living inside my body, huh?" Naruto said, his gaze fixed on the Nine-Tails, not a trace of fear in his expression.
With the seal in place—and even without it—Naruto knew that if anything went wrong, Uncle Akihiko and Mom were just at home. What was there to be afraid of?
His eyes glinted with curiosity as he scratched his chin, clearly intrigued. "I heard a story... that back in the day, you fought against the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage. The two of you went at it for three days and nights, right? In the end, even though you were a bit outmatched, you still made the First Hokage recognize your overwhelming power. So much so that he had no choice but to seal you away. Is that true?"
The moment Naruto finished speaking, the Nine-Tails' mind went blank. That battle... he thought, stunned. This is how people are telling it now? Slightly outmatched? And a terrifying power that even frightened the First Hokage? It was pure nonsense.
The truth was far different. The First Hokage had unleashed his absurdly powerful jutsu to threaten him, then, with a single hand, seized him by the neck and sealed him away—without giving him even the slightest chance to retaliate. At that moment, the Nine-Tails hadn't been able to put up any resistance.
The Nine-Tails had initially planned to feign indifference, perhaps even doze off, when he realized this brat actually recognized him. But hearing such a wildly inaccurate account of events left him utterly stunned.
After a brief pause, he regained his composure. His scarlet eyes softened, a faint air of nostalgia clouding his gaze as he tilted his massive head upward, he acted like he was lost in the memories of the past. With a heavy sigh, he exhaled in front of Naruto, adopting a calm, almost melancholic demeanor. Of course, he couldn't reveal the embarrassing truth of what had actually happened.
Just as Naruto's curiosity began to grow even more, the Nine-Tails scoffed lightly, his head lowering once more as he closed his eyes. A subtle aura of weary resignation enveloped him, as though he were silently conveying that the past was nothing more than a fleeting shadow, unworthy of further discussion. His presence seemed to carry a faint, lingering sadness from days long gone.
"Hey, come on! Don't just leave me hanging!" Naruto leaned closer to the iron bars, his curiosity growing stronger. He eyed the massive fox on the other side and pressed on, "So what happened back then? How did you and the First Hokage fight? It must've been a crazy battle, right? And what about the God of Shinobi? Was he really that powerful? They call him a god of the ninja world—there's got to be some truth to that, right?"
But before Naruto could finish, something suddenly happened. Screech! Razor-sharp claws shot out from the other side of the gate, reaching toward him with frightening speed. The claws stopped just short of him, their deadly reach halted by the seal.
Naruto froze, momentarily shocked. Then, narrowing his eyes, he glared at the Nine-Tails. "Hey, what the hell was that?!"
The Nine-Tails growled lowly, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Aren't you scared?"
"Scared?" Naruto scoffed, his legs shaking slightly, but his chest puffed out with forced confidence. "Why would I be scared? I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" He quickly added, "I was just caught off guard, that's all." Lifting his chin, he looked the beast straight in the eye and declared, "And I know for sure that if I die, you're coming with me!"
The Nine-Tails froze. How does this brat know that? A wave of confusion swept over him. Who told him? But before he could process his thoughts, Naruto kept going.
"Besides," Naruto added casually, "I heard Grandpa Yoshinori has been working on a new sealing technique for the past few years. If it works, even if you die or separate from me, I'll still survive. But if I die, you'll definitely go down with me. I wonder if that sealing jutsu is ready yet…"
The Nine-Tails fell silent at his words. What kind of maniac came up with such a cruel sealing technique? Who was this Yoshinori? Wasn't he afraid that he would hunt him down and obliterate him with a Tailed Beast Bomb the moment the seal was broken?
The Nine-Tails' expression tightened, and with an angry huff, he turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge Naruto any further. He lay down, his nose pointed toward the ceiling, clearly irritated by the conversation.
Seeing the Nine-Tails ignore him, Naruto realized he wasn't in any immediate danger, which only piqued his curiosity even further. "Come on, tell me. What really happened during your fight with the First Hokage? Hey, don't just sleep all the time—it must be so boring for you."
Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Wait a second... was the legend fake? Did you actually lose miserably?"
"True," the Nine-Tails replied. He was clearly fed up with the endless questioning, they lazily cracked open one eye and muttered a half-hearted response.
Though the reply came without much thought, Naruto's eyes immediately brightened, and he pressed on, "Then why were you sealed?"
"Because I wanted to be!" the Nine-Tails grunted, snorting in irritation.
"That's a weird hobby!" Naruto exclaimed. Then, after a moment of thought, he added, "Oh, and I heard you don't get along with the One-Tail. Is that true?"
"False," came the Nine-Tails' half-hearted reply, his tone dripping with disinterest.
"So you do get along with the One-Tail?" Naruto asked eagerly, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he tried to gossip about these strange creatures.
The Nine-Tails opened one eye and snorted in disdain. "This great Nine-Tails doesn't get along with anyone."
"Wow, that's… really sad," Naruto said, unable to hide the pity in his voice.
"Will you just shut up already, you annoying brat?!" At last, the Nine-Tails' patience snapped. He opened his eyes again, only to find Naruto staring at him with an expression of pity, like he was some lonely, old fox. The insult stung, and the Nine-Tails growled, "I am the Nine-Tails, brat! The most feared of all the Tailed Beasts in the entire ninja world."
"So you're really that strong, huh?" Naruto's eyes gleamed with excitement as he asked, undeterred by the Nine-Tails' rage.
"Of course, I am!" the Nine-Tails answered, his tone brimming with arrogance. "I'm stronger than anything you could imagine."
Naruto's eyes lit up, a mischievous grin forming on his face as an idea crossed his mind. He leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "So, what exactly can you do?"
The Nine-Tails scoffed, his voice full of pride. "What can't I do? I can do anything."
"That's perfect!" Naruto cheered, clapping his hands together in excitement as a thought crossed his mind.
The Nine-Tails, visibly confused by Naruto's sudden change in demeanor, stared at him in silence. But before he could make sense of the situation, Naruto's grin grew wider. Pointing at the massive beast, he said confidently, "I've made up my mind. Since you're living inside me, you owe me rent. And conveniently, I have a few problems you can help me with."
The Nine-Tails stared at Naruto for a moment, completely dumbfounded. Then, a deep laugh rumbled from his chest as he leaned closer, showing his sharp fangs. "You've got some guts, brat. You are threatening me, huh? Though I kind of like your attitude. Fine, tell me—what do you want the great Nine-Tails to do?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow, double-checking, "So you can really do anything?"
Speaking of which, he felt a sense of déjà vu at this moment.
The Nine-Tails snorted, lifting his head in a proud manner. "Speak quickly, brat. While I'm in a good mood, I'll consider it."
"Great!" Naruto grinned even wider, satisfied with his idea. After all, the legends said that Tailed Beasts had been around for over a thousand years. Even if they weren't geniuses, they must have learned quite a bit during all that time.
Naruto cleared his throat, trying to suppress a laugh. "Actually, I just have a few questions for you!"
Noticing the Nine-Tails growing slightly impatient, Naruto quickly got to the point. "Alright, here's the first one: Two ninjas, Ninja A, and Ninja B, unexpectedly meet. Ninja A runs at 800 meters per second, while Ninja B is a master of the Body Flicker Technique, moving at 1,000 meters per second. After facing off for three seconds, they both charge at each other. It takes them 12 seconds to collide. How far apart were they when they started?"
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Naruto eagerly awaited the answer, his eyes filled with excitement.
As for the Nine-Tails, his ears twitched, and his eyes widened in confusion. W-What… did this brat just say? For the first time in his life, the great Nine-Tails, the most feared being in the entire ninja world, was left completely dumbfounded.