Naruto furrowed his brow, momentarily puzzled by the sudden, awkward silence. Then, a teasing grin spread across his face as he glanced at the Nine-Tails behind the bars.
"What's the matter? Don't understand?" Naruto taunted, his tone light but playful. "This one's a bit tricky, so it's normal if you don't get it right away. Should I switch to an easier one? Maybe something about tailed beasts—you must know about that, right?"
"Hmph! Absurd! I'm just taking my time," the Nine-Tails growled, his voice dripping with wounded pride. "Of course I know it. Ask your next question, brat!"
"Alright then," Naruto's grin widened mischievously as he crossed his arms. "Here's the next one. A certain ninja has sealed both the Nine-Tails and the One-Tail within their body, for a total of 78 tailed beasts. All together, there are 318 tails visible at a glance. So, how many Nine-Tails and One-Tails are there in this ninja's body?"
The Nine-Tails froze, his massive ears twitching as he tried to process the bizarre scenario. Finally, he scoffed, his frustration bubbling over. "What kind of ninja could hold that many tailed beasts? Not even the so-called God of Shinobi could manage such nonsense. And besides, I'm one being, not many. Brat, are you just making this up to irritate me?"
"Don't worry about the details. The key is understanding the question's intent." Naruto waved his hand dismissively, his teasing grin widening. "Don't tell me… you're stuck again?"
Nine-tails' scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously as his frustration reached a boiling point. Seeing Naruto's smug expression, the urge to strangle the boy surged within him.
"Alright, forget it," Naruto sighed, clearly disappointed. "Let's move on to the next one." He cleared his throat and readied himself for another question. "Here's one: A tailed beast is resting in the forest when a Ninja stepped on its tail. Furious, the tailed beast fires a Tailed Beast Bomb at the ninja. If the bomb's speed is—"
The Nine-Tails stared blankly at Naruto, completely dumbfounded. Why would anyone care about the speed of a Tailed Beast Bomb?
"Don't know this one either? Fine, fine," Naruto said, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment. "Let's try something simpler. This one's a classic—blood transfusion problem. A ninja suffers severe injuries—"
Once again, the Nine-Tails fell silent. He stared back at Naruto with a blank, confused expression, as though asking, What in the world is this kid talking about?
Naruto clicked his tongue and sighed dramatically. "Really? Still no good? Okay, then here's an even simpler one: A tailed beast eats one ton of food per meal. If—"
"Hold on a second," Nine-Tails snapped, his voice rising in irritation. "Tailed Beasts don't need to eat!" His fiery temper was starting to show, clearly fed up with the bizarre line of questioning.
"I already told you, focus on the intent of the question!" Naruto said with an exasperated sigh. "Still nothing? Alright, forget the math stuff. Let's switch to history. Here's one for you: The God of Shinobi—Hashirama Senju—founded the ninja village system, revolutionizing the entire ninja world. Now, when was Konoha established…"
Nine-Tails, who had been struggling with Naruto's earlier questions, suddenly perked up. "Konoha Year One! Konoha Year One!" he declared confidently, a glint of victory in his eyes. "Konoha was established in Year One, marking the end of the Warring States Period and the beginning of the Ninja Village Era."
"Wow, you jumped straight to the answer? Impressive," Naruto teased, a sly grin creeping across his face. "But hold on—let me finish the question first. When Konoha was established, how old was Hashirama Senju?"
The Nine-Tails froze, his confidence evaporating in an instant. "How the heck would I know how old that guy was?" he muttered, exasperated. He groaned and clutched his head in frustration, his pride crumbling. 'What kind of ridiculous questions are these? How long have I been trapped in this sealed space? Since when did ninjas have to learn all this nonsense?'
Naruto, watching the increasingly flustered Nine-Tails, let out an exaggerated sigh and shook his head. "Seriously? Still nothing? Nine-Tails, I've got to say, I'm really disappointed in you." He crossed his arms and shot the fox a mock-disapproving glare. "Weren't you just boasting about knowing everything? Turns out, you're even worse off than me. And here I was, thinking I could count on you for help with my graduation exam…"
Before Naruto could finish his rant, the world around him began to dim. A strange sensation washed over him, like his consciousness was being pulled away into the void.
"What's… happening…?" Naruto murmured, his voice faintly echoing in the rapidly darkening space.
From somewhere within the shadows, the deep voice of the Nine-Tails rumbled, tinged with a mix of frustration and dismissal. "If you've got nothing useful to say, stop wasting my time. As my jinchūriki, it's your job to stand on your own two feet, brat. Don't expect me to hold your hand."
And just like that, the enormous fox turned away, his presence fading along with the darkened world.
"Wait, Wait! But you.." Before Naruto could fully process what had just happened, his consciousness steadied, and he heard a rush of familiar voices calling out to him.
"Naruto! Naruto! Are you okay?", "Naruto-nii!", "Naruto!", "Hey, idiot, wake up already!" The voices filled the air, unmistakably his mom's and everyone else's.
When Naruto opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by his family and friends in his room. The sight of their concerned faces warmed his heart, and it didn't take long for him to realize just how worried they had been.
Grinning widely, Naruto sprang to his feet, placing his hands on his hips with an air of exaggerated confidence. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just dozed off for a bit, that's all. No need to panic. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, after all—the guy who's going to top this year's class."
However, no sooner had Naruto finished speaking than Kushina's voice cut through the air with a sharp, "What nonsense are you spouting now, you brat?!"
As soon as she confirmed that Naruto was fine—and especially after seeing him get cocky again—she wasted no time and threw a playful punch in his direction. "You really think we don't know? You've been talking to the Nine-Tails, haven't you?"
"Ouch! Mom, you knew that, and you're still hitting me?!" Naruto complained, holding his head as if in agony. "I just didn't want you to be concerned, that's all."
"Alright, stop fooling around, you two," Kana interjected, shaking her head with a sigh but keeping her usual gentle demeanor. She turned her attention to Naruto, her kind smile soothing. "Are you hurt? Did the Nine-Tails try anything?"
Naruto's face lit up at Kana's concern. "Aunt Kana is so gentle. But—wait, wait! Mom's gentle too! I like Mom the most!" he squealed, quickly stepping back to dodge Kushina's threatening fist.
Then, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Naruto noticed the room's tension as everyone stared at him with genuine concern. With a reassuring grin, he said, "Actually, there's nothing to worry about. That guy might look scary, but he can't hurt me. So, nope, not scared at all. But…" He sighed dramatically, his shoulders sagging in mock disappointment.
"What a letdown, though. Turns out he's even dumber than me." Naruto added, raising a fist as if lamenting some great injustice. "And to top it off, he just kicked me out of there and told me not to bother him anymore!"
"Huh? Dumber than you? Kicked you out?" Kushina's eyebrows arched as she heard Naruto's words, and everyone's curiosity was immediately piqued.
"What exactly happened in there?" Kushina pressed, her voice tinged with urgency. "I did sense the Nine-Tails' chakra flaring up just now. Did you… did you make the Nine-Tails angry?"
Naruto blinked in confusion before scoffing. "That idiot? Angry? Please. He's the one who claimed he knows everything!" He puffed out his chest indignantly, ready to launch into a full-blown rant. But the sight of Kushina's smile—one that didn't quite reach her eyes—and the subtle raise of her fist made him rethink his approach. He straightened up immediately, putting on an exaggeratedly serious expression.
"Actually, it's not a big deal, really~" Scratching the back of his head nervously, Naruto let out a sheepish laugh. "I just… uh… asked him a couple of questions… harmless ones, you know?"
The moment his words hung in the air, a heavy silence fell over the room. Even Sasuke, who had been quietly observing, couldn't help but cover his face in disbelief, muttering under his breath, "What an idiot."
Naruto, without a doubt, was probably the only person crazy enough to ask such questions of a tailed beast. In fact, he might very well be the first in over a thousand years to do so.
"But who would've thought that the dumb fox would actually get so embarrassed?" The more Naruto spoke, the angrier he became. "He kicked me out before I even finished asking him. I was just asking about his fight with the God of Shinobi. It's so frustrating, really! He got upset over a few simple questions and then acted like he knew everything. Hmph! Next time I see him, I'll definitely scold him properly!"
Hearing Naruto's complaints, Kushina, the former Nine-Tails jinchūriki, couldn't help but twitch her lips in exasperation. She had always known her son could be a bit oblivious, but this? This was a whole new level. He's nothing like me, she thought, shaking her head. After all, he was talking about the Nine-Tails, one of the most fearsome beings in existence… and treating him like some grumpy roommate.
Yet, as much as Kushina wanted to scold Naruto, she couldn't deny the sense of relief she felt. Her son wasn't afraid of the Nine-Tails, and that lack of fear was both comforting and concerning. After a moment of hesitation, her expression turned serious. "Naruto… it seems we'll need to reinforce the seal."
Her words caused the room to go silent. Naruto froze mid-huff, caught off guard. Even Akihiko, who had been quietly listening, raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
He understood where Kushina was coming from. As a former jinchūriki, she was all too familiar with the Nine-Tails' immense power and malicious nature. Years ago, she had vehemently opposed making Naruto a jinchūriki. Now, suggesting they strengthen the seal was a precaution—a way to ensure the Nine-Tails wouldn't manipulate or harm Naruto in the future.
However, just as everyone expected Naruto to agree with Kushina's suggestion, they saw him hesitate briefly. Then, with an awkward scratch to the back of his head, he spoke up.
"Well… let's just forget about it, Mom," he said, his tone firm despite the sheepish start. "The Nine-Tails is already inside me, so even if you strengthen the seal, I'll still have to face him eventually. In that case…" He raised his fist, flashing a confident, toothy grin. "I might as well confront him directly. I, Uzumaki Naruto, will never back down or fear him! Please trust me, Mom, Uncle Akihiko!"
Akihiko blinked, caught off guard by his words, before a warm smile spread across his face. Stepping forward, he placed a hand gently on Naruto's head. "You've really grown up, Naruto," he said, his voice tinged with pride.
"Hehe!" Naruto beamed, not shying away from the gesture. His chest puffed out in pride as he declared, "Of course I've grown up—I'm Uzumaki Naruto, after all."
"You little brat…" Kushina muttered, caught between surprise and laughter. For a brief moment, she simply stared at her son's confident expression, frozen in thought. Then, her hands shot out, smacking him lightly on the head before ruffling his hair.
"Hahaha! You really are my son," she said, bursting into hearty laughter, her voice filled with equal parts amusement and pride.
"Ow! That really hurts!" Naruto protested, rubbing his head and giving his mom a pout. 'Look who's talking,' he thought to himself, knowing that his mom was just as loud and impulsive as he was.
He glanced at the clock, noticing how late it was, and yawned. "It's getting late, and I'm starting to feel sleepy. Mom, Uncle Akihiko, Aunt Kana, Aunt Fusō, Aunt Mikoto—don't worry about me. You all should get some rest. And you, Sasuke…" He paused, giving a thumbs-up and sliding a finger under his nose with a playful grin. "The First Place is going to be mine!"
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, rolling his eyes as he walked away. Still, seeing that Naruto was fine brought some relief.
Once everyone had left, Naruto lay back on his bed, lifting his shirt to look at his stomach. His expression turned mischievous, and a sly grin crept onto his face. "Heh, Sasuke, Gaara, Jūgo... just you wait. I've got a surprise for you all!"