With most of his current problems resolved, Naruto felt at ease, allowing him to focus entirely on growing stronger.
However, one thing still remained—Kurama, the Bijuu sealed within him… and his mother.
He needed to speak with Kurama face-to-face, to understand him, to form a bond. Only then could he truly move forward.
Whenever Kurenai and Yugao had free time, they trained Naruto, passing down their skills and refining his techniques.
Just as he had introduced Kurenai to his family, Naruto did the same with Yugao. By now, his family was used to his ways, so they welcomed her without hesitation.
Before long, Yugao had seamlessly become a part of his family.
During his free time, Naruto played with the girls, often taking them out on outings that felt like dates.
They were happy—though Karin would grumble about having to share, deep down, she was glad. Her nii-san had kept his promise.
Slowly, Naruto's bond with Kurenai and Yugao grew into something more than just a relationship between sensei and student.
But that was a matter for the future.
Right now, he had something far more important to focus on.
With his resolve set, Naruto entered the depths of his mindscape once again. This wasn't his first time here—he had been in front of the great beast before, but this time, things were different.
Standing before the towering form of Kurama, he took a deep breath. It was time for a real conversation.
"Hello, long time no see," Naruto greeted casually, as if he had just run into an old friend.
"Brat, get out of here," Kurama grumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes. "You're disturbing my sleep."
"Hey, how can you treat your guest like this?" Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms.
Inside him, a deep, guttural scoff echoed. "Tch." It was Kurama, clearly unimpressed.
Naruto sighed. "Look, I just need to understand the being inside me… and I need to become friends with him."
Kurama's massive red eyes narrowed. "Friends? Hah. You think it's that simple, brat?"
Naruto smirked. "Of course not. But I love a challenge."
Kurama let out a low growl, but there was a flicker of something in his gaze—curiosity.
Naruto stood firm, unfazed by the heavy pressure of Kurama's chakra. "Are you in this?" he asked, his voice steady.
Kurama let out a low growl and released a surge of chakra, attempting to intimidate him.
The air around Naruto became thick and heavy, but he didn't flinch.
Instead, he smiled. "I know many have treated you like a pest, but I'm different. You've been watching my life this whole time, right? So tell me—what do you think about me?"
Kurama stared at him for a moment, then with absolute seriousness, he deadpanned—
"Pervert."
Naruto choked. "HUH?! Where did that come from?!"
Kurama smirked, his massive fangs glinting. "I've seen how you act around pretty kunoichi. Don't try to deny it."
Naruto groaned. "Great. Even my tenant is roasting me now."
Naruto frowned. "Other than that?"
Kurama thought for a second but didn't continue to answer. Instead, he just closed his eyes like he was done talking.
Naruto twitched. "Oi, don't sleep on me!"
Kurama sighed, cracking one eye open. "Fine. At least you're good at treating others well… but that doesn't tell me how you treat me."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean? I've never treated you badly."
Kurama scoffed. "Yeah, and you've never treated me at all until now."
Naruto stayed silent, letting that sink in. It wasn't that he saw Kurama as a beast to be caged—he had just never been strong enough to come here, to face him properly.
Until now.
He exhaled, his expression turning serious. "You're right. It's not that I ignored you—I just wasn't strong enough before. But now I am. And I want to change things."
Kurama watched him, his gaze unreadable. "Hmph. Big words, brat. Let's see if you mean them."
Kurama's eyes slowly opened, watching Naruto with an unreadable expression.
Naruto continued, his voice firm. "Only strong people can change anything. Take Hashirama, for example. He was strong, so the world bowed down to him… even you. But after his death? A shinobi war has started."
He crossed his arms. "I believe only strong people can make a difference in the world."
Kurama remained silent, listening.
"That's why I didn't come here before," Naruto admitted. "Because I wasn't strong enough. If I had come here back then, your reaction would've been different, right?"
Kurama's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmph. Maybe." He smirked. "But don't think just because you've gotten a little stronger, you can handle me that easily."
Naruto grinned. "I don't plan on handling you. I plan on understanding you."
Kurama stared at him, his massive tails swaying behind him. He narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
Naruto smirked. "I forgot; you may know me already. Even so, let's do this properly." He pointed at himself. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And you are?"
He waited. If Kurama answered with his name, it meant there was a chance for reason. If he refused, then things would take a different turn.
The silence stretched. Then, with a low, rumbling chuckle, Kurama finally spoke.
"Kurama."
Naruto's smirk widened. "Good. Then let's talk, Kurama."
Naruto grinned. "So then, where should we start?"
Kurama shot him a flat look. "You're the one who woke me up, and now you're asking me where to start?" He grumbled, resting his head on his massive paws. "At least come prepared if you're going to be a nuisance."
Naruto shrugged. "Fair point. Then let's start with this—what do you want?"
Kurama raised a brow. "Hah? What kind of question is that?"
Naruto's grin softened, his voice turning more serious. "You've been sealed inside me all my life. Everyone sees you as a monster, a tool, or a weapon. But what do you want, Kurama?"
"What I need is to get out of here. Can you give me that, brat?" Kurama asked.
Naruto tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Hmm..." After a second, he grinned. "No."
Kurama scoffed. "See? You can't even give me the one thing I asked for."
Naruto crossed his arms, unfazed. "Yeah, I can't let you out. But not because I don't want to—because I can't. If I release you now, the village will hunt you down like a beast. And let's be real, you'll go on a rampage just because you're pissed off."
Kurama snorted. "Damn right I would."
Naruto smirked. "Exactly. So, if I can't give you freedom now, what if I find another way? A way where you can be free without being treated like a monster?"
Kurama narrowed his eyes. "And how do you plan on doing that, brat?"
Naruto grinned, tapping his temple. "Dunno yet. But I've got a brain, and I'm pretty stubborn. If anyone can figure it out, it's me."
Kurama stared at him for a moment, then let out a deep chuckle. "Hah. You're a reckless fool, but at least you're amusing."
Naruto grinned wider. "That's the nicest thing you've said to me.
Kurama rolled his eyes. "Don't get used to it, brat."
Naruto smirked. "Too late."
Kurama huffed, resting his head on his paws. "Fine. You wanna 'figure it out'? Then prove you're worth my time. If you're really serious about freeing me the right way, then get stronger. Strong enough to make the world shut up and listen when you say, 'Kurama is not a beast.'"
Naruto's grin sharpened. "That's the plan. And when I do, you better be ready to be my partner, not just some grumpy old fox stuck in a cage."
Kurama snorted. "Tch. We'll see, brat."
"But before that, say your thing," Naruto said, crossing his arms.
Kurama blinked. "What?"
Naruto shrugged. "You know, your story—how you were born, your parents, something like that."
Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Hah! You think I'm just gonna spill my life story because you asked nicely?"
Naruto shrugged. "Well, yeah. That's what friends do."
Kurama let out a deep growl, but there was no real anger behind it. He stayed silent for a moment before sighing. "Tch. Fine. Since you won't shut up otherwise."
He closed his eyes briefly before opening them, glowing with ancient wisdom. "I was born from the will of the world itself, created by the Sage of Six Paths—Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. He split the Juubi into nine beings, each with our own name, our own identity. I was one of them. The strongest among us."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "So… you were never really a 'baby fox' or anything? You just came into being?"
Kurama let out a low chuckle. "Something like that. But I wasn't alone. My siblings—Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, and the rest—we were like a family. The Sage treated us like children, gave us names, and taught us about the world."
Naruto leaned forward, interested. "And then?"
Kurama's expression darkened. "And then he died."
The air grew heavy.
"After he was gone, humans saw us not as beings, but as weapons. Tools of war. They fought to control us, sealed us away, used us like we were nothing but chakra batteries. I was passed from hand to hand, treated like a monster, like something to be feared. So I became what they feared."
Naruto stayed quiet, letting Kurama continue.
"Hashirama Senju caught me like I was a wild animal. Then his damn village locked me inside your mother. And then you." He exhaled heavily. "So tell me, brat. How do you expect me to believe that you'll be any different?"
Naruto didn't answer immediately. He let the words sink in. Then, slowly, he grinned.
"Because I don't care about what the world sees you as. I care about what I see you as. And to me? You're just Kurama."
Kurama's eyes widened slightly before he scoffed and turned away. "Hah. You really are a fool."
Naruto laughed. "Yeah, Maybe"