The sealed space inside Naruto Uzumaki's mind was filled with tension, but it wasn't the kind of tension that came before a great battle. No, this was something far worse for the mighty Nine-Tails—absolute humiliation.
"So handsome! Is this the Kyuubi?!"
Naruto's startled breath attracted the attention of the massive beast, whose blood-red eyes narrowed in suspicion. But the real problem wasn't just the brat's words—it was the way his blue eyes sparkled with pure admiration as he stared at the Kyuubi.
The great Nine-Tails felt a chill crawl up its spine.
This brat… was looking at it strangely.
Kyuubi's massive head lowered slightly, its deep, growling voice echoing through the chamber. "Damn you, brat!!! What's that look in your eyes?! Do you think of me as a pet?! I'm not a pet!!! I'm a legendary tailed beast! I'm the strongest tailed beast! Believe it or not, I will kill you with one shot of my Tailed Beast Bomb!"
But Naruto was unfazed. Instead, his face lit up with even more excitement.
"Awesome!! He can actually talk so much?! Souta! Sasuke! Look!" Naruto pointed wildly, practically bouncing in place. "This fox is so smart! And he also has nine tails and can talk so much! And she looks very beautiful too!!!"
A deep silence fell over the chamber.
The Kyuubi's eye twitched. Its tails, which had been moving slowly before, suddenly stiffened in place.
Did this brat… just call it… beautiful?!
For the first time in centuries, the great Nine-Tails, the most powerful of all the tailed beasts, was completely speechless.
The silence didn't last long.
"Damn brat!!! I can't stand it! I simply can't bear it!!!" The Kyuubi roared, its voice shaking the entire sealed space. Its chakra flared violently, but before it could do anything—
"Huh?!"
A sudden murderous aura flooded the space.
Uzumaki Kushina's long red hair began floating wildly in the air, her violet eyes glowing with terrifying intensity. She took a step forward, each movement filled with overwhelming pressure.
"Kyuubi... What did you just say about my son?! A damn brat?! I'm sorry! I didn't hear clearly! Could you please say it again?!"
The Kyuubi's eyelids twitched violently.
Oh, no.
It knew that tone. That was the tone of a woman who was about to commit murder.
It gulped.
But that wasn't all.
Kyuubi's sharp eyes darted around the chamber. One Uzumaki Kushina was already a nightmare, but there was also Namikaze Minato standing beside her, his golden chakra flickering with silent authority.
Two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan glowed ominously—Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto.
Two white-haired shinobi stood nearby—Hatake Kakashi and his father, Hatake Sakumo.
A pink-haired girl—Haruno Sakura—who had been oddly silent but was still a presence.
And then…
The brat's friend.
Souta Kazuki.
The moment Kyuubi laid eyes on Souta, an unnatural chill filled its body.
Something about the kid was wrong. His chakra was… too familiar. It reminded Kyuubi of someone it had seen long ago, yet it couldn't place the exact memory. But one thing was certain—this kid wasn't normal.
The Kyuubi's thoughts were spiraling out of control.
"What did I do wrong?! Why are you all embarrassing me like this?!"
Then, a new voice cut in.
"Kyuubi... can we have a nice chat?"
It was Minato, his voice calm, almost too gentle.
The Kyuubi's entire body shook.
It could feel it—this wasn't a question. It was a command.
And that command made the Kyuubi's blood boil with frustration.
The Nine-Tails roared in anger.
Minato let out a helpless sigh, shaking his head as if he had expected this.
Then, something unexpected happened.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang!
Two clouds of white smoke erupted in the chamber.
The Kyuubi's heart nearly stopped.
As the smoke cleared, two figures stood there—one clad in dark red armor, his eyes sharp and cold as ever. The other wore green armor and a wide grin, his entire presence radiating boundless energy.
Uchiha Madara.
Senju Hashirama.
The Kyuubi nearly passed out.
Senju Hashirama looked around, confused at first, then his eyes lit up when he saw the giant fox.
"Hey! It's Kyuubi! Long time no see!"
The way he smiled, the excitement in his voice—Kyuubi hated it. It was the same look that a cat-loving freak gave a stray kitten.
Kyuubi wanted to vomit.
Uchiha Madara, on the other hand, simply glanced at the beast coldly. But that one glance was enough. The Nine-Tails instantly recalled every moment of suffering at the hands of this demon.
Memories of being pinned down.
Memories of being controlled by the damn Sharingan.
Memories of getting beaten up like a misbehaving dog.
The Nine-Tails shrank back into the deepest corner of the cage, wrapping its tails around itself like a shield.
"Holy shit! Are you two perverts?!!!"
Its voice cracked.
Hashirama blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why'd you call me out, Souta? I was practicing singing with Madara!" He paused dramatically, then added, "Oh, right! I even secretly heard Madara singing 'Chaos Superstar' some time ago!"
Bang!
Madara immediately punched Hashirama in the face.
"Shut up, you idiot!!!"
The Kyuubi could only watch in despair.
This wasn't a serious battle. This was pure madness.
Its gaze shifted to Naruto, who was now standing behind it, reaching out a hand toward its tails.
Kyuubi's entire body jumped in shock.
"FUCK!!! What are you doing, you little brat?!"
Naruto blinked innocently. "Ah... Nothing, just a little curious! Can you pull out these hairs of yours and make a scarf?!"
The Kyuubi's soul nearly left its body.
"You idiot little brat!!! This is not hair! This is chakra! Do you understand chakra?!!!"
"Oh— I know! Why are you shouting so loudly?!" Naruto waved his hand casually, as if it was no big deal, then reached for the tails again.
"Little brat! What are you doing now?!"
"Nothing… I'm just a little curious whether you're a male or a female?! From the sound of your voice, it feels like you should be a male. Do I need to help you find a female fox in the future?!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! You little brat!!! Get out of here!!!!"
At that moment, the mighty Nine-Tails, the strongest tailed beast, the legendary entity of destruction…
…realized that this was the worst moment of its entire existence.
Minato sighed again, placing a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto, stop teasing Kyuubi. We're here to make a deal."
"A deal?" Kyuubi narrowed its eyes. "What kind of deal?"
Souta smirked. "A completely one-sided one, obviously."
A Completely Unfair Agreement
After a long—very long—discussion, the deal was struck. And of course, it was as unfair as expected.
Kyuubi was no longer allowed to interfere with Naruto's chakra without permission.
Kyuubi must assist Naruto in improving his chakra control.
No sudden outbursts of chakra were permitted unless in extreme danger.
Kyuubi had to help Naruto understand and master his power.
And most importantly—Kyuubi must not try to break free.
"What part of this is equal?!" Kyuubi roared, practically shaking the entire space.
"It's totally fair!" Naruto insisted, placing his hands on his hips. "We get along, you help me get stronger, and I let you stay in my belly! That's a great deal, right?"