After the graduation test, Naruto headed home and sat on the bed.
'I will never go tomorrow in this bright orange suit; I will buy a black outfit today.'
He lay down, just wanting to take a quick nap, before going out shopping to buy his black outfit.
However, as he went to deep sleep, the world around him changed. He suddenly found himself standing in a strange, dark place. The air was filled with a heavy, evil red energy.
In the distance, he saw a massive gate. It was sealed with detailed markings and paper tags. Behind the iron bars, a pair of blazing, fierce red eyes stared right at him.
It was the Nine-Tailed Fox—Kurama.
Naruto thought to himself, 'Is this my inner sea...but the one where I killed Naruto is completely different. It seems there are two inner seas in this Naruto'
Naruto's thinking got diverted by the Fox's presence.
The enormous fox leaned closer with its eye open. Its sharp teeth gleamed in the dark, and each tooth was larger than Naruto himself.
A powerful demonic chakra rolled off Kurama in thick waves and hit Naruto. It was meant to make anyone who came near it, freeze in absolute terror.
But Naruto simply stared back. He did not blink or shake.
Kurama's eyes narrowed. A look of interest crossed the giant beast's face.
"You're… different," the beast said in its deep voice. "Every human who sees me trembles, cowers… yet you stand here, unshaken. Aren't you afraid, boy?"
"Afraid? Of you?" Naruto let out a small scoff. "Maybe it's because of you that everyone fears me… but that works just fine for me."
Kurama's eyes gleamed with surprise. But Naruto was already leaving, pulling his mind away from the cage.
'This beast is made up of full of demonic chakra; I need to meet with it again and somehow make all of its demonic chakra mine.'
......................
Naruto woke up in the late afternoon. The setting sun cast long shadows across his small, empty apartment.
He checked the time and decided to head out. He needed to prepare for tomorrow's photo session.
He searched his home for any spare money. He managed to scrape together exactly 500 Ryos. It was all the money he had left.
It was not much, but it was enough for what he wanted: a brand new outfit. He wanted clothes that would fit his new attitude—something dark and commanding.
However, he knew how much the villagers hated him. They would not sell him anything or treat him like a normal person. He could already picture their dirty looks and slammed doors.
Then, a smart idea struck him.
'If there is anyone that the villagers respected most in the younger generation, it is none other than Sasuke Uchiha, the last member of the famous Uchiha clan.'
'Sasuke not only got total respect, but he also got huge discounts at the stores.'
...
With a smirk, Naruto used the Transformation Jutsu. He perfectly changed his appearance into Sasuke's like body. Adjusting how he stood, he walked over to a grand clothing store.
As he reached the store and walked inside, Ino Yamanaka, who was very near, quickly spotted him.
Her eyes lit up, and she greeted him eagerly. "Sasuke! I didn't expect to see you here!"
She flashed a bright smile, stepping right up next to him in a friendly way.
Naruto stayed completely silent. He just nodded a little as Ino kept talking, totally unaware of who he really was.
"I came here to pick out a new outfit for the photo session tomorrow, and I had already picked one. Wanna see it?" she said excitedly. She grabbed his hand and pulled him deeper into the store.
Naruto remained calm and followed her lead, even though his plan was suddenly turning into something else.
They walked right up to Ino's father, Inoichi Yamanaka. Inoichi looked towards Ino and Sasuke. Right away, he sensed that something was wrong. His eyes locked onto Sasuke.
He spoke in a very careful tone. "Ino, dear, that's not Sasuke."
Ino turned around, looking very confused. "What do you mean, Dad? He's right—"
Inoichi took a step closer. His sharp gaze looked right through Naruto.
"Undo the transformation," he said calmly, "or I'll do it myself for you."
Realizing his cover was completely blown, Naruto spoke up. "I can do it myself."
Naruto dropped the jutsu. A puff of smoke cleared, letting his usual body return.
Ino's mouth fell wide open. Her shock quickly turned into total annoyance.
"Naruto! What do you think you're doing, pretending to be Sasuke and transforming like him?"
Before Naruto could even answer, Inoichi placed a hand gently on his daughter's shoulder. His voice stayed completely flat and even.
"Ino, calm down. Naruto, impersonating others, especially within the village, is not a good thing to do. It can be seen as a crime."
Hearing Inoichi say those words, a deep anger flared inside Naruto. He glared back at him, clenching his fists.
(...To Be Continued...)