"I understand the reason. But…why are foxes so big?"
Hidden away in a small building, self-sufficient and isolated, Naruto remained untouched by the seasons—unbothered by winter's chill or summer's heat.
Months passed, and Naruto kept to himself. His "human creation" project was finally bearing fruit. After ten long months, he managed to produce a clay figure that was passable, marking a major improvement in his sculpting skills.
Inside a glass display case, a clay figure stood about 80 centimeters tall. It was modeled after a character inspired by the Kantai Collection's Vittorio Veneto-class battleship—though without her ship equipment, to avoid suspicion.
Atop the cabinet sat four clay heads, resembling the Hokage statues carved into the Hokage Rock. Naruto had sculpted past Hokage—more for "political correctness" than actual admiration.
The Third Hokage had no words for him. Besides a morning and evening run on the rooftop, Naruto never left the house. After several warnings, Naruto made a token adjustment: every night at 8 PM, he would walk in a random direction for half an hour, then return at exactly 9:30 to sleep.
Still, Naruto lived comfortably. He had no worries about food, clothing, or shelter. When it was hot, he had ice; when it was cold, warm coats. Power outage? He had lamps. Water outage? He brought water. If the house collapsed, he could build a new one instantly. If only there were internet, it would be the perfect life.
With food in hand, Naruto felt at peace. In a good mood, he planned to sculpt Lexington next.
After a wash, he lay on the Dragon Bed—an incredibly comfortable item from his game system. It was one meter by one and a half meters, perfect for his small frame. He figured when he grew older, he could combine four to make a king-sized bed.
---
Inside the Mindscape
"This is..."
Naruto opened his eyes to a dim, humid space. Water lapped at his ankles, though it was shallow—about ten centimeters deep. In front of him stood a massive gate sealed with paper tags covered in ink.
"So it's finally here..." he muttered.
As a longtime fan who had watched Naruto countless times, this scene was burned into his memory. But seeing it for real was something else entirely. That gate—easily a hundred meters tall—looked like it could flatten buildings if it ever fell.
"If I remember right... a claw should shoot out right about—"
CLANG!
Right on cue, a massive claw burst from the gate's gap, scraping metal and throwing sparks into the air. The shockwave nearly knocked Naruto over, and the claw narrowly missed impaling him.
"Brat, come here."
Naruto looked up and froze.
Behind the bars loomed a fox—no, a beast—eyes glowing like molten gold, teeth the size of rooftops.
"He's huge. I'm gonna die," Naruto muttered, stunned. He stepped forward, reaching out and touching the claw that had slipped through the gate. Just one segment of it was already a meter long, with the rest jammed behind the seal. His whole body could probably fit between two of its claws.
Five Narutos wouldn't make one bite for this thing.
"Brat, how did you get in here?" the beast thundered. The voice echoed violently, making Naruto's ears ring.
Naruto straightened. "Hello! My name's Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
He wasn't afraid of the Nine-Tails. It was intimidating, sure—but like a black bear behind bulletproof glass at the zoo, it couldn't hurt him. Besides, Naruto knew its future personality well. In the later parts of the manga, Kurama acted like a grumpy cat with the soul of a Husky. A tsundere Husky, to be exact.
"This one does not care for your name, brat! Come closer so I can crush you!"
"No thanks. I'm going back to sleep," Naruto replied, turning to leave. He was still a child—missing sleep would stunt his growth.
Feigning ignorance, Naruto wandered around the space instead. The chamber was about 150 meters tall, 400 meters long, and 300 meters wide—and that was just his half. Kurama's side was still behind the bars.
He pulled an oil lamp from his inventory. To his surprise, it worked. He explored slowly, sloshing through water that soaked his feet white. The space was mostly barren, save for pipes along the walls.
Eventually, he returned to the gate.
"Big Fox, do you know how to get out of here?" he asked, cautiously. He didn't want to provoke Kurama with dumb questions—but loud roars made his head spin.
Kurama cracked open an eye, then shut it again. "If this one knew, do you think I'd still be locked in here?"
"Hmm… I'll treat you to barbecue if you tell me."
"This one does not eat your filthy—"
Before Kurama could finish, Naruto hurled four pieces of grilled meat through the bars. The chunks bounced onto Kurama's tongue and slid down his throat.
"RRRAAAGHH—BRAT!"
Naruto was instantly deafened. His head rang like a temple bell. He could see Kurama's mouth moving but heard nothing.
When the ringing finally faded, Naruto grinned. "Was it tasty?"
"...Ow…"
Was something wrong with him? He couldn't stop poking the beast. He knew it was dangerous. Yet he couldn't help himself.
He dragged a Dragon Bed from his inventory and placed it in a dry corner. If he couldn't escape, he might as well rest. He was exhausted after wandering all day.
"Good night, Big Fox."
He knew the beast was the Nine-Tails—Kurama. He knew all nine Tailed Beasts by name. But that was dangerous knowledge.
> Why are you trying to kill me?
You know too much.
He was still weak. If he revealed too much too early, someone might decide he was a threat. Better to act clueless for now. Later, when he was strong enough, he could just say he had "strong instincts" and get away with it.
---
Return
When Naruto opened his eyes again, he was back in his small room. Apparently, sleeping his way out of the mindscape worked.
After washing up and eating breakfast, he ran laps on the rooftop. He'd gotten stronger—possibly due to last night's barbecue. He ran 2,000 meters without breaking a sweat.
He guessed entering Kurama's space had something to do with the meat. In Create World, the game he'd transmigrated with, all meat came from monsters—wild boars, Yetis, and even dragons.
Dragons were divided into Red (physical attribute) and Black (spiritual attribute). He couldn't tell the difference—like trying to tell apart strangers in a crowd.
The shop had even stocked Dragon Eggs. They looked extremely powerful but were locked away in the warehouse. He could retrieve anything else, but not those.
The day continued normally. Lexington was coming along well. But this time, Naruto didn't bother with his usual nightly walk.
At 8 PM, he lay down on his Dragon Bed once more.
He was going back in.
Because life never ends.
And neither does seeking death.