Chapter 45: Kurama, I Want Freedom
Naruto jolted awake with a sudden kip-up, tears welling in his eyes as he looked at Ino.
Ino's the best!
"Are you alright?" Ino's face was full of worry.
"I'm fine."
Naruto grinned, waving his hand carelessly.
"Let's eat some dango, my treat," Ino said, pressing her hand to her forehead.
With that, the two of them stepped into the dango shop. Red bean dango was a sweet favored especially by girls, so the shop was quite crowded.
When Naruto, clad in his bright green, walked in, all eyes turned toward him. Luckily, no fuss broke out, and after a few moments the stares shifted away.
"Naruto, do you know what Sasuke's been busy with lately?" Ino asked casually as she nibbled on a red bean dango.
"No idea. Probably training with Kakashi-sensei."
"Oh."
Their small talk drifted on, until after nightfall they each headed home. Naruto's house wasn't far from the Yamanaka flower shop, so it was natural for them to walk part of the way together.
The main street of Konoha was brightly lit, a picture of peace and harmony.
Now that he had Flying Thunder God, Naruto had gained an enormous advantage.
Thinking ahead to the Chūnin Exams, perhaps the trickiest matchup would be against Shino's parasitic insects. He wasn't sure whether sickly Hayate Gekkō had already died at Baki's hands, nor whether the order of battles would change.
Whatever the case, he'd have to see it through.
What he knew for certain was that Orochimaru would launch the Konoha Crush during these exams, and in the process give Sasuke that cursed seal on his neck. The Third Hokage would die, Hayate Gekkō would die, and the streets of Konoha would be left in ruins.
The night wind was cool. Ino rambled here and there with idle chatter, while Naruto responded from time to time, lost in his thoughts.
"You don't have to be nervous. Since you were first in the graduation exam, as long as you don't run into that Hyūga genius, you should be fine." Ino wore a short brown top, her golden ponytail swaying behind her as she spoke whatever came to mind.
"Actually, Ino's pretty gentle." Naruto suddenly blurted.
"Why do you say that?"
"You're good at thinking about others," Naruto said sincerely, scratching his head. "I always thought of you as kind of rough-and-tumble, but it turns out you're really considerate."
"What do you mean 'turns out'?" Ino grumbled in displeasure. "We're all comrades from the same village. Isn't helping each other only natural?"
"Well, that's true enough." Naruto smiled and said no more.
At the corner of a street, Naruto waved goodbye to Ino and they parted ways.
Back home, he collapsed onto the sofa.
The living room was dim. The Anbu surveillance post had been withdrawn, leaving Naruto temporarily free.
It felt like finally having his shackles removed, allowed to breathe a little.
Unlike other villages that strove to develop their Jinchūriki's potential, Konoha seemed to be deliberately limiting theirs. Naruto suspected it was because the village currently lacked anyone strong enough to suppress the Nine-Tails. If the Jinchūriki lost control, the destruction would be beyond imagining.
Compared to using the Nine-Tails' power, they clearly preferred containment.
The Root ninja who'd been devoured by the Nine-Tails hadn't left behind any useful information, so Naruto had no way to track it further. Still, he could easily guess it was Danzō's doing, likely with tacit approval from the higher-ups.
With a thought, Naruto closed his eyes.
Drip.
Drip.
When he opened them again, the finely furnished living room had vanished, replaced by a damp, shadowy sewer.
In the darkness, a pair of eyes the size of lanterns opened.
Within a cramped cage, the massive body of the Nine-Tails radiated crushing pressure. The sewer water rippled violently, and a moment later, the beast let out an uncontrollable roar, shaking the entire sealed space.
"We meet again, Kurama."
Naruto stood on the water's surface, ripples spreading outward from his feet. A faint amber glow enveloped the sealed space, hazy but enough to light the dark.
"Human…"
The Nine-Tails' hatred hadn't faded with time—it had only grown heavier. Yet this time, aside from the initial roar, it didn't keep lashing out.
"You hate me?" Naruto asked, looking up.
"So what?" The Nine-Tails bared its teeth, unwilling to lie.
"I know why you hate me. It's nothing more than that I stole your freedom." Naruto's gaze was calm as he looked up at the towering fox. His expression betrayed nothing inappropriate.
"Isn't that the truth? I've been trapped in this lightless cage for more than ten years! How could I not hate it?"
"I didn't volunteer to become a Jinchūriki either," Naruto said. "Who wants to be treated like a container? But no one ever asked me."
"That's your human business!"
The Nine-Tails bristled, unwilling to argue further. It was the real victim here. As for greedy, shameless humans, their words and actions meant nothing to it.
Naruto was silent for a moment, then continued.
"The truth is, if I lose you, I die. But if you lose me, you don't die. That's not fair."
"Fair? Human, who cares if you live or die?" the Nine-Tails sneered. "If you die, I'm free. If you're planning not to live, just give me the word—I'd be glad to help you along."
"Don't worry, I'll do whatever it takes to survive. Even if I have to use forbidden jutsu, Kurama." Naruto raised his head, his voice solemn, almost like an oath. "I'll imprison you. I'll keep reinforcing the seal. I'll torment you, forever."
"Believe me, I can do it—just like I can already control the Four Symbols Seal."
It was as though Naruto was chanting the most sacred prayer, his unwavering gaze fixed on the Nine-Tails. Each word chilled the giant fox to the bone, stirring memories of torment under his previous two Jinchūriki. If this boy really didn't die…
"Are you insane?" The Nine-Tails completely lost its composure, glaring murderously at Naruto.
But Naruto only laughed, his smile bright and sunny.
"If I'm unhappy, then I'll make everyone cry!"
"That's the ninja way I'll keep to—word for word!"
The Nine-Tails was utterly disgusted, deeply unsettled by Naruto's threats.
Damn it, I've lived for a thousand years, and this is the first time I've seen such a twisted Jinchūriki! What a nightmare! And where the hell did this brat learn the Four Symbols Seal? Things couldn't be worse for me…
"What do you really want?" The Nine-Tails' tone was now tinged with helplessness. "Doing this doesn't benefit you either, does it?"
Naruto nodded, then spoke.
"Kurama, I want freedom."
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