The Sealed Space fell silent. Naruto was deep in thought, while Kurama awaited his answer.
"To be honest, Kurama, your honesty is a bit surprising, but honesty is also the beginning of good cooperation."
Naruto smiled, his face showing no difficulty, but rather a hint of satisfaction. He continued, "To be honest, the concept of 'parents' is quite foreign to me. After all, besides giving me life..."
"...all I received was your malice and the malice of this entire Village."
"They could have sealed you in someone else, or simply let you leave the Village. But he only wanted the Nine-Tailed to remain in Konoha, never considering how a Jinchuriki would be treated in the Village. Ultimately, between the Village and me, he simply chose the Village."
"Even if their original intentions weren't so, they were still the indirect cause of all this. However, since they gave me life, I won't hate them. Similarly, I won't hate you either. So, you don't need to worry about me bearing ill will towards you."
Naruto grinned again, and even Kurama couldn't help but feel a chill at the sight of his stark white teeth. But soon, he returned to his original state, a look of arrogance once again appearing on his fox-like face.
Destroying this Village, founded by Senju Hashirama, truly excited him.
"In that case, I'll play along with you. Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Ashura's reincarnate!"
"Just give me your power."
A red Chakra thread quietly appeared in the damp, gloomy space, connecting Kurama and Naruto.
---
Meanwhile, at the same moment Naruto and Kurama were conversing, inside the Hokage Building in Konoha.
Because he was the Third Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi often had to deal with various large and small affairs in the Village and couldn't leave, so he frequently stayed overnight in the Hokage Building.
Today, he had to spend the night in the Hokage Building again to resolve conflicts between the Wave Country Police Department and the civilians.
It was such a headache. The Uchiha Clan, even with Shisui mediating within it, still remained the same old problem.
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the old pipe that had been on his desk and had accompanied him for over a decade. He took a deep puff, briefly showing a relaxed expression. After exhaling a cloud of white smoke, he couldn't help but feel a headache again.
What truly bothered him now wasn't the Uchiha Wave Country Police Department issue. After all, the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the Village had always been a historical problem that couldn't be resolved overnight.
"Suddenly extracting Chakra? Did someone secretly contact the Jinchuriki? Or is it because of the Tailed Beast?"
In the hazy white smoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi's thin, wrinkled old face flickered in and out of view as he muttered.
"Bang!"
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was secretly having a headache, the sound of a door being abruptly pushed open rang out. An old man, leaning on a cane, quickly walked in. He didn't even need to look to know who it was. In Konoha now, only one person dared to be so disrespectful to the esteemed Third Hokage.
The Darkness of the Ninja World, Konoha's dark side, the founder and leader of Konoha's Root, the famous Hokage Assistant—Danzo Shimura.
Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could even speak, Danzo Shimura preempted him.
"Hiruzen, I heard that the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki suddenly learned to extract Chakra..."
"Bang!"
Danzo Shimura hadn't even finished speaking when Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly slammed his old pipe heavily onto the table.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
What a joke! He had just learned the news of Naruto suddenly extracting Chakra from an Anbu report that night, and you, Danzo Shimura, immediately rushed to the Hokage Building?
Could it be that in Konoha, your Root's capabilities are even greater than his, the esteemed Hokage's Anbu? Who exactly is the Hokage, him or me?
In short, because the Jinchuriki's sudden development was beyond his expectations, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already in an extremely bad mood. Danzo Shimura could be said to have directly walked into a trap.
And Danzo Shimura, who had just entered the Hokage's office with an aggressive demeanor, was momentarily stunned by Hiruzen Sarutobi's aura.
What's going on? He hadn't even started the process, why was the Settlement screen already showing?
But who was Danzo Shimura? The esteemed Darkness of the Ninja World, a man determined to become Hokage, how could he be so easily intimidated? He was only stunned for a moment, and his expression immediately returned to its previous furious look.
"Hiruzen, this matter is very serious. Someone has bypassed Root's surveillance and directly contacted the Jinchuriki. There are bad people in the Village, and they are bad people skilled in genjutsu and reconnaissance."
Danzo Shimura was filled with rage, even waving his cane uncontrollably in the air.
"Hiruzen, the Jinchuriki has now been targeted by certain individuals and must be protected."
Hiruzen Sarutobi forcibly suppressed his emotions. After taking another deep puff of his pipe, he exhaled smoke rings and said in a deep voice, "Danzo, I've said it many times: I will not hand Naruto over to you."
"He has the right to choose his own life."
That bastard.
Danzo grew even more furious upon hearing this.
He remembered the blame he carried.
When he had spread rumors about the Jinchuriki being a demon fox, he originally intended to use it to gain control of the Jinchuriki. He never expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to reap the benefits in the end, while all the blame fell on Danzo Shimura.
He knew very well that the current Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer the Ninja Hero he once was. Having been in a high position and corrupted by the Hokage's power for decades, he had long lost his former ambition. Even when faced with the aggression of a few small Ninja Villages, he would only weakly retreat. He had completely become an old man who only knew how to play power games.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't speak, only slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke. Danzo Shimura wasn't wrong about the previous point; Naruto indeed needed guidance now, but definitely not by being handed over to Root for instruction.
He strongly suspected that Naruto had already contacted the Nine-Tailed. After all, the boy couldn't have had access to any knowledge about Chakra extraction, and he was almost certain that no one in the Village had privately contacted the Jinchuriki, as this was a taboo for everyone.
As for the Ninja skilled in genjutsu and perception that Danzo mentioned, he knew without thinking who the other party was referring to.
I'll find some time to see Naruto tomorrow. I can also give him next month's living expenses.
Hiruzen Sarutobi made a decision in his heart.
"Danzo!"
It was already late at night. Hiruzen Sarutobi had worked all day and was very tired; it was time to rest.
"It's time to leave."
"Hiruzen, I..."
"Enough, Danzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him again, his expression beneath the smoke somewhat complex.
"Regarding Naruto, I don't want to discuss it with you anymore. Now that we're done, you may leave."
"Remember, I am the Hokage."
"Click!"
Danzo Shimura subconsciously tightened his grip on his cane. It was that phrase again.
Every time that bastard Hiruzen didn't want to argue with him, he would use that phrase to suppress him, and yet he had no recourse. After all, even his Root had no legitimate authorization in Konoha. If it weren't for Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, needing his existence, he would have probably been replaced long ago.
So, when the other party uttered that phrase, it meant the end of the conversation. Danzo Shimura could only throw out a final remark: "You will regret this, Sarutobi!"
"I am the Hokage, Danzo."
"Bang!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the wooden door that had been slammed shut and let out a soft sigh.
Danzo, having stayed in the darkness for too long, you are destined to never again bask in the sunlight.
"Danzo, even if I die, you will never become Hokage."