After finishing his milk and carefully rinsing his mouth, Naruto collapsed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling in a daze.
The Bond System… who else could he build a relationship with now?
Of course, he wanted to go play with Satsuki again, but on second thought, would the Uchiha clan getting close to him—the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki—raise the suspicions of Konoha's higher-ups? Especially that old schemer Danzō. Expecting him to go easy just because the other party was a three-year-old girl was a naïve thought he'd better abandon now.
Maybe I should drop a few hints in front of the Third…
There was no helping it. Just one level-up in his bond with Uchiha Satsuki had given him 500 points. It was hard not to be tempted.
Come to think of it, would the old Third also give bond points? That old guy couldn't really see me as nothing more than a tailed-beast container, right?
To be fair, the Third had treated him reasonably well—but only "reasonably well." He never went hungry, and later the villagers would sell him things out of respect for the Hokage's orders. Still, the alienation and cold treatment never really disappeared.
Every time the Third visited, aside from delivering the usual supplies, he would always ask the same questions.
"Naruto, do you know what the Hokage is?"
"Do you know what the Hokage represents?"
His intentions couldn't have been clearer. The old man obviously wanted him to inherit his father's will, become a fine shinobi of Konoha, and ideally dream of becoming Hokage.
It wasn't that Naruto didn't want to become Hokage because he resented the villagers' isolation—though that treatment was certainly unpleasant. The real reason was that he knew all too well how exhausting that position was.
That version of himself in Boruto…
In the anime clips, the "him" who had become the Seventh Hokage was buried under mountains of paperwork, unable even to attend his daughter's birthday except through a shadow clone. Those eyes, always ringed with dark circles, looked utterly exhausted—so different from the bright, lively reflection he saw in the mirror now.
Give me a break. Whoever wants that kind of life can have it!
At the moment, there were very few people he could realistically build bonds with. The old Third was one option. Kakashi should still be in ANBU right now—completely out of reach. As for the Konoha Twelve…
Aside from the civilian-born Sakura, Lee, and Tenten… actually, was Tenten really a civilian? Anyway, the others all came from major clans. Approaching them rashly now would definitely attract the attention of the village's higher-ups.
The original plot where he escorted Hinata home and played the hero hadn't happened yet…
There was no way he could just walk up to the Hyūga heiress on his own. Thinking of that, Naruto let out a helpless sigh.
"…Looks like besides Might Guy, there really isn't anyone suitable."
Night deepened. Lying in bed, Naruto's thoughts gradually slowed. The sound of insects outside the window drifted in and out, and his eyelids grew heavy without him noticing. At last, with expectations for the future, he slowly closed his eyes.
——————
Everything around him was dim and murky. The air was damp, tinged with the faint smell of rust. Shallow water on the ground reflected the dim light, rippling gently with each step.
Ahead of him stood a massive iron gate, dozens of meters tall. Complex and obscure sealing formulas were etched across its heavy surface, and at its center hung a sealing tag.
Naruto wasn't sure if he was dreaming or had truly entered the sealing space. Right now, he was staring through the bars of the gate at the enormous orange fox behind it—and the fox was staring right back.
"Hmm…" Little Naruto craned his neck, studying the scene. "It's a bit big, but if you look closely, it's actually pretty cute."
Behind the gate, the Nine-Tails' forehead vein twitched.
This brat… is he missing a screw in his head?
As the strongest tailed beast, it was used to human gazes filled with fear and hatred. But "cute"? The word left it momentarily speechless. What part of it could possibly be described as "cute"?
Forget it. Compared to how it was seen, what the Nine-Tails truly longed for was the freedom that had been taken from it.
"Brat. Come open the gate."
The deep, oppressive voice echoed through the sealing space. Naruto looked up at the enormous orange fox. Its eyes glowed even in the darkness, sharp fangs faintly visible, nine tails swaying restlessly behind it.
Naruto couldn't help but feel speechless. This fox wasn't even trying to hide its intentions. It just bluntly demanded the seal be opened—no acting, no deception.
"The gate's too big. I can't open it."
"Just tear off the paper on the door," the Nine-Tails said impatiently, flicking its tail. It lowered its massive head, its hot breath washing over Naruto.
Naruto thought for a moment. "What happens if I open it?"
"Why so many questions? Just open it!" the Nine-Tails snapped, its voice rising. The entire sealing space trembled slightly.
To the Nine-Tails, this brat might say strange things to himself, but at the end of the day, he was just a human toddler. Surely the strongest tailed beast could handle a three-year-old kid.
"No thanks," Naruto said, taking a step back and folding his arms. "I may not know much, but if I let you out, it'll probably be dangerous, right?"
…Sharp kid.
Just as the Nine-Tails considered how to tempt him, it noticed something strange. Naruto wasn't afraid at all. Instead, his bright blue eyes widened with interest as he studied it.
"No wonder those people call me a demon fox…" Naruto looked up at the giant creature. "So there really is a big fox inside my body."
The Nine-Tails' ears twitched slightly. That wasn't the reaction it expected.
Naruto ignored its silence and continued. "Still, even though you're big… you're actually pretty cool!"
That made the Nine-Tails freeze.
It had lived for over a thousand years and seen countless human expressions—fear, hatred, contempt, scheming… But never had anyone called it "cool."
And even more surprising, the emotion it sensed from Naruto was genuine.
Because the Nine-Tails really was good-looking.
Its orange-red fur shimmered softly even in the dim sealing space. Its nine enormous tails swayed gently behind it, each strand of fur filled with immense chakra, tracing elegant arcs in the air. Its massive body dominated the entire view—sharp claws, fangs, blazing orange eyes… It should have been a terrifying beast, yet it somehow carried the noble aura of a divine creature from myth.
…Well, the Nine-Tails was originally based on a divine beast, wasn't it?
As Naruto's thoughts wandered, he suddenly realized something. "But… how do we get out of here?" He looked around. The damp, dark sealing space held nothing but endless shadows and the giant iron gate. "Looks like we're both stuck in here."
He scratched his head, then flashed a bright smile and held out his hand to the Nine-Tails. "Oh, right! I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Since we've met, let's get to know each other!"
The response he got was an impatient snort.
"Get lost, brat," the Nine-Tails said, lowering its massive head onto its front paws and glaring coldly at him. "Or I'll kill you."
"Huh? Why?" Naruto asked, confused. "This is our first time meeting, right? Hating each other isn't good."
He simply sat down cross-legged, resting his chin on his hand. "Since we're both stuck here, chatting is way better than just staring at each other, don't you think?"
One of the Nine-Tails' tails swished irritably. It hadn't expected this brat to be completely unafraid—let alone try to "chat" with it.
What an annoying human child.