The next morning.
Naruto had stayed awake all night. Now that he was a cultivator, sleep no longer had any hold over him. He had cultivated through the entire night, forcing the fox's chakra into demonic qi.
His body had changed drastically. His hair had grown long, falling down his back. When he finally opened his eyes, they glowed red like blood.
Hmph… Qi has purged all the toxins from my body. He took a long shower, letting the water wash away the last traces of his old human limitations. When he opened the wardrobe, he saw nothing but bright orange clothes. He frowned, his voice low and cold.
Ridiculous… I have no need for appearances, yet these colors are screaming at me. I will need a proper robe. Something worthy of a demon.
---
Naruto stepped out of the apartment. As he walked toward the clothing shop, the villagers stared at him with pure hatred. One of them picked up a stone and tried to throw it at him.
Before the stone even left the man's hand, Naruto appeared in front of him. He grabbed the man by the throat, cutting off every breath.
"You… demon fox… wh-what yo.." the villager tried to speak, but no words came out.
The other villagers rushed forward, trying to defend him. Naruto released a powerful, oppressive aura. The force pressed down on them, forcing them all to their knees.
The villager in his grip went limp and fainted. Naruto threw him against a nearby post.
He looked down at the others.
"How dare you mortals act like that toward this venerable? Should I kill you?"
The villagers' faces went pale with fear.
"Run! The demon will kill us!" they screamed, trying to flee but Naruto's aura froze them in place. They could not move.
Naruto walked toward an old woman, one he remembered well she had once sold him expired food at double the price. He placed a hand on her head and whispered, his voice low and cold:
"Heavenly Demon Blood Curse."
The woman collapsed instantly.
This curse… it will make her bleed from all seven orifices, slowly, until she dies… Heh.
The other villagers screamed in terror.
After a few moments, three ANBU appeared in front of him.
"Hey, Naruto Uzumaki! What are you doing to the villagers? Stop this at once!"
Naruto looked at them with cold amusement.
"Why should I stop? Why should I listen to you? How dare a little mortal show off in my face?"
The ANBU froze, dumbfounded.
"Naruto! Stop! Tell us what happened... you can explain it to your grandfather!"
The Third Hokage, who had been walking home to rest after working all night, rushed over to investigate the commotion. When he saw what Naruto was doing to the villagers, he was utterly shocked.
Naruto's gaze shifted to the old man who had appeared. The Third Hokage… the only person in this village who ever treated Naruto with any decency.
Heh… interesting. Keep the others away while you try to act like the only light in Naruto's life. This brainwashing… reminds me of the orthodox sects. This old man is a hypocrite. This must be because of the fox. So I am something like a vessel… just like the disciples in my previous world who carried the sealed souls of ancient sect ancestors. This old man wants to control me… hehe. Control me? A Demon Lord?
Naruto looked at the old man calmly.
"Old man, these villagers attacked me with stones. Today is the graduation from the academy. I am about to become a ninja. How dare they disrespect a ninja?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him with concern in his eyes.
"I see… so that's what happened. But Naruto, you should not attack them. They are only civilians. A ninja must protect the village."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"You said before that you wanted to become Hokage, didn't you? You told your grandpa that many times."
Naruto looked at him silently for a few seconds before answering.
"Alright, old man. Don't worry. I will let them go today… because of you."
His eyes shifted toward the terrified villagers kneeling on the ground.
"But you should tell those weaklings to behave better in the future."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Next time… I may not be so merciful."
Hiruzen's face froze as he began to carefully observe Naruto. Naruto's appearance had clearly changed. His hair was now long, reaching down his back. His eyes were red, and his skin seemed strangely radiant. But what worried Hiruzen the most was his attitude. Just yesterday, Naruto had been running around the village, playing pranks and desperately seeking attention from the villagers. But now… he stood there calmly, his presence cold and oppressive. What happened to him overnight? Hiruzen felt a trace of regret. He should have checked on Naruto with his crystal ball last night. A troubling thought suddenly appeared in his mind. Could these changes be caused by the Nine-Tailed Fox? Hiruzen's worry deepened.
"Naruto… you've changed," he said slowly. "Can you tell your grandpa what happened? I can help you."
Naruto looked at him with his calm, cold eyes. Inside his mind, Fang Chen laughed.
Help me? This old man truly believes he can control everything. Naruto tilted his head slightly as he looked at Hiruzen.
"Nothing happened, old man. I simply realized something." A faint, dark smile appeared on his face.
"In this world, the weak are bullied… and the strong decide everything."
He glanced briefly at the terrified villagers still kneeling on the ground.
"I just decided that I would rather be the one who decides."
Naruto then looked back at Hiruzen, his voice calm but carrying a dangerous edge.
"So tell me, old man… is there a problem with that?"
Hiruzen's face froze. For a moment, he did not know how to respond. Then suddenly Naruto's expression changed. He burst out laughing, just like the original Naruto would.
"Hahaha! Hokage Grandpa, I was just joking! I only played a prank on those villagers. I wasn't serious at all, hahaha!"
He held his stomach as he laughed loudly.
Hiruzen's body stiffened for a moment before he forced a small smile.
"Haha… is that so, Naruto? Don't scare your grandpa like that in the future, alright?"
"Got it, got it. Don't worry, Grandpa, I won't joke like that again. Okay, see you later. I need to go now."
"Alright, go. Good luck with your graduation. Your grandpa has high hopes for you. Don't disappoint me."
Naruto waved casually and left. As he walked away, his expression slowly returned to normal. Inside his mind, Fang Chen's thoughts were cold. It is too dangerous to make the entire village my enemy right now. I must act normal. When I finally absorb the fox… then I will settle everything. The Third Hokage must know that Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage… yet he said nothing. He allowed the villagers to treat the boy like this.
Fang Chen did not feel anger. To him, such things were meaningless. I do not care about what they did to this child. I am a demon cultivator. My only goal is immortality. He paused for a moment as another thought crossed his mind. However… since I took this body, I will settle Naruto's problems. A faint, cold smile appeared on his face. Consider it the price for using your body.