Morning in Konoha.
Naruto steps out onto the balcony and begins his daily training.
Sitting there, gazing at the landscape, he can't help but dwell on his past.
Naruto doesn't know how he ended up in this world.
In short, he crossed over.
And he became the main character, the child of destiny, the future Seventh Hokage, the current reincarnation of Asura's chakra… Uzumaki Naruto.
In his previous life, Naruto was a hardcore Naruto fan and knew the entire story by heart.
This transmigration into the world was, in some way, the realization of his dream.
"I am the Child of the Prophecy, the one destined to save the ninja world."
"I'll defeat every antagonist and become the Seventh Hokage."
"I'll reverse all tragedies so everyone can smile — the Uchiha Clan, Neji and the Hyuga, Nagato, Obito…"
Just thinking of his dreams and all the tragedies he could undo filled Naruto with a deep joy.
A joy no one could ever guess — at least, not on the surface.
But inside his body dwelled a long-time tenant, capable of precisely sensing his host's emotional fluctuations.
Drip…
In a mental world, dark but not completely void of light.
In the sewers.
A massive beast, fox-like in shape, was locked behind a metal gate.
Special seals reinforced the gate, keeping the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox imprisoned.
The fox, bored, sensed his host's emotions and couldn't help but scoff:
"Hmph… If you think you'll master chakra extraction just by following that white-eyed girl's instructions, then you better give up now on those useless efforts…"
A few days earlier…
While walking past a small grove in the village, Naruto had come across a little girl being bullied by several kids.
Faced with the scene, Naruto, determined to become the Seventh Hokage, obviously couldn't stand idly by.
After a brief scuffle, he saved the girl and gave the bullies a solid lesson.
I'm Uzumaki Naruto, but not the one you know.
At that moment, Naruto stood victorious, towering over the defeated children.
Unlike the original story where Naruto would've been easily beaten, this time he won.
The story was beginning to change, the butterfly effect gaining momentum.
Yet some things still followed their destined path…
Like the spontaneous gesture that won him a lifelong admirer.
That little girl's name was Hyuga Hinata.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto, the man who will become Hokage!"
While forming hand seals to extract his chakra using Hinata's method, Naruto replied to the fox spirit inside him.
To realize his ideals, he needed solid foundations and overwhelming power.
In other words… training was essential in the world of ninjas.
"Tsk…"
Kyūbi clicked his tongue but didn't comment.
He had heard that line thousands of times.
Ever since Naruto learned to speak, the fox had known what kind of brat he was dealing with.
— Just like his father, the detestable Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato, he was insufferable.
"But…"
Kyūbi narrowed his eyes, studying Naruto carefully.
"Back then, Minato used the Eight Trigrams Seal to lock me inside this kid. That seal not only imprisons me, but also acts as a filter, converting my chakra into pure energy for him to use…"
This blatant theft, of course, infuriated Kyūbi.
Even though, compared to his vast reserves of chakra, the amount taken was negligible.
"But every seal weakens over time…"
He just had to wait.
Kyūbi, trapped, wasn't planning to remain imprisoned forever.
How to escape — that was his main concern.
After being the bijū of two jinchūriki, Uzumaki Mito and Uzumaki Kushina, this third host, far less mature and clever than the previous ones, seemed like a real opportunity.
"This kid is young and naive… If I exploit these chakra extraction sessions, I might weaken the seal faster…"
The thought sparked excitement in Kyūbi.
He decided to keep guiding Naruto, pushing him to draw more power.
"Kid, you want power? Like when you saved that little girl in the woods… If you accept, I might just lend you my strength…"
Kyūbi's voice turned silky, attempting to seduce him.
"Mmm…"
Sitting cross-legged, hands clasped, focused on his chakra extraction, Naruto didn't answer.
"Mmm… Mmm…"
Time passed.
Sweat beaded on Naruto's forehead as his expression grew more strained.
Kyūbi, observing, realized the kid was stuck.
"So, he didn't inherit Minato's talent, but rather that of his mother, Kushina?"
As Kyūbi pondered, Naruto's next line caught him off guard.
Naruto: "Chakra extraction is way too hard… I get it now: it's YOU, Kyūbi, who's slowing me down!"
"…!!"
Kyūbi nearly choked.
His chakra was being stolen by the Eight Trigrams Seal to feed this brat — and now he was the one getting blamed?!
That was too much.
As a transmigrator and Naruto expert, our hero knew perfectly well that the Eight Trigrams Seal was siphoning around 100K of chakra — about 100 times Kakashi's reserve — purifying it for use.
But as Uzumaki Naruto, the protagonist of this world, playing the role right was crucial.
So, feigning ignorance, Naruto had fully immersed himself in the character.
Or rather… he had been playing this role for years, since early childhood.
"You owe me compensation, stupid fox! Give me back my chakra!"
Naruto shamelessly accused Kyūbi of causing his failure.
He's the reason I can't extract chakra.
To fool others, you must first fool yourself.
Naruto quickly convinced himself.
Kyūbi is holding me back, just like the Sharingan held Kakashi back.
Kyūbi: "Oh really?"
Vzzzt!
Suddenly, a shift in dimension.
Naruto blinked and found himself in a dark sewer-like space.
Drip…
The sound of water echoed. Ripples formed beneath his feet on the water's surface.
Naruto: "Where am I…?"
He looked around, pretending to be confused.
Kyūbi: "Uzumaki Naruto!"
In a dark cage, two massive slit pupils opened.
These eyes, shining like stars, lit up the enormous fox head behind the bars.
Two giant claws reached through the gate, grabbing Naruto's small body like a vice.
Kyūbi: "Receive… MY POWER!"
Kyūbi's roar echoed like thunder.
The events in the mental space took shape in the real world: Kyūbi had voluntarily transferred part of his power to Naruto.
A jinchūriki, when mentally vulnerable, can be manipulated by their bijū.
The moment Naruto dropped his focus, Kyūbi took the opportunity.
But what Kyūbi didn't notice…
Was the barely perceptible smile forming on Naruto's lips — still clutched in his claws.