Hokage's Office.
Under the bright midday sun, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood quietly at the window in his red robes, gazing down at the bustling streets of Konoha with a pensive expression.
Suddenly, the door slammed open.
Wrapped in bandages and leaning on a crutch, Danzo Shimura stormed into the office.
"Sarutobi, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki is acting abnormally," he announced. "Today, he tried to assault a civilian—forced the man to kneel and apologize!"
The Third Hokage turned, his face calm but his eyes sharp.
"Yes," he said, taking a puff of his pipe. "I know."
"Good. Then why not turn him over to me?" Danzo said coldly. "Let me handle him. I'll train him into a weapon—one that can truly defend Konoha."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
"I will handle Naruto's affairs personally," he said with quiet authority. "Do not interfere without my permission."
Danzo's face tightened. He let out a derisive snort and turned to leave.
"You'll regret this."
Regret?
The Third Hokage exhaled a long stream of smoke.
"There are already many things I regret…" he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Naruto… will you be one of them?"
Drip.
Drip.
Naruto blinked. He was surrounded by darkness.
The air was heavy and damp. A shallow layer of water—about ten centimeters deep—covered the floor, sending ripples with each step he took. In the distance, a low, beast-like growl echoed faintly.
He reached out, feeling his way along the wet stone walls as he cautiously walked forward. Gradually, the darkness gave way to a dim light.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive iron gate.
Behind it—a giant fox.
Naruto's eyes widened.
Even as someone who had seen the anime, the sight before him still left him stunned—not because of the Nine-Tailed Fox itself, but because of how it had been restrained.
To put it delicately…
It was tied up in a very suggestive position.
To be blunt? It was bound in an M-shaped pose.
Its forelimbs were locked behind its head. Heavy chains clamped its snout shut so it couldn't open its mouth—only low, muffled growls escaped. The beast's eyes blazed with rage and humiliation. It thrashed violently, but its chakra was sealed within the range of the chains. Nothing could escape.
[Passive Selection Triggered!]The Nine-Tails looks at you with seething hatred. It doesn't know who bound it like this, but it's furious—ready to tear you apart.What will you do?
[Choice 1 – Stay friendly]: Warn it that this seal is just a small taste of what's to come if it steps out of line again.Reward: 3% control over the Nine-Tails.
[Choice 2 – Be rational]: Convince it to sign a contract and become your servant.Reward: Devil's Contract ×
[Choice 3 – Act recklessly]: The big fox isn't a bad option... and it's completely restrained right now.Reward: 5% control of the Nine-Tails.
[Choice 4 – Be ruthless]: Say nothing. Try to tear it apart.Reward: 50% of the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Naruto blinked at the hovering text.
This must be the result of eliminating my chakra disorder, he thought. The Nine-Tails is the root of that disorder... so the system restrained him as part of the cure?
But… did it really have to bind him like that?
While the seal was clearly effective, it was more than a little disturbing.
And as for Option 3—what the hell is wrong with this system?! Cross-species domination? Absolutely not. Naruto wasn't that kind of person!
Option 4? Totally out of the question. He had tested it—he couldn't even pull out one of the fox's hairs, let alone tear it apart.
Option 2 was tempting. The Devil's Contract piqued his curiosity. But… how could he negotiate with a creature that couldn't even speak?
Option 1 it was.
The Nine-Tails glared at Naruto with bloodshot eyes, furious and confused. What was this puny insect doing here? And more importantly, why had it suddenly become completely restrained?
It had just been trying to influence Naruto through its chakra, subtly affecting his emotions.
Then, without warning—chains. Everywhere.
What kind of terrifying seal was this?
"Kyuubi!" Naruto called out.
The giant fox's ears twitched. It looked at him in disbelief.
"Would you consider signing a contract and becoming my servant? I'll give you freedom in return."
Naruto figured it was worth trying Option 2 at least once.
To his surprise, the chain around the fox's snout loosened slightly.
"ROAR!!!" it bellowed, the force of its chakra surging against the barriers of the cage.
But it was no use. The seal held.
"Ah. So you really don't want to cooperate, huh?" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess I was being too optimistic."
He stepped forward, his voice cold but calm.
"Let me make this clear. That seal you're wearing? Just a small warning. Next time you cause trouble… I'll rip you to shreds."
"Hahaha! You pathetic little worm," the Nine-Tails spat, even as it writhed. "You think you can rip me apart? Try it if you dare."
But the fox stopped laughing when Naruto calmly raised his hand.
Without warning, one of the fox's massive paws twitched.
It hadn't moved on its own.
Its eyes widened.
[Ding! Congratulations. Option 1 completed. Reward issued: 3% control of the Nine-Tails.]You now need 97% more to gain full control.
Not bad, Naruto thought. I'll take it.
When Naruto opened his eyes again, it was already night.
"Wow, that took a while," he muttered. "And this whole 'removing ugly appearance' thing—please don't make me look weird…"
He jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom.
Turning on the light, Naruto stood in front of the mirror—stunned.
He reached out, touching his cheek.
"Amazing…"
The face staring back at him was still his, but also different. Sharper. Stronger. More refined.
His skin was now smooth and even. His facial features had become more defined: high cheekbones, a straight nose, sharper eyebrows, and deep, brilliant blue eyes. The signature whisker marks were gone. Even his height had increased—by at least six centimeters.
If you had to describe him?
A high-end version of young Minato Namikaze.