Naruto woke to the smell of smoke.
For one heart-stopping second, he thought the building really had burned down after what he did last night. He bolted upright, chest heaving, eyes darting wildly. His lamp lay shattered, scorch marks still faint against the wall. The memory of that… surge, that wave of willpower crashing through the room, clawed at him.
He dragged a hand down his face, groaning. "Oh man… that wasn't a dream."
It wasn't chakra. It wasn't the fox. It was Haki.
And it was real.
He should've been terrified. He should've been shaking. But instead, a grin tugged at his lips. Because for the first time in his life, he had something that wasn't a prank, wasn't luck, wasn't the fox sealed in his belly.
It was his.
The morning passed in a blur. Iruka yelled at him for falling asleep in class, his chalk bouncing off Naruto's forehead. Sakura scolded him for being loud. Sasuke ignored him like always.
But Naruto didn't care. His mind wasn't in the classroom. His mind was buzzing with possibilities.
If I can use clones to train… and each one learns… can they train Haki too?
He tapped his pencil against the desk, excitement building. He'd seen the anime. He knew the theory. But theory wasn't practice. He had to try.
Iruka's glare snapped him back. "Naruto. Pay attention."
"Y-Yes, Iruka-sensei!" He grinned sheepishly.
The class groaned.
At lunch, Naruto slipped away from the others and made his way to Ichiraku's.
The smell hit him before he even sat down. Warm broth, fresh noodles, sizzling pork. His stomach growled so loud that Ayame laughed the moment she saw him.
"You're early today, Naruto!" she said, ladling broth into a bowl. "And looking like you didn't sleep a wink."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning. "Heh. Guess I was… thinking too much."
Ayame arched a brow. "You? Thinking?"
"Oi!" He scowled, then cracked into a grin again. "I think plenty! Like… uh… ramen toppings. And… strategy!"
Teuchi slid the steaming bowl in front of him. "Strategy, huh? You'll need it if you want to pass Iruka's exams this year."
Naruto's grin softened as he stirred the noodles. Strategy. Yeah. He needed more than pranks now. He needed a plan.
For the first time, he felt like he had one.
That night, Naruto snuck out behind the Academy.
He pressed his hand to a log, focusing. He tried to remember the feeling—the way his will had coated his hand, the way the stone had cracked yesterday.
"C'mon… c'mon…"
The wood splintered under his palm. A black sheen flickered across his skin for half a heartbeat before vanishing.
Naruto's eyes widened. His grin split his face.
"Yes!"
It was weak. It was clumsy. But it was Armament.
He clenched his fist, trembling with excitement. "Okay… okay, I can do this."
Then he froze.
Because behind him, someone groaned.
Naruto spun. A group of older kids—three of them—were sprawled on the ground, eyes rolled back. They'd been sneaking up on him, probably to pick a fight. But they hadn't even touched him.
Naruto's chest tightened.
Conqueror's…
He swallowed hard, staring at them. He hadn't even meant to. He'd just been focused, his will surging. And they'd collapsed.
"Dangerous."
The word rumbled in his mind, deep and mocking.
Naruto's fists clenched. "Stay out of this, fox."
Kurama chuckled, golden eyes gleaming in the dark. "You think this power makes you strong. But strength without control is just destruction. One day, you'll kill without meaning to. And then… they'll look at you the way they look at me."
Naruto's breath caught. For a heartbeat, fear stabbed through him. The fox wasn't wrong. If he lost control again—if he hurt someone who didn't deserve it—he'd prove everyone right. He'd be the monster.
But then he thought of Iruka. Of Ayame and Teuchi. Of the Hokage.
"No," he whispered. His voice grew stronger. "I won't let that happen."
Kurama's grin stretched wide. "We'll see."
The next day, it happened again.
Kiba was bragging too loudly, shoving Naruto's head against the desk. Sakura was yelling. Sasuke was sighing.
Naruto's temper flared.
And before he could stop it, the room went quiet.
Two students slumped forward onto their desks, unconscious. The others blinked, confused.
Naruto froze, panic surging. Oh crap—oh crap—!
Iruka rushed over. "They must've skipped breakfast. Heat exhaustion."
The class murmured in agreement. No one looked at Naruto.
No one except Sasuke.
The Uchiha's dark eyes locked onto him, sharp and curious.
Naruto forced a grin, scratching the back of his head. "Heh… guess they can't handle early mornings, huh?"
Sasuke didn't respond. He just stared.
Naruto's stomach dropped.
That night, Naruto stood atop the Hokage Monument, the wind cold against his face.
He clenched his fists.
"Okay," he muttered. "No more messing around. No more accidents. If I'm gonna do this, I need control."
The memories of his other life surged again. He knew what was coming. He knew about Zabuza. About the Chūnin Exams. About Orochimaru. About Pain. About Madara. About the Ōtsutsuki.
He wasn't ready for any of it.
But he had to be.
He pressed a hand to his stomach, feeling the fox stir beneath the seal. "You're not the only monster in here anymore," he whispered.
Kurama's laughter rumbled like distant thunder.
Naruto straightened, eyes blazing.
"I'll train. I'll plan. And I'll change everything."
The wind howled. The village below slept.
And above it all, a boy who was no longer just a boy set his will against the world.