"Listen, boy—"
Naruto's head snapped up. His eyes blazed with intensity that made even the ancient fox pause.
"I. Don't. Call. Boy." Each word came out sharp and clear, punctuated with fierce emphasis. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."
The Nine-Tails' massive eye narrowed. What's wrong with this brat? Why does he get angry so easily?
Then understanding dawned. Of course the boy was angry. If the fox hadn't been sealed inside him, he wouldn't have spent years being hated, isolated, drowning in loneliness.
The Nine-Tails' ears flattened slightly against its skull. "Hey, Naruto. I'm... sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be despised by everyone. But I didn't choose this either." Its gaze lifted toward the seal overhead, toward the cage that imprisoned it. "I'm trapped in this endless darkness, suffering my own pain. No freedom. No sunlight. Nothing but these walls."
The fox's voice dropped, taking on a persuasive, almost seductive quality. "But now we can help each other. I'll lend you my power. Go kill everyone who hates you. Take revenge for all those years of suffering."
Kill them? Naruto met the fox's enormous eye without flinching. "No. I won't kill my friends."
The Nine-Tails blinked. Its nine tails stilled mid-wave. "Friends? Boy, those people out there aren't your friends. Friends don't call each other monsters. They don't throw stones or spit insults."
"Not yet." Naruto's tone carried absolute certainty. "But they will be. I have a plan."
"You're delusional—"
"Why did you call me here?" Naruto crossed his arms. "I don't have time to waste. I have training to do."
The Nine-Tails' eye twitched. Time to waste? This arrogant little...
It swallowed its irritation. Pride meant nothing if you were sealed forever. "Fine. I called you here to ask what you've been doing these past two years. What kind of training?"
"Physical conditioning." Naruto's answer was matter-of-fact. "Building a foundation."
The fox's whiskers twitched as it tried to sense chakra from the boy. Nothing. No chakra enhancement. No jutsu practice. Just... physical training?
But the boy wasn't lying. The fox could tell.
"Stop that training." The words came out more pleading than commanding.
Naruto's eyebrows rose. "Why would I do that?"
"Because—" The Nine-Tails stopped itself. Because your training is somehow strengthening the seal. Because I'm losing what little freedom I had. Because I'm desperate.
It couldn't say any of that. Couldn't show weakness.
"I won't stop." Naruto turned toward the cage door, clearly preparing to leave. "I'm going to keep training. Get stronger. Nothing will change that."
Something inside the Nine-Tails snapped.
Killing intent erupted from its form like a physical force, pressing against Naruto from all directions. The air grew thick, heavy, suffocating. An ordinary child would collapse, paralyzed with terror.
The fox's lips pulled back from its teeth in a savage grin. Now you'll understand what you're dealing with. Now you'll—
"If this is all you've got, I'm leaving."
Naruto's voice was calm. Unaffected.
The killing intent pressed harder, and still the boy stood straight, hands in his pockets, expression unchanged.
The Nine-Tails' grin faltered. Impossible. How can a human child resist my killing intent?
But there he stood. Relaxed. Almost bored.
"This... this can't..." The fox's massive head shook side to side, denial written in every movement.
Naruto turned and walked away.
"Wait! Come back!" The Nine-Tails surged forward, paws slamming against the bars. "COME BACK!"
Naruto paused, glancing over his shoulder.
"I can give you power!" Desperation crept into the fox's voice. "Strength beyond anything you've imagined!"
Now that got a reaction. Naruto stopped, turned fully around, and walked back to the gate. He looked at the massive creature behind the bars, his expression thoughtful.
"What kind of power?"
"Kage-level strength!" The Nine-Tails pressed closer to the bars. "Power that could make you stronger than the Hokage himself!"
Naruto shook his head. "Not enough."
The fox's tails lashed in frustration. "What do you mean 'not enough'?! Do you understand what Kage-level means?!"
"Unless..." Naruto's eyes took on a distant look. An image formed in the space between them, conjured from Naruto's memory.
The Nine-Tails froze.
In the projection stood a figure radiating impossible power. A young man in ornate armor, his presence alone seeming to warp reality. His eyes held the depth of galaxies, ancient and eternal.
The figure moved.
One punch.
Stars detonated. Space itself fractured. Reality bent and shattered like glass.
The Nine-Tails' pupils contracted to pinpoints. Its breath caught. What... what IS that?
This transcended everything the fox understood about power. This was beyond tailed beasts, beyond shinobi, beyond anything that should exist.
"Can you give me that kind of strength?" Naruto asked quietly.
"No." The word came out barely above a whisper. The Nine-Tails collapsed, massive body slumping against the bars. Its tails dragged across the ground, lifeless. "No, I can't."
Fourth Hokage, you've destroyed me. You've sealed me inside a child with impossible dreams and even more impossible examples to follow.
Moisture gathered at the corners of the fox's enormous eyes.
Naruto observed the crying demon. Compassion stirred in his chest despite everything. The creature looked genuinely pathetic, sprawled there behind bars with tears streaming down its muzzle.
It did try to kill me with killing intent. Can't just forgive that immediately.
But maybe...
"You have another option," Naruto offered.
The fox's head shot up. "What option?"
"Become my pet." Naruto ticked off points on his fingers. "Let me pet your fur whenever I want. Help with cooking and housework. In winter, you can sleep at the foot of my bed and keep me warm."
Silence.
Then the Nine-Tails exploded upright, all nine tails thrashing. "ABSOLUTELY NOT! You arrogant, presumptuous, insufferable human brat! I would rather spend ETERNITY in this cage than become your servant!"
Its voice echoed through the mindscape, shaking the walls. "I am the Nine-Tails! The mightiest of the tailed beasts! I will NEVER debase myself by serving a human child!"
"Suit yourself." Naruto shrugged. "Just thought I'd offer. I figured being useful would be better than rotting in here, but if you prefer the cage, that's your choice."
"I—you—" The fox sputtered, too outraged for coherent speech.
"Anyway, I'm busy. You can stay here and get used to it. Seems like you've had plenty of practice." Naruto raised a hand in casual farewell.
His consciousness began pulling away, the mindscape fading.
"Good luck with the eternal imprisonment thing!"
"COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT FINISHED TALKING TO YOU!"
The Nine-Tails' roar faded to nothing as Naruto's awareness snapped back to his body.
Reality reasserted itself. Forest sounds. Evening breeze. The medicine jar waiting beside him.
Naruto picked it up and unscrewed the lid, lips quirking into a small smile.
Was I too harsh? Maybe the pet thing was a bit much.
He considered it while applying medicine to his arms. Honestly, compared to eternal imprisonment, doing some housework seemed like a pretty good deal. He didn't understand why the fox got so angry.
Oh well. It doesn't want out, that's fine. Not like I'm begging it to leave the seal.
Actually, thinking about it, the fox was probably lonely in there. Trapped in darkness with nothing to do. No wonder it was so grumpy.
Maybe eventually it'll change its mind.
Naruto finished applying the medicine, stretched, and picked up his wooden training rod.
The Nine-Tails incident was already fading from his thoughts, just another minor event in his day.
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
Training resumed.
Deep in Naruto's mindscape, the Nine-Tails sat in the corner, tails wrapped around itself, glowering at nothing.
"Become his pet. Doing housework. ME!" It muttered darkly. "A dignified nine-tailed demon fox, reduced to a house servant. Warming his bed in winter. The absolute gall."
Its pride would never allow such humiliation.
Never.
Absolutely never.
...
Though the darkness was awfully oppressive.
And it had been centuries since anyone had actually petted its fur.
"NO!" The fox shook its massive head violently. "I have dignity. Standards. I won't be broken by one arrogant child and his impossible training regimen."
It settled more firmly into its corner, determined to maintain its pride.
The seal above pulsed gently, growing just slightly stronger.