"Haha! Are you surprised?! Are you surprised?!"
The moment Naruto unzipped the backpack, an orange fox head popped out. Small paws waved chakra-formed flower petals enthusiastically.
Before the little fox could say another word, an iron fist descended heavily on its skull, stuffing the entire fox back into the bag.
"Whoops, sorry Kurama. Thought you were a gopher." Naruto looked apologetically at Nine-Tails, who was now seeing stars inside the backpack.
The sudden appearance had triggered pure reflex. Completely involuntary.
Kurama stood up shakily, head spinning. His expression radiated pure resentment. "Naruto, I thinks you did that on purpose."
"I really didn't mean it. You scared me." Naruto plucked the petals from his hair and blew them away. They dissolved before reaching the ground.
"Haha! I scared you!" Hearing confirmation that he'd successfully startled Naruto, Nine-Tails looked immensely proud. He leaped from the backpack onto Naruto's shoulder and settled in with crossed legs.
"Kurama, I specifically told you not to come. Who's watching the farm now?" Naruto looked at the fox with exasperation. He hadn't expected Nine-Tails to be so disobedient, hiding in the backpack like cargo.
An unattended farm meant thieves could steal the cattle.
"Don't worry, Naruto! I already told Pineapple boy. He's handling everything while I'm gone." Nine-Tails waved dismissively.
Naruto's head snapped around. "If you told Shikamaru, doesn't that mean he knows your identity?"
Before making friends with Hiruzen, Naruto wanted to minimize how many people knew about Kurama's release. That was precisely why he'd forbidden Nine-Tails from coming along.
Nine-Tails swung his legs casually. "Relax, Naruto. That pineapple boy just thinks I'm an ordinary summoning beast. He'd never suspect this old fox is the dignified Nine-Tailed Beast."
Considering Nine-Tails' logic, Naruto had to admit it made sense. Shikamaru had been born shortly after the Nine-Tails attack. He'd never seen Kurama's true form. The miniature version would be impossible to identify.
However, now that Nine-Tails was here, Naruto absolutely couldn't let him parade around in front of Kakashi. Their sensei had lived through the Nine-Tails Rebellion firsthand.
The safest solution? Send Nine-Tails home.
"Kurama, why don't you head back and wait for us there?"
"No!" Nine-Tails shot to his feet, paws on his hips. "Being home alone is too boring! I don't want to stay by myself! That loneliness is unbearable! I never want to experience those dark days again!"
Looking at Nine-Tails' distressed expression, Naruto's heart softened. He knew loneliness intimately. The years without friends, without anyone to talk to—he never wanted to live like that again.
"Alright," Naruto said gently. "You can stay. But you have to remain in the backpack. You can't come out."
"Yes, yes!" Nine-Tails nodded obediently. As long as he didn't have to go back, any condition was acceptable.
Then Nine-Tails glanced at the ground below. The grass looked so soft and inviting. He really wanted to run through it. "Naruto, can I stretch my legs for a bit?"
Seeing Nine-Tails' hopeful expression, Naruto understood the fox wanted some freedom. He nodded. "Go ahead. But stay within my sight."
With Naruto's permission, Nine-Tails let out a delighted cry and leaped from the tree. The moment his paw pads touched grass, excitement flooded through him. He began running and rolling across the field with abandon.
Being trapped in that backpack all day had been suffocating.
Watching Nine-Tails frolic on the grass below, Naruto opened his backpack properly, found his food supplies, and began eating.
"Hey, Naruto! I caught a little rabbit! Want me to roast it for you?" Nine-Tails' head popped up from a patch of tall grass. He held a trembling baby rabbit aloft.
"No, let it go." Naruto looked at the tiny creature in Nine-Tails' paw. It was so small it wouldn't even make a snack.
"Oh." Nine-Tails tossed the rabbit away and dove into another bush. Moments later, he emerged with another rabbit, cackling with joy.
Naruto finished his supplies and realized he was still hungry. Looking down, he noticed Nine-Tails had caught yet another rabbit. An idea formed.
One little rabbit wasn't enough for a meal. But ten?
"Nine-Tails! Catch more rabbits! We're roasting them!"
"Got it!"
Soon, a fire crackled on the grass. Over a dozen small rabbits turned golden on the spit, fat dripping into the flames.
Naruto picked up a roasted rabbit, took a bite, and couldn't help praising: "Delicious!"
After the meal, Naruto tucked Nine-Tails back into the backpack and returned to Kakashi using Instantaneous Movement. "Kakashi-sensei, no suspicious activity in the area."
"Good work. Take a rest, Naruto." Kakashi nodded approvingly.
Over the next several days, Naruto volunteered for reconnaissance duty. The real reason? It gave Nine-Tails opportunities to stretch his legs. Every time Naruto released him, the fox would bounce around energetically, genuinely impossible to worry about.
That said, Nine-Tails proved to be an exceptional hunter.
One afternoon, the sky stretched blue and cloudless overhead. After devouring roasted wild boar, Naruto lay back on the grass contentedly, hands pillowed beneath his head, taking a comfortable nap.
Nine-Tails had wandered off somewhere again.
The first two or three days, he'd been obedient, staying within sight. But recently he'd started roaming further. As long as he didn't appear in front of Kakashi, Naruto didn't bother tracking him down.
Eyes closed, Naruto took a deep breath.
Suddenly, his enhanced perception detected human Ki and blood approaching slowly. The person seemed to be bending over periodically, perhaps picking mushrooms.
The signature felt familiar. Naruto had sensed this same energy pattern when he'd confronted Zabuza—a distant presence he'd assumed was Zabuza's partner.
Now he was certain. After days of travel, the Ki and blood had reappeared. Clear confirmation.
Still, Naruto didn't panic. He continued his relaxed pose, curious to see what this person would do.
The presence drew closer, finally stopping directly in front of him. Squatting down.
A faint fragrance drifted into Naruto's nostrils. The delicate scent of a woman.
But Naruto was one hundred percent certain this person was not female.
His Ki and blood sensing was extremely specific. It detected the flow of energy through the body, creating an internal outline that revealed biological distinctions.
This person's blood flowed along a particular pathway. Though subtle and not yet in a state of arousal, it followed the male-exclusive circulatory route.
Therefore, Naruto was absolutely sure: the visitor was male.
The feminine fragrance likely meant the approaching person was what Naruto could only describe as an extremely pretty boy.