In his sleep, Naruto's consciousness was engulfed by the tailed beast chakra and transported to a dark, damp space.
"Where the hell am I?"
He looked around. The stagnant water under his feet, the huge iron cage in front of him, and the faint roars of some wild beast behind it all made it painfully clear: he wasn't in his room anymore. He was in the space where the Nine-Tails was sealed.
After traveling through so many years, he was finally face-to-face with Kyuubi.
With a curse under his breath, Naruto stepped forward, his eyes catching the fiery glow reflected on the cage walls. And there it was—Nine-Tails in all its glory.
A monstrous beauty: nine flowing tails, ears slender and alert, and a body easily over ten meters long. Even suppressed in this sealed space, it looked capable of snacking on a four-year-old Naruto like he was a little snack.
As if sensing him, Kyuubi slowly turned, its lantern-sized eyes boring into Naruto's.
For a moment, Naruto forgot to breathe. And run. And, well, live. He just stood there, frozen like a kid caught staring at a wild tiger in a cage.
Then, the corners of Nine-Tails' mouth curved in a faint, almost mischievous smile. A sliver of its chakra slipped through the bars, wrapping around Naruto like an invisible blanket.
Unknown. Hatred. Resentment. Anger.
The Nine-Tails' chakra stirred Naruto's suppressed negative emotions. Memories of his past life, the tragedies of the Minato family, the unfairness he'd endured… all came rushing back.
His expression darkened. If left unchecked, Naruto could easily turn into a Shura, a child ready to slaughter everything in sight.
But then, willpower kicked in.
He was a kid who'd been severely beaten by life and society, sure—but he wasn't powerless. He could handle some extra tailed-beast anger.
Kyuubi raised an eyebrow, surprised that a mere four-year-old had regained composure. Its chakra wasn't even at full strength, yet most kids would already be drooling on the floor by now.
Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So that's why everyone calls me a demon fox… there's a big fox living in me."
Hearing the name, Kyuubi bristled. "Old man? Old man!? Don't call me that!"
Then it seemed to have an idea. "Ah… yes, the humans are right. They call you a demon fox because your container is me. The old man—me—is responsible. I destroyed most of Konoha back in the day, and even killed the Fourth Hokage. Naturally, they hate you."
"Go ahead," Kyuubi whispered, its voice dripping with malice. "Hate the humans! Hate the old man! Let all your anger explode! Accept my chakra, and you can destroy everything!"
Naruto blinked. "Uh… Big fox, you don't get it. If you had the power to destroy everything, you wouldn't be stuck in this cage. And I wouldn't be stuck inside you. So, newsflash—you can't destroy everything."
"You…!" Kyuubi roared, making the cage shake violently. But the seal held. Not a single tail could escape.
Gradually, the beast calmed. They stared at each other through the bars. Kyuubi still tried to subtly influence Naruto with its chakra—but nothing worked.
Finally, bored, Naruto broke the silence. "Big fox, give up. I don't know who trapped you here, but since you're in my body, escaping is impossible no matter how hard you try. And as for all the hate you're trying to stir… I'm used to it."
Kyuubi went silent. Naruto was right. Without breaking the seal, it couldn't touch him.
Naruto muttered to himself: "Speaking of which… you're still my tenant, right? You live in my body rent-free. Have I ever asked for rent?"
Kyuubi's eyes narrowed. "You think I volunteered to live in your body?"
"Yeah… and I didn't volunteer to be your cage either. We're both unwilling tenants, so I'm not gonna charge you." Naruto shrugged.
The Nine-Tails snorted. "You're stubborn. Fine. But if you accepted me properly, I could have helped you get back at all the villagers who bullied you. I've seen it all, and it's unfair."
"Yeah, it's unfair all right. They call me a demon fox, so maybe I should do what a demon fox does… cut cock and return all their malice. Monsters aren't supposed to fear ordinary humans, right? Humans should fear me." Naruto's eyes gleamed.
Then he perked up. "Wait… did you say you've been watching me this whole time? Even when I bathe or go to the toilet?"
Kyuubi blinked. "I'm not that kind of pervert! I have no interest in human bodies."
"Uh… what about foxes?" Naruto's grin widened.
That hit a nerve. Kyuubi bristled. "Go away! I'm not interested in female foxes! I am Nine-Tails! A life made entirely of chakra!"
Naruto tilted his head. "So… are you a male fox or a female fox?"
The Nine-Tails facepalmed—well, metaphorically. It turned to stare at the wall, refusing to engage with this ridiculous child.
Naruto blinked. Tailed beasts are so fragile… can't even take a joke?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 20+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.