Naruto: I, Naruto, don't want to try anymore.

Chapter 3 Nine Lamas

Life in Konoha was boring, but still quite leisurely.

If you disregard the cold stares and whispers from the villagers every time you go out, this place is actually quite suitable for settling down.

Several months passed slowly, and Naruto continued his daily routine of going between home and the forest.

Occasionally, Shikamaru and his two friends would come to visit him, and the three of them would have a barbecue together by the river.

At first, Naruto would hunt and catch fish, but later the three of them would bring some ingredients from home or prepared bento boxes, so Naruto was able to eat a few proper meals.

Because of the approaching winter, Naruto hunted a lot of wild boars, wild oxen, and wild rabbits, which he then dried in the open at his home as winter food reserves.

Although the small apartment was old and run-down, Naruto quite liked the small terrace attached to it, as it was very convenient for drying clothes and jerky.

Inside his stomach, the Nine-Tails continued to relentlessly erode the seal. Naruto's happiest moments each day, besides stockpiling food, were watching his own chakra grow stronger little by little.

According to Kagura's perception, his chakra level is now completely equal to that of the Nine-Tails inside his stomach!

In this way, when he was eight years old, he had the chakra of a whole Nine-Tails; when he was twelve, he had one and a half; and when Kaguya unsealed him at sixteen, it was equivalent to two complete Nine-Tails.

Of course, this amount of chakra is also quite obvious. To a sensory ninja, it's like fireworks exploding in the night; it's no longer a matter of being bright and outstanding.

The Uzumaki clan has a way of hiding chakra. Although Naruto can't use it yet, fortunately, no one seems to have investigated him so far. At least Naruto hasn't discovered any moves by the higher-ups, and there's only one ANBU member monitoring him.

So as long as you don't idly wander into the barrier, you'll basically go unnoticed.

However, what others didn't know was that the Nine-Tails inside Naruto's belly was fully aware of Naruto's changes.

As his chakra increased, one night he was finally pulled into the sealing space by Kurama (the Nine-Tails).

Looking at the enormous, ferocious fox demon behind the sealed portal, Naruto's mouth dropped open, his eyes filled with astonishment.

How did they manage to fit such a huge thing inside their body?

Clang——

Sharp fox claws reached out from the doorway, their fingertips scraping against the railing, creating a dazzling burst of sparks.

"Hey, kid, come here!"

"Do I look like an idiot?"

Naruto scratched his head, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds, the atmosphere inexplicably awkward.

"Hmph, you cunning little human brat..."

"You were the one lying to me..."

Seeing Naruto's inexplicable expression, Kurama's emotions became somewhat disjointed for a moment.

It had intended to scare this foolish human cub and ask why it had its own chakra, but the brat wasn't afraid at all.

"He's definitely not an ordinary kid..."

Kurama crouched down, crouching behind the door, and squinted at the little brat before him: "Hey, kid, why do you have my chakra on you?"

Naruto pondered for a few seconds: "Maybe... possibly... perhaps... it's because you're inside me?"

"That's not what I'm asking you!!"

The giant fox behind the door roared furiously, "I'm talking to you! Why is your chakra nature exactly the same as mine? Why do you, a human, possess such a massive amount of tailed beast chakra! Do you think I'm as stupid as those guys in Konoha? You brat!!"

The giant fox roared, bringing with it gusts of wind that forced Naruto to take two steps back.

"Haha, we've been found out..."

Naruto smiled and spread his hands, not hiding much: "All external energy that has a negative impact on me will be completely nullified and copied onto me. You can understand it that way for now."

It's clear from the original storyline that the most basic requirement for dealing with tailed beasts is honesty.

Moreover, the reason he was able to accumulate so much chakra was largely due to the Nine-Tails' persistent erosion of the seal and disruption of his chakra.

As his chakra increases, his exploitative practices will inevitably be discovered sooner or later. It's better to be honest and cooperate for mutual benefit. After all, he and Kurama don't have any conflict of interest, so the possibility of cooperation is still very high.

Nine-Tailed Fox's pupils constricted sharply: "This is impossible!"

"But the facts are already right in front of you."

Naruto opened his palm, and a small sapling emerged from it: "Three people left their chakra on me: my parents, and a guy with Wood Release abilities."

"Wood Release..."

Nine-Tailed Fox narrowed its eyes, its heart filled with apprehension.

Wood Release combined with Adamantine Sealing Barrier, if I wait until this brat grows up, I'll hang him up and whip him!

Looking at the sapling in Naruto's palm, Kurama couldn't help but think of a certain hypocritical guy who kept saying things like "Kurumi, you're too strong," and then did *that* to it... Damn it, never mind!

However, the chakra of this brat in front of it did indeed give it a very familiar feeling a long time ago.

It has the feel of a four-generation couple, and... that kid Ashura?

Thinking of this, Nine-Tailed Fox snorted coldly: "Why tell me all this, you brat... what on earth are you plotting?"

"I'm going to let you go."

When Naruto spoke, Kurama was taken aback.

"Of course, not now."

Raising his hand to signal Kurama to be quiet, Naruto explained, "One day I will leave Konoha, travel around, see the world, and then find a beautiful place to live a quiet life. Before that, I need the strength to support this freedom."

"Your power is immense, but nothing in this world can surpass human greed. Keeping you on my person will only bring me unnecessary trouble, so rather than releasing you, I'm releasing myself."

"Hmph, that sounds so high-sounding..."

Kurama narrowed its eyes and scoffed disdainfully, "Aren't you also after my chakra? Why should I trust you?"

Naruto clumsily formed a few hand seals, and with a hiss, the sealing talisman on the gate instantly turned to ashes.

"The seal requires a key to open, but as the seal's effect weakens, you should be able to break free by force. And since I have your chakra, even if you break free of the seal, I will not die."

Naruto said frankly, "I only need you to continue disrupting my chakra. As a token of my sincerity, I will not strengthen the seal or restrict your movements. At most, I will release you in ten years."

Staring at the sealing talisman paper that had turned into ashes and vanished, Nine-Tailed Fox's eyes widened in astonishment.

No, kid, are you serious?

"Naive fellow..."

Behind the gate, Kurama sat up, shook its head like a big dog, then squinted and looked down at Naruto.

"Although I don't know why you, little brat, know so much, you should be able to figure out that your parents died because of me, right?"

"And... since you stole my chakra, you should be able to sense the overwhelming malice outside! Your unfortunate life is all thanks to me, brat!"

"So should I be hysterical? Or should I burst into tears?"

Naruto chuckled. "Speaking of which, you practically watched me grow up... well, not quite yet. Do you think someone with my personality would acknowledge those so-called parents? As for malice..."

Naruto scoffed lightly, his disdain evident in his words.

"Hmph, cold-blooded brat!"

"No way, you're the one who started this whole thing."

Naruto shrugged: "And I don't feel like I've been unlucky at all. Although that sounds a bit strange, if I had to say whether I've been lucky or not, it seems like my greatest luck so far has been meeting you."

"Lucky…?"

Nine-Tails paused for a few seconds, then burst into laughter, as if it had heard a funny joke.

"Interesting brat! Lucky you... Alright, since you're so eager to please, this old man won't mind playing along!"

Naruto blinked. "You seem very happy?"

"Shut up! I'll kill you, you brat!"

Nine-Tailed Fox reacted as if its backside had been burned, letting out a howl and pawing at the cage as it roared and howled.

"Look at you, in such a hurry again..."

Naruto chuckled: "Then it's settled. If you continue to disrupt my chakra, I will definitely set you free within ten years."

"Remember what you said, kid."

Kurama gave Naruto a deep look, then slowly lowered his body, closed his eyes, and pretended to sleep.

"Why are you lying down again?"

Naruto approached the seal entrance, gazing longingly at the large fox before him.

"Don't be so cold. We're comrades with the same goal, right? Let's get acquainted. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. What's your name? You can't just be Kurama (Nine-Tails), can you?"

"Let's have a chat, Mr. Nine-Tailed Fox—"

That brat is so annoying...

Nine-Tails twitched its ears impatiently and turned its head away.

Despite Naruto being so close, this is a sealed space, and the seal hasn't been broken yet. Even if it were to actually claw Naruto, at most he would only suffer mental trauma and have to sleep for a few days.

When this kid wakes up, it'll be the one who suffers.

That wretched brat is young, but his chakra reserves are already comparable to those of this tailed beast, and he stole it all from him…

Seeing that Kurama remained silent, Naruto collapsed to the ground and rolled around boredly.

It wasn't until she was almost asleep that the Nine-Tails' deep voice faintly reached her ears.

"Kurama...remember my name, brat..."

"Tsundere".

Naruto muttered something, and in a daze, he broke free from the sealed space. In his dream, he could vaguely hear the angry roar of a certain large fox.

(End of this chapter)