For Your Own Good

"Lord Hokage!" x2.

The two Anbu left behind to monitor Naruto flashed out from the shadows and dropped to one knee before the Third Hokage.

Standing downstairs, the Third Hokage looked up at the second-floor window without speaking. While bringing his people over, he had sensed an oppressive, agitating Chakra from far away from Naruto's small house.

Not only was he familiar with that Chakra, but everyone in Konoha who had survived that night five years ago would never dare claim not to know it.

"What happened?"

A trace of gloom surfaced on the Third Hokage's face as he asked.

The arrangements concerning Naruto had only just made progress with Shikamaru that morning, yet by nightfall there were signs that the Nine-Tails might go berserk.

This put the Third Hokage, who had been working tirelessly for Konoha in his office, in a foul mood. He had originally planned to visit his one-year-old grandson, Konohamaru, later.

"The target has not left his home since returning at noon. He went onto the second-floor balcony for less than two minutes in the afternoon, and everything remained normal. But just a few minutes ago, we discovered that the target on the second floor suddenly erupted with the Nine-Tails' Chakra without any warning."

The Third Hokage's expression eased slightly upon hearing this. Then he turned and nodded to the several Anbu beside him.

Six figures stepped out from the group behind him. Their bodies flickered as they spread out in every direction, their hands rapidly forming Hand Seals.

"Barrier! Seal!"

Starting from the six of them, translucent Light Screens rose and connected with one another, surrounding the small building. In the blink of an eye, Naruto's house was enclosed within a hexagonal space.

An Anbu wearing a beige hooded trench coat walked up to the Third Hokage and said, "Lord Hokage, the barrier has been set. We sense that the Jinchuriki has not moved from his position. Should we—"

Boom—

Before he could finish, everyone below saw a massive hole suddenly blast open in the wall beside the second-floor entrance.

The Third Hokage immediately fixed a sharp gaze on the opening. Soon, he saw Naruto emerge in his pajamas.

Then his face instantly darkened as though water could be squeezed from it, because Naruto was wrapped in crimson Chakra. His eyes had become red vertical pupils, and two unsteady tails swayed behind him.

"Lord Hokage, why are you here?"

"Mm... mm?" The Third Hokage froze, then exclaimed in shock, "Naruto? You're still conscious?"

Before deciding to break through the wall, Naruto had already weighed everything in his heart. He needed to show that he could still be firmly controlled. The situation was not yet too bad, so he needed to keep his emotions in check and face what came next with his usual natural composure.

A look of confusion flashed across Naruto's face when he heard the Third Hokage's question. "What do you mean?"

The Third Hokage was greatly surprised. He had truly not expected Naruto to retain his self-awareness while in a Tailed Beast state.

After countless thoughts flashed through his mind, the Third Hokage immediately resumed his kind and benevolent expression and asked Naruto, "Naruto, what is this Chakra around you?"

"I don't know."

To deceive others, one first had to deceive oneself. Naruto spoke the words as though answering the question, yet also as though muttering to himself.

"You don't know? Then how did this Chakra appear?"

The Third Hokage was speechless as he looked at Naruto's face, which seemed somewhat fierce and savage due to the Nine-Tails' Chakra coiling around him.

Although Naruto remained extremely calm despite being covered in that ominous Chakra, the Third Hokage remained highly vigilant. Since it concerned a Tailed Beast, he had to be even more cautious.

Naruto raised his hands, which had turned into beast-like claws, and examined them back and forth with apparent curiosity. He spoke with an innocent expression. "Lord Hokage, I really don't know. Today, I made a friend. He's from the Nara Clan."

"I was so happy that I went straight home. Then, after lunch, I stayed upstairs refining Chakra. When I started feeling sleepy in the evening, I suddenly heard a voice in my head calling my name."

What kind of logic was that?

He had made a friend, yet he had happily gone straight home.

The Third Hokage and the subordinates beside him struggled to process that.

However, their attention was quickly drawn to Naruto's last sentence.

The Third Hokage's expression darkened. "A voice was calling you? What voice?"

A trace of confusion flashed across Naruto's face. "It sounded like a fox?"

The Third Hokage asked sternly, "What kind of fox?!"

"I didn't see it clearly. I followed the voice and saw a fox-like face!" Naruto said with a startled look. "That fox called me over to a dark iron gate, and then some red stuff flowed out from the other side of the gate and ran to my feet."

"It said it was a reward for being able to see it at such a young age."

"Then, I don't know what happened, but my body became like this."

Inside the Sealed Space, Kurama's crimson eyes lit up when he heard Naruto say that.

Although Kurama felt that the kid's words sounded strange, they somehow suited his taste.

The Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully after hearing this. It sounded like the Nine-Tails inside Naruto had actively lured him into the seal, causing this result. But as he stared at the large hole upstairs, he suddenly asked, "Naruto, why did you break the wall of your own house?"

At once, anger flashed across Naruto's face. "I didn't break it!"

"What? You didn't break it?"

Now, not only did the Third Hokage wear an incredibly strange expression, but the Anbu around them were also speechless beneath their masks.

"That's right! I didn't!" Naruto nodded, then pointed at the two swaying tails behind him. "They did it! When I noticed these things appearing on my body and was still wondering about them, these two things smashed the table, chairs, and lots of other furniture in my room."

"When I saw them destroying things, I wanted to come outside. But just as I was about to open the door, these two things smashed the wall beside it."

The Third Hokage was still half-convinced.

Although he was certain that Naruto was completely conscious and not faking anything, why could he not control the Nine-Tails' Chakra?

The Tailed Beast information they possessed contained no such case.

Ever since Konoha had Jinchuriki, whenever Tailed Beast Chakra appeared on a Jinchuriki's body or covered them, either the Jinchuriki's consciousness took the lead and controlled it, or they completely lost themselves and were controlled by the Tailed Beast's consciousness.

When the Jinchuriki was in control, they could fully control the Tailed Beast Chakra on their body and use it for themselves. When controlled by the Tailed Beast, they would fall completely into a berserk state that was difficult to restrain.

Moreover, this was also the case in the Jinchuriki reports brought back by Konoha's spies in other shinobi villages that possessed Tailed Beasts.

But what was Naruto's situation? The Jinchuriki had not lost self-awareness, yet could not control the Tailed Beast Chakra. It was completely unreasonable.

The Third Hokage felt that the situation was somewhat absurd, but there was another troublesome matter now.

Naruto seemed not to know what the things happening to him meant. That made the Third Hokage's head ache even more over how to explain everything to Naruto.

In that instant, the Third Hokage had already made up his mind. Looking at Naruto upstairs, he smiled and said, "Hehe, Naruto, come down first. You need our help to control this Chakra now."

"Okay." Naruto jumped directly down from the second floor, then walked several steps to the Third Hokage and looked up to ask, "Can this really be controlled?"

Before Naruto moved toward them, the Anbu around them had already scattered and assumed highly alert stances.

"Hehe, of course it can." The Third Hokage once again revealed a kindly smile, then said to Naruto, "Naruto, undo your clothes and let me take a look."

"Why do I need to undo my clothes?" Naruto asked with a puzzled expression.

The Third Hokage spoke gently. "Don't be afraid, Naruto. I'm only checking whether your body has suffered any harmful effects, just like when you went to Konoha Hospital for examinations before. Do you remember the medical ninja you met when you were little?"

"Oh, okay."

Naruto lowered his head and began undoing his buttons. But in an instant, a trace of bloodlust appeared in his eyes. He immediately closed them and suppressed that emotion.

Controlling this Chakra for the first time was truly difficult. The slightest carelessness could stir the deepest negative emotions in his heart into raging waves.

Seeing Naruto close his eyes, the Third Hokage thought he was afraid. But he felt that was a perfectly normal reaction for a child.

When he inspected Konoha Hospital, he often saw children close their eyes in fear during examinations or injections. Naruto might be special, but he was still a child.

After a smile flashed across his face, the Third Hokage crouched down. The Sealing Jutsu Formula on Naruto's stomach had already emerged clearly.

"Just as it was years ago, the Eight Trigrams Seal shows no signs of damage. The Eight Trigrams Seal, which the Fourth Hokage developed using the Double Four Symbols Seal, was meant to allow the Nine-Tails' Chakra leaking from between the Four Symbols Seals to be converted into Naruto's own."

"It seems that Naruto's ability to retain his self-awareness while being unable to control the Nine-Tails' Chakra is likely related to the special nature of the Eight Trigrams Seal."

"The Fourth truly planned far ahead for this child."

After examining the Sealing Jutsu Formula, the Third Hokage pressed one hand against Naruto's stomach and carefully sensed it. A moment later, his eyes sharpened.

Naruto's own Chakra had already reached the level of an ordinary Konoha Jonin.

"This child is only five years old, yet he has reached this level through the Chakra refinement method used by civilians!"

"And if the Nine-Tails' converted Chakra is added to that..."

After countless thoughts flashed through his mind, the Third Hokage narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Hehe, Naruto, I've examined you. Your body has not been affected."

"But if you hear any voices in your head again, don't pay attention to them. That is an evil monster."

"Now don't move. I'll seal this Chakra back into your body."

A warning surged in Naruto's heart upon hearing this, but he still did not dare open his eyes. He could only nod expressionlessly.

The Third Hokage did not actually care whether Naruto agreed. As he spoke, one of his hands suddenly spread open, and a ball of Chakra ignited at each of his five fingertips.

Five Elements Seal!

After saying that, the Third Hokage carefully targeted the details of the Eight Trigrams Seal's Jutsu Runes and swiftly slapped Naruto's stomach with one hand.

The Five Elements Seal's Sealing Jutsu Formula was successfully inscribed onto the Eight Trigrams Seal.

"I did this for your own good."

The Third Hokage finally relaxed and slowly spoke those words.

The moment Naruto heard "Five Elements Seal," he knew something was wrong.

But he had no time to evade it, nor did he dare to.

A pain that pierced deep into his soul struck him, and the Tailed Beast Chakra around his body rapidly shrank back into him.

"Urgh."

Hearing the Third Hokage's words, Naruto forcibly suppressed the urge to cry out from the pain, but he completely lost consciousness.