Think Before You Act

The instant Naruto saw the enormous fox waving its nine tails, he suddenly understood.

Why those people called him the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

Why those people said he had caused the Fourth Hokage's death.

Why those people hated a child who had done nothing wrong.

"How truly ugly."

A mocking expression surfaced on Naruto's small face.

"Seems like you've understood something?"

The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox lowered its head and looked down at the little brat standing before the iron gate. The ferocity on its face faded somewhat, replaced by an amused expression.

"Yeah."

Naruto nodded, then raised his head and looked directly into the enormous fox's eyes. Unafraid, he calmly asked, "Are you the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox? Did you kill the Fourth Hokage?"

Nine-Tails admitted it without hesitation, answering in an amused tone, "I am Nine-Tails. The Fourth Hokage did indeed die because of me. Before he died, he sealed me inside you, which is why those villagers target you so fiercely.

Do you hate him? Hate the Fourth Hokage who sealed me inside you.

Do you hate them? Hate the villagers who took their anger out on you.

Come, accept my power. You did nothing wrong. They are the ones at fault. Use the power I give you to slaughter every last one of them and wash away the hatred in your heart."

After it finished speaking, Nine-Tails' amused expression deepened.

It could sense the darkness in the little brat's heart expanding, and the killing intent around him growing increasingly intense.

In response, Nine-Tails' Chakra answered that darkness. More of it surged out through the sealing gate and flowed into Naruto's body.

This was Chakra dozens of times stronger than before.

It was foreseeable that before long, this killing intent would break through Naruto's reason and leave him completely controlled by the destructive urges brought on by his bloodlust.

At that moment, Naruto seemed to return to that day.

The first time he had been allowed to go outside, he had wanted to play with the companions he had long admired, only for everyone to call him a demon fox that ate people, the culprit behind the Fourth Hokage's death.

He had tried desperately to explain, only to be ignored again and again.

They had even wanted to kill him.

Clearly, clearly, I didn't do anything wrong.

The ones at fault were those adults.

What right did they have to take their anger out on him?!

"Slaughter every last one of them and wash away the hatred in your heart."

Nine-Tails' words echoed in his ears, like a devil tempting Naruto to release the emotions in his heart and destroy everything that displeased him.

"No, I can't disappoint Third Hokage. He's been so good to me. He gave everything to protect the village. I can't deny this world because of some people's mistakes."

Just as he had the first time he was affected by the negative emotions of Nine-Tailed Chakra, Naruto used this reason to comfort himself.

But this time, unlike before, it did not allow Naruto to hold on to his reason beneath the assault of his frenzied killing intent.

Blood-red power began to seep from his body. It was Nine-Tails' Chakra.

That power wrapped around Naruto, causing the killing intent in his heart to spread and surge ever more violently.

"Come, accept more of my power and destroy everything."

Seeing this, Nine-Tails bared its teeth, its smile fully blooming as it poured even more Chakra into Naruto.

Ji Wenzi thought three times before acting. When Confucius heard this, he said, "Twice is enough."

When Naruto felt that his reason had reached its limit, a line from the Analects that he had read not long ago surfaced in his mind.

Only by thinking three times before acting could one plan before moving and remain invincible in all endeavors.

At that moment, Naruto thought of many things.

Gradually, Naruto's emotions calmed.

The killing intent around him vanished, and the blood-red Chakra slowly dimmed.

At that moment, Nine-Tails' face was filled with disbelief.

It could not understand how this little brat, who had been on the verge of losing control and going berserk, had pulled back from the brink at the crucial moment and regained his reason.

Even more so, in its perception, the darkness within the little brat seemed to have vanished. No matter how it drove its Chakra, it could no longer affect him.

"Impossible, brat! How did you control yourself?"

The mountain-sized beast was shaken to the core. It could not help taking a step back as it demanded an answer.

When it looked again at the small figure standing before the iron gate, the contempt in its eyes was gone, replaced by solemnity.

Only it knew how corrosive its Chakra truly was.

Even someone like a Hokage could not simply ignore it, much less a four-year-old Jinchuriki brat who had only just learned to refine Chakra.

At that moment, the mountain-sized beast thought of many things. It thought of its childhood, of that old man who had given it life and always spoke of Love.

Was love what had allowed this little brat to restrain himself?

Naruto panted heavily, drenched in sweat as though he had just been pulled from the water.

The small boy stared at the mountain-sized beast. Yet at that moment, his bearing was no weaker than the beast's, and a defiant smile appeared on his face. "You're confused?"

After a pause, Naruto continued without waiting for Nine-Tails to answer. "Your temptation really is appealing. Kill all those ugly people and wash away the hatred in my heart. That would feel wonderful."

"But have you considered the consequences?"

"You are imprisoned here, inside my body. That means your power isn't invincible. Even if there is no one in the village who can match you, there must be a way to restrain you."

"Even if I accepted all your power, what could I actually accomplish?"

"Go on a killing spree? Or maybe I couldn't even do that? Maybe I could only destroy some insignificant buildings before they subdued me. You're a beast with enough value that others naturally have no way to deal with you."

"But what about me?"

"My existence should be like a cage holding a beast like you, right? Since the cage is broken or poses a safety risk, the safest choice would be to replace it with another cage. What would happen to me, then? After making such a huge mistake, I would definitely be executed."

"Or perhaps they have no other cage to replace me with, so they can only grit their teeth and accept this loss. I wouldn't be executed, but the best possible outcome would still be complete confinement and the loss of all freedom, right?"

"I don't want to gamble. I have to have freedom. Then I'll become a ninja, a powerful ninja, and do everything I want to do, instead of being buried alongside those villagers."

"Those people truly are ugly, but they are the ones at fault, not me. If I used their mistakes to punish myself and perish together with them, that would be the stupidest thing I could do. It would be pure self-debasement."

"One day, I'll make them feel my pain and understand their mistakes."

"But the time to do that isn't now, and it isn't with your power that isn't truly invincible."