"Hiss, what is this weird little thing? It can't be an Explosive Tag, can it? Is that brat trying to blow this place up?"
"He's too naïve. The Sealing Space isn't something a mere Explosive Tag can destroy."
"But he can actually conjure objects out of thin air within the Sealing Space. Hmph, it seems I underestimated him."
The Nine-Tails muttered to himself, his massive claws pointing around the computer.
The computer screen displayed a desktop, and several icons caught the Nine-Tails' attention.
He leaned closer for a careful look.
He had originally been illiterate, but after spending more than a decade inside the previous Jinchuriki, he had learned to recognize some words.
"My Computer, Recycle Bin, Pokemon FireRed?" The Nine-Tails read the icons aloud, his face full of question marks.
"What are these?" Having been bored for decades, the Nine-Tails was like someone who had found his favorite toy and immediately began studying it.
He quickly discovered that the little mouse-like device could control the cursor on the screen.
He immediately shrank himself down, placed his fox paw over the mouse, and awkwardly clicked the various icons.
At last, with an accidental double-click, he opened the game Pokemon.
The screen went black before a gleaming game interface appeared, accompanied by cheerful game music.
Within the dim Sealing Space, a fiery red fox sat before the computer, intently controlling the mouse and keyboard as he began his journey of capturing Pokémon.
An old man's voice came from the computer. "Welcome to the Pokemon World. Pokémon are lively, cheerful creatures full of spirit. I am Professor Oak."
"Hmph, such childish artwork. I could eat creatures like these one bite at a time," the Nine-Tails grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"I even have to choose three at the start? Hmph, one of me is already invincible."
"Since it's a game, I'll pick a subordinate. Charmander, it's you. It calls itself a dragon, so it should have some skill."
"I'll allow you to help me conquer the world."
"Hiss, this Pokémon looks powerful. How do I capture it? Throw a Poké Ball? It failed! Damn it!!"
"Damn it! If I were there, I wouldn't need to bother throwing balls. Just standing there would have countless Pokémon coming to submit to me!"
"Yoshi, very good! Capture successful! Follow me as I conquer the world. You made a wise choice."
"Hmph hmph, this little thing is quite interesting. Looks like that damn brat has backed down. Since you've performed so well, I'll reduce my interference a little."
"If you apologize to me in person and kneel to beg forgiveness, I'll let you become a ninja," the Nine-Tails muttered to himself.
He continued playing seriously.
"This bird is so weak. Just kill it. The weak aren't qualified to become my subordinates."
"A Gym? Hmph, this kind of rookie is nothing."
"AAAAAH! Bastard! Damn brat, how dare you trick me!" Before long, the Nine-Tails' furious roar rang through the Sealing Space.
The First Gym Leader's challenge screen had frozen, with a single sentence written on it.
"Fox, behave yourself and I'll let you play the rest of the story."
Naruto, who had left the Sealing Space, wore a strange smile.
"This is called repaying resentment with kindness."
Even if you, Nine-Tails, hurt me a thousand times, I, Naruto Uzumaki, will still treat you like my first love. Not only did I let you enjoy the scent of barbecue, I even brought you a gaming experience beyond the Ninja World.
Tell me, aside from me, who else possessed such an open heart?
From the various bits of information in Bleach, Naruto learned that there was an invisible disease in the world, one even more terrifying than a virus: Internet addiction.
Those afflicted would forget food and sleep, becoming like walking corpses. Their faces would grow gaunt, and they would suffer worse than death. The moment they left the computer, they would lose all will, become frantic, and be unable to sit still.
Only when they returned to the computer would they regain their usual, somewhat normal appearance.
It was said that the tiny computer contained countless addictive games.
The Nine-Tails, who had been lonely for so long, would surely like it.
The Nine-Tails was so lonely in the Sealing Space. As his landlord, Naruto naturally could not stand by and do nothing.
Very soon.
A night passed, and Naruto climbed out of bed feeling refreshed.
After washing up and eating a simple breakfast, he got dressed and headed for the streets of Konoha.
The ingredients at home were running low.
Dressed in a white robe and carrying himself with graceful poise, Naruto stepped onto the street.
But this time was vastly different from the past.
The once-bustling streets had not changed. The villagers continued chatting among themselves, without sparing Naruto even a glance.
Naruto's efforts over the past year to build up his image had been quite effective.
At the very least, most villagers now chose to ignore him.
Those vicious curses from the past had also become nearly impossible to hear.
As for those bratty children.
They now took detours whenever they saw Naruto.
Naruto bought some vegetables and meat. After greeting Aunt Tanaka, he headed home, put away all the ingredients, made a simple boxed lunch, and then went to the training ground.
He had agreed to train with Sasuke yesterday, and he was full of curiosity about the prestigious Uchiha Clan.
What Naruto did not know was that his encounter with Sasuke yesterday had already reached the Third, even sparking a debate.
In the end, the Third decided to wait and observe. If the Uchiha Clan showed any intention of coveting Naruto, he would immediately take forceful countermeasures.
At the training ground, Sasuke arrived as promised.
He saw Naruto holding a dark green longsword, standing beneath the bleak autumn wind, blending into his surroundings just as he had when they first met.
"Swordsmanship," Sasuke murmured.
The Uchiha Clan also practiced sword techniques, but the Uchiha, who relied too heavily on their eyes, had little interest in this kind of training.
Besides, ninjas already had weapons such as kunai and Explosive Tags. There was simply no need for a longsword.
But as the saying went, there were no useless weapons, only useless ninjas. On Naruto, Sasuke sensed a sharp intent of the blade.
His young mind did not know how to describe that aura. He only knew that he definitely could not block that sword.
"Sasuke, you're here." Naruto lowered his sword, looked in Sasuke's direction, and smiled.
"Good morning, Naruto." Sasuke politely greeted Naruto.
At this point in time, Sasuke Uchiha was still living a carefree life, protected and cherished.
"Naruto." Sasuke took a deep breath, as though he had something to say.
In the past, he had always believed that he was the Uchiha Clan's second greatest genius, that among those his age, no one could possibly be stronger than him.
He had always believed this. As someone who inherited Uchiha blood, he would one day awaken his eyes and would not disappoint the expectations his brother and parents had for him.
Until he met Naruto, who was refined and gentle, yet terrifyingly powerful.
Before Naruto's pressure, Sasuke could not even summon the courage to fight.
But.
He was a proud Uchiha.
He could not disgrace the Uchiha name!!
A trace of struggle flashed through Sasuke's eyes.
"Naruto. Please, with me..."
Before he could finish, sword energy swept past, leaving an unfathomably deep mark on the boulder before Naruto.
Sasuke's pupils abruptly contracted, and his mouth went dry.
Though it was not the first time he had seen it, he was still shocked every time.
He took another deep breath, gathered his courage, and shouted at Naruto, "Naruto, please fight me! I want to know just how great the gap between us is!"
A small request: do you have any monthly tickets?
PS: The trial run starts this Sunday. Since the word count is low, the recommendation is tiny. Please continue supporting me with reads and other data—we can definitely fight our way out of this battlefield!
Before you continue