Nine-Tails' Cooperation

From that day on, Sasuke joined Naruto's small training squad.

With Naruto and Rock Lee as examples, Sasuke trained far more intensely, determined to surpass Naruto.

During their training, Naruto also became interested in Sasuke's brother, whom he had never met.

According to Sasuke, his brother was Konoha's greatest genius, and a gentle person.

However, Itachi was extremely busy after joining the Anbu and rarely returned home.

So whenever Itachi was home, Sasuke stayed behind to keep his beloved brother company.

With Sasuke joining them, the quality of Naruto and Rock Lee's meals steadily improved.

The virtuous Mikoto prepared exceptionally lavish lunchboxes for the trio every time.

Naruto silently remembered this kindness in his heart.

During this time, Naruto had not entered the Sealing Space.

Chakra training remained difficult. Nine-Tails still stubbornly interfered, though the intensity seemed to have lessened.

Because of his training, Naruto had also put Nine-Tails out of his mind.

Until one day a month later, Naruto was surprised to discover that he could use the Three Body Technique with incredible fluency and ease.

Only then did he remember that there was still a Nine-Tails inside him.

Is he reminding me to enter the Sealing Space? Looks like he can't stand the loneliness anymore. Naruto smiled wryly and entered the Sealing Space.

"Drip." Once again, the familiar sound of dripping water rang out. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the incomparably dim Sealing Space.

Naruto made his way toward the iron gate with practiced ease.

Over the past month, he had not entered the Sealing Space, nor had he seen Aizen even once.

He had been immersed in training. Whether it was Kido or Zanjutsu, he had made visible progress.

"Brat! Brat, get over here!" The moment Naruto appeared in the Sealing Space, he heard Nine-Tails' near-hysterical roar.

By the time Naruto reached the iron gate and was about to make out Nine-Tails through the dim lighting, a claw suddenly gripped the gate tightly. A twisted fox face pressed against the bars, its eyes filled with madness.

"Brat, you win! I admit it, you win! Hurry, unlock the rest of the game for me! Hurry up!!!" Fox claws pounded frantically against the iron gate. Nine-Tails' voice had become hoarse and utterly deranged.

While pounding on it, he even repeatedly smashed his head against the iron gate, the sounds making Naruto's brows twitch wildly.

Under the faint light, Naruto finally saw Nine-Tails clearly.

The fur all over his body was a complete mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze toward Naruto was full of desperation, like a dying man who had found a spring of life.

Is this what the books call Internet Addiction? Naruto's eyes widened as he came to a realization.

Even a powerful beast like Nine-Tails had been utterly defeated, to the point of developing mental problems.

This virus was truly terrifying.

Naruto unconsciously took a step back, as though afraid he might catch Internet Addiction too.

That single step back immediately panicked Nine-Tails, who thought Naruto was about to leave.

He instantly gripped the iron gate, pressing his fox face even tighter against it until marks appeared on his face.

"Don't go, brat, don't go! I won't interfere with your Chakra anymore. Don't leave!"

"You won't interfere anymore?" Naruto asked.

"I won't! I really won't! If I interfere with your Chakra again, then let me starve to death, let me die of boredom." Nine-Tails nodded as rapidly as a pecking chicken.

During that agonizing month, Nine-Tails had seriously considered the matter over and over.

Freedom was certainly important.

But the relations between the ninja villages were tense now, and countless powerful figures lay hidden throughout the Ninja World.

No one knew what the Ninja World would become in the future, or what kinds of powerful figures would emerge.

If he left Naruto's body now,

he would definitely become the target of every ninja village.

They would all covet his power.

Even Konoha's top fighters might be more than he could defeat now, much less the entire Ninja World.

Nine-Tails was confident, but not arrogant.

Now was not the time to leave Naruto.

Naruto Uzumaki might be an obnoxious brat with a terrible personality, but the Black Box he had tinkered together was quite interesting.

He would reluctantly remain inside him for a while longer.

During that time, he would play the games in the Black Box properly and quietly wait for the right moment to gain his freedom.

Yes, that was settled.

"Brat—Naruto, cough, cough. I have decided not to interfere with your Chakra anymore," Nine-Tails said, suppressing his craving for the game and putting on a calm expression. He cleared his throat and spoke solemnly.

"You don't want to get out? You don't want to destroy Konoha?" Naruto asked teasingly.

"Hmph. Konoha is nothing but sand to me. I can destroy it whenever I wish," Nine-Tails snorted.

His little eyes kept darting toward the computer.

Following his gaze, Naruto saw a strange interface.

Five adorable creatures were displayed on it, each paired with a number.

Naruto had read a similar explanation in a book.

Those words represented levels 60, 63, 63, 71, and 42 respectively.

Sensing Naruto's gaze, Nine-Tails looked proud.

"These are all my Pokemon, and their levels are very high. This Charizard is built for special attacks. Its Flamethrower has quite the style of my Tailed Beast Bomb. And this Pidgeot—don't let his handsome looks fool you. He used to be nothing more than a little shabby bird."

Nine-Tails had turned into an internet-addicted teenager, talking endlessly.

"Have fun. I'm heading back first."

Naruto had no interest in listening. With a helpless turn, he headed back the way he had come, preparing to leave the space.

"Wait, Naruto! Hurry up and unlock the game for me!" Nine-Tails let out a heart-wrenching howl behind him.

After Naruto left, Nine-Tails returned to the computer.

The game's restrictions had disappeared. He skillfully used his two claws to grip the keyboard and mouse separately, entering gaming mode.

"Hahahaha! My Pokemon are already invincible!"

"The first Gym Leader? Why are his Pokemon only level 16? They're completely not enough to fight me."

The moment he left the Sealing Space, Naruto tried using ninjutsu again.

He formed the hand seals smoothly. "Clone Technique."

After a swirl of smoke, an identical Naruto appeared before him.

"It worked." Naruto lowered his hands, his eyes brimming with joy.

With Nine-Tails' cooperation, Naruto's ninjutsu training advanced by leaps and bounds.

With his help, Sasuke and Rock Lee also improved greatly.

Most importantly, Rock Lee had strengthened his conviction and charged wholeheartedly toward Taijutsu.

His training weights were even close to surpassing Naruto's.

In the days that followed, Nine-Tails cleared Pokemon and began releasing Chakra interference.

It was not until Naruto stormed angrily into the Sealing Space that Nine-Tails revealed his purpose.

He wanted more games.

To create an internet-addicted evil fox, Naruto downloaded several new Pokemon games onto Nine-Tails' computer.

In the days that followed, Naruto and Nine-Tails developed a new mutual understanding.

Whenever Nine-Tails cleared a game, he would interfere with Naruto's Chakra. At that point, Naruto would download a new game for him.