Kurama: Let Me Live as a Human? The Wood Clone Plan

"Come to think of it, this is the first time we've truly met, isn't it?"

Inside the Sealing Space, within the sewers.

Naruto looked at the towering Iron Gate before him, its center locked by a seal.

Behind the Iron Gate was a fox many times larger than him.

The fox stared at him in stunned disbelief, all nine tails drawn back.

After a long while, Kurama came to its senses and said with utter disbelief, "Brat, you... how did you get in here?"

Naruto smiled. From the day he discovered that he could use Mental Power to block Kurama's Shared Vision and perception,

he had basically never allowed Kurama to see or sense anything again.

That was why, at the very beginning, Kurama had said it had slept for a long time.

Watching the unchanging Sealing Space every day while being unable to see what its Jinchuriki saw—

how could it not be bored?

"I won't say anything else. I'll only ask you this: do you want to live as a human?"

"Hahaha!"

Kurama scoffed at Naruto's words.

"Though I don't know where you got the nerve to say something so absurd,"

"I can only tell you that even that old man, the Sage of Six Paths, wouldn't dare say it, let alone imagine it."

Naruto smiled faintly. "Just because he can't do it doesn't mean I can't."

"And the Sage of Six Paths?"

"He was merely one of the weapons Kaguya Otsutsuki created through Asexual Reproduction."

"What did you say?"

"Of course I mean the Sage of Six Paths you consider omnipotent, along with his Brother."

"You've been in the Ninja World for so many years. You must have seen White Zetsu before, right?"

Kurama fell silent.

"White Zetsu was created by Kaguya Otsutsuki."

"Do you think they're weak?"

"That's perfectly normal, because that was only their initial form."

"Perhaps their Final Form was something like the Sage of Six Paths. All of this was preparation Kaguya Otsutsuki made to fight the Ōtsutsuki Clan."

"Unfortunately, those two Idiots were deceived by a frog."

"Kaguya Otsutsuki was sealed on the moon, while the Ten-Tails was split into Nine Parts. Yes, you're one of them."

"You should know that very well."

"You don't want to eventually become Nutrients for the Ten-Tails either, do you?"

"Shut up, Brat!" Kurama roared.

Naruto merely picked at his ear and said helplessly, "Can you stop randomly yelling?"

"If you were so powerful, you would've broken out of the seal already."

"You're afraid of Wood Style, and also..."

As he spoke, Naruto's eyes turned into Sharingan.

"You... you?!"

Kurama was so shocked this time that it could not utter a complete sentence.

"So, do you still think what I just said was false?"

"Besides, if Kaguya Otsutsuki could create White Zetsu, then so can I. In fact, what I create will be even better."

Naruto had already formed a plan in his heart.

Once he developed the Woods-Woods Fruit to a certain extent,

he could directly absorb the Nutrients of Trees—the purest Nature Power—and possess energy comparable to White Zetsu's physique.

Then he could inject it into specially made Wood Clones he had created.

Once they had Physical Bodies, he would only need to inject Mental Power and use it to control those special Wood Clones, completing another form of resurrection.

Since this world had Mental Power, could souls perhaps be classified under it as well?

He did not know for now, but Naruto felt that this path was feasible.

"Brat, this old man admits that you've truly shocked me again and again."

"You're special... so tell me, Brat. What scheme are you hiding now?"

After calming down, Kurama glared fiercely at Naruto and asked somewhat unwillingly.

"What do you mean, scheme? It's simply something that benefits both of us."

"What I want to do is very simple."

"You know the Two sons of the Sage of Six Paths, Asura and Indra, right?"

Kurama nodded. Its ability to endure shocks had grown much stronger.

"Their battle has never ended. After fighting in one life, they reincarnate and continue fighting. In the previous generation, they were Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. And I am this generation's Indra."

Kurama had gone numb.

It felt like it had lived for thousands of years as a fox for nothing.

"When the powers of the two are combined, one can achieve all things and obtain the Sage of Six Paths' eyes."

"But the Rinnegan can only awaken when Madara Uchiha reaches old age and nears death."

"If it awakens normally, that is the process. But if one gains both of their powers and receives help from the Sage of Six Paths' Chakra, who guards the Pure Land, then the Rinnegan can awaken early."

"What exactly is going on?"

Naruto sighed. It seemed he still had to tell a story.

So he told Kurama everything about Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju's passionate bond.

In the end, Kurama closed its eyes, digesting the massive amount of information.

At the same time, it said with a trace of dissatisfaction, "You've said so much. Though it sounds highly credible, you have no evidence."

"This old man can't simply believe you!"

Naruto knew from its expression that it was acting tsundere again.

It did not matter. There was plenty of time ahead.

"Then we'll talk about it another day."

"Think it over carefully during this time. Also, you've behaved well over these years. At least you haven't interfered with my Chakra. That's enough for now. I've used too much Mental Power, so I should leave."

"It's only because you, stinky fox, aren't that capable but have such a stubborn mouth that I had to come in myself."

"Hmph." Kurama closed its eyes. It neither refuted him nor got angry, simply swishing its tails as though none of this concerned it.

After Naruto's figure slowly faded away,

Kurama finally opened its eyes and looked at the spot where Naruto had stood.

Its fox pupils suddenly contracted.

"Damn it!"

"I kept calling him Brat, but I forgot... by human standards, he's only around six years old!"

"What you said makes sense, and this old man isn't an Idiot. Can't I tell what's real from what's false?"

"It's just... Naruto, this old man has lived for thousands of years. What kind of people haven't I seen? I don't dare believe it, and I don't dare gamble. Your eyes will definitely become... no, even stronger than Madara Uchiha's eyes."

"I have no confidence!"

Kurama let out a long sigh.

"Forget it. Even if you're lying to me, at least... I won't have to keep being controlled by those damned eyes in the future."

Meanwhile, Naruto had barely any Mental Power left.

After leaving the Sealing Space, he returned to his body.

The instant he opened his eyes, he felt somewhat exhausted.

"I still need to continue meditating."

"The Mental Power used to enter voluntarily really is quite substantial."

Suddenly, he felt that the Chakra within his body had become more active.

When he controlled it, that faint resistance had completely vanished as well.

"Heh, what a tsundere fox."

Naruto did not block Kurama from hearing those words.

"My Chakra reserves have increased by at least four units. I no longer need to expend any on the seal's power."

Then Naruto fell into a deep sleep.

Meditation training and sleep as replenishment did not conflict with one another.

In the morning, after saying goodbye to Tenten, he entered the classroom.

Looking at the group of little brats, Naruto knew it was time to prepare his escape.

The Anbu Ninja monitoring him no longer dared show up openly.

He had plenty of time to train in other things.

After realizing this, Naruto returned to his seat.

"At noon, with the children of these great Ninja Clans as cover, Sarutobi Hiruzen won't dare act too brazenly and use the Live Streaming Artifact to spy on me."

"Then I'll choose the lunchtime gathering."

"From now on, I'll have a Wood Clone attend school in my place. With the children of the great Ninja Clans covering for me, I won't need to worry about being discovered."

"At noon, I'll come back to cook personally and replenish the Wood Clone's Chakra... The current Wood Clone still can't absorb the nutrients from food in its stomach... so, to keep Sarutobi Hiruzen from being unable to resist checking with the Live Streaming Artifact, I'll have to return personally."

Today's lesson was theory. Iruka was at least somewhat competent in that area.

Their gazes happened to meet.

Naruto could still sense the disgust, hatred, and inner conflict that had always been in Iruka's eyes.

But he was not the Naruto from the original story. He did not need Iruka.

Besides, even without Iruka, there was Erluka.

Iruka's ability to accept Naruto and acknowledge him

was merely the result of Sarutobi Hiruzen constantly trying to brainwash him with the Will of Fire.

In the original story, Iruka did not truly acknowledge Naruto until Naruto graduated—the first episode of the anime.

During that time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no idea how much ideological work he had done.

Shaking his head, Naruto directly lay on the desk and pretended to sleep.

He continued secretly training his Chakra Nature Transformation, then would meditate afterward.

Waiting for noon to arrive.

It was time to put Rasengan training on the agenda.