The Big Fox

After finishing his milk and carefully rinsing his mouth, Naruto collapsed onto the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

The Bond System... Who else could he build a good relationship with now?

He definitely had to go play with Satsuki again, but on second thought, would members of the Uchiha Clan getting close to him, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, make Konoha's higher-ups wary? Especially that old schemer Danzō—was he supposed to expect the man to show mercy just because she was a three-year-old girl? He should dismiss such naive thoughts as soon as possible.

He had to find a way to sound out the Third Hokage...

It couldn't be helped. Uchiha Satsuki's bond level had given him 500 points after increasing by one level. Naruto couldn't help feeling tempted.

Come to think of it, would the old Third Hokage have bond points too? Surely that old man didn't really see him as nothing more than a container for a Tailed Beast?

To be fair, the Third Hokage had treated him fairly well, but it only went as far as "fairly well." He wouldn't starve in his daily life, and later, the villagers would sell him things because of the Hokage's orders, but the alienation and isolation had always remained.

Whenever the Third Hokage visited, aside from routinely bringing him supplies, the questions he asked most often were:

"Naruto, do you know what a Hokage is?"

"Do you know what the Hokage represents?"

His intentions couldn't have been more obvious. The old man clearly wanted him to follow in his father's footsteps and become an outstanding Konoha ninja—preferably one who dreamed of becoming Hokage.

It wasn't that Naruto didn't want to become Hokage because the villagers' isolation had filled him with resentment—though their rejection was certainly unpleasant. But aside from not wanting to get involved with a dark political regime, Naruto knew far too well just how exhausting the position of Hokage was.

That version of himself in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations...

In clips from the anime, his "future self," already the Seventh Hokage, had been buried beneath mountains of paperwork, so overwhelmed he could only use a Shadow Clone to deal with his own daughter's birthday. Those exhausted eyes, always ringed with dark circles, stood in stark contrast to his current energetic reflection in the mirror.

What a joke. Whoever wanted that kind of life could have it!

There were simply too few people he could form bonds with at present. The old Third Hokage counted as one. Kakashi should still be in the Anbu right now, so Naruto couldn't reach him at all. As for the Konoha Twelve Ninja...

Other than Sakura, Rock Lee, and Tenten, who came from civilian backgrounds... Though Tenten probably didn't count as a civilian either. The rest were all children of major clans. Making contact with them rashly now would definitely draw the attention of Konoha's higher-ups.

The original story's scene where he walked Hinata home and saved the beauty hadn't happened yet...

There was no way he could take the initiative to seek out the Hyūga Clan's young lady. Thinking of that, Naruto sighed helplessly.

"...It seems there's no suitable choice besides Might Guy."

Night gradually deepened. Lying on his bed, Naruto's thoughts slowly grew sluggish. The insects outside the window seemed alternately distant and near, and his eyelids became heavy without him noticing. At last, carrying expectations for the future, he slowly closed his eyes.

The surroundings were dim and murky, with a faint smell of rust permeating the damp air. Pooled water on the ground reflected a gloomy light, and every step sent tiny ripples spreading outward.

Straight ahead stood a colossal iron gate dozens of meters tall. Its heavy doors were carved with intricate, obscure formulas, and a sealing talisman was affixed at the very center.

Naruto wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or had truly entered the Sealing Space. At that moment, he stood separated by the gate's bars from the enormous orange fox behind it, staring into its eyes.

"Hmm..." Little Naruto craned his neck and carefully examined the sight before him. "It's a little big, but when you look closely, it's actually pretty cute."

The vein at Kurama's temple twitched violently when he heard that.

Was this brat missing a screw?

As the strongest Tailed Beast, he had long grown accustomed to the fear and hatred in human eyes. But "cute"? The word left him momentarily speechless. What part of him had anything to do with "cute"?

Forget it. More than how others viewed him, Kurama yearned for the freedom that had been denied to him for so long.

"Brat, come over here and open the gate."

His deep, oppressive voice echoed through the Sealing Space. Naruto looked up at the enormous orange fox before him—those orange-red eyes still gleamed dangerously even in the darkness, sharp fangs flickered into view, and nine tails swayed restlessly behind him.

Seeing Kurama speak to him so directly, Naruto was left speechless. Was this fox too lazy to even put up a basic pretense? He started by asking Naruto to undo the seal without even trying to act?

"This gate is too big. I can't open it."

"Just tear off the piece of paper on the gate." Kurama impatiently flicked his tail. He lowered his massive head, his breath washing over Naruto with intense heat.

Naruto thought for a moment before asking, "What will happen if I open it?"

"Why do you have so many questions? I told you to open it, so hurry up and open it!" Kurama's tone suddenly rose, making the entire Sealing Space tremble faintly.

In Kurama's eyes, although this brat often muttered things to himself that Kurama couldn't make sense of, he was still just a human child who hadn't even grown out of the milk smell. Could the strongest Tailed Beast really fail to control a three-year-old runt?

"No way." Naruto took a step back and crossed his arms. "I may not know much, but if I let you out, it'll probably be dangerous, right?"

...What a sharp brat.

Just as Kurama was secretly considering how to beguile this child, he discovered that Naruto wasn't afraid in the slightest. Instead, he widened those azure eyes and examined Kurama with keen interest.

"No wonder those people call me a demon fox..." Naruto tilted his head up, his gaze burning as he stared at the colossal creature before him. "So there really is a giant fox inside my body."

Kurama's ears twitched slightly. He hadn't expected that reaction.

Naruto paid no attention to his silence and continued on his own. "Still, even though you're a little big... you're really handsome!"

That statement completely stunned Kurama.

He had lived for thousands of years and seen countless humans look at him with fear, hatred, contempt, calculation... but never had anyone described him as "handsome."

What surprised him even more was that, from the emotions he sensed, Naruto had meant it sincerely.

Because Kurama really was very good-looking.

His orange-red fur still carried a soft sheen in the dim Sealing Space. His nine enormous tails swayed gently behind him, each strand of fur brimming with vast Chakra as they drew elegant arcs through the air. His colossal body nearly filled Naruto's entire field of view. Sharp claws, pointed fangs, orange-red eyes... He was clearly a fearsome beast, yet somehow possessed the noble aura of a divine beast from myth and legend.

...Wasn't Kurama's original inspiration a divine beast anyway?

As Naruto's thoughts wandered, he suddenly realized something. "But... how do we get out of here?" He looked around. The damp, dark Sealing Space contained nothing but endless darkness and that gigantic iron gate. "Looks like we're both trapped in here."

He scratched his head, then flashed a brilliant smile and extended his hand toward Kurama. "Oh, right! My name is Uzumaki Naruto. Since we've met, let's get acquainted!"

Kurama answered with an impatient snort.

"Get lost, brat." He slowly lay down, resting his massive head on his front paws as he coldly watched Naruto. "Or I'll kill you."

"Huh? Why?" Rather than being scared away, Naruto asked back with a puzzled expression. "This is our first time meeting, right? It's not good to hate each other."

He simply sat down cross-legged and propped up his chin. "We're both stuck here anyway. Wouldn't chatting be much better than just staring at each other?"

Kurama's tail flicked irritably. He hadn't expected this brat not only to fear him, but to actually want to "chat" with him.

What a troublesome human child.