The Core of a Tsundere

Just like that, Naruto finally scraped together 2,100 system points and earned two chances at a ten-pull draw. Though the way he got those points was rather unexpected.

Who would have thought that Hinata, who did not even dare resist when bullied, would secretly follow him? But after seeing so many prematurely mature children in the Ninja World, Naruto could not be bothered to comment on it anymore.

Unfortunately, both ten-pulls were unlucky. They were all ordinary "blue sky and white clouds" rewards, with no rare purple or gold items appearing. Still, after this period of accumulation, Naruto's Chakra had reached the equivalent of eight Kakashis, and his taijutsu had surpassed that of most ordinary genin.

His progress in sealing technique training was even more unexpectedly smooth.

With the system's talent boost, Naruto found that the principles were actually simple: write the formulas according to specific patterns, then combine them with Chakra to produce different effects. This experience of "it looks difficult, it actually is difficult, but it becomes surprisingly easy to learn once you get the hang of it" felt incredibly novel to Naruto.

At present, he was focusing on two sealing techniques—or rather, two stages of the same system. The Four Symbols Seal and its advanced version, the Eight Trigrams Seal.

His choice of these two techniques was no coincidence. The Secret Scroll of Sealing Techniques clearly recorded that the Eight Trigrams Seal possessed immense flexibility. It represented the eight aspects of heaven, earth, thunder, water, fire, mountain, lake, and wind, and this characteristic gave Naruto an idea.

If he could master this sealing technique... perhaps he could improve his relationship with that tsundere fox?

At last, his day-after-day of painstaking training brought a welcome breakthrough.

On a quiet night, Kurama remained in his usual miniature form, lazily lying on the ground of the Sealing Space.

He was using his claws to flip through the story Naruto had specially written for him. Without realizing it, waiting for Naruto to come chat had become something he looked forward to every day.

Just as the moment remained peaceful, a sudden change occurred—the stagnant filthy water that had accumulated on the ground for years seeped into the earth at a visible speed, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

"What's going on?!"

Kurama's ears shot upright, and all his fur stood on end. His first reaction was actually concern—had something happened to Naruto?

The moment that thought surfaced, even he froze. In the past, when faced with such a change, he would only have cared whether it gave him a chance to escape. Now he was actually worried about a human's safety?

Before he could think further, an even more astonishing transformation followed. Tender green grass suddenly sprouted from the previously barren ground, growing into a soft, lush lawn in the blink of an eye.

The dark and oppressive surroundings gradually brightened, transforming into a refreshing scene of blue skies and white clouds. He could even feel a gentle breeze brushing through his fur.

Kurama stood there blankly, instinctively pressing a paw against the ground to make sure it was not an illusion. Just then, a familiar figure appeared outside the iron bars.

"Yo! Kurama! Feeling more comfortable now?" Naruto grinned as he leaned over the railing, his eyes gleaming with pride.

"...You did this?" Kurama's voice carried a hint of disbelief. He slowly lay down on the newly formed grass, enjoying the comfort of an environment he had not experienced in a long time.

The breeze swept through his orange-red fur, and sunlight warmly spilled across his back. It was a sensation he had not felt for decades.

"Yeah! The Eight Trigrams Seal really is super useful! Do you like this kind of environment? If you're not satisfied, I can change it anytime! I can simulate deserts, caves, lakes, rocky mountains, even volcanoes! So? Pretty amazing, right?"

Kurama's ears twitched slightly. He deliberately turned his head away, avoiding Naruto's expectant gaze. "...It's alright. Just keep it like this."

Kurama's voice was deliberately cold, but an indescribable warmth rose within him. Looking at Naruto's brilliant, reward-seeking smile, he truly wanted to offer him some praise.

But the pride of being the strongest tailed beast made it impossible for him to say it. Kurama could feel his facial muscles relaxing against his will, so he had to tense his face hard to maintain that stern expression.

His memories suddenly returned to the day they first met. The little blond boy had stood in the same spot and asked, "Big fox, how long have you been in here? There's water everywhere. Doesn't it make you uncomfortable?"

How had he answered back then? "Do you think I want it this way? Don't casually speak to me, brat." In a roundabout way, he had admitted that the environment really did make him uncomfortable.

But he had never imagined that this human cub, whom he had looked down on at the time, would keep those words in his heart. He had even spent so much time learning such difficult sealing techniques just so... Kurama could live a little more comfortably.

Kurama buried his face in his front paws, unwilling to let Naruto see the complicated expression on his face. Since the old man died, it had been so long that he had nearly forgotten this feeling of kindness. Yet now, it made his heart ache with a bittersweet soreness.

Ding!

Congratulations, Host: You have formed a bond with original character "Kurama" (Level 4)

Reward: 800 points obtained!

Unexpectedly, Kurama's bond level had risen two levels at once. It seemed that renovating the Sealing Space this time had truly struck the heart of that tsundere big fox.

Beyond the joy of receiving the reward, a bold thought suddenly came to Naruto.

If I asked to touch his fur now... would he agree?

Just as Naruto hesitated over whether to ask, Kurama's deliberately lowered voice came from behind the iron bars.

"...Well done, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened abruptly, and he nearly thought he had misheard. That tsundere fox, who had always been so sharp-tongued, had actually taken the initiative to praise someone?! The increase in favorability was even more noticeable than expected.

And there was that form of address. From the initial "brat" to naturally calling his name, "Naruto"—even Kurama himself had not realized when that change had occurred.

Perhaps it had been during one of their casual chats, or perhaps on some night spent sharing stories. The name "Naruto" had simply slipped out naturally.

Kurama had not even noticed that his mindset had already undergone an earth-shattering change. Once upon a time, he had hoped every day that something would happen to the Jinchuriki, wishing for the vessel imprisoning him to die sooner. But now, if Naruto truly encountered danger... he certainly would not remain indifferent.

On a desolate trail at the border of the Land of Fire, an ordinary-looking figure sped along at an astonishing pace. This man, dressed in simple traveler's clothes, left shallow dents in the ground with every step. He moved so fast that he nearly left afterimages behind—without a doubt, he was a highly trained ninja.

This was Naruto's Shadow Clone after disguising itself with the Transformation Jutsu. After quietly leaving Konoha using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had traveled continuously for an entire day and night. He was now crossing the border of the Land of Fire and racing northeast.

The howling wind swept past his ears. Naruto's golden hair had become an ordinary brown beneath the Transformation Jutsu's disguise, and his destination was clear—the Land of Grass.

With another explosive leap in strength, Naruto had finally turned his attention toward that member of his clan.

He would take Karin Uzumaki and her mother away.