Absolute Control

If he had time-traveled even earlier, back when Naruto was five, six, seven, or eight, it would have been quite a mess.

Suffering from chronic malnutrition, his three meals a day were either instant noodles or expired milk, everyone in the street stared at you with those trash-like eyes, and occasionally some blind hoodlum would come along to uphold justice on behalf of heaven and beat you up.

Naruto did not consider himself a saint who could laugh and brush off malice no matter how much he suffered, and he wouldn't have lasted a single day in those conditions.

Moreover, if he had time-traveled to his childhood, he would have been forced to face two people: Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Danzo, the dark root of Konoha, wanted nothing more than to firmly control the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in his hands, turning him into a weapon of war that belonged solely to himself.

Although the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed kind on the surface, those turbid yet sharp eyes constantly watched the growth of the Jinchuriki.

These old foxes were not playing games with you; the slightest abnormality, a minor change in personality, or a sudden shift in behavioral habits could not escape their eyes, especially the Root ninja under Danzo who specialized in intelligence and surveillance.

Naruto asked himself if he was some kind of movie-emperor-level figure who could perfectly play an ignorant, innocent, and optimistic orphan under the gaze of two old foxes.

Within three days, his identity as a time-traveler would have been seen through, and the fate waiting for him then would either be interrogation as a spy or being surrounded by the Sealing Squad.

Yet this current timing was simply as good as it could get.

First of all, he had already passed Kakashi's test, officially obtaining the identity of a Konoha ninja along with his forehead protector and ninja registration number, which meant he had basic status security and a certain degree of a voice.

A ninja could take on missions to make money, and then improve their life and purchase cultivation resources.

As for the money from his childhood, well, it was a long story!

Secondly, immediately following the conclusion of the Land of Waves mission would be the Chunin Ninja Exams.

According to the plot's progression, during the Chunin Ninja Exams, Orochimaru would launch the Konoha Crush Plan, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi would trade his life for a life, using the Reaper Death Seal to seal the souls of the First Hokage and Second Hokage as well as Orochimaru's arms, ultimately dying of exhaustion.

By then, everyone's attention would be drawn by this drastic change, the Konoha High Command would fall into a brief period of chaos and power transition, and no one would have the spare time to care whether a Genin brat's personality suddenly became a bit more steady.

Once Tsunade returned to take over as the Fifth Hokage, the situation would improve.

Tsunade had never interacted with Naruto before, and all her understanding of Naruto came solely from other people's retellings and a piece of file paper.

When the time came, he would interact with Tsunade with his true personality, and given Tsunade's bold and direct character, she wouldn't even remotely entertain the absurd idea of soul-snatching or time-travel.

At most, she would just feel that this kid was a bit more precocious and sensible than what was written in the file.

"Pfft..."

Right as Naruto was thinking, a sharp and dull piercing sound rang out.

This was the sound of cold metal tearing through flesh and piercing the body.

There was no warmth whatsoever, only bare slaughter intent.

Following closely was a heavy thud, the muffled sound of a body slamming against the hard ground.

Naruto snapped his eyes open.

The scene that met his eyes made his pupils constrict.

He saw Sasuke lying in a pool of glaring blood.

His body was pierced by countless slender senbon, from his back to his arms, and from his thighs to his waist.

Fresh blood spread out from beneath Sasuke, soaking his blue short-sleeved shirt as well as the dusty ground.

A patch of blood red reflected in Naruto's pupils, and right after, a surging wave of anger, like a lit powder keg, rushed straight to his head uncontrollably.

Could this feeling of anger and hatred be the Nine-Tails Chakra?

Naruto instantly thought of the Nine-Tails inside his body, which had been continuously releasing its chakra over the years just to find an opportunity to break the seal.

Influenced by the Nine-Tails Chakra, Naruto's vision began to turn red.

Yet at that exact moment, from the deepest part of his body, an unspeakable sense of absolute control quietly emerged.

Just like he had done countless times in his past life, Naruto subconsciously made a slight movement.

Instantly, the overly secreted adrenaline and manic emotional fluctuations were gently pressed down by an extremely precise force.

It was like an invisible hand steadily "supporting" the impending flood and guiding it back into the river channel.

The anger faded in an instant, leaving behind ultimate calmness.

Naruto startled, and then joy surged wildly in his heart.

This feeling... Absolute Control!

His superpower had time-traveled along with him?

"Cough... cough cough..."

At that moment, Sasuke's hoarse voice sounded, his delicate face stained with blood, dirt, and a weak, defiant stubbornness characteristic of a youth.

He turned his head slightly; his face was covered in blood and mud, his lips pale, and his gaze was already beginning to blur, but he forced himself to look at Naruto.

"You... super big idiot..."

Sasuke's voice was intermittent, every single word seeming to be squeezed out of his throat with tremendous effort:

"What kind of look is that?"

"Clearly... I hate you the most..."

His voice grew lower and lighter, resembling a dying candle swaying precariously in the wind.

"Yet my body... rushed over on its own..."

As his words fell, Sasuke's eyes closed, and his entire body collapsed into the pool of blood like a log drained of all strength.

Watching Sasuke fall right in front of him, Naruto's gaze sharpened.

For he felt an astonishing surge of chakra erupt from within his body.

This was a deep red, materialized chakra shroud.

Resembling magma gushing out from hell, carrying endless hatred and frenzy, it rose up around Naruto's entire body.

The temperature in the air suddenly climbed, the gravel on the ground was blown scattering in all directions by this wave of pressure, and even Haku, standing not far away within the Ice Crystal Magic Mirrors, took half a step back.

The brutality and destructive will contained within the Nine-Tails Chakra were enough to make anyone with a weak will instantly lose their reason, reducing them to a beast that only knew how to destroy.

The Naruto in the anime had lost himself countless times under such chakra impacts.

Yet at this moment, there was not a trace of pain or madness on Naruto's face.

Because even though the Nine-Tails was sealed within his body, on some level, its chakra was also a part of his own body.

Since it was a part of himself, it belonged under his command.

"Absolute Control."

Naruto silently chanted in his heart.

In an instant, the violent Nine-Tails Chakra was pressed by the neck as if by an invisible giant hand, and after a few struggles, it obediently quieted down like a tamed hunting hound.

This intent of hatred meant to devour Naruto's sanity was steadily isolated outside his consciousness, leaving only the most majestic chakra power behind.

The violent deep crimson shroud grew stable and dense, as if draping him in a layer of scarlet chakra cloak.

A wave of joy welled up in Naruto's heart.