Everything Was for You

In the pitch-black, dim sewer, the enormous Nine-Tails looked directly at the two people below, as insignificant as ants.

Dense Tailed Beast Chakra seeped out through the cage.

"Did you see that?" Danzo asked.

"Uncle, is this why everyone calls me a monster?" Naruto stared blankly at the Nine-Tails inside the cage for a long while before asking fearfully.

"This thing is called the Nine-Tails."

Danzo nodded and briefly explained the origins of the giant fox before them to Naruto.

"So I really am not a monster?" After hearing Danzo's explanation, Naruto stared at him blankly and asked.

"No."

Danzo shook his head.

"Then why did you seal this monster inside me? Do you know how I've lived these past few years? Do you?!" Naruto's emotions visibly became agitated as he demanded.

"Watch your mouth, brat."

Having been called a monster, the Nine-Tails was clearly unhappy. Its scarlet beast eyes fixed on Naruto, and perhaps influenced by his emotional turmoil, crimson Tailed Beast Chakra continuously surged around him.

"Calm down."

Danzo looked at Naruto calmly, then disdainfully glanced at the Nine-Tails, which was still baring its fangs at him. "Naruto is your container. What the hell are you acting so cocky for?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Danzo clumsily formed the Sealing Jutsu Formula from his memories and pressed his palm directly against the seal on Naruto's stomach.

The massive cage was separated by a wall that suddenly rose up.

The Nine-Tails' Chakra around Naruto rapidly withdrew back into the cage, and the Nine-Tails' line of sight was blocked as well.

Feeling his emotions settle, Naruto looked over his body with lingering fear. His emotions had just gone strangely out of control.

Hatred and anger had intertwined and surged upward.

Seeing the still-shaken Naruto, Danzo reached out to ruffle his hair, but Naruto slapped his hand away.

"Uncle! Why did you lock that monster inside my body?!"

"I was bullied and rejected by the people in the village all these years because that monster was inside me!"

"Why did I have to become this person?"

Naruto was clearly still fixated on that question.

Danzo's feelings were equally complicated in the face of Naruto's questioning.

Originally, although he was a Jinchuriki, he could at least enjoy certain things that other Jinchuriki could not because of his status as one of the Children of Heroes.

But because of the original owner of this body, Naruto's identity had been concealed, and through manipulation, he had even been shaped into the image of a demon fox.

However, Danzo certainly would not take the blame for that. Though those sins had been committed by the original owner, Danzo would never admit it.

With a thought, a clear change came over Danzo's face.

His gaze was complicated, his face filled with sorrow. Looking into Naruto's furious eyes, Danzo explained with heartfelt pain, "Naruto, all of this was actually to protect you!"

Seeing Naruto's confused expression, Danzo continued, "Actually, your background is far from ordinary. Whether it was your father or your mother, they were both truly great ninja."

"The two of them gave far too much for Konoha."

"Father? Mother?" Naruto's eyes widened. Throughout his childhood, the words father and mother had often surfaced in his mind, yet they had never truly existed in his life.

"Then why?"

He was even more confused. Since his parents had contributed so much to the village, why did he have to become the container for this monster?

Danzo explained with a complicated expression, "Your parents were both great ninja of Konoha, but to the other ninja villages, they were thorns in their eyes and thorns in their flesh."

"But they have already died protecting Konoha."

"To protect you, we could only hide your identity. All of this was to protect you."

His mind raced wildly as he combined the Fourth Hokage's identity with an attempt to correct what the original owner had done.

He reframed the original owner's selfish desire to raise Naruto into a war machine as having all been for Naruto's protection.

Naruto seemed to understand, but after learning news of his parents, that matter became foremost in his mind. He asked, "Then who are my parents? And what does all this have to do with that monster?"

Danzo had already noticed the situation outside. It seemed the disturbance caused by the Nine-Tails' Chakra eruption had drawn Sarutobi's attention.

He had originally planned to carefully explain how he and Naruto's parents had devoted themselves to protecting him, but now he could only keep it brief.

"I cannot tell you who your parents are."

"Why?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Until you have the ability to protect yourself and the strength to establish yourself in the ninja world, I will not tell you your parents' names," Danzo answered.

"Your parents traded their lives for all of this. You must cherish it. You cannot expose your existence; at least, you cannot reveal your identity right now."

"If spies from enemy villages learn who you are, endless assassination attempts will be all that await you."

Naruto nodded, unexpectedly calm.

Danzo was somewhat surprised by his reaction. Naruto had not even entered the Ninja School yet, but the mentality and thoughtfulness he displayed far surpassed what Danzo had seen in the anime.

Compared to the other children in the village, the emotions and bearing Naruto displayed were already astonishing.

Could it be because he had been called dead last after entering the Ninja School that he had gradually become less confident and duller?

Thinking about it, that made sense. As the Fourth Hokage's son, Naruto had learned certain ninjutsu with astonishing speed. The talent he displayed was nowhere near that of a dead last.

With that in mind, Danzo explained further, "As for the monster inside your body that you saw, it is actually one of the inheritances your parents left you."

"I already explained the existence of Tailed Beasts. With one inside you, both your Chakra reserves and your body's natural recovery abilities will be several times greater than those of ordinary people."

"And if you can completely master the power the Nine-Tails gives you, you will possess the strength to establish yourself in the ninja world."

"This monster is an inheritance my parents left me..." Naruto looked toward the cage separated by the wall, his expression somewhat dazed.

If I master this monster's power, I'll be able to learn Father and Mother's names.

Power.

I want great power.

That was the only thought in his mind now.

"Wake up!"

Danzo suddenly raised his hand and smacked Naruto on the head. The last trace of Tailed Beast Chakra remaining on him dissipated.

The dazed Naruto snapped out of that state of pursuing power and looked at Danzo in confusion. "Just now, I...?"

"While desiring power is not a bad thing, Naruto, power you cannot control will never truly be yours. Only power you can wield freely belongs to you."

Danzo kindly warned Naruto not to trust the Nine-Tails too much and to remain vigilant toward it.

Um, the revised synopsis has been submitted.