To fully access and freely wield the Nine-Tails' immense chakra, Naruto needed to break the Fourth Hokage's seal.
But he had no idea how to do that.
He knew nothing about sealing jutsu.
The only tailed beast who knew anything about sealing jutsu was Shukaku, but even he had been sealed away by Sunagakure.
The Nine-Tails had been sealed for decades and had no real way to deal with the seal beyond slowly wearing it down with chakra.
Sealing jutsu was an extraordinarily complex and profound discipline, involving precise chakra structures, the understanding and drawing of runes, and interference with space and even concepts.
Sometimes, even with a complete set of books and careful instruction from an expert, someone without enough talent might never grasp the basics. Trying to figure it out alone, without any guidance, was practically a pipe dream.
Naturally, Naruto turned his attention to the Third Hokage.
As the Hokage who had governed Konoha for years and collected countless ninjutsu scrolls, he was undoubtedly the best source.
Konoha should have plenty of books on sealing jutsu, right?
Naruto refused to believe that Konoha had never copied or studied the intricate sealing jutsu possessed by Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki, two women from the Uzumaki Clan who had married into the village in succession and served as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
That knowledge had to be safely stored somewhere.
The difficult part was finding a reasonable way to ask for those advanced sealing jutsu.
Revealing that he had already learned Wood Release and using it as leverage to gain access to sealing jutsu lessons would undoubtedly cause an enormous stir and invite intense scrutiny. The risk was far too high, and the gains simply would not justify it.
After weighing his options, Naruto realized he needed a bargaining chip substantial enough to matter, but not so astonishing that it would shock everyone.
That left him with the Uzumaki Clan's innate gifts-Adamantine Sealing Chains and Mind's Eye of the Kagura.
He could pretend that some incident had unexpectedly awakened Mind's Eye of the Kagura or Adamantine Sealing Chains, abilities belonging to the Uzumaki Clan, even if they had only manifested in their most rudimentary form.
Then he could use that as grounds to ask the Third Hokage for systematic instruction in sealing jutsu, so he could better control and develop the power in his bloodline.
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation that would largely dispel the Third Hokage's doubts and might even please him.
That was the reality of having no cheat system. To obtain something essential, he had to reveal a few of his hidden cards in exchange for resources and opportunities.
To Naruto, this was a necessary, carefully considered transaction.
But learning Adamantine Sealing Chains or Mind's Eye of the Kagura posed another major problem.
After thinking it over repeatedly, Naruto turned his attention to the enormous fox lounging deep within his consciousness space.
Adamantine Sealing Chains was far too difficult.
Besides, Naruto had no one to teach him.
It had taken him three months just to develop chakra threads on his own.
Those solid chakra chains looked as though they required extraordinarily precise control over chakra shape and nature transformation. They were not something he could imitate overnight.
But the Uzumaki Clan's other signature ability-Mind's Eye of the Kagura-seemed to offer some room to maneuver.
At its core, the technique provided precise sensing over an enormous range and could even distinguish malice in chakra.
At that thought, Naruto's eyes lit up.
Mind's Eye of the Kagura... didn't the Nine-Tails naturally possess a similar, perhaps even stronger, ability to perceive malice?
The Nine-Tails' sensitivity to malice was extraordinarily sharp, almost instinctive.
Occasionally, thanks to the Nine-Tails' malice perception, Naruto could even hear the vicious insults directed at him in the minds of villagers who outwardly did nothing more than watch him coldly.
If he could borrow the Nine-Tails' sensing ability and pass it off as an initial awakening of Mind's Eye of the Kagura...
Then he would have an entirely reasonable and convincing basis for asking the Third Hokage for systematic instruction in sealing jutsu, to "control" and "better understand" this suddenly awakened bloodline sensing ability.
That plan was undoubtedly far more feasible than trying to figure out Adamantine Sealing Chains by himself.
After a quick discussion with the Nine-Tails and reaching an agreement, Naruto wasted no time and immediately set off for the Hokage Building.
He knew that the essence of this "sudden awakening" act lay in the impact and authenticity of the word "sudden."
The moment he "sensed" something strange about his abilities, he had to rush straight to the Hokage's Office in panic and confusion, seeking help from the "Grandpa Third" he trusted most.
That timing would produce the best effect.
Any hesitation would look deliberate. Only an immediate, frantic response could convincingly imitate someone's genuine reaction to an unexpected incident.
A Nine-Tails Jinchuriki of only seven or eight suddenly awakened the Uzumaki Clan's Mind's Eye of the Kagura, which could sense good and evil, and detected the malice that passing villagers harbored toward him.
Naturally, he would run "in a panic" to seek help from the elder he was closest to in the village.
Faced with a child who depended on him so deeply, trusted him so completely, and thought of seeking him out first when his powers underwent an uncontrollable change, would the old Third Hokage really be upset over Naruto barging in?
The answer was clearly no.
Rather than arousing suspicion, it would strongly appeal to the Third Hokage's sense of responsibility and protective instincts as both Hokage and elder, further cementing Naruto's image as an "innocent child who depended on the village."
This carefully orchestrated "accident" was undoubtedly an excellent move for maximizing his gains.
There were usually no guards permanently stationed at the entrance to the Hokage Building.
That was not because security was lax, but because the Third Hokage had deliberately adopted the policy to maintain his image as an approachable leader who listened to his people.
He allowed any villager or ninja to enter the building directly to submit mission requests to him in person, or to bring up difficulties and concerns that could not be resolved at lower levels.
Of course, theory was one thing. Very few people actually barged straight into the Hokage's Office on the top floor without first having their arrival announced.
Most matters were redirected and handled downstairs.
Today, however, was clearly an exception.
Naruto darted into the Hokage Building like a gust of wind, ignoring the startled looks from either side as he charged straight up the stairs to the top floor.
He had never actually visited the Third Hokage's office and did not know which door was his. More importantly, he now had to perfectly portray the panic and urgency of a child confronted with something frightening and unknown.
And so his urgent, piercing cries rang through the quiet, solemn corridor: "Grandpa Third! Grandpa Third! Where are you?!"
His shouting was not just a quick way to locate the man. It was also an essential part of his planned performance.
A truly frightened child's first instinct was to seek out the adult they relied on most and call for them in the most direct, loudest way possible.