"That's right. Don't be fooled by its large size and fierce appearance. It has lived for so many years without having a single friend, even if it encounters something similar to itself."
Huayue said with a smile, " The Nine-Tails has always been arrogant and conceited. It likes to determine the strength of Tailed Beast by the number of its tails, so naturally Shukaku calls it a stinky fox."
As expected, after being exposed by Huayue's words, Nine-Tails had already revealed its ferocious and sharp fangs. If it weren't for the fact that it couldn't defeat him, Nine-Tails would have already prepared to unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb to show Huayue the strength of the strongest Tailed Beast in existence.
"No friends, just like me! No problem, starting today, I suddenly have two friends. Um... how should I put it? Please take care of me, big fox."
However, Nine-Tails ignored Little Naruto's good intentions and instead stared intently at the mask, gritting its teeth.
"Two brats, what is this? Human charity? Who do you think I am?!"
The whistling sound echoed in all directions, and the calm water rippled. Little Naruto shrank back behind Huayue in fear and asked timidly.
"Brother Huayue, this big fox is too fierce, we really should befriend it..."
Before she could finish speaking, Huayue began to introduce him to Little Naruto.
"Don't call it a fox. Every Tailed Beast has its own name. This one is Kurama. You should remember your friend's name."
The atmosphere was heavy. The Nine-Tails, which was originally enraged, paused slightly at this moment. For the first time, apart from the other Tailed Beast, it heard the title given to it by the Sage of Six Paths from someone else.
"Hey kid, where did you hear that name from? Answer me!"
"What? You've become a little impatient because you haven't heard this name in so long, Kurama?"
The Three-Eyed Demon Fox Mask was slowly removed, revealing a pair of pale purple circular eyes that met the pair of bright red vertical pupils.
"You bastard! That's from the Six Paths..."
Hiding behind Huayue, Little Naruto was still unaware of why the enraged Kurama was frozen in place, but judging from the fox's shocked expression, it seemed that there was some secret hidden beneath that mask.
"One day, an era in which humans and Tailed Beast will understand each other will come. That's what the Sage of Six Paths said, isn't that right?"
"Since neither of us will end well if we leave each other, we might as well give it a try and see what it feels like to have our first friend."
Just then, an invisible chakra gazed at the Little Naruto outside, Huayue smiled faintly, touching his blond hair.
"That's all for today. It's getting late. If you don't figure out how to have dinner, you'll go hungry. I'm leaving."
The next second, Little Naruto was kicked out of his Inner world, Huayue turned her gaze away and said frankly.
"Even if you want to use chakra to change Naruto's physique, it will take at least a dozen years. For someone who has lived for nearly a thousand years, this amount of time is really nothing."
"But have you ever thought that even if you escape, you'll just be dragging the next person along and continuing to live inside the Jinchūriki's body? Nothing will change."
The figure vanished into nothingness, and a look of scrutiny and doubt flashed in the Nine-Tails ' eyes. This guy, who had the same eyes as the Sage of Six Paths, looked somewhat familiar.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen used the ' Telescope Technique ' to observe Naruto's every move. Seeing that he had been sleeping on the Hokage Rock all afternoon, he sighed softly.
On the Night of the Nine-Tails' death, as the Third Hokage, he had no time to grieve for his beloved wife's passing and resolutely rushed to the battlefield.
In the end, the Fourth Hokage and his family of three still suffered tragic fates: two died, and their only child became Jinchūriki.
To be honest, Sarutobi Hiruzen had always harbored some unresolved issues, and the ensuing tangled mess gave him an excuse to escape.
The mastermind behind the Night of the Nine-Tails attack is suspected to be Uchiha Madara. His most prized disciple, Orochimaru, has defected. Beneath the surface of peace in Konoha's various prestigious ninja clans lies a turbulent undercurrent. And who will inherit Uchiha Madara's power...?
The matter was delayed again and again, and before we knew it, it had come to this day. Even Little Naruto was already three years old and was about to officially become a student at the Ninja Academy.
"It's time. We can't keep dragging this on. Let's take this opportunity to see Little Naruto. He's never had any friends. It's because of his Nine-Tailed Fox identity."
Thinking of this, Sarutobi Hiruzen was in a daze. If Little Naruto could grow up to be like Namikaze Minato, the burden on Konoha and himself would be much lighter.
As dusk approached, Little Naruto groggily woke up, recalling the figure from just moments before, as if waking from a dream.
"Am I dreaming? No, it can't be a dream. Brother Huayue and Kurama are real!"
The Inner world Kurama scoffed, "Did you even get its permission? Just calling a fox by its name like you're some big shot."
"It's already this late, if we don't come up with a solution, we'll go hungry again tonight. Let's catch a fish."
At this moment, Little Naruto was all smiles, already looking forward to meeting Huayue tomorrow. It felt so good to have someone to talk to!
A nearly transparent soul, devoid of any chakra fluctuations, floated in mid-air, silently watching Naruto walk towards the river, and subconsciously gazing into the distance.
"You've finally chosen to acknowledge Naruto's existence, but it's a bit too late to start taking action now, Third Hokage."
In the distance, clouds, reddened by the sun, drift into the distance.
Konoha, with a simple fishing rod and a hook that required no skill, Little Naruto managed to catch three plump and lively fish in just half an hour.
If those guys who regularly browse fishing forums saw this, they would definitely exclaim that it's impossible. How could you catch fish without baiting or groundbaiting?!
"What a pity. If Brother Huayue and that big fox were here, they could eat fish together."
"Thank you, but I don't need it. This fish is probably not even enough to fill a tooth gap for Kurama."
The familiar voice appeared in his ears again, Little Naruto excitedly looked around, subconsciously searching for Huayue's figure.
"Brother Huayue, where are you? Sure enough, what I just experienced wasn't a dream. That's great."
"Don't reveal my existence to others; they can't see me now. From now on, whatever I say, you must remember it well."
Little Naruto nodded vigorously, afraid that Huayue would be angry and ignore him, and that even his only friend he could talk to had disappeared.
" Naruto, what is your dream?"
Little Naruto looked troubled, but finally, as if he had mustered up his courage, he spoke loudly.
"I want to be someone that everyone recognizes. I'm not 'that,' I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
A dangerous smile curved her lips, and Huayue's gentle laughter resonated in Naruto's heart.
"To gain the recognition of others, you need to possess a power that no one can ignore; you need to become stronger."
By becoming stronger, he can gain the recognition of others and make everyone remember that he is not 'that', but Uzumaki Naruto.
In a daze, an aged yet smiling, wrinkled face slowly approached.
"The grilled fish smells so good, can I have one?"