Just then...
Naruto shuddered.
The Nine-Tails inside him suddenly began thrashing wildly.
"Naruto!!! Get away from them!!! Run!!! Run as far as you can!!!"
The Nine-Tails' voice exploded in his mind, filled with unprecedented terror.
"That Uchiha brat! And the one beside him!!! That's Hashirama Senju!!! The God of Shinobi!!! Damn it!!! Run!!! If you don't run now, it'll be too late!!!"
The shouting made Naruto's ears hurt.
"Hey, hey, what's gotten into you?"
"Idiot!!! Do you know who they are?! They're two monsters!!! Monsters even scarier than me!!! In front of them, I'm just a pet!!! No! Not even a pet!!! Run!!!"
Naruto blinked.
He turned to look at the two beside him.
Genya was smiling at him.
Hashirama was smiling at him too.
Two smiles, one laid-back, the other guileless.
Naruto scratched his head.
"Nine-Tails, aren't you getting things mixed up? They're good people!"
The Nine-Tails: "..."
It was already crouching inside the sealed space, clutching its head.
Naruto ignored it and sprang enthusiastically to his feet.
"Hey, Uncle Hokage! I'm a huge fan! You're the First Hokage, right? I've seen you in my textbooks! That battle yesterday was so cool!"
His eyes shone with admiration.
Hashirama paused, then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! This kid's a fun one!"
He looked at Genya.
"This is the Naruto you told me about?"
Genya nodded.
Hashirama took a good look at Naruto.
Short blond hair, blue eyes, and three whisker-like marks on his face.
And that exuberant, utterly unguarded goofiness...
He suddenly remembered his younger self.
Actually... we really are pretty alike, aren't we?
"Come on, sit down and let's talk!"
Hashirama patted the seat beside him.
Naruto plopped down, his eyes still fixed on Hashirama.
"Uncle Hokage, how did you beat Madara Uchiha back then? The textbooks barely say anything!