Nine-Tails, There's Something Wrong with Your Eyes

Late at night.

He was still alone at home.

Naruto Uzumaki stared at the shabby ceiling and closed his eyes.

With a turn of his thoughts, his body appeared in a dark underground water prison. The steady dripping of water made the Sealing Space within his mind seem all the more perilous.

...Drip... drip... drip...

Naruto Uzumaki stepped across the damp stone slabs one step at a time, gradually approaching the depths of the water prison. Candlelight illuminated his face. "Nine-Tails, have you thought over what I mentioned last time?"

Within the bars at the depths of the water prison, the Nine-Tails Fox opened its eyes. It stared at the blond brat before it, whose eyes were nearly as large as its own, and snorted. "Hmph, brat, do you think I'm some pet you keep?"

"Nine-Tails, you're overthinking it."

Naruto Uzumaki stopped outside the water prison's bars and held out his palm. "With your size, you'd be utterly unfit as a pet..."

Those words instantly enraged the Nine-Tails!

The fox rose from the floor, lowered its massive head, and slowly approached the bars, blasting out a puff of hot breath through its sharp teeth!

Even in its fury, the Nine-Tails still maintained the dignity of a Tailed Beast. "Sharp-tongued brat!"

Scarlet negative chakra turned into bubbles. Under the Nine-Tails' control, they continuously spilled over the sealed cage, corroding this Sealing Space...

Leaking Tailed Beast Chakra was something the Nine-Tails did almost every day. It had always been trying to use that chakra to draw out the Jinchuriki's negative emotions!

Sealing Art: Devour!

Naruto Uzumaki raised his palm without a care. After glancing at the Nine-Tails, he devoured all the scarlet chakra within the Sealing Space!

Under the effects of Sealing Art: Devour, the Tailed Beast Chakra would soon be purified into chakra he could use himself!

Naruto Uzumaki gazed at the Nine-Tails' blood-red eyes and calmly spread his palm. "Nine-Tails, have you made up your mind now? Will you willingly provide me with chakra, or will you make me absorb yours?"

"..."

The Nine-Tails snapped out of its shock at seeing Sealing Art: Devour. Upon hearing his words, it forcefully suppressed the emotions on the verge of exploding. "Brat, as long as you're willing to undo the seal, you'll be able to use my chakra however you please!"

Last time, Naruto Uzumaki had faced the Nine-Tails with an air of absolute dominance, leaving the Nine-Tails Fox deeply displeased. It had been too lazy to bother with such an ignorant little brat!

Afterward, though, it regretted it somewhat.

No matter how it looked at it, an immature little brat was easier to deceive than Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki!

As long as it could make him undo the Four Symbols Seal on the cage, it could use its chakra to erode Naruto's consciousness at a faster rate. That would be its chance to escape!

Besides, this brat clearly craved Tailed Beast Chakra. He wanted to make use of a Tailed Beast's power!

The previous two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki, had disdained using the Nine-Tails' power, and they had never needed to. That had left the Nine-Tails with no opening.

Now, the third Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had taken the initiative to ask for Tailed Beast Chakra. Though he did not speak nicely, and his attitude was far from sincere...

As long as it could escape...

It could immediately teach him how to be a good little child!

Yet after Naruto Uzumaki glanced at the Nine-Tails, his brows gradually furrowed. He lowered his head, turned, and started walking away from the water prison. "Forget it. I'll come back another time."

The Nine-Tails slammed a claw against the ground in irritation, lowered its voice, and roared at the small figure walking away. "Hey, brat, what do you mean by that?! You wanted to borrow my chakra, and I already agreed!"

"There's something wrong with your eyes..."

Naruto Uzumaki's figure disappeared back into the darkness. "I still think directly devouring your chakra would be better. The chakra that leaked out this time is enough."

"Bastard! Are you playing with me?!"

"I told you, there's something wrong with your eyes..."

That orange-yellow ninja outfit vanished completely into the water prison corridor. His final warning echoed through the empty Sealing Space. "Nine-Tails, the next time you see me, you'd better be more sincere, because I don't really want to completely devour you..."

"..."

The Nine-Tails helplessly stretched out its claws and gripped the bars, clenching its teeth tightly. "Idiot, do you really think you can contain a Tailed Beast's chakra?"

"Even the Sealing Space Minato Namikaze set up for you can't contain even half of my chakra. You're just a twelve-year-old brat..."

Unfortunately.

There was no one else left in the entire Sealing Space. Only the dripping water remained, keeping company with the most vicious Tailed Beast in the ninja world.

Naruto Uzumaki quietly opened his eyes in bed. Slowly clenching his fists, he felt the chakra and strength within him replenished once more. Then he closed his eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.

That afternoon, in order to defeat Ebisu, he had consumed quite a bit of chakra using techniques such as Shadow Clone.

Although he knew his chakra recovery was extremely strong, he had to make absolutely certain he could pass tomorrow's Survival Exercise.

The only regret was that the Nine-Tails still had not submitted this time.

Or rather, although the Nine-Tails appeared to comply and was willing to provide chakra voluntarily, its attitude and expression made Naruto Uzumaki feel very uncomfortable.

In truth, he did not know what the Nine-Tails had to do to meet his expectations. However, he knew that the Nine-Tails' current attitude clearly did not match what he had expected.

Outside the door of that old house.

An old man quietly walked down the stairs.

A squad of ANBU ninja followed close behind him and asked in low voices, "Third Hokage, should we remain here and continue watching him?"

"There's no need."

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and muttered distractedly, "I didn't expect that he could already control the Nine-Tails' chakra."

To prevent any accidents, Hiruzen Sarutobi had planned to examine the Four Symbols Seal on Naruto Uzumaki tonight, ensuring that the Tailed Beast Chakra within him would not leak out.

But when he sensed the Nine-Tails Chakra leaking and hurriedly prepared to rush inside, the Tailed Beast cloak gradually forming around Naruto Uzumaki's body suddenly vanished...

That evil chakra also dispersed into the air.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around, looked at the ANBU squad, and instructed them quietly, "The few of you no longer need to stand watch in this area. Return to ANBU and report in."

One ANBU ninja suddenly voiced a question. "Lord Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki is, after all, part of the village... If we just leave him like this..."

Another ANBU ninja clearly knew more. He said solemnly, "And it isn't only spies from outside the village coveting his power. Even within the village..."

Ever since the Tailed Beast had been sealed inside Naruto Uzumaki, their ANBU squad had been responsible for eliminating enemies who coveted the Tailed Beast's power. They had even tracked some ninja from within the village.

"It's fine. Children have to grow up eventually."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, signaling that they need not be nervous. "I will restrain certain people in the village and no longer allow them to approach Naruto Uzumaki."

"As for enemies from other ninja villages, I believe Kakashi Hatake has more than enough ability to protect his subordinate."

Only he knew the truth.

This ANBU squad's most important purpose was to monitor whether the Nine-Tails Chakra leaked out. As for enemies coveting the Tailed Beast, they had never truly mattered.

Because truly powerful ninja had no need for a Tailed Beast's power.

Second update.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: Truly powerful ninja do not need to borrow a Tailed Beast's power.

Minato Namikaze: Third Hokage, are you serious?

Hashirama Senju: Well said!

Tobirama Senju: Big Brother is right!

Madara Uchiha: What the hell do you mean by that?