With surprising ease, he hoisted the broken fridge out and carried it all the way to the scrapyard. The workers there gave him confused looks as he dropped it off, dusted his hands, and walked away like it was just another errand.
Once done, Naruto made his way to the Hokage Tower. He could've entered like a normal person—but where was the fun in that? With a grin, he leaped up the side of the building, scaling it effortlessly before landing on the window ledge of Tsunade's office.
He knocked once on the glass, then slid it open and stepped inside.
Tsunade looked up from her paperwork, her brow already twitching. "You're starting to be like him more and more," she muttered, referring to Jiraiya without even saying his name.
"Good morning," Naruto greeted cheerfully as he strolled in and hopped up onto her desk, crossing his legs like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched again. "What do you want this early in the morning, brat?"
"Oh, nothing much," he said with a grin. "It's just that, since nobody even bothered to check on my place while I was gone, my fridge kinda… turned into a failed experiment."
Tsunade blinked. "And what exactly am I supposed to do about that?"
Naruto leaned forward, lowering his voice dramatically. "You know…"
She stared at him flatly, then sighed as realization hit. "You want a new one, don't you?"
He beamed. "You always understand me, Granny Tsunade!"
Pinching the bridge of her nose, she muttered something under her breath about stress wrinkles. "Go talk to Shizune. And for heaven's sake, stop climbing through my window!"
Naruto hopped off the desk with a victorious grin. "You got it!"
As he exited the office, Tsunade leaned back in her chair, exhaling deeply.
'He's still a hassle, that's for sure,' she thought tiredly, glancing toward the open window Naruto had left behind. A faint breeze rustled her papers.
"Just like Jiraiya…" she murmured with a faint smile.
...
Naruto was now carrying his brand-new fridge, a wide grin plastered across his face as he strolled through the village streets.
Villagers passing by gave him curious looks—after all, it wasn't every day you saw someone carrying a refrigerator like it weighed nothing.
"Morning, Naruto!" one shopkeeper called out, laughing. "Getting some home upgrades, I see?"
Naruto laughed back, adjusting his grip. "Yeah, "
By the time he reached his apartment, a light sweat glistened on his forehead, but his grin never faded. He set the fridge down, plugged it in, and heard the satisfying hum of power returning to it.
"Yep, being a Jinchūriki has its pros," he muttered proudly, flopping down onto his bed.
His muscles relaxed, but his mind didn't. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought.
'Now that I think about it… I haven't really spoken to the bloody fox yet,' he thought, frowning slightly. 'Let's see if I can.'
He pushed himself up, sat cross-legged in the center of the room, and closed his eyes. The quiet hum of the fridge filled the background as he began to focus on his breathing.
Inhale. Exhale. Slowly, he sank deeper into his mind, letting everything else fade away—the sounds, the light, even his thoughts—until there was only silence.
Then, without warning, he felt something tug at him from within—a strange pull that yanked his consciousness downward.
The world twisted.
A heartbeat later, Naruto landed with a splash.
He blinked and looked around. The air was damp and cold. The floor beneath him was shallow water that rippled with every step, reflecting the faint orange glow of distant light.
The place stretched endlessly in every direction, pipes lining the walls like veins in a massive creature.
"What the hell…" Naruto muttered, his voice echoing faintly.
A drop of water fell from above, followed by another, and another. The rhythmic drip… drip… drip… was the only sound—until a low gust of wind blew past him. It carried something heavy, ancient, and oppressive. His instincts screamed danger.
He turned slowly—and froze.
Two enormous, blood-red eyes stared back at him from the darkness. Each eye was as large as his entire body, glowing like molten fire, locked on him with a look that could shatter steel.
The dim light revealed a massive set of black iron bars stretching high into the unseen ceiling, sealing off whatever monster lay behind them. A large paper tag with a spiraling seal symbol was pinned at the center of the gate—radiating faint chakra.
Then the shadows stirred.
From behind the bars, a mountain of fur and malice emerged—a colossal fox, its rust-colored coat shimmering like liquid flame in the dim light. Nine massive tails swayed lazily behind it, each movement sending ripples across the water. Its fangs glinted like ivory blades, and its eyes—those burning, ancient eyes—were filled with both fury and cunning.
Naruto stood there for a moment, the sheer presence of the beast pressing down on him like a weight. And then, in true Naruto fashion, he grinned.
"Well, how've you been, Foxxy?" he said casually, smirking up at the towering creature. His voice echoed boldly through the vast chamber.
The fox's eyes narrowed, the faintest curl of a snarl—or maybe a grin—tugging at its muzzle.
"What do you want, brat?" Kurama's voice rumbled through the space, deep and resonant. It was less a voice and more an earthquake, vibrating through the air, the walls, even Naruto's chest.
Naruto didn't flinch. He crossed his arms and looked up, unimpressed. "Nothing really," he said simply.
A low growl reverberated behind the bars, sending waves rippling through the water. The fox leaned forward, his hot breath washing over Naruto like a furnace. The air smelled of smoke, iron, and blood.
"Heh," Kurama chuckled darkly. "You must be looking for chakra again. Why don't you come a little closer, and I'll hand you some?" His grin was wide, sharp, and hungry.
Naruto tilted his head, giving a lazy shrug. "Yeah, nah, bro. I'm good with that."
Kurama blinked, momentarily thrown off by the tone—and the slang. The two of them stood in silence for a moment, one the embodiment of malice, the other… an idiot who wasn't taking the situation nearly seriously enough.
Finally, Naruto turned on his heel. "Well, guess I'll get going. See you later, Kurama."
Kurama's pupils dilated. For the first time in centuries, genuine confusion flashed across his monstrous face.
Kurama.
'How does he know my name?' he thought, his tails stilling mid-sway. His massive eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto walk away, vanishing into the darkness. 'That boy… there's something different about him. I could sense it before, but this seal—it's blinding me. Still… it's getting weaker by the day.'
His gaze shifted toward the sealing tag at the center of the gate. A low growl rumbled from his throat.
"When that seal loosens," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous, "we'll see who's laughing then, brat."
TO BE CONTINUED