Chapter 3: Inside the mindscape

Notations:

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

Naruto gave him a nod of gratitude and sat down as well. "Okay, first question. Why does my mindscape represent a gutter or a sewer, whatever you want to call it?" Kurama looked silent for a moment, after which a mischievous grin broke out on his face, exposing his sharp canines, "You know what they say about people whose minds are in the gutter, right?"

Naruto gave him a blank look, reminding Kurama that Naruto, however intelligent for his age, was still only five years old. Kurama's embarrassed blush would have been visible on his face if his fur were not orange. He cleared his throat loudly to avoid embarrassment. Sorry Naruto, but I have no idea why your mindscape is a sewer. There is a theory that says that your mindscape is a reflection of your mental state. It could have been the psychological trauma that was given to you by the villagers, but why it is particularly a sewer, I don't know", Kurama replied. Naruto absorbed the information like a sponge and after a few seconds, he asked Kurama, "So, I have psychological trauma. I knew about that. Which means that even if I change the appearance of my mindscape to something else, there will always be something that represents the trauma, right?" Kurama inclined his head in agreement, smiling a little, "That's right. I have to say though, it's nice to talk to someone intelligent." Naruto's eyes visibly brightened up at the praise, giving a full-blown smile to his newest friend. Kurama noted with some amusement the grin looked very similar to another blonde and a redhead. Naruto jumped to his feet, "Your answer just confirmed something for me Kurama." His eyes had a mix of excitement and determination to them as if he was about to do something new. Naruto closed his eyes and clapped his hands together, face scrunched up in concentration. Kurama observed him quietly, wondering what his host was about to do.

Naruto snapped his eyes open after a few minutes, having envisioned what he was about to do. With a cry of "Ha!", he slammed his right hand on the ground. What happened next completely blew away his mind. A wave of energy exploded from Naruto in all directions, completely lighting up the mindscape and almost blinding Kurama. 'Was it chakra that exploded from him? How is that even possible when he hasn't even unlocked it yet? That pulse of chakra completely shredded everything it came in contact with! Naruto may have possibly destroyed his mind!' thought Kurama.

When he opened his eyes, however, he was stupefied to a degree he didn't think was possible. His eyes were wide, his jaw was hanging, making him look quite comical.

A beautiful valley greeted his eyes. Lush grounds and a shade of green that looked heavenly, streams with water clearer than he had ever seen. The grass felt soft under his limbs and there was a massive oak tree with a shade that made it great for naps. The cage around him had disappeared, instead replaced with a collar which had the same piece of paper from before with the kanji for seal written on it. He looked at Naruto in wonder. This kid was full of surprises. Naruto got up from his position, looking no worse for wear. He smiled satisfactorily, "This is so much better than before! Wouldn't you agree, Kurama?" he asked, turning to him. Kurama was smiling like he was the happiest being on Earth. No one had ever done anything for him, and Naruto, who had just met him, had already done so much for him. Kurama looked at Naruto with gratitude in his eyes, " Thank you Naruto. You have no idea how much this means to me." Naruto just shook his head at him, "Don't worry about it. We are friends, right?" Kurama nodded, feeling excited for a long time, wanting to explore what Naruto had created for him. He was about to leave when Naruto's voice stopped him, mid-step. "However, it seems strange that there is no presence of a celestial body in the sky. I had envisioned it just like outside", he mused, a frown on his five-year-old face that would have earned him so many squeals of "Cute!!" from the girls. Kurama too wondered what the reason could be, and quickly figured it out. He looked up in thought, "Perhaps it is because of the seal", he muttered. Naruto looked up at him, confusion on his face, "What do you mean?"

Kurama looked down at Naruto," "The seal that keeps me inside you, Naruto. If it was only you, you would have had absolute control over your mindscape. But since I am here as well, the control gets divided equally. However, control on my side is restricted because of this seal. The absence of the sun or the moon that you envisioned could signify that this place is cut off from my senses. In easier terms, the outside world", he explained. Naruto processed Kurama's answer, " 'If the seal was restricting Kurama's activity'….. what do you think I should do, Kurama?" Kurama put his hand under his chin. He could see only one way around this, and if Naruto messed up, it could spell trouble for both of them. But he would try his best to not let that happen. "You would have to tear off a very small piece of the seal on my collar. Leave the reset to me", assured Kurama. When Naruto looked a bit hesitant, Kurama told him, "Don't worry Naruto. You can do it. If something goes wrong, I will take care of it." The reassurance erased any doubt from Naruto's face and he promptly marched up to Kurama's collar, making sure to tear only the smallest piece of paper. Kurama nodded in satisfaction and approval. He could feel a tiny bit of control get back to him. Just a snap of his fingers and a sun appeared in the sky, lighting up the valley, making it even more beautiful. Naruto smiled at the sight, but it faded at the sight of a cave that he instinctively knew not to go near.

He turned back to Kurama, who had an expression of curiosity on his face, "Naruto, what was that wave of energy that exploded from you earlier? And how did you know how to change your mindscape?" Naruto gave him an innocent look and said, "It is my mind, Kurama. I can make anything happen in here. As for the energy wave", his expression turned sheepish and he rubbed the back of his head, reminding him of the boy's father who had the same habit, "It just seemed cooler than simply changing the surroundings in the blink of an eye."

This time it was Kurama who gave him a blank look. A sweatdrop appeared on the side of his head at the sheepish laugh of his host. He shook his head, it seemed Naruto like to be a dramatic smartass. He concentrated and nodded in satisfaction. He could now sense the chakra signatures of almost the whole village. Once Naruto opened his eyes, Kurama would be able to see as well. " Nevertheless, you have my thanks. Allow me to repay with something that will come in very handy once you become a shinobi", Kurama smiled, raising a fingernail and very gently touching Naruto's forehead. The nail shined for a moment and then faded back. Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What was that?" Kurama smiled mysteriously, "Why don't you discover it yourself? I can feel several chakra signatures closing in on you. Time for you to open your eyes, Naruto." Naruto nodded and turned to leave, but froze. He slowly turned around and smiled embarrassedly, "How do I leave?" Kurama had to squash the urge to facepalm. It seemed that Naruto had his moments of stupidity now and then, " Just jump into the water, fishcake", he said exasperatedly. Naruto frowned at 'fishcake', but nodded and with a leap that was impossible for any child his age, jumped into the water. Kurama shook his head, amused. It was only because Naruto was in his mind that he was able to do so. 'Perhaps I should have told him that he could get out with just a thought, he mused. Then he squashed that thought immediately ' Nah, it is too much fun messing with him.'