Chapter 15
Here @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.
Are you enjoying the story? I've seen some negative comments, so I want to clarify something.
This is not a cheap copy or a Chinese novel. Yes, I was inspired by another work to create the Chat Group system, but everything else is completely original.
With that said, I'll leave you to enjoy the chapter. Hope you like it!
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Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura said their goodbyes after finishing their training.
As expected, Sasuke had learned both techniques with ease thanks to his Sharingan.
Naruto was sure that Sasuke would continue training in the coming days and become even stronger than he already was.
As for Sakura, she had managed to learn the Body Flicker Technique, though it had been more difficult for her than for Sasuke, as expected.
She also mentioned that she would go to the hospital in the coming days to master the Mystical Palm Technique.
By the time Tsunade decided to take her as a student, Sakura would have already started her journey in Medical Ninjutsu.
Naruto, for his part, decided to stay in Training Ground Three.
Looking around, he found a comfortable spot and sat cross-legged.
[Minato Namikaze: Son, what are you planning to do…?]
Minato, fearing the worst, watched as his son focused on the Eight Trigrams Seal on his stomach.
Everyone in the chat group saw Naruto's surroundings shift into a dark, dirty sewer.
[Naruto Uzumaki: Everyone, I'm going to disconnect you from my view for a while. I need some privacy right now.]
In the Pure World, all the members' screens turned black.
[Kushina Uzumaki: Naruto! Be careful with the Kyūbi!]
[Minato Namikaze: Listen to your mother, it's very dangerous!]
[Hashirama Senju: Is he really going to cut us off right at this moment?]
[Madara Uchiha: Just when things were getting interesting…]
[Tobirama Senju: This is dangerous. I'm worried the boy might try to release the Kyūbi.]
[Kushina Uzumaki: Naruto would never do such a thing…! Right…?]
[Minato Namikaze: …]
[Mito Uzumaki: Calm down. As the boy said, he comes from the future. He may have a way to gain the Kyūbi's cooperation.]
[Madara Uchiha: Unlikely. The boy is an Uchiha now. And there's nothing the Kyūbi hates more than the Uchiha.]
[Hashirama Senju: And whose fault is that?]
[Tobirama Senju: You controlled it with the Sharingan and attacked Hashirama and the village. Of course, it holds a grudge.]
[Madara Uchiha: Who asked for your opinion?]
[Hashirama Senju: YOUR MOTHER!!!]
[Madara Uchiha: …]
[Izuna Uchiha: …]
[Tobirama Senju: …]
...
"Is this my mindscape? It looks awful..."
Naruto sighed as he walked through the dirty water of the sewer.
After a few minutes, he reached a set of bars with a kanji in the center: 封 (seal).
Beyond them, there was only darkness, but Naruto could make out a massive figure.
"So you've been locked up here for 14 years? Now I feel sorry for you..."
Despite the darkness, Naruto spoke directly to the Kyūbi, keeping a safe distance.
He didn't want it to try and grab him while he was distracted.
"And here I was, wondering when you'd finally come talk to me, brat."
Kurama's face emerged from the darkness, revealing itself fully to Naruto.
"Do you want to be my friend?" Naruto asked bluntly.
"Free me and then we can be friends."
Naruto sighed at the malicious look on the Kyūbi's face.
It was clear that it would attack him the moment it got the chance.
"The Sage of the Six Paths didn't want this for you Tailed Beasts."
Naruto's words made Kurama pause for a moment before slamming the bars in fury.
"You have no idea what you're talking about, brat!"
"Everyone keeps calling me brat lately. I'm getting tired of it."
Naruto recalled the times Madara and Tobirama had referred to him that way in the chat group.
Kurama growled in disdain, the sound echoing in the cold darkness.
"I am the reincarnation of Asura Ōtsutsuki, the son of the Sage of the Six Paths!"
Kurama stared at him, trying to find the resemblance. Obviously, he didn't see it.
"Both Asura and Indra's chakra have reincarnated countless times throughout history."
"The most notable cases were Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju."
"And now, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki—me."
"I can't believe it! You're lying!"
Naruto sighed.
"You can't deny reality, Kurama."
"YOU…! How do you know that name?!"
"You keep denying reality… Let me finish my story."
Kurama watched him closely, still wary.
Naruto continued, explaining the story of Indra and Asura, the rivalry that extended to Hashirama and Madara, the awakening of the Rinnegan, and the cycle of reincarnations.
Kurama listened in silence, frowning.
"Finally, after Madara and Hashirama's deaths, the cycle continued with Sasuke and me. In theory, we should repeat the same rivalry, but I'm managing to avoid it. The cycle will end with us, I promise."
"Even if all this is true…! I can't trust you! You just want to use me, like everyone else!"
Naruto sighed again.
Kurama was stubborn—perhaps even more than Hashirama. And until now, he had thought that was impossible.
"Listen, I don't want to use you. In a few years, the Fourth Great Shinobi War will break out. Madara Uchiha will return and initiate the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan, trapping everyone in an illusion. Black Zetsu, the will of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, will take advantage of this to bring her back."
"Black Zetsu?" Kurama asked, confused.
Naruto explained how Black Zetsu had manipulated Indra, then Madara, and how he planned to free Kaguya.
"I need your help, Kurama, to stop everything that's coming."
Kurama, now calmer, asked curiously:
"Brat… How do you know so much…?"
Naruto smiled. He had been waiting for Kurama to ask this question.
Having Kurama as an ally was the first step to changing the future.
Then he told him about the Ōtsutsuki artifact, Karasuki, and his return to the past.
Of course, all of this was a lie, but Kurama didn't need to know that.
Currently, Karasuki was somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.
Besides, even if this information leaked, Karasuki could only be activated by an Ōtsutsuki.
Finally, Naruto took a step forward and touched the seal.
Kurama watched him carefully.
"What are you doing? I could devour you..."
"The fact that you're warning me instead of trying it gives me confidence."
Kurama snorted in amusement and backed away from the bars, turning around and lying down.
Naruto nearly burst into laughter. Kurama had just acted like a dog.
When the seal disappeared, Naruto waited for his father, Minato, to appear and stop him.
But nothing happened.
The chat group was likely influencing this. Since Minato was in the Pure World, his soul was no longer inside the seal or the Shinigami's stomach, which explained why he didn't appear to stop him.
In a way, this made things easier for Naruto. He didn't have to face his father's resistance or give explanations at that moment.
Naruto simply felt relieved to avoid an awkward conversation.
"Kurama! I'll ask you again… Do you want to be my friend?!"
Kurama sighed. "Do I have a choice?"
"You never did!"
Naruto smiled and closed his eyes, concentrating. Suddenly, the environment shifted to a lush green meadow.
For a moment, Kurama looked at Naruto with gratitude.
"Well, I'm off. Let's stay in touch!"
Kurama smirked.
"Don't be in a hurry to come back."
Naruto stomped the ground hard. "Damn tsundere fox!"