Chapter 10

Demonic Contract

Grants the ability to pull the soul of a defeated creature into an isolated dimensional space for negotiation.If the target agrees to the contract, they gain a powerful "Demonic Curse" ability but must surrender ownership of their soul to the summoner. Escape becomes impossible.Note: Once activated, the contract will dissipate regardless of whether the target accepts it or not. Contracted creatures are stored in an alternate space and must be summoned to be used.

Control souls and collect servants?Compared to the other rewards, this was… interesting.

Naruto Uzumaki found the idea oddly appealing. A fresh concept—something that actually felt new. With a quiet thought, he closed the selector interface and looked up to meet the furious, restrained gaze of the Nine-Tails—still twisted awkwardly in its humiliating "M" pose behind the cage bars.

"Kurama, do you want real freedom?"

The massive fox's red eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What kind of pathetic trick are you playing now, worm? Release these chains before I—"

Suddenly, the Nine-Tails froze.

His eyes twitched. "...Wait. How do you know my name?"

Naruto's face was calm, even cold. "That's not such a rare thing. I know everything about this world. Your name is just the beginning."

He took a breath, speaking firmly. "I'll ask you again—do you want real freedom?"

"You dare talk to me like that?!"

"I see you still don't get it," Naruto said, raising one hand.

In that instant, Kurama's right front paw lifted—entirely against his will. It clenched into a fist, his own body betraying him.

"You feel that?" Naruto said quietly. "That's just a piece of your body under my control. As long as these chains exist, I can gradually take over more and more of you. Eventually, you'll lose all control, your consciousness will fade, and I'll absorb your chakra entirely."

He smiled. Not smug, not cruel—just direct.

"I'm giving you a choice, Kurama. You can either be devoured… or you can follow me, and I'll give you freedom."

And Naruto meant it. If the Devil's Contract hadn't intrigued him, he would have slowly continued grinding up his selector options until he hit 100% control. And then Kurama would've been done for.

If someone had said this to Kurama just weeks ago, he'd have scoffed. He'd been sealed before. Controlled with the Sharingan. But no one—not even the Uchiha—had ever made him feel this helpless.

But this was different.

His body was betraying him—not because of genjutsu or mind tricks, but because something deeper had taken root. It was real.

Kurama was, for the first time in his thousand-year life… afraid he might die.

"How… exactly do you plan to give me freedom?" he asked, lowering his eyes.

"When I become the strongest shinobi in existence," Naruto said simply, "I'll set you free. And I'll do it in a way that guarantees I live on. You'll be able to roam the world—mountains, oceans, wherever you want."

Kurama's eyes narrowed again. "You? The strongest? Don't kid yourself."

Naruto's voice turned sharp. "I'm not joking. I will become the strongest. I have to."

This wasn't just ambition. It was necessity. If he didn't rise to the top, then one day, Uchiha Madara and his Infinite Tsukuyomi would wipe out everything.

He refused to become just another soul caught in an illusion.

Kurama went silent for a long while.

"…What do you need from me?"

Naruto didn't hesitate. "When the time comes, agree to sign the contract and become my servant—until I release you."

Kurama's massive body shuddered in resignation. "Fine. I'll do it."

A psychic contract isn't the end of the world, the fox thought. Humans don't live past a century, anyway. I'll outlast him.

[Ding! Congratulations! Option 1 Complete. Reward: Devil's Contract ×1.]

Naruto exhaled in relief.

He'd gambled that "agreement" was enough—not a full signature—and he'd been right. If he hadn't reviewed the option details earlier, he might've blown it.

With Kurama agreeing under pressure, the selector recognized the contract as valid.

"Alright," the fox said slowly, "now… can you take these chains off?"

Naruto blinked. "I… actually have no idea how."

The chains, after all, had appeared automatically when Kurama's negative energy was purged. He didn't know how to undo them manually.

But just then, as if responding to the contract's completion, the chains loosened on their own—and vanished.

Kurama stretched out across the dark cage floor, feeling the difference instantly.

The oppressive tension was gone.

He could finally relax, roll over, or even sleep. This dark prison still sucked—but it was livable now.

Finally… some damn peace.

"Rest up," Naruto said, turning away. "I'm heading out."

The Next Morning

As dawn crept over the village rooftops, Naruto finished his breakfast and adjusted his reflection in the mirror.

White shirt, black pants, carefully combed hair.

A sharp, clean look—an ascetic youth with an edge.

The only blemish? The Konoha forehead protector. No matter how he wore it—head, waist, neck—it looked awful. So, he strapped it around his left arm as a compromise.

Good enough.

Nowadays, thanks to his glow-up, people barely recognized the Naruto of old—the goofy outcast. Now, shopkeepers gave him respectful nods, and some even offered discounts.

Being strong is temporary. Being handsome? That lasts a lifetime.

As he walked to the Ninja Academy, heads turned left and right. He didn't care. Good-looking guys attract attention. Get used to it.

It's what Uchiha Sasuke dealt with every day—and Naruto would be on his team soon.

He was looking for Sasuke's seat when two familiar voices caught him from behind.

"Hey, Naruto. What did you do to Ino?" Shikamaru asked, his expression deadpan as always.

Beside him, Choji crunched into another chip. "Yeah. Ino's been down ever since you knocked her out."

Naruto blinked. "I didn't do anything. She blocked my path, so I knocked her out."

"You can't just go around hitting your girlfriend, dude," Shikamaru said, surprisingly serious.

"…Girlfriend???"

Naruto stared at them.

"Come on," Choji said with a frown. "You asked her out, didn't you? Everyone's talking about it. She was super excited to meet up that night… and then you knocked her out cold the next day."

Naruto's jaw hung open.

WHAT?!

"Wait—how the hell did that turn into us dating?!"