Six years.
A full six years—aside from the academy holidays when he took brief breaks—Naruto trained day and night without rest.
His dedication was so relentless that even Kurama, the Nine-Tails, was shocked.
Six years of relentless effort.
Kurama had witnessed it all.
More than anyone else, the Nine-Tails understood Naruto's true growth.
Within the seal, Kurama had watched Naruto mature—from a scrawny, clueless brat to the formidable force he was now.
Beyond what you'd expect from a shinobi.
Beyond even the power of the Tailed Beasts.
When Kurama thought about it that way...
He couldn't help but look down on the fools of Konoha.
Especially that senile old Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi.
That cunning geezer wore a mask of kindness, but Kurama saw through it. He had no true affection for Naruto—only schemes.
He thought he could manipulate Naruto, keep him ignorant, and turn him into a weapon—a tool for Konoha's control.
But the result?
Naruto had known the truth from the beginning.
The more the Third put on his act—the friendly grandfather routine—the more Naruto wanted to laugh.
And now…
Naruto calmly stared at the old Hokage.
He had silenced the fool before coming to face the rest of them.
When they spoke to him, their tone lacked even the faintest warmth or concern.
Just like that, they coldly assigned him and Team 7 a D-rank mission.
Naruto said nothing.
Instead, he smiled and gathered Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura.
"Don't take it too seriously," he told them.
Because to Naruto, words were powerless.
He preferred to speak through actions.
But what surprised him this time—
Was that all three of them—Kakashi, Sasuke, and even Sakura—stood up for him.
Sasuke... You really are my worthy rival. My little brother in arms.
Kakashi... You made the right choice this time.
Sakura...
Naruto paused for a moment, lost in thought.
In the original timeline, Sakura had always been annoyed with him. Mostly because of his constant, foolish crush on her.
And yeah, she was annoying in the early parts of the story—clingy, shallow, always chasing Sasuke.
But that was the original Sakura.
This time, just now, she stood up for him too.
Even if she only followed behind Sasuke...
She didn't hesitate.
That alone already set her apart from the rest.
Besides, Naruto knew how brilliant she really was.
Back during the first phase of the Chūnin Exams, while everyone else was scrambling to cheat or copy answers...
Sakura calmly filled in everything on her own, relying purely on what she'd already mastered.
A true academic genius.
People often say her precise chakra control made her a perfect fit for Tsunade's path.
But Naruto saw more.
He knew she had another kind of talent—the intelligence to grasp complex systems, to understand mechanisms.
With the right guidance, Sakura could've walked a different path entirely.
A scientist.
A researcher.
If she followed someone like Orochimaru—not as a villain, but as a teacher—she could've become the ninja world's top scientific mind.
Still, jokes aside…
Whoever loses has to marry Sakura.
But of course, Naruto would never lose to Sasuke.
Not now. Not ever.
Later that day, Team 7 completed their assigned mission.
After parting ways, Naruto returned to his apartment.
He made a quick dinner for himself, something simple.
Then, closing his eyes, he sank into meditation.
Now that Kakashi was his jonin-sensei, the ANBU surveillance had been lifted.
No more spies watching his every move.
Naruto could finally relax a little.
He closed his eyes—and immediately entered the sealed space.
When he opened them again, he stood in a place he had visited countless times.
The dark, humid air. The endless waters beneath his feet. The faint red glow from behind the bars.
After six long years of training and meditation, Naruto had explored every corner of this inner world. He knew its structure as well as the back of his hand.
He stepped forward, walking across the shallow water with slow, steady steps, until he stood in front of the massive, crimson gate—the seal that held back Kurama, the Nine-Tails.
Behind the bars, in the pitch-black shadows, glowing red eyes opened.
"Naruto."
The deep, thunderous voice echoed through the sealed chamber like rolling lightning.
"Have you finally decided?"
From the darkness, the monstrous form of Kurama gradually emerged. His massive body radiated both fury and ancient power, and his fiery mane rippled with each movement. Those slit-like, beastly eyes locked onto Naruto, unreadable and intense.
Naruto smiled.
His sky-blue eyes didn't flinch as he returned Kurama's gaze, a calm but confident grin spreading across his face.
"Yeah," he said. "Kurama… after six years… I'm ready."
"I can finally begin executing my plan."
Kurama narrowed his eyes.
The air around them thickened as he asked, "What kind of plan?"
Though his voice was composed, Kurama couldn't suppress the flicker of excitement that stirred within him.
Naruto fell silent for a moment.
Then, without breaking eye contact, he spoke.
His voice was solemn. Firm. Burning with ambition.
"Overthrow the Third Hokage."
"Take control of Konoha."
"And eventually—unify the entire ninja world."
Those words—clear, powerful—resounded through the sealed space.
For the first time, Kurama was hearing Naruto's true ambition laid bare.
He had always sensed Naruto's disgust toward the Third Hokage and the way the old man manipulated him. That much had been obvious from Naruto's actions.
But this...
Unifying the ninja world?
That went far beyond personal revenge.
Even Kurama was momentarily speechless.
He stared at the boy—no, the man—before him.
After a pause, Kurama grunted.
"I believe in your desire to remove that old fool from power."
"But unifying the ninja world?" he asked, his tone both skeptical and intrigued. "You do realize, brat—Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha tried. Even with all their strength, they couldn't do it."
"Even if you take over Konoha, there are still four other great nations, not to mention the countless smaller hidden villages. Don't underestimate the resistance even the minor villages could put up. Together, they could make even Konoha tremble."
Naruto listened quietly.
He didn't argue.
He nodded at several points, acknowledging that Kurama's concerns weren't without merit.
But once Kurama had finished speaking, Naruto slowly shook his head.
Naruto looked at Kurama and began to speak:
"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and Uchiha Madara had the power to dominate all the ninja villages of their time."
"Even you, the strongest of the tailed beasts—the mighty Nine-Tails—were nothing more than a pet in their eyes."
"To them, the Five Great Shinobi Nations were nothing."
He paused.
"But Hashirama's ideals... his way of thinking prevented him from subjugating the other villages through sheer power."
"He even distributed the tailed beasts to other nations in the name of peace—based on a naive and foolish dream."
Kurama's eye twitched. Hearing such bold claims from a brat like Naruto made his blood boil.
Comparing me to a pet?
Daring to speak of Hashirama and Madara like that?
His instinct was to lash out in anger.
But then he recalled Naruto's current strength—powerful enough to earn his respect.
Tch. Forget it.
Kurama clenched his fangs and forced himself to let it slide.
I won't stoop to bickering with a kid.
Naruto continued without missing a beat:
"You remember what I told you before, right? Hashirama and Madara were the reincarnations of Asura and Indra—sons of the Sage of Six Paths. They were destined to clash."
"Maybe that's why they failed to unify the world. Maybe the cycle of hatred and reincarnation was too strong in their era."
"They were the protagonists of their time, but even they couldn't break the pattern."
Kurama's eyes widened slightly. He remembered. Naruto had spoken about this before.
The cycle of conflict between Indra and Asura's reincarnations.
Hashirama and Madara.
Then Naruto and Sasuke.
Even when Madara awakened the Rinnegan, the world still plunged into chaos.
Because, ultimately, it wasn't just war—it was fate. A pattern manipulated by something deeper.
By someone in the shadows.
Naruto's gaze hardened as he stepped forward, his eyes glowing with conviction.
"There's only one path forward—to completely unify all the shinobi nations. One people. One force."
"Only then can true peace be achieved."
"As long as countries remain divided, and shinobi villages act like separate factions…"
"There will always be war."
"Even if one conflict ends, the next one will follow soon after."
Kurama listened intently as Naruto's voice grew heavier with determination.
Then Naruto locked eyes with the Nine-Tails. His piercing blue gaze seemed to cut through the air, as if peering into Kurama's very soul.
"Unification will be painful," Naruto said, "even cruel—for some."
"But it's necessary for peace."
"And the first step," he declared, "is to remove Hiruzen Sarutobi and seize full control of Konohagakure."
His words echoed through the sealed space.
Kurama stared at him, unmoving.
Naruto's ambition. His vision. It was grand—mad, even—but impossible to ignore.
Unifying the entire shinobi world?
Even the Sage of Six Paths never spoke of such a thing.
Kurama's lips curled into a smirk.
He liked this kind of madness.
After all, he had never been one to seek peace through quiet means.
He liked chaos. He liked noise. And this—this was something that could truly shake the world.
"So…" Kurama said, eyes gleaming. "Are you planning to stir up some trouble in Konoha?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a hint of mockery.
"Stupid Kurama."
"What would be the point of creating chaos and wrecking the whole village?"
"Destroying Konoha, only to rebuild it myself from rubble?"
"And when the other villages find out that Konoha's in shambles, what do you think they'll do?"
"They'll descend like vultures, each one eager to tear off a piece of what's left."
Kurama saw the disdain in Naruto's eyes and felt a twinge of irritation.
Tch.
This brat... always acting like he's three steps ahead.
But even if he wanted to, he couldn't win against Naruto anymore.
No—it wasn't about strength.
He couldn't bring himself to lash out at a kid just because he was strong.
It left a sour feeling in his gut.
Naruto noticed Kurama's conflicted expression and grinned.
"What I want is a complete Konoha. A Konoha that can function the moment I become Hokage."
"If I destroy it first, what's the point? Rebuilding from rubble? That's idiotic."
"And when the other villages see a weak Konoha, they'll attack. We'd be surrounded before we even got started."
"I'm not doing this alone. That's why I need your power, Kurama."
"You have the ability to connect chakra—to share it with others. With your help, I can create a force of loyal shinobi within the village."
"Ninja who serve me—not the old fools clinging to power."
"With them, I'll sweep away the rot. Sarutobi Hiruzen and all his decrepit, corrupt relics—I'll throw them into the trash heap of history!"
"And I'll do it using his own rules. Openly. Lawfully. The way he always pretended to value."
A cold glint flashed through Naruto's eyes.
"I'll make him endure what I endured."
"Death? That's mercy."
"I have far worse fates in store for them."
As he spoke, a heavy darkness stirred in his gaze—so intense even Kurama, the mighty Nine-Tails, felt a chill.
But still…
Kurama understood.
Naruto's plan made sense.
If he could use Kurama's chakra to empower others, he could quickly assemble a loyal faction within the village.
With that force, Sarutobi's regime would crumble.
Naruto could take power without setting the entire village ablaze.
But Kurama narrowed his eyes, a sharp smile curling at his lips.
"Naruto…"
"If you know I can link chakra between others, then you should also know—once we're linked, I can see your heart."
"You can't hide anything from me."
"Aren't you afraid of what I'll find?"
His voice echoed through the sealed chamber inside Naruto's mind.
But Naruto didn't flinch.
"No."
"I'm not afraid."
"Because I trust you… just as you trust me, Kurama."
As he spoke, Naruto stepped forward and extended his right fist through the bars of the seal.
Kurama blinked in surprise.
That small fist—tiny compared to his massive frame—felt heavier than mountains in that moment.
Because it meant something more.
After centuries of fear, hatred, and betrayal…
Someone had chosen to trust him.
A human, no less.
Kurama's expression softened.
Then, he smiled.
"Hmph."
Without hesitation, he raised his enormous paw and gently met Naruto's fist with one of his claws.
Boom.
In that instant, their chakra, their souls—their very beings—synchronized.
Reality shifted.
The world spun.
The seal dissolved.
When their eyes opened again, Naruto and Kurama found themselves standing in Naruto's inner world.
But what Kurama saw made his breath catch.
It was a magnificent city—a true marvel of human creation.
Towering steel skyscrapers rose into the sky, shuttles darting through the dense forest of metal and concrete.
Everywhere, banners and lights shimmered softly, casting a radiant glow over the cityscape.
Even Kurama was struck with awe.
There were 183 cities of this scale, and even if all the countries and villages of the ninja world combined their strength, they couldn't match this.
"What is this place?" Kurama asked Naruto.
Naruto gazed over the city and instinctively spread his arms wide,
as if embracing the brand-new future he had created.
He smiled and said,
"This is my vision for the future of the ninja world."
"A new era of peace and ideals."
"Where humanity works together to achieve fair resource distribution, social equality, and sustainable development."
"Advanced technology infinitely boosts productivity."
"Resources aren't monopolized by a few but shared and managed by society as a whole."
"Everyone has access to basic needs like food, water, housing, and healthcare—an equal chance at life."
"Humanity is finally freed from poverty, suffering, and hunger."
"Where every person's unique talents can fully flourish."
"Where work-life balance, education for all, cultural diversity, and mutual respect thrive."
"And beyond that, the exploration of the starry heavens above us."
"The vast sea of stars is waiting."
"A ninja should never be confined to a small patch of land."
Kurama watched Naruto's excited storytelling,
though much of it sounded like nonsense to him, alien and hard to understand.
He only understood one thing clearly—
Naruto wanted everyone to have enough food to eat.
Kurama, who had never experienced hunger,
couldn't grasp how profound this desire was.
But seeing Naruto's passion, he resolved to support him.
Still, Kurama never forgot one truth:
every human has darkness within them.
Naruto's inner world seemed radiant on the surface,
but Kurama couldn't help but ask directly,
"Naruto, where is your darkness?"
Naruto paused for a moment, then smiled warmly.
"Come with me. Let me show you."
In the blink of an eye,
Naruto led Kurama deep underground beneath the gleaming city.
The underground was vast,
filled with massive, incomprehensible industrial machines that hummed and worked around the clock.
And the power driving these titanic engines—
that was the darkness in Naruto's heart.
Kurama's eyes widened in shock.
"What is this?!"
Naruto nodded solemnly.
"Yes. This is the great darkness within me."
Everyone harbors dark, hidden thoughts—
Naruto never denied it.
Darkness doesn't define a person.
What matters is how one chooses to control it.
Naruto had a strong spirit.
He learned to master his inner darkness from a young age.
Even more than mastering it, he harnessed this darkness as the power source fueling his immense future city—his vast city on Earth.
With a transcendent mind, Naruto transformed his boundless darkness into the driving force pushing him forward.
...
TN:
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