The next day, at five in the morning.
Naruto woke up.
He felt that his physical exhaustion from the previous day had been restored through sleep.
But his mind was a bit foggy; he had spent the entire night getting "beaten" in a strange "dream."
The big fox inside him didn't hold back at all.
Naruto had lost count of how many heavy hits he took.
He only knew he screamed a lot in the dream.
The big fox's training was just like Dad Whitebeard's training. But somehow, Naruto felt like a surge of chakra that didn't belong to him was flowing in his mind.
"It's the big fox!!!"
His foggy mind began to clear.
Naruto was both surprised and delighted.
Even though Kurama was the reason he was seen as a "demon fox," Naruto knew he couldn't get rid of Kurama.
Instead, he might as well try to get along with the big fox.
After all, the power lent to him by the big fox was something Naruto found very tempting.
"Thank you, big fox!" Naruto sincerely thanked him in his mind, not knowing if his thoughts could be heard.
Kurama's cold snort suddenly echoed: "Don't flatter yourself, brat! I'm only interested in that Observation Haki."
That day.
Naruto's training involved weight training, starting from a few hundred pounds and now up to nearly five hundred pounds.
This meant he was carrying the weight of three to four adults every day, and he was just a five-year-old kid.
"Naruto seems tireless."
Kushina keenly noticed something was off.
"It's Kurama," Kakashi explained. "Kurama inside Naruto has lent him more chakra. Naruto told me he has been dreaming of Kurama lately."
Kakashi speculated: "He must have learned how to communicate with the Tailed Beast, and the beast is willing to communicate with him."
At this point.
Kakashi breathed a small sigh of relief.
If Kurama were a Tailed Beast that disliked communication, he'd be on edge every day, worried that the beast might lose control.
But if Kurama could communicate, it meant Naruto had the potential to become a perfect jinchuriki.
In this way.
The Tailed Beast inside Naruto wouldn't be a threat but a huge asset to him.
Suddenly.
A breeze blew, carrying a bit of moisture and a smell different from the usual wind.
"Gurararara!!!"
The familiar sea breeze made Whitebeard, walking ahead, laugh heartily: "Stupid sons and daughters! Your dad has smelled the sea! The sea is just ahead!"
"The sea?" Karin curiously looked ahead.
"Dad, it's so blue up ahead!" Even though young Karin wore glasses, she could still see the vast blue ocean in the distance!
Looking up slightly.
She could see seabirds circling above them, different from those in the forest.
"Such big white birds!"
Karin exclaimed.
She suddenly felt hungry and eager: "These big birds must taste good roasted, right?"
Spending time with Whitebeard, Karin had changed from the gloomy and introverted nature caused by the darkness of Kusagakure.
Dad, Naruto, Mom...
These people always gave her warmth like a family.
No, not like a family.
They...
...were family!
"Gurararara! These are seagulls!" Whitebeard ruffled Karin's hair, laughing joyfully: "A good man at sea doesn't eat seagulls lightly! When you're lost at sea, if you see a seagull, it means you can survive."
"Just follow the direction the seagull flies, and you'll find land. In short, any seabird is a sign of good luck for pirates!"
Whitebeard added nostalgically: "Some seabirds even carry a bundle. Inside are newspapers; give them money, and they'll give you the newspaper."
"Eh?" Naruto was also intrigued by Whitebeard's words.
"So amazing!" Naruto exclaimed: "A bird delivering newspapers?"
"Gurararara! They're called News Coo."
Whitebeard sighed: "They're from my homeland; I don't know if they exist in the ninja world."
Kakashi was holding a small book.
He bought it while passing through a town.
Kakashi blushed as he read.
And said: "As far as I know, there are no such birds in the ninja world. But if bird nin-beasts are trained, maybe... they could be trained to do this."
He knew that once they reached the coast of the Land of Fire, Whitebeard would take Naruto to the Land of Water.
Then they would go to the shipyard in the Land of Water.
To build that Moby Dick or whatever.
Even though he knew this was going to happen, what could he do?
Instead of worrying about it.
He might as well read his novel!
...
Meanwhile.
Elsewhere.
A group of Root ninjas wearing various masks, and an unmasked Konoha ninja, were moving quickly along the same road.
"Shisui, what were you looking back at? Is there something wrong?"
A Root ninja sharply noticed Shisui's small movement.
"No." Shisui Uchiha shook his head.
This group was Shisui and the Root ninjas.
"Hmph!" The Root ninja said coldly: "Don't forget your mission this time. A small mistake could ruin everything!"
Shisui nodded, speaking sparingly: "I know."
A while ago.
Shisui encountered Danzo on his way home.
Under the pretext of "orders from the Hokage," Danzo told him some things.
At the same time, he gave Shisui an order.
Use those special eyes to control Whitebeard!
Shisui remembered Danzo's important words clearly.
—"If the jinchuriki loses control, even if it's because of Whitebeard, the village will still suspect the Uchiha clan. Shisui, you don't want that, right?"
—"Your eyes are a gift of peace to Konoha from the ancestors. Used properly, the village and the Uchiha clan can have lasting peace."
—"Shisui, this isn't just my idea. It's also the view of the Third Hokage, Koharu, and Homura."
—"Whether Konoha can remain peaceful depends on how you use your eyes. You have three days to think about it!"
—"I hope you won't let Konoha fall into chaos."
Danzo's words hit Shisui hard.
Each word was a blow to Shisui.
But Shisui felt something was off.
Given Root's "reputation," it was a concern.
'Something seems wrong.'
Shisui frowned, thinking: 'I hope it's just a feeling.'
...
...