The claw retracted, and a massive shadow loomed closer as a large face pressed against the bars of the gate. The face was triangular, with slanted eyes, golden irises, and covered in fur—it was a fox. A massive fox, with a face larger than Naruto's entire body.
The fox bared its teeth in a sinister grin, revealing rows of sharp fangs. "What lies did they tell you to fill your head with such nonsense?"
Its voice dripped with mockery and disdain, as if taunting Naruto.
Naruto frowned, confused by the unfiltered malice in the fox's voice. He didn't like it, but he remembered that his teacher had mentioned that the spirit of a Zanpakutō might express itself in different ways—some were friendly, others aggressive. It was all part of testing whether the wielder was truly worthy of the sword.
Recalling what he had learned, Naruto responded, "You are the manifestation of my spiritual strength, my most important companion who will be with me for life."
The fox burst into laughter. "Spiritual strength? Companion? How absurd!"
The fox's laughter grew more sinister. "Have the people of Konoha become so naive?"
Naruto froze in shock. What did he just hear? Konoha? How could this fox know about Konoha?
"How could this be connected to Konoha?" Naruto blurted out, unable to comprehend.
The fox chuckled darkly, its voice filled with derision. "How could it not be?"
"I'm dead," Naruto interrupted firmly. "I left Konoha long ago."
The fox's eyes narrowed, and its fur bristled slightly. "Dead? You're telling me that you just died? Without even realizing it?"
Naruto, unfazed, sat down and began recounting his experiences over the past three years—about the Soul Society, Shinigami, the Shin'ō Academy, and the Gotei 13. He described all these new concepts to the fox, who listened intently, its gaze unwavering.
The fox had heard of the "Netherworld" from the days when it had accompanied the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki. It had also encountered the Reaper, summoned by the Uzumaki Clan's "Shinigami Mask" during the sealing of Kurama. But what Naruto described was entirely different from anything the fox had known.
Could it all be a lie fabricated by Konoha? It seemed unlikely. The story was too detailed, too elaborate. Naruto's thoughts were straightforward, and there was no indication of deceit.
When Naruto finished speaking, he concluded, "Whether you were born from my spirit while I was in Konoha or after I arrived in the Soul Society, we are now partners. Will you tell me your name?"
The fox grinned and exhaled heavily. "You speak convincingly, but it's hard to believe your story. How about this—"
The fox's eyes gleamed with a cunning light. "Let me feel what you're experiencing."
Naruto looked puzzled. "Feel?"
The fox's gaze drifted from the seals on the gate to Naruto. "Consider it a reward for your effort. Stop resisting my chakra. I will control it and use your senses to perceive the world."
The fox wanted Naruto to break the seal and release it, but if what Naruto said was true, then there was more at stake than temporary freedom. With half its power still sealed within the Fourth Hokage, gaining that power back was far more crucial.
"Does this mean you will share your name?" Naruto asked stubbornly.
The fox growled and slammed its paw against the gate. "I might consider it, but only if you prove yourself, kid!"
Its power surged, forcibly ejecting Naruto from the inner world. Everything went black, and when Naruto opened his eyes again, a foul stench filled his nostrils.
It was the smell of something rotting. Naruto looked around and realized he was no longer in the bright, spacious classroom but in a cramped, familiar room.
It was the small apartment he had lived in back in Konoha.
Naruto sat up, bewildered, following the source of the stench. He found old ramen cups, a carton of spoiled milk, and leftover fish and mushrooms he had gathered from the forest.
Memories flickered through his mind. Ramen had been his primary food for years because no one in Konoha would sell him anything else. He had been forced to rely on these cheap meals, and the fish and mushrooms were the only things he could forage for himself.
But how was he back in Konoha? Hadn't he died? What about the time he had spent in the Soul Society, in Shin'ō Academy? Was all of that just a dream?
"Doesn't look like this is the Soul Society you were talking about, kid," the fox's irritated voice echoed in his mind.
Naruto snapped back to reality. "You can see this?"
"No," the fox growled. "But I told you, I can sense the world through your senses. So, where's the evidence of this so-called Soul Society?"
Naruto didn't respond, deep in thought. Was it all just a dream? But how could a dream last so long and feel so real?
Frowning, Naruto started to get up, intending to leave the apartment and investigate. But as he moved, he felt a sharp pain in his waist—a hard object poking him.
He looked down and saw a sheathed sword, its guard pressing against his abdomen. His spirits lifted instantly—it was his Asauchi.
He grabbed the hilt, holding it up triumphantly. "Can you see this sword?" Naruto asked, his eyes shining with excitement.
The fox hesitated. "A sword? There's no—"
The fox's voice trailed off in confusion. "Wait, there really is a weapon in your hand."
The fox had seen countless weapons before, from basic kunai to the Seven Swordsmen's blades and even the Sage of Six Paths' legendary tools. But none of them felt like this. The sword in Naruto's hand seemed to be both there and not there, almost as if it were part of his very soul.
"This is the Asauchi I told you about!" Naruto exclaimed, his excitement growing. "I don't know why we're back in Konoha, but the fact that the Asauchi is with me proves that the Soul Society and Shin'ō Academy were real! They truly exist!"
The fox grunted dismissively but remained curious. "A single sword doesn't prove anything."
Naruto suppressed his frustration. Clutching his Asauchi, he began to wonder why he had suddenly returned to Konoha. Was it because he entered his inner world? He tried meditating again, attempting to connect with his Zanpakutō spirit, but each time he was ejected back to the dingy apartment.
Could he really be stuck here? Naruto looked out the window at the Hokage Rock in the distance, gripping his Asauchi tightly.
No, there had to be a way back!
He remembered that the Thirteenth Division of the Gotei 13 was responsible for purifying souls and sending them to the Soul Society. If there was a Shinigami stationed in Konoha, he just needed to find them to return to the Soul Society.
But first, he had to figure out what had happened in Konoha during his absence, even though it seemed like no time had passed. His apartment looked exactly as it had before he left, and the city didn't seem to have changed.
It didn't seem like anyone even noticed his disappearance. There might not even be any need for explanations.
After cleaning up his apartment and tossing out the trash, Naruto found a little over a thousand ryo in a drawer. He headed to the nearest convenience store. However, as soon as he approached the entrance, the store owner, an elderly man in an apron, rushed out with a broom in hand.
"Get lost! Get out of here, you brat!" the old man yelled, waving the broom menacingly. "I told you, I don't want you near my shop!"
Naruto looked up at the man, surprised. He wasn't surprised by the man's hostility—he was used to it. Everyone in Konoha treated him with the same disdain, never hiding their hatred.
What surprised him was that, despite three years passing in the Soul Society, the old store owner hadn't aged a day. Naruto peered into the store and saw an electronic clock displaying the current date and time.
It wasn't three years later. It was the same day he had "died" and left Konoha, as if time had frozen the moment he disappeared.
"Hey, are you listening to me, you little pest?!" The store owner's voice grew angrier as Naruto stood there, lost in thought. The old man raised his broom high, ready to strike.
(End of Chapter)