The terrifying atmosphere had reached such a level that even the Chakra began to tremble. Naruto started thinking about whether he would be eaten lying down or symbolically resist to show his determination if the monster broke through the door.
But Naruto never expected the monster to ask… a math question? And an basic math question at that.
Naruto was a bit confused and bewildered. The overwhelming sense of oppression suddenly disappeared. The once terrifying Chakra now felt oddly comical.
Does this monster ask math questions to amuse itself before eating people?
Naruto's mind began to ponder.
And Kurama, he stared at Naruto outside the gate, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Yes, embarrassed.
He originally wanted to scare Naruto, but just when the atmosphere was perfect, he subconsciously blurted out that sentence.
What should I do?
Kurama's brain started spinning rapidly, thinking about how to restore his majestic image.
Got it!
A light bulb appeared on Kurama's forehead.
He slowly retracted his right paw from the gate and stood up. His massive body, over a hundred meters tall, was full of pressure. His blood-red eyes stared at Naruto.
He grinned, pointing at Naruto with his index finger: "Uzumaki Naruto!!! Why have you been hated by everyone since you were a child?"
"Why do you always explode with power when you're in a desperate situation?"
"Why can't you even walk on water despite having good chakra control?"
Naruto was full of questions. He really wanted to know why, but wasn't this monster a bit too self-absorbed?
Kurama laughed heartily, "There's only one answer—"
"You are! The Jinchuriki of me, Kurama, the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, who almost destroyed Konohagakure and killed the Fourth Hokage twelve years ago! Hahaha!"
"Hahaha..."
"Ha..." Kurama's laughter faded, "Uh, say something, even if it's just to cheer me on."
Although it was a famous scene, without the support of long-distance runners and cheering crowds, why did this supposedly exciting scene feel so awkward?
Naruto looked at Kurama blankly, "Um... do I know you?"
His voice was a bit weak, probably intimidated by Kurama's imposing figure.
Kurama wasn't satisfied with Naruto's reaction. He lowered his body slightly, leaning at the cell door to look at Naruto, "Hey, kid, is this the face you make when you find out you're my Jinchuriki? Your attitude really displeases me."
Naruto awkwardly scratched the back of his head, cautiously looking at the not-so-bright monster in front of him, "Um, excuse me, what is a Jinchuriki?"
Kurama: "..."
Huh, quite polite.
He forgot that in that human's memory, the term Jinchuriki wasn't used in the early stages of the Hokage ninja series; it only appeared later.
At that time, when Gaara came to Konohagakure for the Chunin exams, people said he had the monster Shukaku from the Land of Wind sealed inside him, not the One-Tailed Beast Shukaku. It seemed the concept of Tailed Beasts didn't exist back then.
This is a real world, and it's likely that apart from a few people like Shikamaru, no one in Naruto's generation knows what a Jinchuriki is.
Kurama suddenly felt a bit bored. No one was playing along, and Naruto was just a silly kid, far from the princely demeanor he had in the later stages of the series. He had a long way to go.
This Naruto didn't show any signs of his future self; his growth had just begun...
Wait a minute, Kurama realized a loophole. This Naruto had just graduated not long ago and was still participating in the Chunin exams.
If he could lead this kid astray, not to turn him against Konohagakure, but just to annoy them a bit, it should be fine.
Wouldn't that be a way to get back at the Minato couple for sealing him for so many years? If things went well, he could even escape Naruto's body, and to avoid being captured by Madara and Obito in the future, he needed to make some preparations in the ninja world.
Wouldn't that be killing three birds with one stone?
Kurama's smile gradually became mischievous.
However, at this moment, Naruto suddenly widened his eyes and pointed at Kurama: "You are the monster fox that destroyed Konohagakure and killed the Fourth Hokage twelve years ago!"
This guy's reflexes are a bit too slow.
Kurama rolled his eyes: "Kid, is there something wrong with your brain? It seems like what you hear has to take a detour before it reaches your brain."
Naruto ignored Kurama's sarcasm and jumped up from the ground, looking at Kurama with determination: "I will never let you destroy Konohagakure!"
Even though he was still very weak, he had the courage to stand in front of Kurama.
Kurama looked down at Naruto, the joy in his heart suddenly diminished a bit, and he sneered: "Hmph, I lost interest in a place like Konohagakure a long time ago. Rather than destroying that decaying village, I want to kill someone."
He was telling the truth.
Ever since he received the memories of that Earthling, although he spoke sarcastically, he was actually influenced. At least for Naruto, Minato, and Konohagakure, he no longer harbored hatred.
Of course, dislike was still dislike, and that would never change. Even if Naruto was in power, Kurama would still dislike Konohagakure, and that would never change.
Naruto frowned and looked up at Kurama: "Who? The Fourth Hokage-sama?"
"Not him." Kurama replied softly, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of coldness, "It's someone who dared to attack us tailed beasts and treated us like livestock."
"..." Naruto looked at Kurama in a daze. This cold atmosphere made the previous playful vibe disappear. At this moment, the fox in front of him seemed to be the monster that could destroy Konohagakure.
Naruto suddenly felt his throat dry: "You..."
He wanted to say something but suddenly didn't know how to start.
Kurama watched this scene with interest: "What, do you find it strange that this monster in front of you also has hatred like a human?"
Naruto was silent.
He did indeed suddenly have this feeling.
Clearly, it should be a monster, but it had hatred like a human, and even said things like 'treated us like livestock.' To Naruto now, this monster couldn't be called livestock, but it definitely wasn't 'human' either.
It's like you love your cat, but can you really see your cat as your own kind? I believe you love it and care about it, but you know better than anyone that it's a cat, not your kind.
Naruto's young face showed hesitation: "I think you're not like the stories."
Cold, fearful, strange.
"The old me indeed was." Kurama grinned, looking particularly ferocious with his sharp teeth and claws, "Naruto, you're different from others. At least to me, you're different. I'm probably the one who understands you the most in this world. Your current mindset is probably the reason you can be chosen as the successor of Sage of Six Paths."
In the past, Kurama wouldn't have talked so much to Naruto. In the past, Kurama wouldn't have shown any expression other than coldness to anyone except the tailed beasts and the Sage of Six Paths. In the past, Kurama wouldn't have had any fondness for anyone except the tailed beasts and the Sage of Six Paths.
He was influenced by that Earthling's consciousness...
The influence extended beyond just memories and habits; it affected his way of thinking and even his consciousness.
He was Kurama, but he was also that human from Earth. However, the mere twenty-something years of human memories couldn't overshadow Kurama's millennia of experiences.
At this moment, he still felt like Kurama, but in the future, who knows?
"Me? The Sage of Six Paths' successor?" Naruto pointed at himself in confusion, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Would he become the Sage of Six Paths' successor in the future? Although he didn't know what it meant, the term "Six Paths" often signified a legend, a legend that brought Chakra to the entire world.
That legendary sage, Rikudou Sennin.
Kurama looked at Naruto's complex expression. He knew this kid wasn't ready to accept everything yet, at least not now.
Although this kid had nothing to do with him now, in the future, he would still need this guy's help.
Kurama's eyes flickered. He lay on the ground, looking at Naruto with a half-smile: "Let's leave it at that for now. Do you remember why you came here?"
"Huh?" The sudden change in topic made Naruto pause. He scratched his head, trying to recall why he came here. Then, his face turned green, "Chakra! If I can't use the Summoning Jutsu, I'm going to die!!!"
He had just come out of Konohagakure with the pervy sage, and in a moment of inattention, the pervy sage pushed him off a cliff. He had exhausted all his means to stop the fall, and now the only way was the Summoning Jutsu.
He came here to ask this monster for Chakra!
Kurama watched Naruto's panicked expression and laughed joyfully: "Kid, your body might already be smashed to pieces."
Actually, it wasn't. The flow of time in the sealed space was different from the outside world. The ratio was unknown, but it was definitely much slower than outside. Naruto's body outside might have only fallen less than ten meters.
Kurama could observe what was happening outside, although it was from Naruto's perspective, but it was enough.
Kurama didn't know the exact height of the cliff, but it was at least a hundred meters, so there was still time.
But Naruto didn't know this. He turned pale, as if he had lost his soul, muttering strange words: "Sakura-chan~ Pervy sage~ Hokage grandpa~ Boohoo... My dreams are shattered."
"Why is Sakura the first one?" Kurama couldn't stand it anymore, "Alright, I'll give you Chakra. You still have a chance to get out of here. Stop crying and show some awareness as my Jinchuriki."
Naruto wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes: "Really?"
Kurama found Naruto's current state a bit disgusting, reminding him of those bratty kids from his human memories. His fists clenched: "Climb! Climb like you're hailing a cab!"
Naruto shivered, not out of fear, but because Kurama's sudden outburst startled him.
Although he didn't know what "hailing a cab" meant, Naruto could tell Kurama was telling him to get out quickly.
He looked at the moody and somewhat neurotic big fox in front of him, thought for a moment, and then spoke softly: "I don't think you're the monster fox from the story. You said your name is Nine-Tails Kurama, right?"
"Thank you for the Chakra, Kurama." Naruto gave a thumbs-up and smiled: "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I will become the Hokage in the future."
Kurama's ears twitched as he looked outside the gate. Apart from the ripples on the water, there was nothing else.
Kurama grinned, "Hmph.....That trick doesn't work on me"