After a few years, Naruto had reached the age of six. His relationship with Kurama, the Nine-Tails sealed within him, had slowly progressed. Though Naruto initially viewed Kurama as merely a source of power, he was unknowingly growing attached to the fox. Their interactions felt almost like a friendship formed in childhood, something subtle yet undeniably present.
Today, Naruto stood in the training ground, his fists smashing into tree trunks as he practiced his techniques. After landing a series of heavy punches, he placed his hand on the ground, and a small black sphere materialized, extending from his palm. The sphere began to swallow everything in its path—rocks, dirt, even the surrounding vegetation—all disappearing into its ominous pull.
He had named this jutsu **Yin Release: Devouring Abyss**.
Yin Release: Devouring Abyss
The devouring Abyss** was a high-level yin-based technique that conjured a dense, black sphere of unique chakra. Once summoned, the sphere hovered ominously, emitting a gravitational pull that consumed anything within range—solid matter, chakra, even ambient energy—into a void-like state. The more it absorbed, the denser and more potent it grew. However, the jutsu was difficult to control, draining the user's chakra rapidly, and could only be sustained for a short duration. It required mastery of chakra control to wield it safely, as the sphere could potentially harm the user or consume unintended targets if mishandled.
When Naruto first attempted the Devouring Abyss, he nearly lost his arm to its intense gravitational pull. But slowly and steadily, he had managed to master it, learning to channel and control the jutsu. It reminded him of the **Rasengan**, yet its aura was far darker—like a void made tangible. It bore a striking resemblance to a technique he'd seen in passing, one used by Menma,
### Training Alone
At six years old, Naruto had now joined the Academy. He trained alone, though he once had a sparring partner in Sasuke Uchiha. However, Fugaku, Sasuke's father, had set new restrictions. He discovered that Sasuke would sometimes sneak out at night to spar with Naruto, the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and he put an end to it, forbidding her from leaving the clan grounds without permission.
Years passed, and Sasuke and Naruto hadn't met since. Naruto felt only mild annoyance, though, not sadness. Training with Sasuke had accelerated his progress, but he adapted by substituting her presence with his **Shadow Clones**. He had reverse-engineered the standard Shadow Clone Jutsu and advanced it into the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. Despite his success, he was careful not to reveal it, especially in front of the Anbu who occasionally monitored him. His caution stemmed from an earlier encounter: after killing a ninja from the Hidden Cloud, the Third Hokage had issued him a grandfatherly warning. Naruto knew the deeper implication behind the Hokage's words.
After a long session, Naruto brushed the dust off his clothes and collected his kunai and shuriken from nearby targets. With everything in check, he returned to his apartment, took a quick shower, and put on a black T-shirt and blue cargo pants. Today was his first day at the Academy.
### Entering the Academy
As Naruto arrived at the Academy, he noticed the Hokage standing near the gate. A crowd of children gathered, most of them wide-eyed with admiration for the Third Hokage. When the Hokage spotted Naruto, he gave him a warm, grandfatherly smile.
"Naruto, I was waiting for you. I'm here as your guardian to enroll you in the Academy," he said.
Suddenly, the attention shifted to Naruto, and as the other children recognized him, their looks of admiration turned into expressions of disdain.
"Why does the Hokage waste his time on that demon?" was the unspoken thought in their minds, their faces twisted in disgust.
Naruto sighed, his expression stoic. "Old man, I can fill out the forms myself. I don't need a guardian to join the Academy," he muttered as he walked past the Hokage.
The Hokage watched him, a trace of sadness in his gaze, but he didn't respond, allowing Naruto to move on at his own pace.
---
Inside the Academy
Inside the Academy, Naruto took his seat as the Third Hokage gave a speech on the **Will of Fire**. He explained its essence—that every leaf in the village is connected, bound by loyalty and dedication to protect one another. Naruto listened intently, intrigued by the concept, yet he recognized the undertone of control. The idea of "guiding" everyone's mindset was a powerful one, and he found it both intriguing and unsettling.
As he pondered this, he felt a nudge. Startled, he turned to find himself face-to-face with someone he hadn't seen in years—Sasuke.
For a moment, they just looked at each other, neither sure what to say. Sasuke's expression was hard to read, but there was a hint of defiance in her gaze, as if challenging him to see if he'd really grown stronger since they last trained together.
"It's been a while, Naruto," she said coolly, though a slight smirk tugged at her lips.
"Yeah," he replied, smirking back. "You've been slacking off without me, I bet."
The ice was broken, and a sense of familiarity returned between them, even if their paths had kept them apart.